They Hunger

by Scott Nicholson

In the rugged wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains, the treacherous Unegama River holds more than its share of mortal dangers. But something deadlier than any force of nature is about to be awakened. Something both unnatural and immortal.

Driven from their ancient hunting grounds, they have dwelt in their cave for hundreds of years... hiding, waiting – and hungering. Now, a group of whitewater rafters has made the mistake of passing through their hunting grounds, and for these awakened creatures of the night, their first blood is about to be unleashed.

AND THEY ARE GOING TO FEED...

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Fiction, Paranormal, Audiobook

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

With more than 800,000 books sold worldwide, Scott Nicholson is an international bestselling thriller writer. He won the Writers of the Future Award in 1999 and was a Stoker Award finalist in 2003. His Fear series was published by Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint and 47North released the supernatural thriller McFALL.

He's also published a number of supernatural, paranormal, and fantasy books and stories, including the AFTER, NEXT, and ARIZE post-apocalyptic series, as well as children's books, comics, and screenplays. His 2006 novel The Home is in development as a feature film.

Reviews

[Scott Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I wrote this book and it's probably not my best, though some people say it's their favorite. It's an action thriller set in the remote Appalachian wilderness--think "Deliverance with fangs" Hope you give it a try.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes place deep within the Southern Appalachian Mountains where two FBI agents are on assignment, Jim Castle ("Piss-and-Vinegar") and Derek Samford (The Rook, or "Haircut"). Their mission is to nail the 'Bama Bomber, Robert Wayne "Ace" Goodall, who is wanted for a series of deadly abortion clinic bombings, on the run with his girl Clara Bannister. The FBI agents stumble upon the 'Bama Bomber's camp setting off a trip wire explosion, which unleashes a long-buried subterranean vampire bat-like species, hungry and ready to hunt. Add to the mix a team of professional "crack" adventurers sponsored by ProVentures, an outdoor gear corporation, and an innocent couple on vacation from New Jersey and the deadly hunt begins. Who will survive? I would recommend this book, another creepy, fast-paced read by Scott Nicholson with plenty of interesting characters. My only complaint is that the story seemed to move in fast-forward as it neared the end, which was frustrating.

[Judah · Rating 1 out of 5]

A tree died so this book could be published.
That pisses me off.

Seriously, you don't go into a book like this looking for anything deep, any enlightenment, or for anything other than some cheesy thrills... which this definitely did NOT deliver.

What it did deliver was stock, cardboard, one-note characters. A whole bunch of misogyny. A plot/story that read like a fifth-grader was trying his hand at writing. (I say "his" because I doubt many female writers would create such pathetic female characters)

Halfway through it, I just started scanning the pages, trying to make it go faster, looking for the next part with any of the monsters in it... but even when I found those parts, I was bored. It was like watching bad porn. You fast-forward, hoping for some good stuff, but the payoff never happens.

Overall, an utter waste of time and a tree's life.

[Maicie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great premise: a group of whitewater rafters, a couple of detectives, a megalomaniac, a pathetic co-dependent and some really nasty, gross vampire-like beasties.

It's a nice little read for lovers of horror (and who isn't) but not meaty enough to get an extra star or two. I was hoping for some psychological intrigue (along the lines of The Ruins).

Worth reading once.

[William M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This refreshing new take on the vampire myth blends the excitement, adventure, and isolation of white water rafting with the suspense and terror of great horror storytelling. In terms of movies, think of this as "The River Wild" meets "The Descent". Nailbiting, fast-paced, and loaded with authentic imagery that starts off strategically slow, building with an almost paranoid intensity, never letting the reader get comfortable with where the creatures will strike next. My only complaints were a couple of annoying characters and a couple scenes where I became confused with the details of the specific location. Other than that, this is not your typical vampire story and is sure to please any fan of the horror genre.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. This was ok, I guess. It's about big, flying, monkey/people/angel/vampires. If that doesn't tell you enough, too bad....

[Amateur de Livre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review by Tracee Gleichner

A few years ago I ran across Scott Nicholson's name, probably because it is mentioned in the same breath as horror masters John Saul, Bentley Little, and Dean Koontz. At the time I was so bogged down with other literature (among other things) that his name, unfortunately, fell to the wayside. When I was offered the opportunity to review They Hunger I jumped at the chance to sink my teeth into it...no pun intended.

