Spectacular World War | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

FORTRESS OF FLESH is the third book in the Hissers series by Ryan C. Thomas, co-written with Anthony Tervino. Connor and Am managed to escape Castor, form a survivor group with Doug and Olive, and find a scientist to share the top secret data with...and the military finds them. When a familiar face greets the group with promises of safety and a plan of action, the teens are not willing to trust the man who failed to save their loved ones.

The characters are some of the best I've ever encountered in an apocalypse series, but the scene stealers in FOF are definitely the Hawk brothers. At some points, their behavior seems over the top, but, considering their unique upbringing, their choices are not surprising.

The are three major developments in the storyline: the Hissers have mutated several times over and are showing intelligence, the rest of the world is blaming the U.S. for the global spread of the virus, and, last but not least, the survivors have less than a week to field test the serum designed to kill the monsters.

There are no dull moments, and, while I wouldn't change anything about the ending, I feel the Hawk brothers need a short follow-up story of their own, perhaps including Doug.

I'm highly recommending this series!!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Apocalyptic Coming of Age | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

DEATH MARCH by Ryan C. Thomas is the sequel to HISSERS. (I've been re-reading the series, since the third book was released in May.) Only two of the original characters make it out of Castor alive, but this installment introduces several adult characters, emphasizing the generational differences in attitudes and survival tactics. The inclusion of music references adds a fantastic layer to many scenes.

The author's monsters have also changed since the night of the plane crash, from mutant zombies to undead leviathans, and, of course, people have gone crazy and then some. The survivors are faced with a choice of journeying further into the new hellscape or taking their own lives. The theme in this book appears to be finding something or someone to keep living for, when it would be much easier just to stop running.

If you'd like more details, check out my original review here.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Teenage Crucible | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

HISSERS by Ryan C. Thomas is the first of a series I have recently read once again because the third book finally came out this year. Despite having read this installment more than once, I still enjoyed every moment. The story centers on a group of teens speculating about their first year of high school, until a plane crash changes their lives and transforms the world around them. Their hometown of Castor is the first to fall to mutated undead created by a military experiment. Even after all this time has passed, I still haven't read any horror novels with abominations such as these.

As I stated in my original review, "These aren't 14 yr olds forced to grow up fast, or any other cheesy cliché...they are children who are desperate for the help of an adult - any adult...children who feel abandoned by the people who were suppose to protect them...children who can't drive a car, and pee themselves from fright." The ending is absolutely devastating. (You can read more about my first impressions here.)

If you haven't begun this series yet, I highly recommend it.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Sequel to Hissers

When a plane crashed in the quaint town of Castor, it unleashed a virus that turned everyone into hissing, blood-thirsty, undead monsters. Monsters that could transmit their plague in seconds, that could run as fast as dogs, and that could fuse themselves together to create massive mutated beasts. Four teens—Connor, Seth, Amanita, and Nicole—fought for their lives to secure vital data from the plane wreckage, some of them making the ultimate sacrifice.

Now they need to get to San Diego with their secret, but the plague is spreading too fast. They have no friends or family, nowhere to hide, and death lurks behind every corner. Worse, the hissers are evolving, and it may be impossible to stop them at all.

DEATH MARCH by Ryan C. Thomas is the sequel to HISSERS. Connor and Am have grown as characters, while maintaining the personable traits only 14 yr olds are capable of, such as Connor's gaming references and Am's penchant for f-bombs.

The addition of adults Doug and Olive is a wise move by the author, adding depth to their unusual relationships by comparison and contrast of the generational gaps between characters. The difference in musical tastes is a clever touch as well, particularly when Doug and Am sing together during one of the most intense scenes in the novel.

Thomas manages to include quite the menagerie of monsters: mutant zombies, undead leviathans and a few others I won't give away. Some action scenes explode on the pages, while others slowly creep up when you're not expecting anything major to happen. The survivors' desperation to find some place to rest, during their insane quest to keep a promise to a friend, will leave readers breathless with terror.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Teen Survival In Apocalypse

HISSERS by Ryan C. Thomas is not a zombie story. Yes, the infected are reanimated victims who have died from their injuries. Yes, the infection is spread through bites/wounds, and, yes, it takes a head shot to kill them, but that is where the similarities end. These are undead mutants caused by a man-made virus that was designed with a benevolent purpose in mind: to help soldiers heal faster in battle - not anything sinister like the usual government plots you find in most apocalyptic novels. I would love to tell you how the virus was made, what specific qualities it has, and how brilliantly horrific these mutated monsters are, but that would ruin the story.

The set-up is exquisitely crafted. Readers are first introduced to the experiment and the initial success that prompts the decision to fly samples to a high profile meeting with government officials. Then the story switches POVs, centering on a group of teens making plans for their last big party before the new school year. Just enough of the characters' lives were revealed to give us their state of mind: their concerns, their plans for the future, and the friendships between them. Readers are even given glimpses into their distant childhoods which functions as dramatic foreshadowing into the reasoning behind the hard choices they make later in the book.

The description comparing this story to "The Breakfast Club meets Resident Evil" is a serious disservice to this novel. Neither one of those movies comes anywhere close to the suspense and tragedy that is presented in this novel. These aren't 14 yr olds forced to grow up fast, or any other cheesy cliché...they are children who are desperate for the help of an adult - any adult...children who feel abandoned by the people who were suppose to protect them...children who can't drive a car, and pee themselves from fright. They are not adult survivors trying to make a stand or rebuild society. They are more than aware of their limitations, and they don't waste time with deep-thinking; they just want to stay ahead of the monsters. The author does a great job of showing how the teens are clutching at the little sanity they have left, as they experience the ultimate waking nightmare.

This is one of the few horror stories that will appeal to the YA fiction crowd, while still frightening the old school horror fans.

As always,
AstraDaemon