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Hunter Shea is back again with a Pinnacle/Kensington paperback following his smash hit of The Montauk Monster last summer. This time the world could be ending!
Review copy provided as part of the Tortures of the Damned blog tour.
Tortures of the Damned is now the second book by Hunter Shea I’ve read and if I ever get a minute without another book waiting for me I have to go back and read The Montauk Monster. Hunter Shea has become a new favorite for me and I know his previously released titles will be well worth the read. I have really come to love the way Hunter sets his books in the New York area, it gives me that familiar feeling I get when returning to a writers world. It’s like returning to a town you have lived in long ago and always enjoy visiting again. When I read the description of this book and found out it is an apocalyptic adventure I was absolutely thrilled! I love this topic and I am always fascinated to see the how and why of what happens and how humanity deals with the end of the world.
Hunter sets up the story in quick order with the Padilla family and their neighbor Buck who are shocked by the events of the last few days and gets this story off to a quick start. The end of this world in Tortures of the Damned is terrifying and is more than one of many possible outcomes we may meet at the end of our world. A mysterious BOOM followed by ominous clouds in the sky get everyone off and running and scared out of their minds. The exact nature of the BOOM and clouds I leave for you to discover but for me I want no part of this horror! The Padilla family along with their neighbor Buck, his girlfriend and the oldest Padilla son Rey and his co-workder Dakota are hold up on the bomb shelter. Now while I must admit this does sound cool as someone who loves the idea of an Apocalypse I soon discover that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. Hunter quickly bursts my bubble along with our group with his smart attention to detail and vivid descriptions of the reality of this scenario. Boredom, clean air, where the heck to do all the trash? along with too many other details that make me seriously rethink the “cool” factor. But enough about my concerns, I felt the tension and stress as did the Padilla’s who thought they had it made. Hunter quickly turns the table and paradise is lost in just a snap of a few days as the end of the world is slowly revealed. A happy suburban neighborhood has become a ghost town and tough decisions must be made. This is what Hunter throws at us and I loved it.
As the days turn to weeks the brutality of the situation becomes more real and the depths that Hunter takes the story shows he isn’t afraid to truly shock us. Just as I think there is a small glimmer of hope another gut wrenching scene plays out that makes my stomach tighten. Stating that the world is now upside down is an understatement and no one is safe here, this is Hunters version of the end of the world and its not pretty. The action is non stop and this really keeps the story moving at a furious pace. His vivid descriptions of desolate and lonely neighborhoods gave me the feeling that I was the last person left standing and very alone. It has the same gut punch feel that I get watching The Twilight Zone knowing the nightmare awaiting the characters. Abandoned, hopeless and just praying for someone, anyone who can lend a hand sums up what the Padilla family feels at every turn. Hunter packs in scenes of gore which caught me off guard and the poor souls that met their demise in the most unfortunate ways. This is a great story and I love how much craziness an apocalypse can bring and does in the pages of Tortures of the Damned. I loved the title from the minute I read it and it really hit me what that means in an end of the world book. You may think you can prepare for the end but when you arrive you may be surprised, reading this book I know I was more than caught off guard.
I really felt for the characters in our group. Daniel the everyday man who has a nice office job must now be more than he prepared to be to keep his family safe. Buck the tough prepper neighbor who is trying to hold our group together and the Padilla children who must learn that life can be something other than what you expect. I think creating characters the reader can really care about is as important as the plot and Hunter didn’t forget to keep them interesting. The events that unfold for our group are more than I expected and it was fantastic. I was shocked at more than one point in the story and when I thought things couldn’t get any worse that’s exactly what happened. When all is revealed there are some pretty disturbing events for our group and describing it as heartbreaking only scratches the surface and this is what makes Tortures of the Damned a great read. I highly recommend this book to Hunter Shea fans and any fan of the Apocalypse. I won’t soon forget Tortures of the Damned and the nightmares I had while reading this excellent book.
Rating 5/5
Book Info
Length: 352 Pages
Publisher: Pinnacle/Kensingtion
Release date: July 28, 2015
SHOCK…
First, the electricity goes—plunging the east coast in darkness after a devastating nuclear attack. Millions panic. Millions die. They are the lucky ones.
AFTER SHOCK…
Next, the chemical weapons take effect—killing or contaminating everything alive. Except a handful of survivors in a bomb shelter. They are the damned.
HELL IS FOR HUMANS
Then, the real nightmare begins. Hordes of rats force two terrified families out of their shelter—and into the savage streets of an apocalytic wasteland. They are not alone. Vicious, chemical-crazed animals hunt in packs. Dogs tear flesh, cats draw blood, horses crush bone. Roaming gangs of the sick and dying are barely recognizable as human. These are the times that try men’s souls. These are the tortures that tear families apart. This is hell on earth. The rules are simple: Kill or die.
Praise-
“A lot of splattery fun.”—Publishers Weekly
“Harrowing, bloodsoaked.” —Jonathan Janz, Author of The Nightmare Girl
“Frightening, gripping.”—Night Owl Reviews
“Old school horror.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author
Hunter Shea, Biography-
Hunter Shea is the author of the novels The Montauk Monster, Sinister Entity, Forest of Shadows, Swamp Monster Massacre, and Evil Eternal. His stories have appeared in numerous magazines, including Dark Moon Digest, Morpheus Tales and the Cemetery Dance anthology,
Shocklines : Fresh Voices in Terror.
His obsession with all things horrific has led him to real life exploration of the paranormal, interviews with exorcists and other things that would keep most people awake with the lights on. He lives in New York with his family and vindictive cat. He waits with Biblical patience for the Mets to win a World Series. You can read about his latest travails and communicate with him at www.huntershea.com.
PURCHASE!
You can purchase Tortures of the Damned in mass market paperback at more retail stores nationwide, as well as bookstores, both independent and chain.
You can also buy online at:
Barnes and Noble-
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tortures-of-the-damned-hunter-shea/1120138038?ean=9780786034772
Giveaway!
One signed book from Hunter Shea of winner’s choice (or e-book) and a bookmark.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MjMxYWEzMGI1ZDE2MGYyYTgzYjk4NzVhYzhmMTdmOjIw/
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