Taylor Zajonc's Blog

I loved working on this series with ABDO Publishing and incredibly talented artist Geraldine Rodriguez.

Set during the Great War, the Adventures of Samuel Oliver series follows Samuel Oliver. Born into the dangerous family business of deep sea diving, Samuel seeks to prove himself to his father and uncle amidst a backdrop of mystery, suspense, and danger.

So happy to announce I’m a finalist for the 2019 Oregon Book Awards! THE MAW is up for the Ken Kesey Fiction Award. I hope you’ll consider joining me at the awards ceremony, held at the Gerding Theater at The Armory on April 22 and hosted by Cheryl Strayed.

Still in total disbelief. Sponsored by the Clive Cussler Collector’s society, the Adventure Writers Award is a competition devoted to finding emerging voices in the genre. Spent an amazing weekend in Charleston, SC with some amazing people.

Thrilled to share this AWESOME book trailer. Can you believe this was filmed in the real Adam West Batcave in LA?

For fans of Clive Cussler and Michael Crichton, a thrilling tale of an underground expedition to the deep . . . and the ultimate struggle for survival.

Milo Luttrell never expected to step inside the mouth of an ancient cave in rural Tanzania. After all, he’s a historian—not an archaeologist. Summoned under the guise of a mysterious life-changing opportunity, Milo suddenly finds himself in the midst of an expedition into the largest underground system in Africa, helmed by a brash billionaire-turned-exploration guru and his elite team of cavers. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to finally solve a century-old disappearance of the famed explorer Lord Riley DeWar, an enigmatic figure who both made—and nearly ruined—Milo’s fledgling career.

Determined to make the most of his second chance, Milo joins the team and begins a harrowing descent into one of Earth’s last secrets: a dangerous, pitch-black realm of twisting passages and ancient fossils nearly two thousand feet underground. But when a storm hits the surface base camp, stranding the cavers and washing away supplies, all communication to the outside world is lost. As the remaining resources dwindle and members of the team begin to exhibit strange and terrifying abilities, Milo must brave the encroaching darkness to unearth the truth behind DeWar’s fascination with the deep—and why he never left.

(SKYHORSE PUBLISHING | JUNE 2018)

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Do you love audiobooks as much as I do? THE MAW is now available major audiobook platforms, including Audible. Experience the mystery of the deep for the first time (or all over again) through Neil Hellegers amazing performance.

Get THE MAW on Audible

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THE INTOXICATING ATTRACTION OF THE ABYSS

“… an inventive, dizzily entertaining novel by Taylor Zajonc … its descent into the chasm is suspenseful and exciting, beset with disasters and borne continuously downward by a mystery connected to the origins of humankind.”

Read the full review at the Wall Street Journal.

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The big day is here! THE MAW is now available in bookstores and online everywhere. Getting this book out has been one of the most amazing journeys of my life, and I couldn’t be more please to share it with you. Thank you to each and every one of my readers.

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Really enjoyed speaking with Jason at StoryHinge about storytelling and my latest novel THE MAW. Check it out below!

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Early reviews are in for THE MAW – check them out below!

“This effective thriller—written by a man who has done a fair bit of dangerous exploring of his own—is claustrophobic and shocking and suspenseful … Zajonc has built a cast of characters who feel solid and anchored in reality … A top-notch genre-blender.”

Booklist Online

“The true test of a thriller is whether you can sleep before the final page. With The Maw, I couldn’t!”

John Nance, New York Times bestselling author of Lockout

“The Maw is Taylor Zajonc’s best adventure novel to date, set in a rarely seen environment and providing a thought-provoking theory about the origin of human nature. This book will remain with you long after the story ends.”

Christine Negroni, author of The Crash Detectives:

Investigating the World’s Most Mysterious Air Disasters

“The Maw is one of those books that drags you back every time you try to put it down. It’s a thrilling, ambitious story that unfolds at a foolhardy pace, with an acid-trip ending that you’ll either love or hate. I loved it.”

Peter Frick-Wright, contributing editor at Outside Magazine

“A well-told tale redolent of Jules Verne’s immortal classic Journey To The Center Of The Earth. The Maw pulls you in and swallows you whole with a gripping plot that includes the latest, most fascinating scientific discoveries about subterranean life.”

Michael Guillen, PhD, bestselling author, former ABC News science editor and author of THE NULL PROPHECY

Pre-Order Here



For fans of Clive Cussler and Michael Crichton, a thrilling tale of an underground expedition to the deep . . . and the ultimate struggle for survival.