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All the Fiends of Hell
The red night of bells heralds global catastrophe. Annihilation on a biblical scale. Seeing the morning is no blessing. The handful of scattered survivors are confronted by blood-red skies and an infestation of predatory horrors that never originated on earth. An occupying force intent on erasing the remnants of animal life from the planet. Across the deserted landscapes of England, bereft of infrastructure and society, the overlooked can either hide or try to outrun the infernal hunting terrors. Until a rumour emerges claiming that the sea may offer an escape.
Ordinary, unexceptional, directionless Karl, is one of the few who made it through the first night. In the company of two orphans, he flees south. But only into horrifying revelations and greater peril, where a transformed world and expanding race of ravening creatures await. Driven to the end of the country and himself, he must overcome alien and human malevolence and act in ways that were unthinkable mere days before.All The Fiends of Hell is a novel of alien horror from the four times winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel.
Ordinary, unexceptional, directionless Karl, is one of the few who made it through the first night. In the company of two orphans, he flees south. But only into horrifying revelations and greater peril, where a transformed world and expanding race of ravening creatures await. Driven to the end of the country and himself, he must overcome alien and human malevolence and act in ways that were unthinkable mere days before.All The Fiends of Hell is a novel of alien horror from the four times winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel.
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2024
1275 people are currently reading
12707 people want to read
About the author
Adam L.G. Nevill
76 books5,527 followersADAM L. G. NEVILL was born in Birmingham, England, in 1969 and grew up in England and New Zealand. He is an author of horror fiction. Of his novels, The Ritual, Last Days, No One Gets Out Alive and The Reddening were all winners of The August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. He has also published three collections of short stories, with Some Will Not Sleep winning the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection, 2017.
Imaginarium adapted The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive into feature films and more of his work is currently in development for the screen.
The author lives in Devon, England.
Imaginarium adapted The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive into feature films and more of his work is currently in development for the screen.
The author lives in Devon, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 645 reviews
July 25, 2024
A truly excellent horror novel that manages to be creepy, unbearably tense and deeply moving. It’s an alien invasion survival story with great (really great) creatures and cosmic horror concepts and a perfectly imagined central character whose plight gripped me completely. I read it on two breathless sittings.
Full review on the channel soon.
Full review on the channel soon.
February 29, 2024
“Whatever is here is exterminating the last of us. Like a god.”
This chilling story opens with a sickly, bedridden man awakening in the middle of the night to the strange sound of bells. When he glances out his window, feverish and fatigued, he happens to witness all of his neighbors “falling up” into an alarmingly blood red sky. The next morning, he awakens alone, wondering if he’d had a terrible nightmare or if he’d truly seen his entire world raptured away. His small neighborhood in the south of England is silent, the doors to all the houses are left open as if their occupants had fled in a hurry, and there is no signal for his phone to operate. What has happened?
Having been impacted and inspired by H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds as well as real-life catastrophic events throughout our globe’s history—pandemics, world wars, etc.—ALL THE FIENDS OF HELL is about mankind facing extinction in the wake of an unfathomable and unforeseen invasion by an unknown entity. We as readers along with the characters in the book aren't sure of what these invaders truly are. (Aliens? Angels? Gods?) They are simply an unknown threat to humanity. What’s brilliant about the apocalyptic terror Nevill has created is that he doesn’t dwell on the “how” and “why” of the horrors taking place, but instead wants readers to focus on human relationships when civilization has collapsed, the desperate need to survive, and the shattering of one’s sanity when our familiar, comfortable reality is no more. It taps into the very real fear of human beings’ irrelevance within the void of our illimitable universe. We, the readers, are reminded that while we might all feel safe in our homes for now, none of us are exempt from our worlds falling apart. Our sustained existence is not guaranteed.
This is Nevill’s best work yet. I tend to say this after every book of his that I read, but this truly is a new favorite for me. Readers who love aliens, apocalyptic narratives, existential dread, and cosmic horror will devour this book and can look forward to purchasing it anywhere books are sold on April 2nd! The special edition hardcover copy can be pre-ordered now through the author's website!
(A very special thank you to author Adam Nevill and Ritual Limited Publishing for my gorgeous early review copy!)
This chilling story opens with a sickly, bedridden man awakening in the middle of the night to the strange sound of bells. When he glances out his window, feverish and fatigued, he happens to witness all of his neighbors “falling up” into an alarmingly blood red sky. The next morning, he awakens alone, wondering if he’d had a terrible nightmare or if he’d truly seen his entire world raptured away. His small neighborhood in the south of England is silent, the doors to all the houses are left open as if their occupants had fled in a hurry, and there is no signal for his phone to operate. What has happened?
Having been impacted and inspired by H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds as well as real-life catastrophic events throughout our globe’s history—pandemics, world wars, etc.—ALL THE FIENDS OF HELL is about mankind facing extinction in the wake of an unfathomable and unforeseen invasion by an unknown entity. We as readers along with the characters in the book aren't sure of what these invaders truly are. (Aliens? Angels? Gods?) They are simply an unknown threat to humanity. What’s brilliant about the apocalyptic terror Nevill has created is that he doesn’t dwell on the “how” and “why” of the horrors taking place, but instead wants readers to focus on human relationships when civilization has collapsed, the desperate need to survive, and the shattering of one’s sanity when our familiar, comfortable reality is no more. It taps into the very real fear of human beings’ irrelevance within the void of our illimitable universe. We, the readers, are reminded that while we might all feel safe in our homes for now, none of us are exempt from our worlds falling apart. Our sustained existence is not guaranteed.
This is Nevill’s best work yet. I tend to say this after every book of his that I read, but this truly is a new favorite for me. Readers who love aliens, apocalyptic narratives, existential dread, and cosmic horror will devour this book and can look forward to purchasing it anywhere books are sold on April 2nd! The special edition hardcover copy can be pre-ordered now through the author's website!
(A very special thank you to author Adam Nevill and Ritual Limited Publishing for my gorgeous early review copy!)
December 17, 2025
Karl is in the throes of a fever; he has succumbed to a new strain of flu that has hit. We begin with what Karl thinks is a dream where the sky is red with bells ringing and people are falling upwards. When his fever finally breaks, he makes his way downstairs only to find he has no signal on his TV or phone and no wi-fi. He notices all the doors of the neighbours' houses are open, and there is an eerie silence—the horizon is also stained red. Perplexed but still feeling ill, he goes back to bed.
The next morning everything is still the same. He ventures outside to investigate and finds only one of his neighbours, Katie, an elderly lady with dementia, is still in her house in bed, but everyone else is gone. Karl later drives to the supermarket, where again everything is deserted except for 2 children—Hayley and Jake.
And so we follow Karl as he fights for survival in an apocalyptic world amidst an invasion of creatures known as 'the Horrors'. Any apocalypse wouldn't be complete without our obligatory human antagonist; in this story, it's Bob. I'm afraid Bob was a bit formulaic and therefore fell flat; you could see where his character was going right from the off.