Set in the Appalachian Mountains along the Unegama River, this story focuses around two disparate groups of people. First is the group of rafters led by Bowie Whitlock. ProVentures needed a group of mostly seasoned athletes/outdoors men to test their new line of rafts on some of the nastiest rapids in the US, and who better to lead them than someone who grew up rafting on that same body of water. Robert Raintree, who is connected through the company by endorsments, is also 1/2 Cherokee Indian and is hopeful to follow in the paths of his ancestors and try and find his Spirit Guide...through the help of some modern pharmaceuticals he keeps in his "medicine bag". Lane is the lone "suit" of the group, sent by ProVentures to plug the products and use all of the necessary slogans for advertising purposes. CA McKay is an accomplished cyclist invited to help boost the publicity as he is well known around the world (comparable to Lance Armstrong). Dove, the only female in the group is the seasoned photographer/journalist with extensive outdoor experience, sent to document their journey each step of the way. Finally, Farrengalli is the arrogant, loud mouthed New Yorker who won the opportunity to join the group due to a reality show contest he won. Each member of the team has obvious strengths and weaknesses, but Bowie is confident that he can get them to work together at least long enough to get through the rapids and collect their money and bonuses.

We also have Robert Wayne "Ace" Goodall, also known as the 'Bama Bomber. Notorious for his abortion clinic bombings he has taken his latest groupie and co-conspirator Clara and decided to hide out in the mountains hoping for a "sign from God" as to what they should do next. He isn't aware that he is being tracked by Agents Castle and Stamford, one looking for something to boost his failing career, and the other still wet behind the ears. The FBI agents are somewhat reluctant to be there as they don't believe he is in the woods at all, but need to investigate as there is a small chance he is, and they can not let him get away again.

Both groups also aren't aware of the creatures that they will soon meet..dark angels to Ace, who is a religious fanatic, but terrifying creatures to the rest "the face was humanoid, but the bald, blunt dome of skull descended to a sharp, bony chin. The eyes were large and milky, with no pupils, as though the creatures had no use for vision." It seems at first as if we are dealing with a species of creature that has been buried for ages, just recently released thanks to some powerful explosives that Ace has used. But as the story unfolds you realize that these creatures might not have been buried all along, just dismissed as folklore along with Bigfoot, Chupacabra and The Loch Ness Monster. People go missing in the Appalachian Mountains every year, and due to the fact that it is days to civilization, with rapid waters, and sharp inclines, it is only natural that accidents can happen...but what if these disappearances have nothing to do with nature, and everything to do with the creatures that hunger for blood?

I am not one for giving away too much of the plot...doesn't leave too much to the imagination that way. What I will say is that, although the creatures themselves are quite gruesome, the real story is around the characters themselves. Mr. Nicholson has truly mastered how to engage the reader with...to review the remainder of this review please visit http://www.uponfurtherreview.org

[Matthew Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to obtain an advance readers copy of Scott Nicholson's sixth book They Hunger, due for release from Pinnacle books in April of this year.


'Write what you know' the old codgers advise bourgeoning writers when they start along the literary path. Scott Nicholson certainly 'knows' the Southern Appalachian Mountains and soon his name (if it already isn't) will be part and parcel with them as King is to Maine. In They Hunger, the Unegama River and its serpentine rapids are the centre-piece for a group of characters that meet under sinister duress - the kind that hides in darkness and feeds off blood.

I know Scott has a lot of professional admiration for Dean Koontz and this is reflective (not in stylistic imitation), but in the way he brings incongruent characters together and shoves them into a god-awful situation. In They Hunger, we have religious zealot abortion-clinic bomber Ace Goodall who flees to the Unegama wilderness in an effort to escape his pursuers. (Think Ed Deepneau from King's Insomnia with a Charles Manson twist). Riding shotgun with him is Clara Bannister, a self-destructive, semi-believer in Ace Goodall gospel. The seekers on his trail to bring him to justice are two FBI agents: Jim Castle and Derek Samford, hardboiled types from a thousand Cop movies. Not too far away are an odd assortment banded together for a collective agenda: to test flight a kind of prototype white water raft for outdoor adventure conglomerate ProVentures.

Regrettably, it was these particular characters on the raft that made me a little uncomfortable with the whole thing: Bowie Whitlock, who leads the expedition, is making his 'final jaunt' so he can retire because he blames himself for his wife's death. Such a back story felt modestly clichéd, and reminded me of a corny Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger. Then there's the solitary female of the group, Dove Krueger, contracted to photograph the voyage and create coitus longings among the males. Rounding up the gang are a wrestling Indian Cherokee on a spiritual path; a ProVentures representative; bicycling champion C.A McKay and slippery, vulgar-mouthed reality show winner Vincent Farrengalli. Their bad timing and lack of coalition will inevitably see them run afoul of ancient creatures, released from their prehistoric underground hideaway after the FBI agents accidentally set off a trip wire bomb engineered by Ace Goodall.

