Taquoma


Fiction - Thriller - Environmental
250 Pages
Reviewed on 12/06/2022
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Kevin D. Miller became an author after discovering a dark family secret. His great-grandfather was murdered in his bed in a rural Ohio town in 1920. His book Heart of Steel won a Bronze Award at the 2020 Readers Favorite book awards. TAQUOMA is his 4th novel. A fan of disaster fiction and high adventure, Kevin wanted to create a unique high-octane story to offer his readers that include elements of family, romance, and nail-biting adventure. Visit Kevin at www.AuthorKevinMiller.com for more info and to order books.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite

Taquoma is an environmental thriller by Kevin D. Miller. Yara is collecting data to complete her dissertation for a Ph.D. She is a talented and promising young vulcanologist. A doctorate will enable her to buy a house near her parents for her and her six-year-old daughter. The USGS arrived at Mount Rainier and force Yara to go to Wyoming with them. There Yara is expected to join forces with an exclusive club comprising NASA and the USGS. The team of scientists examines data and plans to execute their strategy for the project. They are going to drill vents around the volcano and by injecting cold water at high pressure, they hope to help cool the magma chambers. Yara warns them against doing it, and she gets fired. Yara hires Clayton Red Sky to fly her over Yellowstone to assess the caldera when it erupted.

I was intrigued by the plot of Taquoma. It was fuelled by conflict and crisis. In this thrilling story, the apprehension builds slowly until the volcano finally erupts. Kevin D. Miller does justice to this disaster and the events that follow. It is fast-paced and full of action and there is never a dull moment. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and it was a nail-biting experience. The characters were well-developed, and they all have a purpose. They were unusual, relatable, and strong throughout the story. It is skillfully written. Kevin has created a realistic story filled with drama while building tension with all the twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed Taquoma and recommend it highly.

Claudia Oltean

Taquoma is award-winning author Kevin D. Miller’s fourth novel. I have thoroughly enjoyed and admired his previous works and Taquoma is no exception. I would describe it as a high-octane action adventure thriller with an apocalyptic overlay. Once I started it, I couldn’t and didn’t put it down.

I immediately related to the main character – Yara Del Rey, a volcanologist on the brink of receiving her PhD. Of both Hawaiian and Mexican descent, Yara is a strong young woman who stands by her principles in the face of disenfranchisement from her university supervisor and other renowned scientists. She endures arrest for disagreeing with this group in their plan to deal with a possible eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera – one of the most powerful and destructive volcanoes on earth.
Her arrest leads her to meet Jerry Red Sky, a Native American who agrees with her stand about “Mother Earth” and bails her out of jail. She is desperate to conduct further research into the true state of the Yellowstone Caldera so he introduces her to his son, Clayton Red Sky. He operates a hot-air balloon business. She hires him to take her up to view and photograph the caldera from the air.

Their trip aloft is the beginning of non-stop, edge-of-your-seat drama, danger, and action that carries you through the rest of the book. Sensitive to spoilers, I’ll only add that Yara has a six-year-old daughter Kalani who has a cat named Shasta. When they came onstage they wormed their way into my heart and remain major characters in the narrative that follows.
Taquoma is a unique read in my experience. Though it is high-action, Miller’s provocative and well-written book embodies love in many forms, human resilience, and a message about the earth we take for granted. I highly recommend Taquoma to all fans of a great story that may well grab you by the throat.

Diane Wright

This book takes you on an amazing journey. Finished it in less than 2 days I could not put it down.
I highly recommend it. Kevin Miller knows how to draw you in and keep you there.

Review Fairy

A thrilling ride

I have thoroughly enjoyed every title that I have read from this talented author, and this book was definitely no exception. I feel like this book was special because it was almost like a complete trilogy all in one volume. The characters were endearing and complex, and the action was nonstop. I have often wondered what might happen if our beloved Yellow Stone were to erupt, and this story probably comes pretty close to being accurate. It is obvious that much research was done before writing this novel. I highly recommend it to all readers.

Kate Kindred

A Wild Ride

Another great book by Kevin D. Miller! Kevin’s books always have characters to root for, and stories that surprise you every step of the way. This book is no exception! Another impossible-to-put-down story.
As a side note, the author clearly did a ton of research; while the story was entertaining, it was also quite educational.

Richard V. Battle

Kevin D. Miller is a master storyteller!

Taquoma is a spell-binding tale with non-stop twists and turns including earthquakes, volcanoes, nuclear attacks, and confrontations with island natives. Vivid language places readers in the middle of the action from start to finish.

If you’re looking for an entertaining adventure, that hopefully will remain fiction, Taquoma will exceed your expectations and leave you waiting for Miller’s next novel.

Gary Wright

Amazing!

This book takes you on an amazing journey. Finished it in less than 2 days I could not put it down.
I highly recommend it. Kevin Miller knows how to draw you in and keep you there

Michelle Cobbett Garcia

Gripping from start to finish
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2023

Gripping from start to finish. Miller knows how to get his audience involved and keep them reading. Relevant with what's going on today

Readers Views Book Review Blog

“Taquoma” by Kevin D. Miller is a read that will immerse you into history, mythology, volcanology, expedition, and devotion, all at once. It is intensely researched and well-illustrated to perfection, with drama and high-stakes conflict that draws the reader straight in. The main character is an incredibly dedicated amateur volcanologist, whose thinking and perspective make her a fan favorite early into the read.

The writing throughout is superb: solidly researched and vividly detailed, and will provoke lots of reflection regarding morality, honor, and human decisions. Conclusively, if you want a breathtaking disaster thriller that will send you on a wild adventure, then look no further. “Taquoma” wins on all fronts!

Janie Kwiatkowski

Don't mess with Mother Nature!

Kevin Miller keeps you enthralled with the adventurous journey of a volcano expert. Each chapter produces a creative plot that makes the reader keep going. I read it in one day. It culminates with what mother nature is capable of doing (hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, flooding, etc.) It relates to current-day greed and human-caused pollution that could make this story a reality.