Refuge, New Hampshire, is a small town. The kind found on postcards. Their biggest concern is the rowdy summertime revelers making their way up from Massachusetts and New York. And with most of the town's residents in neighboring Ashland, for the Fourth of July fireworks show, Refuge is quieter than usual. That is, until the Baptist church's bell starts ringing-on its own. The bell chimes faster and faster, reaching a frenetic pace, as though rung by the Devil himself. But the bell is just the beginning. The air shimmers. The night-time sky fills with a burning red aurora. The moon, previously a crescent, is now full. And just hours after dusk, the sun returns to the sky, revealing an endless desert where there was once a mountainous pine forest. Led by ex-Army Ranger turned surrealist painter, Griffin Butler, Sheriff Rebecca Rule and her deputy, Helena Frost, the residents of Refuge must weather an ever changing onslaught of otherworldly dangers while trying to uncover how and why the landscape beyond town shifts every time the church bell tolls. As a sequence of horrific events threaten to destroy the town, the residents must band together, search for answers and find a way to defend their homes, or Refuge will be lost. REFUGE is a serialized novel, co-authored by #1 Amazon.com horror author, Jeremy Bishop, and five other authors, including Amazon.com bestsellers Kane Gilmour and David McAfee, USA Today bestseller, Robert Swartwood, and newcomer Daniel Boucher. The story was released in five parts, every two weeks beginning in late 2013, but it is now available as one complete novel. So read for the individual parts or the whole completed novel. Either way, you're in for a creepy ride.
This was an awesome read. I really like the idea that all 5 stories have been written by different authors and all combined into a great book. If I understood the author's note at the end there might be more coming and I'd love that very much.
I forgot I read this book earlier this year. I guess it's fair that since I forgot I read it until 10 pages on to say it merits between 2.5 and 3 stars.
I have listened to this series before through the separate audiobooks, but it is much more enjoyable having them all together in one book. This is such a good story, it would be great to have a second season at some point!
Recently, I've come across several series that are written by a group of writers. The idea is fascinating! It makes me think of some of the partnered stories I've written in the past. Refuge is a series written by five authors and each of them have a distinct style. They did a nice job of keeping the characters consistent but had some discrepancies with expressing them either in speech or action. It could be a little jarring.
Refuge is a small New England town that doesn't have a lot going on. The most excitement occurs in the summer as people travel through town for other destinations. It was just another lazy summer night when the church bell begins to toll on it's own. The ringing becoming faster and louder until it was the only thing you could hear. When it stops, a gusty wind full of sand covers the town in grit, strange creatures attack and the locals find themselves thrown in a jarring landscape of what should be there and should not.
What's happening? Where are they? What's hunting them?
The stranded locals and others struggle to figure out what's going on and survive in the ever changing circumstances that doesn't pause long enough to let anyone truly breath. The rules have changed and all their lives are in danger.
The beginning sets up several key characters and you get a solid idea of who they are. The loyal Sheriff Rebecca Rule, Deputy Helena Frost, the artist Griffin Butler, his daughter, Charlie the town drunk, the reverend and others will have to overcome personal differences and issues in order to work together.
I haven't seen any hint of the series continuing. I hope it does! I would like to know what happens with the next ringing of the bell. Will any of them survive? The series is a cool mix of science, fantasy and haunting terrors. I want to make a comparison to two TV shows but I won't. It would be a total spoiler.
I've been a fan of Jeremy Robinson books since the first one I was lucky enough to find. This collaboration will not let you down. Even tnough there are several authors involved with this book, you'd never know it because the transition is so seamless. Very good story, along with believable characters make this an interesting read. I would highly recommend that you give it a try and I dont think any of you that love sciency/monstery/militaryish kinds of books will be anywhere near disappointed. I am very interested in where the next installment will take me and my imagination to, and very much looking forward to the trip
This is a clever concept, very well executed. The characters are generally likeable, their actions and reactions under the harrowing, and mind-bending new realities they are forced to endure, are fairly believable. This book showcases what Jeremy Robinson does so well, write fast paced, tension filled action scenes, and creates horrifying monsters. I know if he, and Kane Gilmour team up, it will be worth reading, and whilst i have yet to read anything by the other collaborators in refuge, i plan to seek out the works in the future.
Anyone who reads Jeremy Robinson's books knows that things go sideways and very bizarre. Weird things can happen. This book was just a little. No wait. A whole lot of weird. Written as a serial. The book came across as somewhat jumbled in my opinion and really seemed to have little depth compared to most of the others. It's a good book though. I mean Jeremy Robinson wrote the thing! But this book just wasn't my mojo. You should read it though you might like it more than me.
This was a great series! I felt like I was streaming a show on Netflix! Full of Science Fiction, Horror, stories of love and loss, and community coming together to face unspeakable acts of destruction and madness on their town. Not really a spoiler, but at the end of the the 5th story it does note "end of Season 1," so I would really love to see more stories come from these writers with Jeremy Robinson.
REFUGE by , well it has Jeremy Bishop's name as the aurthor, but it is a novel composed of the five following writers: Jeremy Robinson Daniel S. Boucher Robert Swartwood David McAfee Kane Gilmore All great writers who have come together to compose a thrilling book of science fiction. Each writer has continued the story of the town of Refuge, that is being transported between dementions of space. An excellent job of story telling between all involved.
Fantastic! Couldn't put it down! Loved all of the characters, the incredible storyline, and even the ending. A must read.....several times! I love Jeremy Robinson and he sure picked a great bunch of author's to work with!!
Fantastic! Couldn't put it down! Loved all of the characters, the incredible storyline, and even the ending. A must read.....several times! I love Jeremy Robinson and he sure picked a great bunch of author's to work with!!
A breakneck paced book that keeps you breathless until the end. It was cool imagining the different authors picking up the pieces of the previous story and moving on. It's not the deepest of stories, but a fun read nonetheless. I'll probably tune in to the next version.
What better thing can you say about a book than it was entertaining and I wished for more information on what was an already long book. The character development was the highlight of the story. By the end you really cared for all of them and what would happen to them.
This is a terrifying, exciting, action-packed adventure ride through the eyes of a small New England town! I listened to this via Audible and Jeffrey Kafer does a wonderful job in bringing Jeremy Bishop’s words (and, of course, those of his amazing co-authors) to life!!!
This book kept me hooked. I was some what skeptical with the knowledge that there would be other writers and styles, but it flowed great and I really enjoyed it! Looking forward to more books by Jeremy Robinson!
It was pretty good, I enjoyed being able to read all the novellas in one book instead of separately, and enjoyed the input from the different authors in collab with Robinson. It also reminded me of Stephen King's Under the Dome and The Stand novels - inspo, maybe?
Very decent story. Well written and thought out. Narrator was pretty good too but those excessive bongs of the church bell were annoying. Overall a good listen.