This is one of those rare books that deserves a great deal more than five stars. It's a standout novel of apocalyptic horror and sadness. I've rarely This is one of those rare books that deserves a great deal more than five stars. It's a standout novel of apocalyptic horror and sadness. I've rarely read a book so fast nor been so moved and disturbed by one. Adam Nevill is a fantastic author and if you've not sampled his work yet, do. 'Fiends' is the tenth book by him I've read. Apocalyptic fiction isn't easy to write because you need a credible 'end of the world' scenario, characters readers care about, and the ability in your writing to bring home just what is being lost. Nevill does all this in spades. In fact, almost too well. As I said in the first paragraph, this is a novel of intense sadness. It's heartbreaking. It's very, very hard to read at times. I admit, it hit me particularly hard because it's set in my old stomping ground: the South Hams of Devon. I know every creek he described. I could follow the route his protagonists made around the coastal villages as if I was travelling it with them. So reading of it all ending, which in so many ways it has for me, only exacerbated my constant longing for home. Devon is lost to me now, and I admit to tearing up once or twice reading this book when this stark reality was portrayed in this awful, awful apocalypse. The premise of the novel is quite simple in some ways. A man has flu, but by being bedridden avoids the apocalyptic event that takes almost everyone else. He wakens to a world which seems to have literally opened the gates of hell and released those imprisoned there. One of the major devices the author uses to show the inexorable spread of the 'hellscape' is the colour of the light, a spreading red sky which heralds the worst demons. It's a true testament to this author's writing skill that although this sky is mentioned on almost every page, its description is never once repeated and by the end of the book I actually began to feel the noxious menace of these repellant clouds. Another sign for me of a skillful author confident of his craft is the way Nevill leaves much of the horror of the book to the reader's imagination. I didn't need more detail, thank you. What we got genuinely disturbed me, and I tried not to think about it all too much. The way the fiends tempted people out of their homes was particularly heartbreaking, so if I dwelt on it too much I would have been overwhelmed. Do not miss this book. It's an incredible read. ...more
This started exceptionally well. A small town. People go missing but come back hideously mutilated. Everyone knows who the killer is, but the police aThis started exceptionally well. A small town. People go missing but come back hideously mutilated. Everyone knows who the killer is, but the police are unwilling or unable to do anything about him. Added to the sense of menace his presence brings to the town, lead up to a killing spree seems to coincide with weird happenings, both to technology and to local wildlife. This was an intriguing opening to the novel. I was disappointed therefore to find my attention wandering once a group of kids decided to fight back. This was all far more YA than adult horror. We got a sort of Five Go On A Camping Trip vibe with backpacks being bought and stocked, endless snarky chat, blossoming YA romance, kickass girlies and submissive, soy teenage boys. It was all very Twilight to be honest. The book did provide some amusement though. I did like the scene where a fifteen-year-old girl who had suffered her arm being ripped off within the previous 48 hours emerges warrior-like from the dark caves furiously brandishing a burning torch in her only hand. Uh huh. Kickass, you see. This is worth a read if you are entirely new to horror and enjoy books that focus on teenage girls thoughts and emotions and where adults are just props for teenage angst. ...more
It's not easy to pull off a credible apocalyptic novel, and Knox deserves respect for this novel. Not only does she create a unique and horrifying 'evIt's not easy to pull off a credible apocalyptic novel, and Knox deserves respect for this novel. Not only does she create a unique and horrifying 'event', she manages to make it credible despite its 'supernatural' origins. The action takes place in one small settlement near Nelson (a town on the north coast of South Island, NZ). There is a tiny cast of characters: the fourteen survivors. The story takes us through the horror that descends on them to their reactions to still being alive but trapped. I was entirely hooked until about the 80% mark, but just began to find it a bit tedious at that point, hence the four stars instead of five. I do highly recommend this book. It's pretty unique and introduces some genuinely interesting concepts. ...more
It must be my old noggin', but I could not make head nor tail of this. Dozens of characters were introduced. Time spans jump. Something has happened bIt must be my old noggin', but I could not make head nor tail of this. Dozens of characters were introduced. Time spans jump. Something has happened but it's all very vague. I actually have no doubt this is a good novel (the title alone is superb), but I didn't have the energy to invest in it. I'm not rating it as it seems a bit unfair when I feel this as my failure rather than this book....more
No one will be avoiding spoilers if they read this book, as the outcome of the Donner Party's tragic trek to California is well known. However, the weNo one will be avoiding spoilers if they read this book, as the outcome of the Donner Party's tragic trek to California is well known. However, the wealth of detail in this book shines a light on many of the aspects of this horrific trip that I didn't know. It's so detailed, in fact, that to be honest I totally lost track of who went where and when. Some people stayed here, some stayed there, some left for help, some came back, rescues were sent, some stayed, some came back... you get the picture. But in some ways you don't need to follow each name, each detail, because the whole story is so overwhelming that the chaos only adds to the horror. I was particularly fascinated by the post-trip detail the author included about some of the survivors. They didn't have all that much luck after their Donner Party experience either. Obviously, this is a must-read for anyone interested in this historical event, but I'd also highly recommend it for anyone interested in survival in the wilderness, heroism, and the sometimes brutal lives of the courageous people who founded modern-day America. ...more
It seems to be one of Harris's skills to totally immerse his readers into whatever world he's writing about. I've just finished Pompeii and genuinely It seems to be one of Harris's skills to totally immerse his readers into whatever world he's writing about. I've just finished Pompeii and genuinely felt as if I was taking part in Roman life. In Enigma, I was in wartime England. This was a fascinating spy novel, not my preferred genre, but one made very readable here by the genuine human-interest drama. If you have the least interest in the wartime code-breakers, or just 1940s life in England, then definitely give this novel a read. It's a world and a people long gone now, and I doubt we'll see their like again. ...more
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