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The Supernatural Activities Division #1
Monster Cave
Call of Duty meets Call of Cthulhu.
A cave in Afghanistan. A squad of Marines. And an ancient evil that should have stayed buried.
2016, Helmand Sergeant Wyatt Hood’s routine mission to clear an insurgent cave system goes sideways when his Marines stumble into something far worse than the Taliban — a lost underground city, a monstrous Guardian of tentacles and hunger, and a cosmic artifact that could crack open reality itself.
But Wyatt’s biggest problem isn’t the monster. It’s the two State Department civilians he’s been ordered to babysit — especially Chloe Winters, a woman hiding abilities that shouldn’t be possible. Chloe is a mage, part of the Supernatural Activities Division, a covert government unit built to fight threats no soldier is trained for. On this mission, even she’s out of her league.
Trapped beneath a mountain with a mind-controlling entity hunting them and a trusted ally turned against them, Wyatt and Chloe must fight their way through Lovecraftian horrors to reach the surface. If they fail, an Outer God stirs — and humanity pays the price.
✓ Military squad vs. supernatural horror
✓ Secret government black-ops division
✓ Lovecraftian cosmic horror
✓ Lost ancient city and forbidden artifacts
✓ Marines in combat against the unknown
✓ Hidden world of mages and magic
✓ Betrayal from within
✓ Flawed hero’s redemption
✓ Intense tactical combat
Vibes: Gritty, fast-paced, action-packed, darkly atmospheric
Setting: Afghanistan — underground cave system and lost city ruins
Series: Supernatural Activities Division, Book 1 (complete story)
Perfect for fans of: Larry Correia, Jim Butcher, and Jonathan Maberry
Step into the Monster Cave. Not everyone makes it out.
A cave in Afghanistan. A squad of Marines. And an ancient evil that should have stayed buried.
2016, Helmand Sergeant Wyatt Hood’s routine mission to clear an insurgent cave system goes sideways when his Marines stumble into something far worse than the Taliban — a lost underground city, a monstrous Guardian of tentacles and hunger, and a cosmic artifact that could crack open reality itself.
But Wyatt’s biggest problem isn’t the monster. It’s the two State Department civilians he’s been ordered to babysit — especially Chloe Winters, a woman hiding abilities that shouldn’t be possible. Chloe is a mage, part of the Supernatural Activities Division, a covert government unit built to fight threats no soldier is trained for. On this mission, even she’s out of her league.
Trapped beneath a mountain with a mind-controlling entity hunting them and a trusted ally turned against them, Wyatt and Chloe must fight their way through Lovecraftian horrors to reach the surface. If they fail, an Outer God stirs — and humanity pays the price.
✓ Military squad vs. supernatural horror
✓ Secret government black-ops division
✓ Lovecraftian cosmic horror
✓ Lost ancient city and forbidden artifacts
✓ Marines in combat against the unknown
✓ Hidden world of mages and magic
✓ Betrayal from within
✓ Flawed hero’s redemption
✓ Intense tactical combat
Vibes: Gritty, fast-paced, action-packed, darkly atmospheric
Setting: Afghanistan — underground cave system and lost city ruins
Series: Supernatural Activities Division, Book 1 (complete story)
Perfect for fans of: Larry Correia, Jim Butcher, and Jonathan Maberry
Step into the Monster Cave. Not everyone makes it out.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2024
About the author
William Stacey
142 books92 followersA former soldier, William Stacey served his country for more than thirty years, including multiple combat tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan. William loves exercise and all things martial and is a black belt in karate.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 19, 2024
A new series from the action fantasy thriller master, Willaim Stacey.
In the first book in The Supernatural Activities Division, we meet Marine sergeant, Wyatt Hood. He and his team are tasked with taking a civilian pair deep into a cave system in Afghanistan; one recently fought over by the Taliban. Something within the mountain has killed a number of soldiers, both from the allies and the rebels. But what waits for them is anything but natural.
As always, Stacey brings an action-packed tale story that never lets up until the last pages. I’ve been a huge fan of his books for years now.
In the first book in The Supernatural Activities Division, we meet Marine sergeant, Wyatt Hood. He and his team are tasked with taking a civilian pair deep into a cave system in Afghanistan; one recently fought over by the Taliban. Something within the mountain has killed a number of soldiers, both from the allies and the rebels. But what waits for them is anything but natural.
As always, Stacey brings an action-packed tale story that never lets up until the last pages. I’ve been a huge fan of his books for years now.
January 18, 2025
OMG this new series is off to a great start. Supernatural beings, magic, mages, special ops, this grabs you from the start and does not let up. Fantastic world building, action, suspense, mystery and intrigue as you find yourself hooked and on the edge of your seat and the author blends horror with modern day warfare. Fantastic characters, gripping, enthralling and dark storyline, it’s one hell of an adventure that has me running to read book two.
December 31, 2024
What an excellent start to a new series that I know is going to be out of this world. This is another, keeping you on the edge of your seat and turning pages as fast as you can to find out what is happening next. I can’t wait to find out what is going to happen in the coming stories.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
January 8, 2025
What a great combination, William Stacey writing a series with SpecOps, Mages and magic, and supernatural creatures. Plenty of action and intrigue to keep you glued to this book and I did not want to put it down until I finished. And I didn't want it to finish, so I am currently reading book 2.
A Prequel is available from the author that is also excellent and well worth reading.
A Prequel is available from the author that is also excellent and well worth reading.
May 9, 2026
mundane and magic collide
Set in modern day Afghanistan, the story follows a group of Marines sent on a mission with two alleged State Department officials in tow. It soon becomes obvious that the government officials haven’t told the group the full truth about the mission, and eventually magic and the normal world collide.
