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S-Squad #1
Infestation
It was supposed to be a simple mission. A suspected Russian spy boat is in trouble in Canadian waters. Investigate and report are the orders.
But when Captain John Banks and his squad arrive, it is to find an empty vessel, and a scene of bloody mayhem.
Soon they are in a fight for their lives, for there are things in the icy seas off Baffin Island, scuttling, hungry things with a taste for human flesh.
They are swarming.
And they are growing.
But when Captain John Banks and his squad arrive, it is to find an empty vessel, and a scene of bloody mayhem.
Soon they are in a fight for their lives, for there are things in the icy seas off Baffin Island, scuttling, hungry things with a taste for human flesh.
They are swarming.
And they are growing.
137 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2017
About the author
William Meikle
402 books1,828 followersI'm a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with more than thirty novels published in the genre press and over 300 short story credits in thirteen countries.
My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.
For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel
My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.
For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
July 11, 2022
This book has been coming up on my recommendations for a few months now and I gave into temptation as I am not usually a fan of the horror genre.
The book starts fast and you enter it coming down by parachute to start the mission, the horror starts just as fast where the squad enters a blood smeared village where all the inhabitants have disappeared while they are on the mission to find out what a Russian drilling boat are doing in the Arctic water off Canada. The ship itself have one survivor that was part of the drilling team that drilled too far and unleashed creatures that have a taste for human flesh. This is as far as I will go without spoiling the rest, but I quite liked the book and it was a fast read.
The downsides of the book is that there is no character background and very little character development of the ones that make it through to the end. The author also does not have a lot of special operations knowledge as a GR friend Charles also commented in his review, especially with the team having night vision goggles, but no suppressors/silencers on their weapons while this is a stealth mission. Also just as fast as the book starts, it also ends with no aftermath to events.
Overall good and recommended if you are into this kind of thing, and I will probably continue with this series in the future.
The book starts fast and you enter it coming down by parachute to start the mission, the horror starts just as fast where the squad enters a blood smeared village where all the inhabitants have disappeared while they are on the mission to find out what a Russian drilling boat are doing in the Arctic water off Canada. The ship itself have one survivor that was part of the drilling team that drilled too far and unleashed creatures that have a taste for human flesh. This is as far as I will go without spoiling the rest, but I quite liked the book and it was a fast read.
The downsides of the book is that there is no character background and very little character development of the ones that make it through to the end. The author also does not have a lot of special operations knowledge as a GR friend Charles also commented in his review, especially with the team having night vision goggles, but no suppressors/silencers on their weapons while this is a stealth mission. Also just as fast as the book starts, it also ends with no aftermath to events.
Overall good and recommended if you are into this kind of thing, and I will probably continue with this series in the future.
October 12, 2018
There has been little desire for me to go to Red Lobster, since reading Guy N. Smith’s “Crabs” series of books. And of course the dread of crustaceous creatures was additionally enhanced by the “Clickers” invasion of the east coast, in order to munch on unsuspecting humans.
No matter what they are called, these scuttling crabs, crustaceans, clickers, anthropoids taxons, isopods, Bathynomus Giganteus, eat everything in their path. The story in “Infestation” by William Meikle unfolds thus. A specialized British combat team, headed by Captain John Banks is dispatched to Canada due to the sighting of a Russian spy ship patrolling the waters off the coast of Canada.
Aboard the ship is the only female character Mr. Meikle presents in this short tail of terror. Her name is Rika Svetlanova and she is a scientist with medical training. It unfolds she is the sole survivor on the doomed Russian drilling ship. The rest of the crew has become crab food.
It’s up to Banks to determine what has taken place and why, and then of course resolve the situation. The crabs must eat, so people and walruses die, Banks’s crew is savagely diminished. The reader has all of the questions resolved near the ending of the book. I say this not as a spoiler, but to inform that this is the first of four books (so far) in Mr. Meikles series titled ”S-Squad”.
The book is a fast read and will leave the reader hungry for more, but perhaps not sea food.
No matter what they are called, these scuttling crabs, crustaceans, clickers, anthropoids taxons, isopods, Bathynomus Giganteus, eat everything in their path. The story in “Infestation” by William Meikle unfolds thus. A specialized British combat team, headed by Captain John Banks is dispatched to Canada due to the sighting of a Russian spy ship patrolling the waters off the coast of Canada.
Aboard the ship is the only female character Mr. Meikle presents in this short tail of terror. Her name is Rika Svetlanova and she is a scientist with medical training. It unfolds she is the sole survivor on the doomed Russian drilling ship. The rest of the crew has become crab food.
It’s up to Banks to determine what has taken place and why, and then of course resolve the situation. The crabs must eat, so people and walruses die, Banks’s crew is savagely diminished. The reader has all of the questions resolved near the ending of the book. I say this not as a spoiler, but to inform that this is the first of four books (so far) in Mr. Meikles series titled ”S-Squad”.
The book is a fast read and will leave the reader hungry for more, but perhaps not sea food.
January 21, 2018
3.5/5 stars!
A group of soldiers is sent to investigate reports of Russians drilling in cold, Canadian waters. Once the troop arrives though, nary a Russian can be found and their ship shows signs of a bloody battle. What were the Russians doing and where are they now? You'll have to read this novella to find out!
Infestation is fast paced creature-feature containing all that you would hope for in such a read. There's not a real lot of character development, or descriptions of scenery, and that's fine with me. There's a lot of bloody battles where you're rooting for the troop to win and I liked that too-it's what I look for in this type of book.
The one thing I didn't care for was the ending. It just stopped! I'm all for the gut punch ending, but this wasn't that. It just stopped. I just discovered there is a sequel to this and I most likely will read it, when I get over being mad about this ending!
Recommended for fans of creature-features!
A group of soldiers is sent to investigate reports of Russians drilling in cold, Canadian waters. Once the troop arrives though, nary a Russian can be found and their ship shows signs of a bloody battle. What were the Russians doing and where are they now? You'll have to read this novella to find out!
Infestation is fast paced creature-feature containing all that you would hope for in such a read. There's not a real lot of character development, or descriptions of scenery, and that's fine with me. There's a lot of bloody battles where you're rooting for the troop to win and I liked that too-it's what I look for in this type of book.
The one thing I didn't care for was the ending. It just stopped! I'm all for the gut punch ending, but this wasn't that. It just stopped. I just discovered there is a sequel to this and I most likely will read it, when I get over being mad about this ending!
Recommended for fans of creature-features!
April 15, 2018
This is my second book by William Meikle, and I do enjoy his writing. This book is full of creepy creatures, a chilling setting and lots of action. Worth the read if you are a creature feature enthusiast!
March 27, 2021
Above-average creature feature for which Meikle unfortunately forgot to write an ending. It just stops.
What would be a death-sentence for a book’s rating usually doesn’t matter all that much in this genre, to be honest. I’m not really here for the plot.
The author doesn’t even bother to give you much of a backstory of anything. You’re thrown into the action straight away and it doesn’t take long for the critters to show up and for the shit to hit the fan. What this book does it does very well. Both POVs (a Russian scientist aboard an otherwise dead ship and a Scottish Special Forces squad that is there to investigate) are entertaining, there’s a lot of fighting, grisly injuries and deaths, nature not really helping, a fast pace almost throughout the story, some claustrophobic moments, and most importantly a huge number of creatures that make your skin crawl.
This would be a very small specimen in the context of this story.
It was fun. But still, why not add a couple more pages and actually finish this adventure properly?
One more thing. The squad members always called the Russian scientist “lass” instead of using her name. Is that a Scottish thing to do? I found it a little odd.
Otherwise I’m perfectly fine with this. I think I should read these kind of books more regularly again. In spite of the often frenetic pace I find them quite relaxing simply because they don’t require much thinking. Midway through I realized that there are more books that feature some of the same characters. Depending on the setting and the creature of the day I might consider reading them.
What would be a death-sentence for a book’s rating usually doesn’t matter all that much in this genre, to be honest. I’m not really here for the plot.
The author doesn’t even bother to give you much of a backstory of anything. You’re thrown into the action straight away and it doesn’t take long for the critters to show up and for the shit to hit the fan. What this book does it does very well. Both POVs (a Russian scientist aboard an otherwise dead ship and a Scottish Special Forces squad that is there to investigate) are entertaining, there’s a lot of fighting, grisly injuries and deaths, nature not really helping, a fast pace almost throughout the story, some claustrophobic moments, and most importantly a huge number of creatures that make your skin crawl.
This would be a very small specimen in the context of this story.
It was fun. But still, why not add a couple more pages and actually finish this adventure properly?
One more thing. The squad members always called the Russian scientist “lass” instead of using her name. Is that a Scottish thing to do? I found it a little odd.
Otherwise I’m perfectly fine with this. I think I should read these kind of books more regularly again. In spite of the often frenetic pace I find them quite relaxing simply because they don’t require much thinking. Midway through I realized that there are more books that feature some of the same characters. Depending on the setting and the creature of the day I might consider reading them.
April 16, 2019
Review of Kindle edition.
Publication date: November 6, 2017
Publisher: Severed Press
Language: English
ASIN: B0777HLL97
A creature feature of a novel or really novella. William Meikle, a noted Scottish author of horror/thriller stories, produces another good read. I found but two downsides. One is that he apparently knows little of special operations soldiers and missions. The other is that at three or four points in the story, the commandos missed coming to blindingly obvious conclusions. "It's never an accident," the Mossad. If this were a movie, it would be a better than average B flick.
I downloaded this book via Kindle Unlimited. If you belong to Kindle Unlimited I suggest you do the same rather than purchasing.
Publication date: November 6, 2017
Publisher: Severed Press
Language: English
ASIN: B0777HLL97
A creature feature of a novel or really novella. William Meikle, a noted Scottish author of horror/thriller stories, produces another good read. I found but two downsides. One is that he apparently knows little of special operations soldiers and missions. The other is that at three or four points in the story, the commandos missed coming to blindingly obvious conclusions. "It's never an accident," the Mossad. If this were a movie, it would be a better than average B flick.
I downloaded this book via Kindle Unlimited. If you belong to Kindle Unlimited I suggest you do the same rather than purchasing.
December 28, 2017
I forget sometimes how much I enjoy Meikle. He has a very smooth storytelling style and his works read easy. Not elementary...easy. They have a natural flow and the action and dialog never seems forced or false. Dude has skills.
Infestation is no exception. An excellent and quick, creature feature. Willie thrives here. If you haven't read him, then I suggest that you remedy that with a quickness. I have never read anything from him that wasn't well worth the time.
Infestation is no exception. An excellent and quick, creature feature. Willie thrives here. If you haven't read him, then I suggest that you remedy that with a quickness. I have never read anything from him that wasn't well worth the time.
December 17, 2017
Meikle really is a maestro of fear. He knows how to add just the right notes, when to increase the tempo, when to crescendo to a furious pace, all while captivating his audience with a perfect production. Infestation has everything I love in a read. A tight plot. Interesting and believable characters. Realistic dialogue that flows easily without feeling forced. All the right notes.
A Russian ship is reported being in the Arctic in waters where it's not supposed to be. A Scottish special force unit is deployed to investigate. What they find is more horrific than they can imagine. Big beastie isopods have been released from the depths below...and they are hungry. They'll eat through wood, metal, and FLESH!
Infestation is a fun, quick romp that you'll furiously turn page after delicious page. Big beastie horror seems to be all the rage right now. Unfortunately, very few authors seem to know how to do it right. They need to take lessons from Meikle. He's at the top of his class.
4 1/2 Fluorescent Green Veins out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
A Russian ship is reported being in the Arctic in waters where it's not supposed to be. A Scottish special force unit is deployed to investigate. What they find is more horrific than they can imagine. Big beastie isopods have been released from the depths below...and they are hungry. They'll eat through wood, metal, and FLESH!
Infestation is a fun, quick romp that you'll furiously turn page after delicious page. Big beastie horror seems to be all the rage right now. Unfortunately, very few authors seem to know how to do it right. They need to take lessons from Meikle. He's at the top of his class.
4 1/2 Fluorescent Green Veins out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
August 12, 2018
Good
One reason for the three stars:
-Debated between three and four stars. I went three because this theme is a tad overplayed.
One reason for the three stars:
-Debated between three and four stars. I went three because this theme is a tad overplayed.
January 11, 2018
I had a real tough start with this short book on account of the characters being awfully anonymous/generic and the fast moving (zero build-up) story was told very matter-of-factly, devoid of any suspense. At a third in, I could not muster up a lot of interest in where it was heading. But the narrative is good and quite readable and somewhere around the middle I came to like it better. A couple of not expected little twists brought it up a notch. Great literature it's not, but rather lends itself to comparison with Guy N. Smith - or think Alistair MacLean writing a creature romp. An OK read it was, 2 'OK' Goodread stars it is!
April 7, 2018
MY INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM MEIKLE HERE!
Excellent piece of adventure horror which made me physically squirm more than once.
Isopods really are creepy.
Like other reviewers, the ending left me wanting more—but onwards to Captain John Banks' next adventure, Operation Antarctica—I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for... :D
Excellent piece of adventure horror which made me physically squirm more than once.
Isopods really are creepy.
Like other reviewers, the ending left me wanting more—but onwards to Captain John Banks' next adventure, Operation Antarctica—I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for... :D
November 29, 2017
A solid, OK read, but also a little lacking. We never learn much about the characters, and the ending feels abrupt and incomplete. Although, the 'monster' of the book- giant sea ISOPODS - are indeed a real life horror of nature and I now have a brand new phobia! Thanks, Mr. Meikle! --Jen from Quebec :0)
November 5, 2018
First time reading Meikle or about Giant Isopods and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction. It had everything you'd expect from an above par creature-feature. I'm locking forward to seeing what trouble the S-Squad gets into next.
January 21, 2018
3.5 stars!
INFESTATION, by William Meikle, is a "creature-feature" story containing all the usual things you would expect in such a novel. Mindless creatures, blood, carnage, and characters that you really don't *need* to know much about.
". . . they like to swarm and they liked to feed.
And they're not fussy eaters."
As far as the story goes, I didn't find any "twists" or new revelations, but enjoyed it for what it was: a fun read that you don't have to think too deeply about. The characters performed their functions, but didn't really stand out in any way. The most interesting thing in this was Meikle's signature writing style, and the descriptions of the creatures, themselves.
"They come in bigger sizes."
The one thing that brought my review down to 3.5 stars instead of a solid 4, was that the ending was just too abrupt for my liking. We have non-stop action, and then--END. There is a sequel to this one out now, and I'm wondering if that is the reason for the suddenness of this conclusion.
Overall, your usual creature-story, with a smooth style, but could have had a more detailed, and thought-provoking ending.
INFESTATION, by William Meikle, is a "creature-feature" story containing all the usual things you would expect in such a novel. Mindless creatures, blood, carnage, and characters that you really don't *need* to know much about.
". . . they like to swarm and they liked to feed.
And they're not fussy eaters."
As far as the story goes, I didn't find any "twists" or new revelations, but enjoyed it for what it was: a fun read that you don't have to think too deeply about. The characters performed their functions, but didn't really stand out in any way. The most interesting thing in this was Meikle's signature writing style, and the descriptions of the creatures, themselves.
"They come in bigger sizes."
The one thing that brought my review down to 3.5 stars instead of a solid 4, was that the ending was just too abrupt for my liking. We have non-stop action, and then--END. There is a sequel to this one out now, and I'm wondering if that is the reason for the suddenness of this conclusion.
Overall, your usual creature-story, with a smooth style, but could have had a more detailed, and thought-provoking ending.
January 21, 2018
Overall, I enjoyed this. The writing was solid and flowed well. The critters are a nasty group and there were enough challenges and twists for the characters to keep my interest. My problem with it however, is the unfinished feeling I got at the end of the book. The ending simply needed more.
This being my first Meikle book, I would read this author again.
4 stars dropped to 3 for the finish.
This being my first Meikle book, I would read this author again.
4 stars dropped to 3 for the finish.
February 19, 2018
A cracking slice of pulp action/horror with great characters and superb pacing. Bonus points for cheeky nods to Aliens, Dog Soldiers and Predator.
January 3, 2018
This is probably one of the worst novellas that I have had the displeasure to read in a very long time. A gun hoe group lead by Capt John Banks is sent to investigate the plight of a Russian ship in Canadian Waters (think Predator with Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers) There they encounter "isopods" (a type of large blue glowing giant cannibalistic turtle, or as the author prefers carnivorous bottom feeders!) which have emerged from the ocean after some heavy drilling by the said Russian ship. Throw into this mix an alluring (and possibly Russian spy) the sultry Svetlanova and add in the equivalent of Jim Taggart (Scottish detective) in the form of "Mac" with a deep Glaswegian accent...."Listen to the lass, Cap, Mac said weakly..She kens what she's on about."..... then you have a story that is truly abysmal.
This novella pays homage and tries to emulate the work of such well known horror writers as James Herbert (The Rats an outstanding fun story of a community plagued by blood thirsty mutant vermin) or indeed anything by Guy N Smith ( my own particular favourites being The Origin of the Crabs and Spawn of the Slime Beast) Infestation is a formulaic, clichéd story, told badly, that really does not deserve to be in print, and I had the misfortune to purchase for £3. Best avoided...........
This novella pays homage and tries to emulate the work of such well known horror writers as James Herbert (The Rats an outstanding fun story of a community plagued by blood thirsty mutant vermin) or indeed anything by Guy N Smith ( my own particular favourites being The Origin of the Crabs and Spawn of the Slime Beast) Infestation is a formulaic, clichéd story, told badly, that really does not deserve to be in print, and I had the misfortune to purchase for £3. Best avoided...........
November 10, 2017
wee beasties and not so wee beasties are awaiting a troop of soldiers who are sent to discover what the russians are up to in the antarctic
they are met instead by the beasties who are hungry very very hungry
lots of action; gore and humour awaits
very enjoyable read as usual by Mr Meikle
they are met instead by the beasties who are hungry very very hungry
lots of action; gore and humour awaits
very enjoyable read as usual by Mr Meikle
February 20, 2018
4.5 stars, rounded up
Highly entertaining. Fast moving, fun sci fi stuff. Right up my alley.
Good crew of characters, too.
Will definitely read more by this author.
Highly entertaining. Fast moving, fun sci fi stuff. Right up my alley.
Good crew of characters, too.
Will definitely read more by this author.
July 10, 2018
I was actually looking to read "Operation Antarctica" first, when I saw that this book was first in the series. So I used my July KOLL to check this out. I liked it a lot. Good ole 50's style monster in a very isolated and inhospitable location. But at 137 pages (and the last 5% a preview of another title), it is a pretty short story. Exciting, guns blazing and all that, but still, a very short one.
Since it was so short, there was not a lot of time for a detailed background on every character. But as the story rolled on we got to see what made up each character (in most of them). The ending was abrupt as well, would have liked to seen it spaced out a bit more. So maybe my August or September KOLL will be Operation Antarctica. Another short and hopefully equally as exciting monster thriller!
Since it was so short, there was not a lot of time for a detailed background on every character. But as the story rolled on we got to see what made up each character (in most of them). The ending was abrupt as well, would have liked to seen it spaced out a bit more. So maybe my August or September KOLL will be Operation Antarctica. Another short and hopefully equally as exciting monster thriller!
December 8, 2017
This was a really fun read! The action starts right away and never slows. Meilke develops characters well, making it easy for the reader to relate. There’s a cleverness in the writing, a growing tension, and a humor I really appreciated. If you like action, the military, or simply want to improve your Scottish accent, do yourself a favor and pick it up.
March 9, 2018
I will admit that the cover of this book drew me right to the one-click button. A giant sea louse attacking a ship? Oh yeah, sign me up. As a fan of creature features, I knew that I was going to enjoy it, before I even finished the first chapter. Someone is messing around with something they shouldn't, creatures get loose and wreck havoc. A special crack team of international special forces stumbles upon the carnage of said released beasties and the fight for survival begins... because these things have to be annihilated before they destroy the world! Hells yeah!. Ok, so Mr. Meikle wrote the perfect vacation book, fast-paced, filled with unfortunate deaths and suspense. The creature creation was brilliant and hella terrifying (okay even regular lice look pretty terrifying) but the reader immediately gets how vicious these things can be, especially when the larger ones start to emerge. While I can't say much about the development of individual characters and how well they were rounded out, I have to admit that I didn't really much care. The action of the narrative propelled me to devour each page, kept the pulse racing and yeah, entertained.
April 6, 2021
This book started off fast paced and slowed at the end.
A suspected Russian spy boat is in trouble in Canadian waters. Investigate and report are the orders.
But when Captain John Banks and his squad arrive, it is to find an empty vessel, and a scene of bloody mayhem.
Soon they are in a fight for their lives, for there are things in the icy seas off Baffin Island, scuttling, hungry things with a taste for human flesh.
They are swarming.
And they are growing.
A suspected Russian spy boat is in trouble in Canadian waters. Investigate and report are the orders.
But when Captain John Banks and his squad arrive, it is to find an empty vessel, and a scene of bloody mayhem.
Soon they are in a fight for their lives, for there are things in the icy seas off Baffin Island, scuttling, hungry things with a taste for human flesh.
They are swarming.
And they are growing.
May 6, 2023
A Fun Fast and Exciting Read
Reading this was loads of fun. It's one of those fast moving creature stories, this one featuring nasty sea creatures called isopods. They are fast, hungry and come in huge numbers. A military team finds out about them the hard way when they are sent to investigate a Russian ship in freezing Canadian waters. Never was bored with this. Lots of action and thrills! I will definitely read the other books in this series.
Reading this was loads of fun. It's one of those fast moving creature stories, this one featuring nasty sea creatures called isopods. They are fast, hungry and come in huge numbers. A military team finds out about them the hard way when they are sent to investigate a Russian ship in freezing Canadian waters. Never was bored with this. Lots of action and thrills! I will definitely read the other books in this series.
March 31, 2021
Really enjoyed this one. Bought book 2 already.
April 3, 2021
My favorite, go-to horror sub-genres include arctic terror, nautical horror, and creature features. Bonus points for when all three of these things can set the stage for a single story, and Infestation delivers exactly as expected.
A group of British special forces are dispatched to figure out what a Russian drilling ship is doing in Canadian waters in the Arctic Circle, but when they parachute into shore all they find is a deserted town and a beach full of slushy blood and seal corpses. It's not long before their presence attracts the murderous culprits - killer crustaceans!
If you dug J.F. Gonzalez's Clickers and Tim Curran's Dead Sea, William Meikle takes a bit of each and condenses it into a slim, monster-filled, military-horror novella. Clocking in at only 130 pages, Infestation moves along at a brisk pace and Meikle keeps the tension going with plenty of well-paced action scenes that escalate into a fire-filled crescendo.
While the action is nicely done and I dug the hell out of these sadistic shellfish, the characters of S-Squad are pretty thinly developed. A few manage to die in some nicely gross and goopy ways, but given the interchangedness of one character to the next those deaths don't amount to very much in the end. About all that's separating one of these elite fighters from the next is their name, which you probably won't remember an hour after finishing this book anyway.
That said, you don't read Infestation for the brilliant character studies and depth of personalities. You read it because the cover art features an enormous prawn attacking the shit out of a boat in icy waters, and what the hell else do you need? Yes, the characters are paper-thin, but the monsters are huge and deadly, and which is really more important here? Meikle delivers fully on the premise and sends up a fun, creature-filled actioneer that plays like a big budget action-horror flick in print. It's the kind of book where you can look at the cover and know exactly what you're getting into, which is to say this book is a hell of a lot of good, old fun.
A group of British special forces are dispatched to figure out what a Russian drilling ship is doing in Canadian waters in the Arctic Circle, but when they parachute into shore all they find is a deserted town and a beach full of slushy blood and seal corpses. It's not long before their presence attracts the murderous culprits - killer crustaceans!
If you dug J.F. Gonzalez's Clickers and Tim Curran's Dead Sea, William Meikle takes a bit of each and condenses it into a slim, monster-filled, military-horror novella. Clocking in at only 130 pages, Infestation moves along at a brisk pace and Meikle keeps the tension going with plenty of well-paced action scenes that escalate into a fire-filled crescendo.