This was slow-paced to start, and it took me some time to get into. It was just Karl meandering about without any plan. I get it; you're at the start of an unknown-origin apocalypse, you've been sick, and you're going to be a bit bewildered, but you know—let's move it along and get to some sort of point. As a reader I don't always need fast pacing and all-out action, but I need something that rolls along at a tempo that keeps me engaged and captivated. When I keep putting a book down, I know I'm not invested.
For big portions, both creature and human antagonists were absent, just ominously lurking in the background, which left the focus mostly on Karl and, to a lesser degree, the children. I think that's where some of the problems I had with the book lay; Karl just wasn't an intriguing or strong enough character to carry the story.
I came into this after reading The Ritual a few months back, which I thought was really good and would highly recommend, by the way (review here). But the tension and bone-trembling fear I shared along with those characters I felt was lacking here.
I think it's pretty obvious inspiration was taken from War of the Worlds, but it also had elements of A Quiet Place and 28 Days Later. I will say, though, the Author is a good writer; it's my third book of theirs, and they have great prose—a really nice descriptive literary style without being overly florid or pretentious.
This had potential, but the plot needed more depth, some of the pacing was off, and I didn't really connect with the main character; he was a bit well... bland.
The next morning everything is still the same. He ventures outside to investigate and finds only one of his neighbours, Katie, an elderly lady with dementia, is still in her house in bed, but everyone else is gone. Karl later drives to the supermarket, where again everything is deserted except for 2 children—Hayley and Jake.
And so we follow Karl as he fights for survival in an apocalyptic world amidst an invasion of creatures known as 'the Horrors'. Any apocalypse wouldn't be complete without our obligatory human antagonist; in this story, it's Bob. I'm afraid Bob was a bit formulaic and therefore fell flat; you could see where his character was going right from the off.
This was slow-paced to start, and it took me some time to get into. It was just Karl meandering about without any plan. I get it; you're at the start of an unknown-origin apocalypse, you've been sick, and you're going to be a bit bewildered, but you know—let's move it along and get to some sort of point. As a reader I don't always need fast pacing and all-out action, but I need something that rolls along at a tempo that keeps me engaged and captivated. When I keep putting a book down, I know I'm not invested.
For big portions, both creature and human antagonists were absent, just ominously lurking in the background, which left the focus mostly on Karl and, to a lesser degree, the children. I think that's where some of the problems I had with the book lay; Karl just wasn't an intriguing or strong enough character to carry the story.
I came into this after reading The Ritual a few months back, which I thought was really good and would highly recommend, by the way (review here). But the tension and bone-trembling fear I shared along with those characters I felt was lacking here.
I think it's pretty obvious inspiration was taken from War of the Worlds, but it also had elements of A Quiet Place and 28 Days Later. I will say, though, the Author is a good writer; it's my third book of theirs, and they have great prose—a really nice descriptive literary style without being overly florid or pretentious.
This had potential, but the plot needed more depth, some of the pacing was off, and I didn't really connect with the main character; he was a bit well... bland.
June 23, 2025
Phenomenal!
This is an existential dread inducing, alien invasion/end of the world apocalyptic horror that had me hooked the entire time.
This is an existential dread inducing, alien invasion/end of the world apocalyptic horror that had me hooked the entire time.
April 10, 2024
Alien invasion horror written exactly the way it should be written. Forget about the cheesy "cowboys in space" tropes from classic science fiction. Forget about generation ships and 31-century space fleet battles with 17-century naval tactics. You're in Adam Nevill's world now. If you survived, you'll probably live to regret it, and not for very long. Pack your bags, loot a supermarket or two, and steer clear of the red light.
Because no one's coming to save you. And these aliens aren't issuing ultimatums, or demanding they be taken to your leader. The only vaguely human thing about them is that they like to play of Jenga. Kind of.
There is no plucky Mary Sue / Gary Stu going through the usual seven-step-story-structure travails before stumbling on an ingenious solution.
No brilliant but misunderstood maverick scientist will work out the unearthly enemy's biology and psychology in exposition masked as dialogue.
Definitely, definitely no space marines will be showing up to blast those damn bugs back to the hell they came from.
Fiends is more like Stanislaw Lem. Coming down from a bad acid trip. After a week of binge-reading Lovecraft. It starts of merely terrible, and progresses through apocalyptic levels of awful.
Nevill excels in portraying the everyman thrown into impossible situations, against overwhelming and incomprehensible perils. Supernatural or extraterrestrial - isn't any sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from magic? When Nevill's aliens land, the last thing you'll do is reach for your trusty laser blaster. You will cower from the red light and the horrors it contains. Somewhere along the way you'll find who you really are, and have been all along. The apocalyse will no longer feel so bad.
(Just kidding. It's still every bit as bad as you think. And worse.)
Because no one's coming to save you. And these aliens aren't issuing ultimatums, or demanding they be taken to your leader. The only vaguely human thing about them is that they like to play of Jenga. Kind of.
There is no plucky Mary Sue / Gary Stu going through the usual seven-step-story-structure travails before stumbling on an ingenious solution.
No brilliant but misunderstood maverick scientist will work out the unearthly enemy's biology and psychology in exposition masked as dialogue.
Definitely, definitely no space marines will be showing up to blast those damn bugs back to the hell they came from.
Fiends is more like Stanislaw Lem. Coming down from a bad acid trip. After a week of binge-reading Lovecraft. It starts of merely terrible, and progresses through apocalyptic levels of awful.
Nevill excels in portraying the everyman thrown into impossible situations, against overwhelming and incomprehensible perils. Supernatural or extraterrestrial - isn't any sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from magic? When Nevill's aliens land, the last thing you'll do is reach for your trusty laser blaster. You will cower from the red light and the horrors it contains. Somewhere along the way you'll find who you really are, and have been all along. The apocalyse will no longer feel so bad.
(Just kidding. It's still every bit as bad as you think. And worse.)
July 2, 2024
At the heart of every good book are great characters.
Adam Nevill never ceases to amaze me with his plots and more importantly, compelling characters. There wasn’t a wide castle characters in this book making the time spent with the characters that were there that much more impactful. You got to know them as they entered around the strings husk of a world. And when you know them and care for them when things go horrifyingly wrong, it really hits hard!
There was so much to love about this book. The Erie emptiness of the atmosphere. The plot that had a semi religious, feel it, but all in a very unique way. And highlight the worst and best qualities of people in such a pandemic.
From my understanding, this and his last two books were originally written when Adam Nevill took college courses for screen writing. For me, this book is a noticeable highlight of those three books. I really love how unique this offer is with every new book. He never becomes stagnant in his written style. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that one person wrote wrote all these unique books. One of the reasons why I’m such a big fan of his and I will continue to read everything that he puts out. He’s made such a huge impact on writers, and since he has become an independent author, he is become inspiration that angle as well. and of course, he has made a tremendous impact on the horror genre as a whole.
what is your favorite Adam Nevil book?