Set in modern day Afghanistan, the story follows a group of Marines sent on a mission with two alleged State Department officials in tow. It soon becomes obvious that the government officials haven’t told the group the full truth about the mission, and eventually magic and the normal world collide.
April 1, 2025
Rotten brain goodness
For a cadian author he got the American equivalent done nicely in Lovecraften-style of a military combating mind filled horrors with modern weapons. Hope the nice book his deeper into the lore behind the origin of the Magic Division in the US military
For a cadian author he got the American equivalent done nicely in Lovecraften-style of a military combating mind filled horrors with modern weapons. Hope the nice book his deeper into the lore behind the origin of the Magic Division in the US military
July 23, 2025
Good read
Enjoyed this book immensely. Good, story, interesting characters, some to root for, some to hate/ dislike. There was a nice mix. Made me want to see what happens next and see if there were any other stories in this world.
Enjoyed this book immensely. Good, story, interesting characters, some to root for, some to hate/ dislike. There was a nice mix. Made me want to see what happens next and see if there were any other stories in this world.
February 5, 2026
Very enjoyable!
The plot was tight and the individual characters were well fleshed out and interesting. The organizations that governed the various factions in the book were well thought out and portrayed well.
The plot was tight and the individual characters were well fleshed out and interesting. The organizations that governed the various factions in the book were well thought out and portrayed well.
April 20, 2026
Like it
There are eight books in this series. I just gotten done with the first one in the series. I don't know if people will want to read this serie.
There are eight books in this series. I just gotten done with the first one in the series. I don't know if people will want to read this serie.
December 14, 2024
Wyatt Hood is a Marine Sergent and a member of the protection detail for the commander of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. When they receive orders from the base commander himself to accompany and protect a couple of State Department employees to a cave known by the locals as Tora Bela. They are searching for a possibly ancient artifact. Wyatt and his fellow marines are thrilled to get away from their boring routine on base, and maybe even see a little action. While they may have arrived at the location of the cave safely, it is not long before Wyatt and the rest of the soldiers realize that Chloe Winters and her companion Victor are not simply State Department employees, and the world as they know it will be turned on its head. Worse, it quickly becomes obvious that they may not all survive the mission.
I think this is a fantastic book. Readers familiar with this author will know that whether the timeline is in the future, or as in this case, the not-so-distant past, his world is based on our world. A little warning, if you do not like blood, guts, and gore walk away because quite frankly there is a lot of it in this book. The timeline of this book is 2016 and it takes place in Afghanistan, a place where war is the norm it seems. This book has a ton of violence and military based, very bloody action. There is magic, a supernatural entity that will blow your mind, and enough twists and turns in the plot to leave a reader reeling, as well as a unique cast of characters. Whether you love them or hate them, all of the characters are absolutely fascinating, and I thought their personalities and reactions to be quite realistic.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I think this is a fantastic book. Readers familiar with this author will know that whether the timeline is in the future, or as in this case, the not-so-distant past, his world is based on our world. A little warning, if you do not like blood, guts, and gore walk away because quite frankly there is a lot of it in this book. The timeline of this book is 2016 and it takes place in Afghanistan, a place where war is the norm it seems. This book has a ton of violence and military based, very bloody action. There is magic, a supernatural entity that will blow your mind, and enough twists and turns in the plot to leave a reader reeling, as well as a unique cast of characters. Whether you love them or hate them, all of the characters are absolutely fascinating, and I thought their personalities and reactions to be quite realistic.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
October 5, 2025
Books 1 to 6:
I really liked these books. So much that I more or less binge-read the first books in the series.
Of course I might be a bit biased because it is the type of story that really appeals to me. Some guy about to become the main protagonist, in this case a marine which makes it even better, learns that there are indeed things that go bump in the night.
However, the story is also well written. Sure it is easy to read urban fantasy but it is good, easy to read, urban fantasy.
The main characters are generally likable, especially Wyatt’s, at first unwilling, kick-ass partner who eventually also provides the obligatory romantic element of the story, The latter part is luckily fairly well done and is not allowed to take over the main story.
The various supernatural entities and the books version of the lore behind them is quite satisfactory done, even if it drags in aliens.
As the story develops so does Wyatt of course and, no surprise there, he learns that he has more to do with the supernatural world than he ever suspected.
The one part of the books that became a bit frustrating was this compulsion of Wyatt to protect women at all costs, even if they were on the bad-guy side, to the extent that it became crippling and just silly.
Otherwise I really liked this series… so far.
I really liked these books. So much that I more or less binge-read the first books in the series.
Of course I might be a bit biased because it is the type of story that really appeals to me. Some guy about to become the main protagonist, in this case a marine which makes it even better, learns that there are indeed things that go bump in the night.
However, the story is also well written. Sure it is easy to read urban fantasy but it is good, easy to read, urban fantasy.
The main characters are generally likable, especially Wyatt’s, at first unwilling, kick-ass partner who eventually also provides the obligatory romantic element of the story, The latter part is luckily fairly well done and is not allowed to take over the main story.
The various supernatural entities and the books version of the lore behind them is quite satisfactory done, even if it drags in aliens.
As the story develops so does Wyatt of course and, no surprise there, he learns that he has more to do with the supernatural world than he ever suspected.
The one part of the books that became a bit frustrating was this compulsion of Wyatt to protect women at all costs, even if they were on the bad-guy side, to the extent that it became crippling and just silly.
Otherwise I really liked this series… so far.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews