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Deputy Thomas Rodney is no stranger to tense situations. Having served multiple tours in the worst of environments, facing death had practically become just another day at the office.

But nothing could have prepared him for this.

In a woodland county in the Pacific Northwest, a sinister presence has awakened. A roadwork crew has disappeared without a trace; a truck is found run off the road; a lakefront property is mysteriously vacant, its roof damaged as though something large descended from high above; and an eerie quiet has overtaken the countryside.

In the curving hills, the quiet gives way to the droning of wings. Wasps—mutated, huge, and carnivorous—have invaded the area.

But they are not the only visitors.

Their attack on Thomas is thwarted by the arrival of a mysterious paramilitary unit armed with advanced weaponry and technology. The patch on their uniforms reading G.O.R.E. SECTOR (Giant Organism Reconnaissance and Extermination), they have one to protect the public from giant monsters, which have been steadily appearing all over the globe.

As the day rages on, Thomas Rodney puts his investigative and military skills to work, assisting G.O.R.E. Sector with destroying the hive before the insect population spreads to the entire west coast.

159 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2023

352 people are currently reading
227 people want to read

About the author

Michael Cole

234 books77 followers
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There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Among authors of this name:


*Michael Cole - Rare, Antiquarian Books
*Canon Michael Cole - Editor, Christian periodicals
*Michael Cole - Children's books
*Michael Cole - Psychology, Children's development
*Michael F. Cole - Infectious Diseases
*Michael R. Cole - Horror, Science Fiction

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5 stars
358 (51%)
4 stars
232 (33%)
3 stars
76 (10%)
2 stars
20 (2%)
1 star
12 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Angel Medina.
Author 12 books113 followers
October 25, 2023
As a lover of creature horror, I was happy to read this one. It's more like a monster-hunting book with plenty of twists and surprises. It is not your usual giant creature that destroys an entire city tale either. I found myself growing to like the characters. The creatures are wasps, hornets, and other giant insects, which I found refreshing.

It is more of a science fiction horror rather than one that contains jump scares. However, it didn't take away from my enjoyment. There will be a second book coming, which I look forward to reading. A great read.
Profile Image for Rachael Ashak-Benson.
358 reviews20 followers
November 14, 2023
Thrilling, exceptionally well written & uniquely crafted action adventure!….

What an intense buzz!!…..
Lol! ;)
In all seriousness, though, HIVE, Book 1, is a wild, extremely well written, phenomenally fun read!
Michael Cole is a master at pacing & suspense. This story is perfectly balanced in all ways.
The character development is spot on. We really get to know the actors — their personalities, humor styles, joys & losses, & their histories.
The world building is also sublimely crafted. Reading along from the first paragraphs until the exciting conclusion is just like watching a big budget action film. Except instead of on a screen, it’s playing out crisply in your mind’s eye.
Everything is written in such a manner that the scenes are so alive. So clear.
This skill of Cole’s allows you to become immersed right into character’s experiences, as if you are there with them. From creating the personal inner worlds of each character; quiet, thoughtful & individually introspective moments. To long lasting, absolutely gripping, truly heart pounding, action sequences.
To find a story which plays out just like a colorful, full volume, movie in your imagination as you read is a rare & awesomely fun book indeed.
I am thrilled to have stumbled across Michael Cole’s HIVE series. (Thank you Kindle Unlimited for randomly recommending it!) A storyline that is uniquely presented & so excitingly creative.
Absolutely recommend this book to readers who are drawn to quality content & exceptionally well written stories.
I cannot wait to read Book 2 & see what type of adventurous wild ride awaits me there!…..
Profile Image for Alexander Draganov.
Author 30 books158 followers
March 27, 2024
4.5, но закръглям в полза на автора.

Коул има усет за екшъна, сравним с този на светилата в жанра Матю Райли и Скот Мариани, но добавя към това апокалиптични визии за чудовища, излезли като от филм за “Годзила”. В случая човечеството е нападнато от ята оси и стършели, придобили огромни размери, а ако кошерите им не бъдат унищожени бързо, това ще означава край на света такъв, какъвто го познаваме. За щастие със задачата да спрат изчадията се е заел екип опитни командоси, към които Томас се присъединява, а резултатът е здрав фантастичен екшън от първата до последната от 157-те страници.