Adam Nevill never ceases to amaze me with his plots and more importantly, compelling characters. There wasn’t a wide castle characters in this book making the time spent with the characters that were there that much more impactful. You got to know them as they entered around the strings husk of a world. And when you know them and care for them when things go horrifyingly wrong, it really hits hard!
There was so much to love about this book. The Erie emptiness of the atmosphere. The plot that had a semi religious, feel it, but all in a very unique way. And highlight the worst and best qualities of people in such a pandemic.
From my understanding, this and his last two books were originally written when Adam Nevill took college courses for screen writing. For me, this book is a noticeable highlight of those three books. I really love how unique this offer is with every new book. He never becomes stagnant in his written style. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that one person wrote wrote all these unique books. One of the reasons why I’m such a big fan of his and I will continue to read everything that he puts out. He’s made such a huge impact on writers, and since he has become an independent author, he is become inspiration that angle as well. and of course, he has made a tremendous impact on the horror genre as a whole.
what is your favorite Adam Nevil book?
December 4, 2025
5 stars.
The "horrors" the characters in All the Fiends of Hell woke up to one day is mental anguish like no other. Suddenly, thrust into a fight for their lives with no idea what is pursuing them and why most of humanity disappeared while they slept.
The most poignant takeaways for me were the all important reminders not to take the little things for granted, to live each day to its fullest, and that kindness REALLY does matter.
The "horrors" the characters in All the Fiends of Hell woke up to one day is mental anguish like no other. Suddenly, thrust into a fight for their lives with no idea what is pursuing them and why most of humanity disappeared while they slept.
The most poignant takeaways for me were the all important reminders not to take the little things for granted, to live each day to its fullest, and that kindness REALLY does matter.
December 2, 2025
The end of the world. Again, I thought. Just another take on The Stand. Nothing unique. I was so so wrong.
I felt like an unseen apparition tugged along, hovering over Karl; sharing his apprehension and fear... inevitably flipping pages trying to survive along with his rag tag group of survivors.
"As they’d left Worcester, beneath the gradual encroaching of the sky’s ruddy stain, the pale fog had formed the dimensions of a continent on the northern horizon, flowing south. After the bank outran them, the mass transformed the world to vapour.
Sea fogs veiled coasts but he’d never experienced anything so dense inland. It was seemingly aglow from within, and he attributed nothing natural or benign to the new phenomenon. Fearing that it would be toxic to breathe, he immediately sealed the windows and shut off the vents in the dashboard.
They’d driven no further than forty kilometres when, from all sides, the surging mist soundlessly buffeted and reared about the vehicles. As if wilfully obstructive, another breaking wave of disintegrating tendrils, from the west, probed the road ahead. Drifting from the east, a gaseous wall the colour of wool rubbed out land and sky. The wind that picked up in town hadn’t dropped but was confused. Cold gusts from three directions prodded the car.
The birds that remained, retreated from the north as exhausted, terrified and alone as the occupants of the cars below. Speckling the blank sky, they flapped madly to stay true before being engulfed. The stained vault of the heavens crept behind the mist. Perhaps the entire earth, from pole to pole, would soon be blooded. Too easily, Karl imagined a discoloured planet, seen from space as newly crimson."
Absolutely masterclass! A must read for horror and apocalyptic literature fans, I highly recommend.
I felt like an unseen apparition tugged along, hovering over Karl; sharing his apprehension and fear... inevitably flipping pages trying to survive along with his rag tag group of survivors.
"As they’d left Worcester, beneath the gradual encroaching of the sky’s ruddy stain, the pale fog had formed the dimensions of a continent on the northern horizon, flowing south. After the bank outran them, the mass transformed the world to vapour.
Sea fogs veiled coasts but he’d never experienced anything so dense inland. It was seemingly aglow from within, and he attributed nothing natural or benign to the new phenomenon. Fearing that it would be toxic to breathe, he immediately sealed the windows and shut off the vents in the dashboard.
They’d driven no further than forty kilometres when, from all sides, the surging mist soundlessly buffeted and reared about the vehicles. As if wilfully obstructive, another breaking wave of disintegrating tendrils, from the west, probed the road ahead. Drifting from the east, a gaseous wall the colour of wool rubbed out land and sky. The wind that picked up in town hadn’t dropped but was confused. Cold gusts from three directions prodded the car.
The birds that remained, retreated from the north as exhausted, terrified and alone as the occupants of the cars below. Speckling the blank sky, they flapped madly to stay true before being engulfed. The stained vault of the heavens crept behind the mist. Perhaps the entire earth, from pole to pole, would soon be blooded. Too easily, Karl imagined a discoloured planet, seen from space as newly crimson."
Absolutely masterclass! A must read for horror and apocalyptic literature fans, I highly recommend.
February 11, 2024
I am not exaggerating when I say this story took over my life for three days. I felt invested in these characters and their world from the very first page to the last.
This is an alien invasion story which may not feel very Adam Nevill but I can assure you it is still distinctly very Adam Nevill. Ultimately it is a truly terrifying yet thought provoking piece of fiction which will have you reflecting on your place in the universe, our mortality and what it means to be human. I found myself contemplating how I would respond in such a situation and how much I could trust those that I know to protect me and to fight with me.
I raced through the book searching for answers (some which were answered, some were not) as I followed the survivors in a post apocalyptic world where it is not safe to be human. This was a gut wrenching, emotionally turbulent ride to the end.
Adam’s writing is beautiful as always and I cannot fault it. He takes you on a journey and the best thing you can do is buckle up and trust where he is leading you.
Truly no review will do this book justice. It deserves all the praise and more.
Thank you so much to Adam who generously gifted me a stunning limited edition Ritual hardcover.
This is an alien invasion story which may not feel very Adam Nevill but I can assure you it is still distinctly very Adam Nevill. Ultimately it is a truly terrifying yet thought provoking piece of fiction which will have you reflecting on your place in the universe, our mortality and what it means to be human. I found myself contemplating how I would respond in such a situation and how much I could trust those that I know to protect me and to fight with me.
I raced through the book searching for answers (some which were answered, some were not) as I followed the survivors in a post apocalyptic world where it is not safe to be human. This was a gut wrenching, emotionally turbulent ride to the end.
Adam’s writing is beautiful as always and I cannot fault it. He takes you on a journey and the best thing you can do is buckle up and trust where he is leading you.
Truly no review will do this book justice. It deserves all the praise and more.
Thank you so much to Adam who generously gifted me a stunning limited edition Ritual hardcover.
June 24, 2025
Be Watchful of the Skies!
Small backstory:
Karl has been sick and under the weather but he wakes up to the sound of bells ringing wondering what is going on causing him to glance out the window seeing people being taken into a blood red sky. Though Karl gets a rude awakening when he ventures out later in the morning into his neighborhood and finds out that his neighbors are missing which sends him into a horror filled panic as now he wonders what did he see during the night - was it real or was it a dream?
That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was a different kind of book for author, Adam Nevill as he strayed away from his normal routine with folklore stories - he decided to step into aliens and an earth invasion instead. This is my fifth book by this author and as usual the author goes into descriptive details of everything taking place and what the character Karl has to endure in the invasion.
There was tons of tension and suspense in this story which kept my insomnia fueled a couple or so nights as the pace of what was happening kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next! Another great book by this author and looking forward to what Nevill has in store for us readers in the future! Giving this book four "Twisted Terror Invasion" stars!
Small backstory:
Karl has been sick and under the weather but he wakes up to the sound of bells ringing wondering what is going on causing him to glance out the window seeing people being taken into a blood red sky. Though Karl gets a rude awakening when he ventures out later in the morning into his neighborhood and finds out that his neighbors are missing which sends him into a horror filled panic as now he wonders what did he see during the night - was it real or was it a dream?
That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was a different kind of book for author, Adam Nevill as he strayed away from his normal routine with folklore stories - he decided to step into aliens and an earth invasion instead. This is my fifth book by this author and as usual the author goes into descriptive details of everything taking place and what the character Karl has to endure in the invasion.
There was tons of tension and suspense in this story which kept my insomnia fueled a couple or so nights as the pace of what was happening kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next! Another great book by this author and looking forward to what Nevill has in store for us readers in the future! Giving this book four "Twisted Terror Invasion" stars!
January 2, 2025
4⭐️s
Humans are the most monstrous of monsters. In a book that’s brimming with deftly drawn creatures, oozing with otherworldly terror, it takes a skilled hand to make a human the most vile antagonist of all.
I love a good global catastrophe, on the brink of human annihilation story, and this definitely delivers on its promise.
The good…
So much good in this book, starting with the craftsmanship of the language. Nevill is clearly an expert with words, and the beauty with which they are strung together to construct unique descriptions is astounding. With all the words that have ever been written, it amazes me that I can still find such singular, novel examples of lingual expression.
The less good…
It took me a minute to settle in to his writing style. It’s a bit challenging and unique. But once I did, I cozied up to it and rode its elegance to the end.
To read, or not to read
Read it. Enjoy it. And take notes on the beauty of language.
Humans are the most monstrous of monsters. In a book that’s brimming with deftly drawn creatures, oozing with otherworldly terror, it takes a skilled hand to make a human the most vile antagonist of all.
I love a good global catastrophe, on the brink of human annihilation story, and this definitely delivers on its promise.
The good…
So much good in this book, starting with the craftsmanship of the language. Nevill is clearly an expert with words, and the beauty with which they are strung together to construct unique descriptions is astounding. With all the words that have ever been written, it amazes me that I can still find such singular, novel examples of lingual expression.
The less good…
It took me a minute to settle in to his writing style. It’s a bit challenging and unique. But once I did, I cozied up to it and rode its elegance to the end.
To read, or not to read
Read it. Enjoy it. And take notes on the beauty of language.
April 20, 2024
Replacing cosmic horror for his typical folk horror feels, Nevill’s newest novel was something I had extremely high hopes for. After all, this is the same author who penned the incredibly eerie The Ritual and the equally taut and tense No One Gets Out Alive, and that’s not even getting into his mashup of folk and dystopian eco horror Lost Girl.
And for about 45 to 50 pages, All the Fiends of Hell was everything I had hoped for as if tapped into many of my favorite horror tropes An homage to War of the Worlds , a nod to 28 Days Later or The Walking Dead. It even had even some post apocalyptic feels a la The Stand or Swan Song. There’s the familiar creeping dread he is so good at conveying, and his cosmic creations are, as usual, original and dread inducing.
And yet…All the Fiends of Hell quickly becomes a total slog as we are subjected to page after countless page of Karl’s boring quest across the deserted southern England country side. I don’t know how Nevill managed to make an alien invasion story so boring, but here we are. I also didn’t care for any of the characters since they all became incredibly annoying pretty damn quickly. Karl’s constant self doubt made me hate everything he did…and even when he did anything, it was a stereotypical heroes progression. Bob, the antagonist was a cookie cutter bad guy who did all the usual things to make him unlikable. I get it but at the same time, at least make him unique.
And while Nevill’s alien horrors are unique, we never see enough of them. They show up for a few pages, do some damage, and then are absent for another 100 page stretch, replaced once again by another slow burn of passing time. I still give this one 3 stars because it has its fun moments, but there are easily better books that Neville has written and produced.
That being said, I do give Neville some credit for trying to get out of his usual side of horror. Authors are always allowed to try something different. Sometimes it works (Masterton for example wrote a TON of different books in a myriad of different genres) and sometimes, like with All the Fiends of Hell it just doesn’t.
And for about 45 to 50 pages, All the Fiends of Hell was everything I had hoped for as if tapped into many of my favorite horror tropes An homage to War of the Worlds , a nod to 28 Days Later or The Walking Dead. It even had even some post apocalyptic feels a la The Stand or Swan Song. There’s the familiar creeping dread he is so good at conveying, and his cosmic creations are, as usual, original and dread inducing.
And yet…All the Fiends of Hell quickly becomes a total slog as we are subjected to page after countless page of Karl’s boring quest across the deserted southern England country side. I don’t know how Nevill managed to make an alien invasion story so boring, but here we are. I also didn’t care for any of the characters since they all became incredibly annoying pretty damn quickly. Karl’s constant self doubt made me hate everything he did…and even when he did anything, it was a stereotypical heroes progression. Bob, the antagonist was a cookie cutter bad guy who did all the usual things to make him unlikable. I get it but at the same time, at least make him unique.
And while Nevill’s alien horrors are unique, we never see enough of them. They show up for a few pages, do some damage, and then are absent for another 100 page stretch, replaced once again by another slow burn of passing time. I still give this one 3 stars because it has its fun moments, but there are easily better books that Neville has written and produced.
That being said, I do give Neville some credit for trying to get out of his usual side of horror. Authors are always allowed to try something different. Sometimes it works (Masterton for example wrote a TON of different books in a myriad of different genres) and sometimes, like with All the Fiends of Hell it just doesn’t.
March 5, 2024
*Huge thank you to Adam for sending me a digital ARC!*
We’ve been living in a saline world, filled with blues and yellows and a hint of orange. Life goes on. Prices trend upwards, viruses spread and bombs drop on the innocent while all in the name freedom or oil. As we tread water, some of us scream to our reflection each morning in the mirror that ‘things will get better,’ while others look skyward and ask for their savior to return and smite the sinners, praise the followers.
And then…
In the distance…
A redness. Carried on the shoulders of pure, unadulterated dread.
Two years since the seeping terror that was ‘The Vessel’ was unleashed, England’s master of shudder-inducing horror, Adam Nevill appears over the horizon. Bathed in brine and doused in the redness of the bay, he too looks skyward. And what he sees is something none of us will want to have come into focus.
When I first heard about this book – in Adam’s always phenomenal newsletter – I was instantly hooked. An Alien Invasion horror novel from the mind that brought us the blackest books released over the last few decades. Stack his novels ‘Last Days,’ ‘The Ritual,’ ‘Lost Girl,’ ‘Under a Watchful Eye,’ ‘Cunning Folk,’ ‘No One Gets Out Alive,’ ‘Apartment 16,’ and ‘The Reddening,’ and not only do you have close to 4000 pages of fiction, but you also have an encyclopedia of how to literally scare a reader to death. Add in ‘The Vessel,’ and his short fiction, as well as ‘The House of Small Shadows’ and you’re looking at 7500 pages of bone-bleaching blackness. I haven’t yet read ‘Banquet of the Damned,’ (fixing that shortly), but I’ll assume it is no less bleak.
Nevill has found his path, carving it out of the hillside that runs along the ocean’s shore. He walks the line between the old guard – those who were dialogue driven and used that more to guide a story than plot (see Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub) – and the new guard, where each chapter ends with cliff hangers and we see a psychological torment infused throughout (see Paul Tremblay, Andrew Pyper).
Knowing Nevill would be crafting a story that would be equal parts exhilarating and traumatic (as plucked from a response he gave to someone, I think it was on FB?), I went in knowing I’d purposefully be taking my time. I wanted to savor this. Let each sentence and paragraph ferment in the back of my throat like I was some fancy connoisseur of expensive cheese. Nevill doesn’t just write. He paints. He creates. He unleashes bloody fucking hell on the characters and he doesn’t care if the reader makes it to the end alive. His novels suggest he prefers they don’t.
What I liked: The story begins in the middle. Karl, sick with the flu and heartbroken over his failings and his divorce, is stuck in bed, mentally deciding on whether it would be better for him to kick this bug and get better or to just go to sleep and never wake up. He’s done with life. Then, during the night, he hears bells and, looking outside, sees his neighbors walk out into the streets, under the glowing redness of something from above, and they all ‘fall in reverse, skyward.’ This opening salvo, this five or so page introduction to this world was harsh enough that I paused here while reading. I put it down and went to another book. It unnerved me more than anything I’d read in some time. Actually, since I read ‘Under a Watchful Eye.’ Nevill’s writing is as close to uncomfortable as The Devil’s Note is on the piano. That tritone that creates such vestibular dissonance that you wish it stop immediately.
But he doesn’t stop there. Karl awakens the next day, not believing the events were real. It was a illness-induced dream, he tells himself. But everyone else is gone. All, except the few stragglers he finds who were also sick when the bells sounded. His neighbor with a disease. A couple kids who also had the flu. A senior’s home with elderly ill patients.
Nevill delivers a few lines that are so real, so uncomfortable that I understood just how perfectly he chooses his phrases. One such moment is when Karl finds all of the neighbors doors are open. Unsettling, yes. But, he wants to check on his sick neighbor. Going to her door, he calls out. No reply. Then he pauses at the front door. He can’t bring himself to go inside. It’s an invasion of someone else’s personal space. Much like a vampire needs to be invited in, Karl feels the same. When he sees the husband at the top of the stairs he forces himself to step over the threshold.
A similar moment happens not long after. Karl takes his car and drives. He comes to an intersection and the light is red. Still, he sits and waits until it turns green. Even with no other cars around and the reality that he is one of the few remaining survivors in the world, he follows those norms of society that are now ingrained in each of us, not wanting to ‘break the law,’ even though no laws will ever exist ever again.
From here, Nevill transforms the book from a straight forward ’28 Days Later’ style narrative – something is breaking glass, flickering in the light of the day, but forming more fully when redness comes across them (but not zombies!) – into something very similar to his masterpiece, ‘Lost Girl.’ Karl, who had his marriage dissolve over the ‘are we having kids’ argument, finds two kids, brother and sister, Jake and Hayley, and takes them under his wing. They immediately all seem to need each other and he wants to protect them.
This is throw on its head when a stranger shows up. The reader will immediately hate this character, and rightfully so. Nevill splits the terror here. 50% devoted to the red sky approaching and 50% devoted to Karl and Jake working together for a common goal. Survival. Retrieval. Vengeance. It’s a trifecta of perfection that Nevill delivers and he delivers it with glee. And each time we hear the haunting squeal of avianish harbingers, we clench our teeth and pray for survival. The horrors, as they’re come to be known as, were done so very well. Nevill uses a ‘less is more’ approach with them, giving us spurts of description but backing off before any of the edges are fully formed, any of the details fully filled in.
The final quarter of this novel is a straight sprint. Even if – like I was – you want to savor it, you won’t be able to slow your pace. It’s as though you’re on a train track and the brakes have failed. We get the sea, we get the horrors growing and approaching and we get Karl and Jake doing whatever needs to be done to keep Hayley safe, and then Karl going above and beyond to get them all to survive.
They very common saying of ‘red sky at night, sailors’ delight, red sky at morn, sailors take warning’ will no longer apply to anyone after reading this novel and having to digest all of the nightmares that’ll come along with it.
Nevill, in the afterword, discusses how H.G. Wells ‘The War of the Worlds,’ was an inspiration to writing this, but I’d also say that there’s a lot of the movie ‘Signs,’ here and not in a bad way. I personally love that movie, and if you’re of a certain age, the scene were Joaquin Phoenix’s characters watches the footage of the creature appearing still haunt’s you to this day. No, the similarities rest in the set piece and the characters. Within this book we have four characters that are prominent throughout, with a fifth arriving later. Much like in ‘Signs,’ were it starts with just the family at the farmhouse. Karl and the kids move along, trying to survive, while the family hunkers down in their home when the aliens arrive. But it’s all about survival and keeping the kids alive and trying desperately to find a way to make it through these horrid events that they’ve found themselves in.
What I didn’t like: From start to finish this novel is a heavy read and as the story progresses, we get more layers, like a weight being added to a bag you’re carrying. The one bit I wish we’d seen more of or learned more of were the things called ‘the left-behinds.’ I won’t go too far into it, as I’m trying to stay spoiler free, but they were so intriguing, I was hoping something would be shared about the how and why.
Why you should buy this: Well, firstly, if you’re a Nevill die-hard, you’re buying this. Secondly, if you live for ‘alien invasion horror,’ you’re buying this. BUT – if you’re not sure of either, buy this to follow one of the best characters I’ve read in some time – Karl. Karl isn’t your typical ‘hero.’ He often contemplates if it would be easier on him if he just killed himself and let whatever will happen, happen to the kids. He wonders if they’d be better off if he leaves them. He’s a real character. Someone who doesn’t believe he can possible save them, but wants to try because he does care, even if he won’t admit it to himself.
Nevill’s storytelling is always a joy to read, even if the books are filled with some of the bleakest moments you’ll ever experience. The master only gets better and with this newest march towards a total red eclipse, we all must bow down and chant skyward, that we abide, and let the redness wash us away.
We’ve been living in a saline world, filled with blues and yellows and a hint of orange. Life goes on. Prices trend upwards, viruses spread and bombs drop on the innocent while all in the name freedom or oil. As we tread water, some of us scream to our reflection each morning in the mirror that ‘things will get better,’ while others look skyward and ask for their savior to return and smite the sinners, praise the followers.
And then…
In the distance…
A redness. Carried on the shoulders of pure, unadulterated dread.
Two years since the seeping terror that was ‘The Vessel’ was unleashed, England’s master of shudder-inducing horror, Adam Nevill appears over the horizon. Bathed in brine and doused in the redness of the bay, he too looks skyward. And what he sees is something none of us will want to have come into focus.
When I first heard about this book – in Adam’s always phenomenal newsletter – I was instantly hooked. An Alien Invasion horror novel from the mind that brought us the blackest books released over the last few decades. Stack his novels ‘Last Days,’ ‘The Ritual,’ ‘Lost Girl,’ ‘Under a Watchful Eye,’ ‘Cunning Folk,’ ‘No One Gets Out Alive,’ ‘Apartment 16,’ and ‘The Reddening,’ and not only do you have close to 4000 pages of fiction, but you also have an encyclopedia of how to literally scare a reader to death. Add in ‘The Vessel,’ and his short fiction, as well as ‘The House of Small Shadows’ and you’re looking at 7500 pages of bone-bleaching blackness. I haven’t yet read ‘Banquet of the Damned,’ (fixing that shortly), but I’ll assume it is no less bleak.
Nevill has found his path, carving it out of the hillside that runs along the ocean’s shore. He walks the line between the old guard – those who were dialogue driven and used that more to guide a story than plot (see Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub) – and the new guard, where each chapter ends with cliff hangers and we see a psychological torment infused throughout (see Paul Tremblay, Andrew Pyper).
Knowing Nevill would be crafting a story that would be equal parts exhilarating and traumatic (as plucked from a response he gave to someone, I think it was on FB?), I went in knowing I’d purposefully be taking my time. I wanted to savor this. Let each sentence and paragraph ferment in the back of my throat like I was some fancy connoisseur of expensive cheese. Nevill doesn’t just write. He paints. He creates. He unleashes bloody fucking hell on the characters and he doesn’t care if the reader makes it to the end alive. His novels suggest he prefers they don’t.
What I liked: The story begins in the middle. Karl, sick with the flu and heartbroken over his failings and his divorce, is stuck in bed, mentally deciding on whether it would be better for him to kick this bug and get better or to just go to sleep and never wake up. He’s done with life. Then, during the night, he hears bells and, looking outside, sees his neighbors walk out into the streets, under the glowing redness of something from above, and they all ‘fall in reverse, skyward.’ This opening salvo, this five or so page introduction to this world was harsh enough that I paused here while reading. I put it down and went to another book. It unnerved me more than anything I’d read in some time. Actually, since I read ‘Under a Watchful Eye.’ Nevill’s writing is as close to uncomfortable as The Devil’s Note is on the piano. That tritone that creates such vestibular dissonance that you wish it stop immediately.
But he doesn’t stop there. Karl awakens the next day, not believing the events were real. It was a illness-induced dream, he tells himself. But everyone else is gone. All, except the few stragglers he finds who were also sick when the bells sounded. His neighbor with a disease. A couple kids who also had the flu. A senior’s home with elderly ill patients.
Nevill delivers a few lines that are so real, so uncomfortable that I understood just how perfectly he chooses his phrases. One such moment is when Karl finds all of the neighbors doors are open. Unsettling, yes. But, he wants to check on his sick neighbor. Going to her door, he calls out. No reply. Then he pauses at the front door. He can’t bring himself to go inside. It’s an invasion of someone else’s personal space. Much like a vampire needs to be invited in, Karl feels the same. When he sees the husband at the top of the stairs he forces himself to step over the threshold.
A similar moment happens not long after. Karl takes his car and drives. He comes to an intersection and the light is red. Still, he sits and waits until it turns green. Even with no other cars around and the reality that he is one of the few remaining survivors in the world, he follows those norms of society that are now ingrained in each of us, not wanting to ‘break the law,’ even though no laws will ever exist ever again.
From here, Nevill transforms the book from a straight forward ’28 Days Later’ style narrative – something is breaking glass, flickering in the light of the day, but forming more fully when redness comes across them (but not zombies!) – into something very similar to his masterpiece, ‘Lost Girl.’ Karl, who had his marriage dissolve over the ‘are we having kids’ argument, finds two kids, brother and sister, Jake and Hayley, and takes them under his wing. They immediately all seem to need each other and he wants to protect them.
This is throw on its head when a stranger shows up. The reader will immediately hate this character, and rightfully so. Nevill splits the terror here. 50% devoted to the red sky approaching and 50% devoted to Karl and Jake working together for a common goal. Survival. Retrieval. Vengeance. It’s a trifecta of perfection that Nevill delivers and he delivers it with glee. And each time we hear the haunting squeal of avianish harbingers, we clench our teeth and pray for survival. The horrors, as they’re come to be known as, were done so very well. Nevill uses a ‘less is more’ approach with them, giving us spurts of description but backing off before any of the edges are fully formed, any of the details fully filled in.
The final quarter of this novel is a straight sprint. Even if – like I was – you want to savor it, you won’t be able to slow your pace. It’s as though you’re on a train track and the brakes have failed. We get the sea, we get the horrors growing and approaching and we get Karl and Jake doing whatever needs to be done to keep Hayley safe, and then Karl going above and beyond to get them all to survive.
They very common saying of ‘red sky at night, sailors’ delight, red sky at morn, sailors take warning’ will no longer apply to anyone after reading this novel and having to digest all of the nightmares that’ll come along with it.
Nevill, in the afterword, discusses how H.G. Wells ‘The War of the Worlds,’ was an inspiration to writing this, but I’d also say that there’s a lot of the movie ‘Signs,’ here and not in a bad way. I personally love that movie, and if you’re of a certain age, the scene were Joaquin Phoenix’s characters watches the footage of the creature appearing still haunt’s you to this day. No, the similarities rest in the set piece and the characters. Within this book we have four characters that are prominent throughout, with a fifth arriving later. Much like in ‘Signs,’ were it starts with just the family at the farmhouse. Karl and the kids move along, trying to survive, while the family hunkers down in their home when the aliens arrive. But it’s all about survival and keeping the kids alive and trying desperately to find a way to make it through these horrid events that they’ve found themselves in.
