With such a fascinating title, how could I not read this book? If for no other reason than to find out “DO werewolves exist?” Well, right from the get-go…almost.
First off, a little backstory. A team of mercenaries discover a huge, black pyramid in Peru, that might or might not be from some ancient civilization. They don’t so much discover it, as watch it erupt from the ground. Safely ensconced in their helicopters they witness it seamlessly appear through a shimmer of heat. A bit weird and hard to describe; I’m at a loss as how better to describe it. The obvious next step is to investigate. Where would the story be if they didn’t? Just like in horror movies where you scream at the heroine, “Don’t open the door! Jason’s behind it!” The curiosity and stupidity is necessary for the story to go on. The author is lucky he’s not writing about normal people who would high-tail it out of what is clearly a big no-no.
In the beginning it’s only a two-man team sent to venture inside with the strict order to return in ten minutes. Precisely at nine minutes and sixteen seconds they hear gunfire and the sound of people desperately running. So far, the story is strange, yet predictable. Two men dash inside, one wounded, hoping to find safety. But what is following close behind them? Non other than the scary being every reader knew was coming. It’s massive, at least eight feet tall, and is too fast for a barrage of bullets to stop. It comes complete with pretty fur, enormous teeth, and handy claws. Sure enough, it runs like a man, but it howls like a werewolf. The situation only gets worse in a very serious way and you’re left saying, “I told you not to go in there.”
The story wouldn’t be complete without a group of characters trying to save the world, maybe. The obvious hero is Blair, a good man to have when the sun no longer shines. Everybody knows that the really scary stuff comes out at night. Voila, permanent night. Then there’s Bridget, who is not a hero and turns on Blair. Next is Steve, who turns on Blair with Bridget. Liz is a runaway bride, who is important enough to warrant one of the eighty-two chapters named after her. Then there is her brother Trevor, a scientist who obviously loves the gun range, and Jordan, who may or may not be a nasty mercenary. The question is, will humanity survive long enough to find out?
There’s a whole crew of other characters that add to the mix, including the director of the evil corporation Mohn, Co. This expedition obviously wasn’t funded by the government, so it’s clearly backed by a soulless company with too much money and no regard for human lives. It’s obvious early on that Mohn is the one who stationed the mercenaries to be at just the right place at just the right time. Mercenaries are rarely a good sign in a book, especially if it’s Armageddon, but they are expendable.
It’s not a small book and has a whopping eighty-two chapters. So, don’t go into this lightly. It has the predictability of an obviously bad decision in the beginning, which leads to certain death, but then is followed by a lot of weird. Like I said, this is not a light, fluffy read, as you find out by the ensuing chaos.
If you’re confused, you’re not alone. The team sent inside after it’s initial eruption and consequent slaughter, is directed to protect a group of scientists who are hopefully smart enough to figure out the pictographs on the walls. Their job is to get inside and do who knows what. After all, this is all being funded by an evil corporation. Think Umbrella from Resident Evil, who had no qualms about destroying all of mankind. Mohn is much the same and don’t think twice about sending these people into the jungle, totally ignorant of what is roaming around outside the pyramid.
These characters, with varying levels of good and bad, are for the most part supportive of each other, as far as it will get them. There’s a smattering of wanna-be romance and old grudges. The book hits upon a lot of emotions and typical human interaction, which makes it more enjoyable. Needless to say, it was packed with action. It’s not horror, but just the right mixture of weird and fantasy.
This is a solid start to a good-sized series. A lot happens and it’s not even halfway through. I was left with several pertinent questions: Who is a werewolf? Who is going to become one? Why are there even werewolves? How does one become a werewolf? Should you want to be one? And once you become a werewolf, is that all there really is to life?
- Genre and reading age – like I said, it’s not quite horror and not quite fantasy. Due to the excessive bloodloss, it’s definitely a mature read.
- Sex – there was absolutely no sex, but it’s hard to fit that in when you’re running for your life.
- Number of tears shed – zero, there simply was no time.
- Graphic language – surprisingly, not that much, considering what the characters are going through.
- This is the first book in the Deathless Series, which has numerous books, including novellas and a prequel. The second one is about zombies and the third is about vampires. I think you get where this is going.
- Number of laughs – there were a few chuckles, but there was too much action for big ha-ha’s.
This is an action-packed, fun read and I’m happy to give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ shiny stars.
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