One could argue about the cardboard characters or not, but I found They Hunger to be an expedition certainly worth taking. Like his previous book The Farm, Nicholson gives you a kind of comforting horror tale; you'll feel that the terrain is well-mapped and the gore, when it comes, brings an almost malign grin to your face. His flying vampires are old-school and at times They Hunger can be like taking a trip down memory-lane - one where horror movies were in their infancy stage but at the same time at their peak. Humour is also a large component, as the battle of wills and ego merge with that of survival. Like the river he takes you down, Scott Nicholson’s They Hunger is a fun roller-coaster ride and the journey is at times hair-raising. Here, Vampires come back to the forefront of the horror-novel, and Scott Nicholson ultimately does it in style.

[Dark Recesses]

They Hunger
Scott Nicholson
Pinnacle
Mass Market Paperback, $6.99 (U.S.)/$9.99 (CAN)
Review written by Nickolas Cook


In his newest novel, THEY HUNGER, Scott Nicholson takes on the vampire genre in his own inimitable style and turns it on its head. In this fast paced, action packed horror story, Nicholson presents a mixed cast of professional athletes on a corporate sponsored trek through the deep forest of the Appalachian Mountains and an insane religious abortion clinic bomber on the run from a duo of F.B.I. agents. This streamlined narrative wastes no time jumping into the action and the monsters, as Nicholson leaves behind the usual Gothic tropes and the slow, atmospheric buildup to his usual supernatural horrors.
But there are a few other points that differ from Nicholson's other works, and they manage to run deeper than mere story for entertainment's sake.
First off, Nicholson doesn't offer us a romantic view of vampires in THEY HUNGER; instead, these vampires are animalistic, and possibly prehistoric throwbacks from the depths of the earth, giving us a refreshingly unique twist on the overworked blood-sucking genre. This probably won't sit well with the angst ridden Rice cult, but for those of us who enjoy something new, it's a welcome breath of fresh air.
Added to that twist, Nicholson also gives us a cast of wounded misfits that strive to break the horror archetypes. And they do- on many levels. So much so that the reader is guaranteed to find them almost impossible to plumb without first asking some moral and ethical questions of himself. There are no completely good or bad guys to root for; even the vampires may not be all they seem at first glance. For instance, does the bomber actual have the sanction of God? Is it okay to kill in the name of the law? That's the power of a seasoned and versatile writer.
Another surprising aspect of THEY HUNGER comes to light as we discover Nicholson's ability to interweave a naturalist writer's view in between the action and horror. Less than halfway through the book, it becomes clear that Nicholson beholds his home turf with the passion of someone who knows it with the intimacy of a lover. He has the artist's ability to make us feel the wet, the sun, the muddy loam, and the green of the wood. But, more importantly, as a horror author, Scott Nicholson also knows how to make us fear the shadows in the forest.
This may be the best book Nicholson has ever written. It's exciting to see such a talented author push himself beyond the tropes and onto a whole different level of competency. I'm personally stoked to see what he offers us next from his fertile imagination.


--Nickolas Cook

[Sharon/ LFrog1386 · Rating 5 out of 5]

With every Scott Nicholson book I read, I become more of a fan. Scott knows how to weave together basic human elements with the supernatural kind in order to create a story that grips you from start to finish. Right from the start, we are grabbed by the chase taking place between two FBI agents and a religious fanatic that likes to blow up abortion clinics. Throwing them all into a vast amount of wilderness where cell phones don't work adds another layer of danger. Along comes a team of white water rafters, off to test some new gear for a company that manufactures rafts. The team are thrown together by the company and all have disparate personalities that clash along the way. When they encounter the creatures and the FBI agent and the bomber all around the same time, all hell breaks loose.

The only criticism I would make would be the characterization of the "bully". Nicholson drew him a little too one-sided, which became a bit unbelievable and pulled me out of the story a bit. I also was a bit miffed when some characters disappeared and while you do eventually find out what happens to them in the end, you are cheated of the "how". But then I realized that the visceral punch you receive because you didn't see it coming is intended and effective. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has not read Scott's work yet. It would be a great introduction to his work.

[Margie (Bookzombie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this is a fun book. I think that Nicholson created a great cast of characters and really their emotions and reactions to situations are scarier than the creatures. Also, if you have read the word "vampire" and want to put the book down, don't. The creatures in this book, although definitely vampire, are much different than the vampires we see portrayed most often in books and movies.
The book was well paced until about the last 40 pages or so. That is where I felt it was a rush to the finish line to wrap up the story; and once at the end, I was little disappointed. I felt that the story was incomplete and left me with some unanswered questions. Maybe Nicholson wants the reader to decide for themselves in the end, but the lack of closure made me like the book a little less.

[Vince Liaguno · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his latest novel, They Hunger, author Scott Nicholson sinks his teeth into a meaty vampire tale that’s The Descent unleashed meets The River Wild. With shades of Deliverance and Just Before Dawn to color the narrative with a gritty backwoods feel, Nicholson once again proves that he is to rural Appalachia what Bentley Little is the southwest.

Read the rest of the review here.

[Pia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too slow moving, and the characters a bit on the cliche side, but the monsters were worth the read - a great twist on the vampire.

[Faith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Prospective readers should turn the other way.

I can tell where this novel wanted to go however, instead of coming across as a tale in which the humans are just as depraved as the monsters, it reads as a shitstorm of misogyny and poor character development. I cannot imagine any reality in which the author does not have *serious* issues with women based on the contents of this novel.

What is so saddening is that the monsters themselves are fairly interesting. I like their animalistic nature and limited intelligence, which is a refreshing take on vampires. Additionally, the premise itself is unique. I thoroughly enjoyed how the backstory was portrayed, and the setting is nice. Otherwise, there are very few redeeming qualities to this novel. There are no likable characters. The writing is lackluster and even downright annoying at points, with vulgar and asinine descriptions such as the following:

"Lane, who had scrambled to his hands and knees beneath the creature and was posed like a bottom in a gay porn flick, let out a grunt."

I know this was meant to describe the pose the character was in but... what the fresh hell. The novel is filled with weirdly sexual descriptions, with gratuitous and nonsensical sexuality throughout (honestly I do not need to read that she is not wearing a bra 3 separate times. Give it a rest). Furthermore, there is an entire section dedicated to the dangerous sexual exploits of a certain character that becomes her *entire* personality. That and the only other female character is made out to be a duplicitous whore. It's the same old tired cliches about women in horror with more than a little bit of venom behind them.

In sum, the cool and unique monster/setting cannot make up for its other lackings. It missed "campy" by a mile and ended up in degenerate misogynist fantasy territory. This book was not worth the tree it was printed on.

[Ben Mizrahi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it is actually 383 pages, but never mind, it was a pretty good story and Nicholson definitely knows how to tell it. My major complaint is how that the story is way too fast paced for it to be truly effective, once the creatures show. There is barely any time at all to build the atmosphere and create the horror, rather than fantasy action, feeling.

My other half complaint is that the major human antagonist is a caricature of Christian fundamentalists, and I say this as someone who, despite now being a Lutheran, did have a brief stunt in Christian Baptist fundamentalism, this is only a half-complaint, however, as Nicholson's depiction of said human antagonist (I avoid disclosing the name despite no spoilers in there, go buy the book if you want to find out who I am talking about) can be construed as a very good covert criticism of the excess of the Charismatic movement and extreme Pentecostalism, especially with said antagonist having a slip up revealing heretical Oness Pentecostal Christology. Besides, it does seem like both his (semi) innocent girlfriend and the tour guide have a divine protection over their head.

Overall though, this was a great read, don't listen to my ravings here, go buy the book.

[AJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written, poorly executed vampire story with a barrel full of unlikable characters thrust into nonsense situations. It took me about 30 pages before I wanted to set every character in this book on fire. There's something grossly disturbing about a story in which a character maintains a 14 hour erection while getting mouth raped in a cave.

I did give it a single star though (largely because I had to), but also because Nicholson had the stones to turn the most vile, unlikable one of all into the protagonist.

Nicholson himself admits this isn't one of his best. When the author can't even stand behind it....

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of male bravado mixed with misogyny. Not typically my thing, but this book came highly recommended (I don't know that I'll listen to any future suggestions). It did have some entertaining moments. I found myself rooting for the "angels" as the characters in the book weren't very likable. I was very disappointed that the dude I wanted to "bite it"survived to the end (that part is total rubbish). Took me a bit of time to get through, but I powered through.

[Matthew McGhie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t what I was hoping it would be. I didn’t care for any of the characters, most of which seemed to be portrayed in a stereotypical manner. I don’t know if Christian horror is a genre but this title would likely fit in there. I was expecting more out of it, but it just didn’t deliver in my opinion. Other readers seem to like it more than me, so maybe I’m just missing something I didn’t catch on to.

[Sami · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending seriously pissed me off. It had a good plot, but the guy who survived… come on.

[Jessie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d at 22%. Couldn’t take the consistent and rampant misogyny from every single POV character

[Matt Schiariti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Scott pulls from his seemingly endless bag of tricks.

With They Hunger we get a vampire novel..or is it a thriller? Crime novel? I got it..it's suspense!!! It's actually the whole lot. It really is a genre blending novel.

I admit that at first I found it a little slow going but I don't think the novel would have had the same impact if he didn't take the time develop the characters fully.

Sure this book is horror with vampire overtones to it but I found it to be more about the characters and how they each react to the multiple crisis that threaten to turn their worlds upside down. There are three distinct groups.

The adventurers--made up of a handful of different character types. Their out to tame the wild wilderness as part of a publicity campaign for a line of adventure/outdoor products. In this group there's the guide with nothing to lose, the reality show winner, the corporate snake, among several others.

The serial killer on 'the righteous path'--We get a serial murderer who thinks he's doing God's work and a young girl who follows him around as some kind of idol regardless of how badly he treats her....they are being followed by..

The FBI--A grizzled veteran who feels he's being put out to pasture on a worthless assignment out in a wilderness where he figures the killer wouldn't be in the first place and his book smart rookie partner...

On top of all that, there's the winged blood sucking creatures that are mentioned in the editorial blurbs summing up what the book is about...

As I said, mixing of genres. But Nicholson makes it work very well. More interesting than the actual 'horror' elements is the internal strife amongst the characters..both in their own groups and when they inevitably collide.

Nicholson throws in a lot of curveballs as usual, however they're not always central plot related. Sometimes he has a character do something that you never see coming, but that makes them all the more interesting. Sometimes things are best left to the imagination and Nicholson, as usual, knows when to answer questions and when to leave things hanging..not to mention the fact that no characters are ever really safe, are they? It's more rewarding to read when things stray from the cliches and everything doesn't go the way you think they should or could..

Another great novel by Scott Nicholson!

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

They Hunger is exactly what you'd expect it to be. Judging by the cover, name and synopsis, this book is pretty much just as predictable as you'd think. It's another people-get-attacked-by-monsters type of storyline. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but this story is like dozens before it.

The cast of characters includes an escaped criminal with his lover and a group of white-water rafters. It doesn't take long until they get attacked by these mysterious monsters which dwell deep in the forest.

Personally, it was hard to sympathize or cheer for any of the characters except for perhaps Clara, the danger-loving woman who was dating the aforementioned criminal. The monster scenes were admittedly quite cheesy and didn't feel too much different from any corny monster movie out there. Like Clive Barker, there is a bizarre fascination with sex. After all these years, I still find it strange how one of the characters gets and erection while being licked by the monster.

The book has some mildly disturbing parts and some thrilling parts as well. However, it does little to establish itself among similar monster books.

[Kimmi Bui · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. There's a wide range of characters and personalities. There's that one character that you just have to hate and there's the fearless leader. The vampires are described perfectly and frankly, they sound terrifying. There's just so much action and murder and sec packed into one tiny book. I've read this book over and over again and I still can't put it down whenever I read it.

[Teawench · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone today asked me what I thought of this book 'so far' since I hadn't finished it. I told them I might have to finish it to decide because up until then it was very 'meh'. I mean, it moved along at a fairly good clip but there didn't seem to be much actually going on. Now that I've finished it, I think my 'meh' stands. It was ok but nothing that knocked my socks off.

[DJMikeG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced, action packed horror thriller novel. It didn't blow me away, but it was definitely entertaining. First thing I've read by Nicholson and I'll definitely be checking out his other works after reading this one.

[Alixendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to read a good horror vampire novel that's not a series or over done, but still completely different...Read this one!! I remember reading it long a go, but it still is one of my faves. I think I might read it again...

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

starts out strong...I lost interest about half way....I hate when that happens.

[Lisalilly]

was ok,theending left me guessing

[Blaise · Rating 4 out of 5]

These vampires don't sparkle!

[Beth Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the setting....western North Carolina. Enjoyed the more vicious take on vampires. They are not the pretty, glittery kind!