While the action is nicely done and I dug the hell out of these sadistic shellfish, the characters of S-Squad are pretty thinly developed. A few manage to die in some nicely gross and goopy ways, but given the interchangedness of one character to the next those deaths don't amount to very much in the end. About all that's separating one of these elite fighters from the next is their name, which you probably won't remember an hour after finishing this book anyway.
That said, you don't read Infestation for the brilliant character studies and depth of personalities. You read it because the cover art features an enormous prawn attacking the shit out of a boat in icy waters, and what the hell else do you need? Yes, the characters are paper-thin, but the monsters are huge and deadly, and which is really more important here? Meikle delivers fully on the premise and sends up a fun, creature-filled actioneer that plays like a big budget action-horror flick in print. It's the kind of book where you can look at the cover and know exactly what you're getting into, which is to say this book is a hell of a lot of good, old fun.
July 7, 2022
An elite military group looking for Russian spies finds a totally unexpected invasion of crab like creatures coming up from the deep crust of the earth. The action is nonstop from start to finish, with plenty of credible mistakes made as the soldiers try to keep themselves from becoming the monsters’ next meal. There’s not a lot of character development here, just shoot-them-up action as thousands upon thousands of the little monsters check out the surface world.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
August 17, 2022
The S-squad lead by Captain John Banks are sent to Northern Canada to investigate a Russian boat. But they discover more than they bargained for.
An entertaining and well-written story
Disclaimer- written by my husband
An entertaining and well-written story
Disclaimer- written by my husband
June 7, 2021
Infestation is the kind of genre fiction that you know from the offset you’re either going to enjoy or you won’t. William Meikle doesn’t redefine any of the ingredients he brings to this dish but he however manages to prepare them adequately enough that the final product doesn’t disappoint.
If there are shortcomings to this book it comes mostly in the way of pacing. For as short as it is, Infestation reads with elasticity; the pace seeming to go full tilt into the tone of each scene. One one hand this certainly makes the scenes with tension tense and those with action thrilling, but there’s little to no gradient between them. Often times it feels as though you go from a slow crawl to full tilt and back again in a matter of pages.
Pacing aside, Infestation delivers high intensity battles as the main characters (a special forces team) face a crawling armada of creatures from the depths of the ocean. The stakes are kept high throughout and not one of the present roster ever feel ‘safe’ from meeting a horrible end at the gnashing claws of the isopods. Meikle makes use of some truly grim and gruesome detail that adds to the horror factor of the book as well as more than one nod to James Cameron’s Aliens to which comparisons can be made.
Though the concept may not feel entirely fresh, the overall execution of this book is nonetheless admirable and should satisfy fans of this kind of action/horror. It’s a rather short book that can likely be read in a single sitting and if you’re looking for something thrilling and grisly Infestation might be the book for you.
If there are shortcomings to this book it comes mostly in the way of pacing. For as short as it is, Infestation reads with elasticity; the pace seeming to go full tilt into the tone of each scene. One one hand this certainly makes the scenes with tension tense and those with action thrilling, but there’s little to no gradient between them. Often times it feels as though you go from a slow crawl to full tilt and back again in a matter of pages.
Pacing aside, Infestation delivers high intensity battles as the main characters (a special forces team) face a crawling armada of creatures from the depths of the ocean. The stakes are kept high throughout and not one of the present roster ever feel ‘safe’ from meeting a horrible end at the gnashing claws of the isopods. Meikle makes use of some truly grim and gruesome detail that adds to the horror factor of the book as well as more than one nod to James Cameron’s Aliens to which comparisons can be made.
Though the concept may not feel entirely fresh, the overall execution of this book is nonetheless admirable and should satisfy fans of this kind of action/horror. It’s a rather short book that can likely be read in a single sitting and if you’re looking for something thrilling and grisly Infestation might be the book for you.
February 11, 2022
I enjoyed this book but it was quite shallow. There was no character development and an overall lack of descriptions of surrounding areas so I found it difficult to see the setting clearly in my mind.
The story kept my interest all the way through, the creatures were believable, as were the actions of the special forces team. I was disappointed with the very abrupt ending.
It was well edited.
The story kept my interest all the way through, the creatures were believable, as were the actions of the special forces team. I was disappointed with the very abrupt ending.
It was well edited.
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