What I didn’t like: From start to finish this novel is a heavy read and as the story progresses, we get more layers, like a weight being added to a bag you’re carrying. The one bit I wish we’d seen more of or learned more of were the things called ‘the left-behinds.’ I won’t go too far into it, as I’m trying to stay spoiler free, but they were so intriguing, I was hoping something would be shared about the how and why.
Why you should buy this: Well, firstly, if you’re a Nevill die-hard, you’re buying this. Secondly, if you live for ‘alien invasion horror,’ you’re buying this. BUT – if you’re not sure of either, buy this to follow one of the best characters I’ve read in some time – Karl. Karl isn’t your typical ‘hero.’ He often contemplates if it would be easier on him if he just killed himself and let whatever will happen, happen to the kids. He wonders if they’d be better off if he leaves them. He’s a real character. Someone who doesn’t believe he can possible save them, but wants to try because he does care, even if he won’t admit it to himself.
Nevill’s storytelling is always a joy to read, even if the books are filled with some of the bleakest moments you’ll ever experience. The master only gets better and with this newest march towards a total red eclipse, we all must bow down and chant skyward, that we abide, and let the redness wash us away.
June 22, 2025
This book had so much potential.
The slow build up is great, personable and almost witty in places with the gradual onset of an indescribable cosmic horror that can't be directly seen but takes over the entire community, followed by the discovery of two young children and the instinct to protect them and survive at the same time, making for compelling and pleasing apocalyptic fiction.
But that's as good as it got for me and the rest of the book is downhill from there and bafflingly unscientific and implausible.
Adam Nevil describes every last detail in depth but drags the carefully planned first half down by relying on a predictable plot that's strangely restrictive and meandering at the same time.
In the excellent Misery, Stephen King explains the importance of continued plausibility to avoid shattering the credibility of a book, and by the end of Fiends it feels like a convenient parting of the Red Sea.
A good effort that becomes less invigorating for turning a cosmic thriller into a pretty dumb and unrealistic romanticized slasher.
It has the survivalist feel of The Day of The Triffids but without existential overtones and the meaning of life.
This is my first book by Adam Nevill and I'm not condemning him, but this venture into sci-fi doesn't work and goes from an insightful thriller to an increasingly narrow cul-de-sac with nowhere to go.
Three stars is a fair rating as a semi-decent read in my personal and rather futile hunt for meaning through a chosen pathway of gristle and gore.
This is not an important or essential book and although reasonably well written and engrossing for the first half, is throwaway literature.
You can't win them all and I'm a bit disappointed for paying money and for finding just another author.
The slow build up is great, personable and almost witty in places with the gradual onset of an indescribable cosmic horror that can't be directly seen but takes over the entire community, followed by the discovery of two young children and the instinct to protect them and survive at the same time, making for compelling and pleasing apocalyptic fiction.
But that's as good as it got for me and the rest of the book is downhill from there and bafflingly unscientific and implausible.
Adam Nevil describes every last detail in depth but drags the carefully planned first half down by relying on a predictable plot that's strangely restrictive and meandering at the same time.
In the excellent Misery, Stephen King explains the importance of continued plausibility to avoid shattering the credibility of a book, and by the end of Fiends it feels like a convenient parting of the Red Sea.
A good effort that becomes less invigorating for turning a cosmic thriller into a pretty dumb and unrealistic romanticized slasher.
It has the survivalist feel of The Day of The Triffids but without existential overtones and the meaning of life.
This is my first book by Adam Nevill and I'm not condemning him, but this venture into sci-fi doesn't work and goes from an insightful thriller to an increasingly narrow cul-de-sac with nowhere to go.
Three stars is a fair rating as a semi-decent read in my personal and rather futile hunt for meaning through a chosen pathway of gristle and gore.
This is not an important or essential book and although reasonably well written and engrossing for the first half, is throwaway literature.
You can't win them all and I'm a bit disappointed for paying money and for finding just another author.
June 22, 2025
2.5 ⭐️⭐️s
Enjoyed the set up and first 25% of this one. But by the 1/2 way point I began skimming. Just kept waiting for more to happen and for the pace to move along. My first by Neville. I’ll definitely try another at some point as I enjoyed his descriptive writing and many of the horror elements. This one just took too long to make it to that English coastline.
Enjoyed the set up and first 25% of this one. But by the 1/2 way point I began skimming. Just kept waiting for more to happen and for the pace to move along. My first by Neville. I’ll definitely try another at some point as I enjoyed his descriptive writing and many of the horror elements. This one just took too long to make it to that English coastline.
May 30, 2024
This took me a good bit of time to get through, but DAMN was it worth it. Terrifying, brutal, and heart-wrenching.
April 28, 2024
So sorry but DNF. I made it a little more than half way before throwing in the towel. This story should have easily won the day for me because alien invasion stories are my hands-down favorite sub-genre of horror and sci-fi. But Karl was unlikable from the beginning and only became more so as the story progressed. But my biggest complaint is that literally nothing happened, or rather what happened do so elsewhere and not in the story itself, offscreen. Sure the aliens make an appearance or two, but even they appear almost impossible to describe, with their swirling visages and flesh that resembled tattered curtains or is it vapor? And JHC I had no idea there were 300 or 400 variations of red or how knowing so enhanced the story in any way but to add bloat.
I am very disappointed to have put it down before finishing it but I found myself actively avoiding reading it, which is a shame and unfortunately a waste of my time.
The very worst of this experience is how hyped I was to read it. It pains me to write this because I have read Adam Nevill’s other work and I know what he is capable of doing when he is on his game. While reading Ritual for the first time there were passages that I literally felt were some kind of sorcery, they were so affecting. I never use that word to describe literature but nothing else fit.
Swing and a miss. We all have them, this was one.
I am very disappointed to have put it down before finishing it but I found myself actively avoiding reading it, which is a shame and unfortunately a waste of my time.
The very worst of this experience is how hyped I was to read it. It pains me to write this because I have read Adam Nevill’s other work and I know what he is capable of doing when he is on his game. While reading Ritual for the first time there were passages that I literally felt were some kind of sorcery, they were so affecting. I never use that word to describe literature but nothing else fit.
Swing and a miss. We all have them, this was one.
April 9, 2024
Who would have thought the end of the world would be so boring
May 4, 2024
A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
All The Fiends Of Hell by Adam Nevill
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
After surgery and an on going battle of sickness, Karl wakes up to find the outside world mysteriously abandoned by civilization. No cars, no planes, no phone service, nothing! Upon further exploration, Karl not only encounters a number of survivors, but he also comes face to face with a hideous new species of horror.