Цялото ми ревю може да прочетете в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/hive/
Profile Image for Clare S.
90 reviews
February 25, 2026
A generous 4* becuase the series has potential. Strong start, then falters a bit with the backstories. A solid creature horror. 🐝🐉🧯
Profile Image for Tyler.
356 reviews3 followers
November 9, 2025
I was expecting a lot worse.

TL; DR: Another kaiju-reminiscent sci-fi story of Michael Cole that pumps the blood and glory straight into your veins for a high-stakes, blood-pumping, rip-roaring good time.

I have experience with only one other Michael Cole book, Unearthed, which I wasn’t crazy about, but do enjoy because dinosaurs. This is so well written and I’m honestly surprised. It’s not incredible or world-changing, but I expected something more b-movie in the writing too.

Characters: They were all pretty believable. Sure there are some cheesy lines and other expected things, but it’s basically a war story with giant bugs, what do you expect. War is hell, sometimes the only way to cope is humor. Everyone made an impact and I understood them all and look forward to learning more about them. What’s more to ask? I saw some people complaining about the camaraderie at first sight and honestly, I found it pretty believable. Again, war is hell, you’ll take the allies you can get.

Setting: Very similar to Unearthed in my opinion: bug Forest. It works.

Story: I cared about Thomas when you introduced him, I believed the meteor incident (besides a few issues that other people have elaborated on in other reviews), I loved the improvising and everything. It was cool, it was great, and I had fun reading it.

Writing: It’s remarkably good for the b-movie book that it is. Like I said, I expected run-of-the-mill dialogue, descriptions, and setup. Instead, I got a relatively well-explained and interesting plot that I could almost always believe. It felt great to read and never got bogged down by too much or too little detail. It was fun.

I had a good time with this book, which I honestly wasn’t expecting. I’ve had my opinion on big monster battles tainted as of late, but this makes me believe that there’s some real hope for this. I’ve already put the next book in my kindle library.

4.2 🌟
Profile Image for Addam Dallman.
136 reviews1 follower
August 6, 2024
That’s One Big Stinger

Hive book one of the G.O.R.E Sector by Michael Cole is a fun creature feature. I am def excited to see this series grow and its characters as well. The plot flowed really well and there was never a dull moment. The Wasps and Hornets in the story were deadly and agile. The characters were all great I really enjoyed each one of them. I def recommend this one to everyone out there that likes non stop action in a creature feature.
527 reviews1 follower
September 12, 2024
One time I was in TN raking up leaves. Accidentally I raked into a nest of yellow jackets. I was chased by them and stung about nine times. I cannot imagine those things as huge as a human being. If they had the same instinct, many would chase after an intruder, in spite of them being as large as or larger than the invader. Now envision thousands of these oversized insects invading the countryside and cities. Who do you call? G.O.R.E. Sector! Get ready for an epic battle. Recommended.
Profile Image for James.
29 reviews
November 15, 2025
Un-Bee-livable!

What happens when a meteor breaks up over the planet? Things mutate!

Fast paced romp following the Raptor Squad as they save the planet by squashing one big at a time. Fun characters and enjoyable action but the editor needs to give this another go over. They seem to keep swapping the hornets and wasps at random times.
Profile Image for Unapologetic_Bookaholic.
667 reviews85 followers
April 30, 2026
Title, Series:
Hive, G.O.R.E sector 1
Author/Narrator:
Michael Cole/Cameron Smith
Tropes
-giant, alien bugs

Review may contain spoilers, read with caution; Read tags for other content
This story reignited my love of giant, mutant, alien bug horror. It was a quick listen and the world the author built is one I am looking forward to visiting again soon!
Scare Tactics
How bloody/gory/disgusting does it get [based off my personal tastes and preferences, yours will vary
1.Oddly horrifying
Author Dean Koontz fits snugly in this category. His books were always just dark enough to where I could read them before bed, not so with Stephen King.Bonk!-cartoonish, meant for entertainment rather than gross-out
2. Tamely terrors
Plot relies on thriller and suspense to get the adrenaline pumping. Shocking but still tame, no real descriptions of blood and gore
3. Ya got guts!
The brutality is described in details but is reserved, descriptions of brutish violence but doesn’t linger on details.
There are depictions of bug vs human deaths but nothing I would consider too detailed or vomit inducing. Definitely made me wince a time or two!

