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

Roger Roger | AstraDaemon

SCARS OF THE BROKEN by Ryan C. Thomas is the third book in the Roger Huntington Saga. I'm really digging the person Roger has become, his dark sense of humor is an oasis in the sea of blood he calls his life. His roommates have a Cabin-in-the-Woods feel to them, and Fountain is shady from the very beginning. For several chapters, I worried this book would be the one to sink the series, but Thomas came through with a mix of horror, crime drama and the paranormal in the most unexpected way.

This story is radically different from the first one, even with the torture element, but I'm still hoping Thomas will continue with the Roger near-death experiences.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Learning the Hard Way | AstraDaemon

BORN TO BLEED by Ryan C. Thomas is the second book in the Roger Huntington Saga. I'm slightly aggravated by the character's choices, considering what he went through in the first book. I suppose Roger figured, "What are the chances THAT will happen again?" and decided he paid his dues for the rest of his life. Not a chance...

When he fails to see the warning signs of another possible threat, two people he knows are soon facing a similar hell to the one Roger barely survived. To his credit, he doesn't hesitate to attempt a rescue, but he doesn't appear to have learned much from his previous captor. Maybe it's the junk advice he receives in his therapy sessions, but I'm grateful he has the sense to involve Teddy.

As strange as the storyline becomes, I couldn't help but think of the Armie Hammer scandal in Hollywood, which makes a person wonder how likely this psycho stuff takes place, and how much could a group of elitists get away with.

While not as strong as the first installment, I'm definitely sticking with the series.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Roll of the Dice | AstraDaemon

THE SUMMER I DIED by Ryan C. Thomas is the first book in the Roger Huntington Saga. I've been a fan of the author for years, but somehow I missed this series, and I'm shocked to discover Thomas had this inside of him. So many times, I imagined myself in the place of the narrator, Roger, and there's no way I would have had his fortitude. I would have run away as soon as the screaming began.

The setup is slow, but absolutely brilliant, allowing readers to bond with all the characters, before the nightmare begins. Tooth and Roger are an unusual pair, but their individual issues seem to compliment each other. However, their personal histories beg the question, can you break someone who is already damaged?

While some may be tempted to call this torture porn, the story is not graphic for the sake of being shocking. Make no mistake, what Roger and Tooth endure is horrifying, but the details are necessary for the ending and the future installments to make sense.

If you are simply a visitor to the horror genre, this will definitely be too much for you, but I am recommending this one to hardcore horror fans who read other authors such as Matt Shaw or Armand Rosamilia.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Visceral Violence | AstraDaemon

HOBBOMOCK by Ryan C. Thomas is extremely well-written horror. Everything from the setup with the prologue and the character relationships to the graphic action scenes and the backstory folklore increases the terror in this gut-ripping demonic siege.

Four friends plan a fun overnight when they find out they have a place to themselves in the woods, but their plans are brutally eviscerated by what appears to be a psychotic old lady. The group of teens soon realize they are dealing with a supernatural force and have no idea how to defend themselves. Eventually the author reveals how past events tie into the current bloodbath, offering a sliver of hope.

If this were ever made into a movie, I believe the Hobbomock could become the next iconic monster.

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

Consequences Can Haunt You

Mr. Baker's normal life is turned upside down when he is visited by a mysterious cowboy one day. With a gun to his head, Mr. Baker is given until midnight to make a drastic choice. Either kill his wife,or kill his daughter. If he doesn't choose one, the Cowboy will kill them both. Mr. Baker has only a few hours left to figure out what the hell is going on. If he can't solve the mystery, people are going to die.

Choose by Ryan C. Thomas is a twisted story of revenge. I felt sorry for Mr. Baker because he honestly doesn't know what he could've done to wrong the cowboy. At one point in time, I wondered if the Cowboy was real or imaginary...I don't feel the answer is ever clear. Maybe the Cowboy is a manifestation of a guilty subconscious.

In any case, this short story is a great social commentary on the consequences of choosing to look the other way, instead of choosing to stop someone from hurting others. The Cowboy is not the real source of horror...the most frightening part of this story is Mr. Baker's choice.

As always,
AstraDaemon