This world invasion story combines the well-crafted horror of The Mist with the suspenseful survival of A Quiet Place. Adam Nevill constructs the ultimate home invasion story by manifesting an intense atmosphere of anxiety and appalling terror. In the same vein, Nevill accomplishes what he does best, and that is examines our own fears, beliefs and our treatment of each other. These convictions are all combined within the pages of this “run-and-hide” genius of a book. Even as a reader I felt like I was constantly seeking sanctuary.
Plain and simple Adam Nevill is the shite. He is an artistic writer that goes outside the norm of professional literature. All The Fiends Of Hell uses intense heart and mind racing moments to further the narrative and character development. I am reminded of the talent equivalent to someone like a Josh Malerman. Unpleasant foreboding and an eerie silence = the ultimate creepy sensation. Nevill builds a story like no other.
When the world is dead and there is a new god of the earth, what do you do? When the sky turns red and the ringing of bells announce the final judgement, what do you do? Revelations has arrived in the form of All The Fiends Of Hell, enjoy the aftermath. An apocalyptic five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
All The Fiends Of Hell by Adam Nevill
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/
After surgery and an on going battle of sickness, Karl wakes up to find the outside world mysteriously abandoned by civilization. No cars, no planes, no phone service, nothing! Upon further exploration, Karl not only encounters a number of survivors, but he also comes face to face with a hideous new species of horror.
This world invasion story combines the well-crafted horror of The Mist with the suspenseful survival of A Quiet Place. Adam Nevill constructs the ultimate home invasion story by manifesting an intense atmosphere of anxiety and appalling terror. In the same vein, Nevill accomplishes what he does best, and that is examines our own fears, beliefs and our treatment of each other. These convictions are all combined within the pages of this “run-and-hide” genius of a book. Even as a reader I felt like I was constantly seeking sanctuary.
Plain and simple Adam Nevill is the shite. He is an artistic writer that goes outside the norm of professional literature. All The Fiends Of Hell uses intense heart and mind racing moments to further the narrative and character development. I am reminded of the talent equivalent to someone like a Josh Malerman. Unpleasant foreboding and an eerie silence = the ultimate creepy sensation. Nevill builds a story like no other.
When the world is dead and there is a new god of the earth, what do you do? When the sky turns red and the ringing of bells announce the final judgement, what do you do? Revelations has arrived in the form of All The Fiends Of Hell, enjoy the aftermath. An apocalyptic five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
April 15, 2024
I liked the title and was excited to read this based on the synopsis. Hard to imagine a book about the apocalypse being boring, but congrats, Nevill did it. It sucks, because he's a good writer, but his books go on for at least a hundred pages too long in my humble opinion. The story was lackluster. Kyle/Karl was nothing special. Bob was a run-of-the-mill villian. The horrors were different, but because of the lengthy descriptions and Nevill's obsession with what everything smells like again, I blanked out.
One word. Meh.
One word. Meh.
June 24, 2025
I enjoyed this one. It had great tension and atmosphere throughout. I also really liked that the alien invasion was shrouded in mystery. One of Nevill's better stories for me.
October 10, 2024
Dangggg, I was hoping for the best read of the year with this one… ALIEN INVASION, HORRORS, ADAM NEVILL!!!
“Only the dogs were restless. Bewildered, they had followed their masters outside. Tails and ears lowered, they appeared scolded by this unfamiliar ruby world and what resembled a new planet up there.”
Nope, instead we get an awesome and terrifying beginning, then a plodding plot, with the most useless main character.
Honestly there are so many times his life is on the line and there’s a time crunch to get to safety, then there are pages of dialogue talking about his past, perspectives, regrets, fears. Suddenly he’ll remember he has to get the HECK away, and then it’s like a slow motion amble on paper as more prose is spewed instead of Karl actually getting the HELL OUTTA DODGE!!! He literally has like an hour before the creatures come and walks up a hill, down a hill, then back up the same hill, then drives down the hill.
I was pretty infuriated throughout the story if you couldn’t tell.😬😂
I’m only giving this 3 stars because I love the concept, and there were some genuinely intense/scary moments.
“The sky might have been glazed by a stained-glass window, depicting the hellfire of judgement day.”
“Only the dogs were restless. Bewildered, they had followed their masters outside. Tails and ears lowered, they appeared scolded by this unfamiliar ruby world and what resembled a new planet up there.”
Nope, instead we get an awesome and terrifying beginning, then a plodding plot, with the most useless main character.
Honestly there are so many times his life is on the line and there’s a time crunch to get to safety, then there are pages of dialogue talking about his past, perspectives, regrets, fears. Suddenly he’ll remember he has to get the HECK away, and then it’s like a slow motion amble on paper as more prose is spewed instead of Karl actually getting the HELL OUTTA DODGE!!! He literally has like an hour before the creatures come and walks up a hill, down a hill, then back up the same hill, then drives down the hill.
I was pretty infuriated throughout the story if you couldn’t tell.😬😂
I’m only giving this 3 stars because I love the concept, and there were some genuinely intense/scary moments.
“The sky might have been glazed by a stained-glass window, depicting the hellfire of judgement day.”
February 12, 2024
F****** brilliant apocalyptic story with a premise that gave me chills for the entire time I was reading. Absolutely outstanding, and one of Nevill's best, in my opinion!
June 21, 2024
This needs to be a movie 🍿!
April 29, 2024
Should have been a short story… repetitive, slow and an annoying main character who keeps on saying ‘Jesus wept’ for some reason… the villain Bob was boring, too.
October 24, 2024
Wow, this gave me War of the Worlds vibes but with a very relatable hero. Carl happens to be sick with the flu and totally out of it when the world is invaded by blind, deaf, and sometimes invisible aliens. Using their other senses (much like a snake detects vibrations) these invaders make quick work on most of Carl's UK. I loved Carl because I'd be a survivor like him. I'd be scared, unprepared, and would run totally on instinct. Carl makes mistakes. Carl is frozen in terror when he needs to be brave. But his heart is in the right place and he even saves two kids. I loved it. This should be a movie!
November 17, 2025
Really enjoyed this! Some great set pieces, great characterisation, blistering and relentless pace and the horrors were indeed horrifying. A great alien invasion novel!
February 5, 2024
Another excellent novel from Adam Nevill, following unlikely survivors in a race across the country to escape an alien terror. Had my heart racing along with them - emotionally and literally. Beautifully visual and visceral. I really enjoyed the locations the story takes place in, the atmospheres created in them, and the persistent threat of the relentless hunt meant I couldn’t put this one down until it was done.
July 1, 2024
Wow I really enjoyed this. Incredible character development, engrossing settings, and a truly terrifying plot. The vibes are 28 Days Later meets War of the Worlds but with a gothic biblical twist lol. Amazing. Loved the author’s writing style and reading about his obsessions and processes in the epilogue. Can’t wait to read more from Adam Nevill!
December 29, 2024
Really close to a five star rating ...
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