Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 143 Pages
Publisher: Severed Press
Release date: May 22, 2017
Synopsis: Broke and desperate, paleontologist Grant Coleman gets the chance of a lifetime exploring a long-sealed cave, the fabled home of gigantic creatures.
NPS Ranger McKinley Stinson discovers a rancher’s prize bull has been butchered by an airborne killer, and tracks the blood trail back to the re-opened cavern. But as she’s about to arrest the trespassers, the unstable roof collapses, trapping all.
Their only way out is at the cave system’s far end. But an eco-system of terrifying mega fauna stands between them and freedom. Death, double-crosses, and a slew of monstrous cave creatures take their toll as the group battles to what they pray is an exit.
Will anyone survive this cavern of the damned?
Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review
Russel James is an author I’ve really dug for quite a while, have a back log of his books, and don’t read his work often enough. But, a few months back I read Monster in the Clouds and really enjoyed that adventure. I liked the personality he gave Grant so much that in the end I knew I had to do a rewind and check out Cavern of the Damned. The book was referenced several times and I thought it would be fun to see what a kind of crazy expedition Grant had endured.
As with Monster in the Clouds Grant was led astray, thinking he was being hired for his expertise. Unfortunately, he was tricked again, and nearly ended up dead from the unexpected monsters in the cave. Instead of going on an archaeological dig, Grant relied on his survival skills that were stretched to the limit. Grant was given a solid personality and kept a sense of humor even in the face of unimaginable danger. The danger and horror came around every corner and again I had enjoyed the heck out of Russell’s work. I recommend reading Cavern of the Damned and then continuing the adventure with Monster in the Clouds. At the end of the book we are given a nice glimpse of Grant’s future adventure. It’s almost as if Russell had both books planned from the start.
Link to purchase Cavern of the Damned
Russell James, biography
Russell James grew up on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and The Twilight Zone, despite his parents’ warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.
After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight. He has written the paranormal thrillers Dark Inspiration, Sacrifice, Black Magic, Dark Vengeance, and Dreamwalker. He has several horror short story collections, including Tales from Beyond and Deeper into Darkness, as well as some science fiction collections. Now, Q Island, released July 7, 2015 and he’s already under contract for his next book for 2016.
His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.” He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.
To find out more about Russell R. James, please visit his Website or follow him on Facebook! Join him on Twitter, @RRJames14. Also, feel free to drop him at a line at rrj@russellrjames.com.
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