4. Red streaks
The gore is detailed and happens often throughout the book, below the surface, more gruesome details meant to shock and alarm
5. They killed the dog!
Don’t worry this isn’t a spoiler but it is the most egregious thing to happen to a character in the horror genre, these make you react with emotions high. Beyond gore delving into the stuff of nightmares. Red alert- not for the faint of heart, nausea inducing, details that include describing the violence,gore, bodily harm, psychological torture

Overall Rating
1. DNF’ed pretty early (less than 10%)
2.Read quite a bit before adding to DNF pile
3.Basic entertainment, to the point, more whetting the appetite than enjoying a full course
4.Enjoyed multiple aspects of the story but perhaps only a one time read
5.Would read again, recommend to friends, enjoyed highly

Looking forward to the sequel!
Profile Image for AyaPapaya ✨.
75 reviews
September 24, 2024
I unfortunately didn't like the book :/ there were anti tech/very boomer views in it, but also I struggled with the writing. The main character was a badass and we didn't get much of a reason as to why. We got an info dump and a lot of jerkoffs from himself or teammates to his character but never did we truthfully SEE it. A lot of TELL and no SHOW. Him becoming the leader was so obvious from almost the beginning. Rather than kill...someone off so quickly they could've used this first book to allow the reader the opportunity to truthfully see the main character and believe he was a bad ass. Also the insta-camaraderie wasn't adding up for me either. Like instalove but somehow..worse :/ cool concept though, I'm sure future books are better as they won't have the world building element..
Profile Image for Michael Juvinall.
25 reviews
February 22, 2025
Amazing Creature Feature!

I've always liked reading author Michael Cole's creature novels, and I'm a fan of his work. His G.O.R.E. Sector series is fairly new, so I hadn't started reading them yet.

I decided to start The Hive and thought it was a phenomenal start to a new series. I'm kicking myself now for not reading this sooner. It's full of great military action and cool creatures. The characters are well written and relatable, and I can see readers caring about them.

I absolutely loved this book and am very keen to continue the series. Kudos to Cole for writing a compelling new series and keeping great creature features alive and well today.
Profile Image for Ness VDH.
237 reviews
November 18, 2025
Hive opens with a strong preface that reminded me of the tension and creature-driven excitement I enjoy in Greig Beck’s books. Unfortunately, the storyline didn’t stay as clear or gripping. I often found the plot confusing, which may have been partly due to reading on night shifts, but some transitions just weren’t easy to follow.

My biggest struggle was visualising the wasps/hornets. Their size and shape were never described clearly enough to form a consistent picture, which weakened some of the creature-focused scenes.

Overall, Hive has a promising setup but didn’t fully deliver for me, mainly due to unclear plotting and vague creature descriptions.
36 reviews
November 1, 2025
I liked the premise of the novel, but its execution was a little sub par. The dialogue leans toward the cheesy side, and some of the interactions of the characters are not realistic in a military setting. Some of the descriptions of military equipment were inaccurate as well. Apache helicopters do not have door gunners for example. One glaring error in the story for me had to do with the explanation for the mutated animals. If the mutation was the result of a contagion brought to Earth my a meteor, then why are humans not affected? Perhaps that’s answered in another book in the series?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
5 reviews
April 3, 2024
Murder hornets!!!

Loved this book. No one can't tell me this isn't how it would have been if murder hornets nest hadn't been eradicated 🤣🤣. Granted murder hornets are the size of a hand or a little smaller but in my head my deepest fear have been made into a book and I love that.. fast paced. Great ending. Good read and something to think about all things I look for in a book. I was hyped for the 2nd book in the G.O.R.E SERIES but I guess I have to wait.
Profile Image for Billy Barfield.
197 reviews3 followers
October 2, 2023
great book

Michael Cole does it again. Giant bugs is always fun except when they eat you. Hive is a great book with everything needed to keep you engaged. I literallu could not put the book down . When i finished it I was so disappointed because there was no more. I cant wait for the followup. Great job Mr. Cole
Profile Image for Trevor.
1,497 reviews2 followers
December 9, 2023
Former army ranger Thomas Rodney, now a deputy for a local police force, gets more than he expected while investigating a missing works crew. As the list of missing people rises, along with a trail of destruction, the culprits are not your everyday foe. Faced with giants hornets and wasps, Thomas joins forces with the mysterious GORE squad. Good, fast moving story and the start of a new series.
6 reviews
February 5, 2024
WOW !!

Incredible story line and action that keeps you eagerly "turning the page" to see what happens next. The premise of a meteor shower causing mutations in simple organisms making them deadly to humanity is an interesting concept. I can't wait to see what the next book has in store for us.
Profile Image for Patrick.
138 reviews4 followers
June 6, 2024
I listened to this on audible, I absolutely love a creature feature, this book was absolutely fantastic fast paced and action packed. It was more on the monster hunter side which I thoroughly enjoyed! It was a mix of a few different genres but I loved it, this story was well written and very detailed. The plot was brilliant with plenty of twists and turns I recommend!
Profile Image for Jon Theisen.
130 reviews1 follower
August 5, 2025
a very quick and fun read!

This was a quick read for me, not because it’s short but because it’s good, so good all I wanted to do was read the next page over and over again. I love the idea of something affecting the wildlife and turning them into monsters, not entirely new but a fun idea non the less. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Daniel.
20 reviews
January 1, 2026
Holy rollercoaster thrill ride!

What an amazing opening salvo into a series that, I hope, is fleshed out in its possibilities. I read this book in about 5 straight hours. Ya can’t put it down, not something so vivid and thought-provoking. Enjoy this like Starship Troopers. Trust me.
Profile Image for Patt Lisenbee.
158 reviews2 followers
May 6, 2026
Hive by Michael Cole

Michael Cole has come up with a new reason for monsters in our world. A meteor shower dispensing mutagenic dust. And he also gave us a new way to combat the monsters. G.O.R.E. Sector. Not just fighters but good minds to think up new ways to fight. It is well worth reading!
355 reviews6 followers
October 19, 2023
A solid entry into the monster hunting genre

No complaints here, the pace was solid throughout, the characters are decently engaging, and the premise behind the creatures is pretty well done.
Profile Image for Cody .
505 reviews5 followers
November 29, 2023
This would make a great CGI movie

Of course, it'd be like a fantastic B movie(see what I did there).
I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. The action was pretty non-stop, and the characters were actually quite good.
101 reviews1 follower
January 28, 2024
Bee Nervous

Very entertaining. The characters were interesting and fun to follow. It will be a good series to keep up with reading. Good imagination,. A science fiction supposition of, what if?
403 reviews3 followers
March 14, 2024
Good characters and action

I liked this initial book with all the action, humor and characters. It’s like a fun action intense syfy. I’d recommend this book and the author has several other short good books too.
405 reviews2 followers
April 24, 2024
Review of this book.

The books and stories just keep getting better and better. This was a book to get a person really thinking. In a horrible way this is possible. The author knows how to put a really great idea into a book.
Profile Image for kathy conway.
54 reviews
December 5, 2024
Read both books. Now I am begging for more...please.

There was nothing I didn't like! I read the series backwards, but so fun. And strangely the whole idea believable!! I believe it is one of the reasons it is so terrific. Need more G.O.R.E.!!
7 reviews
December 5, 2024
Hive

Great book ! It was a great ride with great characters who worked together into a cohesive team. Fast moving and I’m really looking forward to the next book. Thank you, Michael, you rock!
35 reviews
March 3, 2025
Monster Hunters

I am a big fan of monster hunter books like Meikle's S-Troop and all of DA Roberts's, and this is a series I'll add to that list. This first one makes me excited to read the rest. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes monster hunters.
Profile Image for Jason Anthony Peffley.
Author 17 books19 followers
May 3, 2025
This is a high testosterone, action-packed, sci-fi comedy. The premise is simple. Years ago, a meteor struck Earth, and that meteor is now causing mutations in animals. The threat in this book came in the form of giant hornets and giant wasps.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews