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Nameless Things
For fans of Stephen King and Nick Cutter, a gripping horror thriller set in Colorado's Devil’s Cup State Park where survival becomes a deadly game against subterranean terrors.
In the aftermath of a painful breakup, Mike and his friend Wade seek solace in the remote beauty of Devil's Cup State Park, Colorado. Their quest for peace is abruptly ended when a meteor strike causes a rock to fall, trapping them and a diverse group of campers within the ancient volcanic caldera. As they grapple with their new reality, a far more sinister challenge emerges from the depths of the earth.
The sanctuary they sought becomes a hunting ground as the group discovers the ground infested with lethal, flesh-piercing worms. The situation turns dire when they realize these predators are merely the heralds of something far more the NAMELESS THINGS. With no way to call for help, survival hinges on their ability to outsmart the unseen terror lurking beneath their feet.
As alliances form and fray under the weight of fear, Mike is propelled into a desperate bid for freedom. Facing treacherous terrain, dwindling supplies, and the psychological toll of their predicament, the campers must confront the true nature of the horror they face. In a thrilling fight for survival, Mike's journey to escape and reveal the nightmare within Devil's Cup becomes a testament to the human spirit's resilience against the unknown.
In the aftermath of a painful breakup, Mike and his friend Wade seek solace in the remote beauty of Devil's Cup State Park, Colorado. Their quest for peace is abruptly ended when a meteor strike causes a rock to fall, trapping them and a diverse group of campers within the ancient volcanic caldera. As they grapple with their new reality, a far more sinister challenge emerges from the depths of the earth.
The sanctuary they sought becomes a hunting ground as the group discovers the ground infested with lethal, flesh-piercing worms. The situation turns dire when they realize these predators are merely the heralds of something far more the NAMELESS THINGS. With no way to call for help, survival hinges on their ability to outsmart the unseen terror lurking beneath their feet.
As alliances form and fray under the weight of fear, Mike is propelled into a desperate bid for freedom. Facing treacherous terrain, dwindling supplies, and the psychological toll of their predicament, the campers must confront the true nature of the horror they face. In a thrilling fight for survival, Mike's journey to escape and reveal the nightmare within Devil's Cup becomes a testament to the human spirit's resilience against the unknown.
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First published March 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
November 12, 2024
This is a novel which combines cosmic horror, body horror, and a struggle for survival against all odds.
Mike and Wade are on a camping trip in a basin type area when a meteorite crashes nearby. Along with a family of three, and another couple, they ponder where it landed.
But then people start dying horrifically and there are worm like things in the ground which are very hungry. That's not even the worst of it! As they realize the danger they're in and no way to escape, they must fight to survive an unstoppable presence with nothing but bloodshed on its mind.
They will meet other characters but as their dire situation becomes increasingly more brutal, friendships are tested, bonds are broken, and the body count keeps rising.
This is a book that puts the creep in creepy. The body horror is dreadful and you never know what's going to happen next. Plus there's a dark vein of humor running throughout. Part creature feature, part cosmic horror, but altogether terrifying, I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Mike and Wade are on a camping trip in a basin type area when a meteorite crashes nearby. Along with a family of three, and another couple, they ponder where it landed.
But then people start dying horrifically and there are worm like things in the ground which are very hungry. That's not even the worst of it! As they realize the danger they're in and no way to escape, they must fight to survive an unstoppable presence with nothing but bloodshed on its mind.
They will meet other characters but as their dire situation becomes increasingly more brutal, friendships are tested, bonds are broken, and the body count keeps rising.
This is a book that puts the creep in creepy. The body horror is dreadful and you never know what's going to happen next. Plus there's a dark vein of humor running throughout. Part creature feature, part cosmic horror, but altogether terrifying, I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
February 27, 2025
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Ernest Jensen, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Eager to find new authors that I can enjoy, I turned to this chilling story by Ernest Jensen. A group of campers are enjoying some time in nature, when things take a turn after a meteorite siting. One camper seems to be infested by something and soon dies, but the entity that emerges is anything but expected, or welcomed. Soon, additional events tied to this discovery cause more havoc and the bodies pile up. What is this being and how is it being controlled? What began as a camping trip has morphed into something chilling and horrifying! Jensen pens a great debut novel that has me checking myself every moment as I read.
Needing a distraction, Mike and his best friend, Wade, make their way to a small state park in Colorado. It’s quiet, beautiful, and full of nature. However, things soon a take a turn after a meteorite flashes across the sky. When other campers arrive to announce that falling debris has trapped them inside Devil’s Cup Park, a slight concern bubbles amongst them. The larger group will make things all the more adventurous.
If that were the only issue, no one should be complaining. However, from a family of three, the mother soon returns shrieking that something penetrated her skin and is now inside her. Everyone thinks this is some drug-induced hallucination, but when some worm emerges from her and she turns up dead, others begin to take notice. It would seem more of these worm-like beings flee her bod, there is no rationale for this. Mike and Wade panic, as do the others who seek to solve this problem in short order.
Trying to keep their cool and find an answer, Mike tries leading the group towards safety. Someone ought to have sent the memo to these worms, as they keep appearing and target more campers. More bodies emerge and no one can explain it, but the need to flee the death becomes a top priority. The worms seem to multiply, leaving everyone wondering from where they might be coming. Mike must sacrifice everything in order to save himself, and others, from these nameless things! Jensen comes on the scene with a great debut novel!
I do enjoy thriller and horror novels, particularly when I feel my blood pumping. Ernest Jensen does well with this debut novel, sprinkling darkness within this great story of determination. The narrative delivers a powerful foundation while keeping the reader on edge as they cannot predict what awaits them. There are some hokey moments, but these are diluted with the knowledge of this being a debut novel. The momentum increases as the mystery grows and confusion sets in, which is a positive for Jensen. Characters deliver their flavouring to the larger story and keep the reader to connect with those they impress. Plot twists help shape things and provides that horror-creating sentiment, leaving the reader to grip for anything as they wonder what is about to happen and who might survive the terror that emerges from the lurking shadows. For a debut horror novel, Jensen does well. I am interested to see what else he might have in store for readers in his next book, whenever that might be.
Kudos, Mr. Jensen, for a great first attempt at writing in the genre!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Eager to find new authors that I can enjoy, I turned to this chilling story by Ernest Jensen. A group of campers are enjoying some time in nature, when things take a turn after a meteorite siting. One camper seems to be infested by something and soon dies, but the entity that emerges is anything but expected, or welcomed. Soon, additional events tied to this discovery cause more havoc and the bodies pile up. What is this being and how is it being controlled? What began as a camping trip has morphed into something chilling and horrifying! Jensen pens a great debut novel that has me checking myself every moment as I read.
Needing a distraction, Mike and his best friend, Wade, make their way to a small state park in Colorado. It’s quiet, beautiful, and full of nature. However, things soon a take a turn after a meteorite flashes across the sky. When other campers arrive to announce that falling debris has trapped them inside Devil’s Cup Park, a slight concern bubbles amongst them. The larger group will make things all the more adventurous.
If that were the only issue, no one should be complaining. However, from a family of three, the mother soon returns shrieking that something penetrated her skin and is now inside her. Everyone thinks this is some drug-induced hallucination, but when some worm emerges from her and she turns up dead, others begin to take notice. It would seem more of these worm-like beings flee her bod, there is no rationale for this. Mike and Wade panic, as do the others who seek to solve this problem in short order.
Trying to keep their cool and find an answer, Mike tries leading the group towards safety. Someone ought to have sent the memo to these worms, as they keep appearing and target more campers. More bodies emerge and no one can explain it, but the need to flee the death becomes a top priority. The worms seem to multiply, leaving everyone wondering from where they might be coming. Mike must sacrifice everything in order to save himself, and others, from these nameless things! Jensen comes on the scene with a great debut novel!
I do enjoy thriller and horror novels, particularly when I feel my blood pumping. Ernest Jensen does well with this debut novel, sprinkling darkness within this great story of determination. The narrative delivers a powerful foundation while keeping the reader on edge as they cannot predict what awaits them. There are some hokey moments, but these are diluted with the knowledge of this being a debut novel. The momentum increases as the mystery grows and confusion sets in, which is a positive for Jensen. Characters deliver their flavouring to the larger story and keep the reader to connect with those they impress. Plot twists help shape things and provides that horror-creating sentiment, leaving the reader to grip for anything as they wonder what is about to happen and who might survive the terror that emerges from the lurking shadows. For a debut horror novel, Jensen does well. I am interested to see what else he might have in store for readers in his next book, whenever that might be.
Kudos, Mr. Jensen, for a great first attempt at writing in the genre!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 28, 2025
This... is not for the faint of heart—and I mean that in the best possible way. From page one, this book grabs you with its terrifying setup: a group of campers trapped in a remote volcanic caldera after a meteor strike. It’s the kind of survival horror that starts at a ten and doesn’t let go. Just when you think it can’t get worse—oh, it does. The flesh-piercing worms alone were enough to make my skin crawl, but when the real terror is revealed, it’s clear this book isn’t playing around.
What really worked for me is how it leaned hard into action and tension. As a plot-based reader, I love when a story keeps me on edge, and this one had my stomach in knots. It was brutal and fast-paced, but still gave enough depth to make you care about the characters (and yes—don’t worry, the dog makes it!).
It reminded me a little of Nick Cutter’s style—raw and visceral—but a bit less graphic in terms of gore, which made it more accessible for those who love horror but don’t want to be completely grossed out. There’s still plenty of disturbing imagery, though, so don’t go in expecting a gentle ride.
And that ending? Straight out of a Twilight Zone fever dream. I didn’t see it coming, but it felt exactly right—bleak, eerie, and unforgettable. If you're into survival horror with sci-fi elements, monstrous creatures, and a side of psychological dread, this needs to be on your TBR.
What really worked for me is how it leaned hard into action and tension. As a plot-based reader, I love when a story keeps me on edge, and this one had my stomach in knots. It was brutal and fast-paced, but still gave enough depth to make you care about the characters (and yes—don’t worry, the dog makes it!).
It reminded me a little of Nick Cutter’s style—raw and visceral—but a bit less graphic in terms of gore, which made it more accessible for those who love horror but don’t want to be completely grossed out. There’s still plenty of disturbing imagery, though, so don’t go in expecting a gentle ride.
And that ending? Straight out of a Twilight Zone fever dream. I didn’t see it coming, but it felt exactly right—bleak, eerie, and unforgettable. If you're into survival horror with sci-fi elements, monstrous creatures, and a side of psychological dread, this needs to be on your TBR.
April 26, 2025
This just became a lot of the same thing over and over again. I was really disappointed. I found that I just wanted it to be over.
.
.
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I read this audiobook every day during long, rainy trail walks, and the ambiance was spot on.
12% body/insect horror
31% this is so disgusting!!! I'm enjoying it so far, it's quick and engaging.
47% Starting to get a little bit exasperated with this. I'm feeling like it's droning on and like the threat isn't even that scary anymore.
100% I got really bored
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.
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I read this audiobook every day during long, rainy trail walks, and the ambiance was spot on.
12% body/insect horror
31% this is so disgusting!!! I'm enjoying it so far, it's quick and engaging.
47% Starting to get a little bit exasperated with this. I'm feeling like it's droning on and like the threat isn't even that scary anymore.
100% I got really bored
April 12, 2025
Nameless Things is an apocalypse eco horror tale with a healthy splash of body horror billed for fans of Stephen King and Nick Cutter. This is not that book.
The characters didn’t not feel fully fleshed out and certain aspects of the characters felt added just to check a box. For example once the group meets the British students one of the students starts predicting each person’s survival chances based on their role in the horror genre. The narrator makes a shocking reveal that changes his predicts in a bout of anger. The addition to the backstory of the main voice is random, not relevant to the story and not expanded upon to make it a core background element. It was just to check a box.
The dialogue felt forced at times and many times the story felt like it repeated itself. Several of the incidents seemed to be added for shock value but never really expanded upon to allow the reader to soak in what exactly happened.
Overall, this is the exact opposite of a Stephen King novel in my opinion. The characters didn’t feel like real people besides their assigned role in the group and the setting felt like any genetic American forest. As for Nick Cutter, I think the publisher was trying to entice fans of The Troop which has a similar story but is more compacted and better. Not just wandering around a forest trying to find there way out.
The characters didn’t not feel fully fleshed out and certain aspects of the characters felt added just to check a box. For example once the group meets the British students one of the students starts predicting each person’s survival chances based on their role in the horror genre. The narrator makes a shocking reveal that changes his predicts in a bout of anger. The addition to the backstory of the main voice is random, not relevant to the story and not expanded upon to make it a core background element. It was just to check a box.
The dialogue felt forced at times and many times the story felt like it repeated itself. Several of the incidents seemed to be added for shock value but never really expanded upon to allow the reader to soak in what exactly happened.
Overall, this is the exact opposite of a Stephen King novel in my opinion. The characters didn’t feel like real people besides their assigned role in the group and the setting felt like any genetic American forest. As for Nick Cutter, I think the publisher was trying to entice fans of The Troop which has a similar story but is more compacted and better. Not just wandering around a forest trying to find there way out.
March 15, 2025
A camping trip interrupted by a meteorite hit and then takes a horrible, dark turn.
This one starts a bit jarring. It just dumps you right into this camping trip as a group makes their way to the rising smoke and wondering what's happened. But, from there, it turns into a nightmare. The body burrowing worms are the first signs things have gone bad. I did this as an audio and WOW, it was hard to listen at the start.
But the narrator is a bit dry - so that helped with the story as it just turns and turns and gets worse. You'd think worms would be bad but it's not the worst thing out there. I did like the fast pace but also appreciated the down times between the horrors. I did find it. . .horror filled but entertaining. There were quite a few surprising parts and turns in the story I didn't anticipate and kept me wondering what else could possibly happen to this group. And I loved the ending.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
This one starts a bit jarring. It just dumps you right into this camping trip as a group makes their way to the rising smoke and wondering what's happened. But, from there, it turns into a nightmare. The body burrowing worms are the first signs things have gone bad. I did this as an audio and WOW, it was hard to listen at the start.
But the narrator is a bit dry - so that helped with the story as it just turns and turns and gets worse. You'd think worms would be bad but it's not the worst thing out there. I did like the fast pace but also appreciated the down times between the horrors. I did find it. . .horror filled but entertaining. There were quite a few surprising parts and turns in the story I didn't anticipate and kept me wondering what else could possibly happen to this group. And I loved the ending.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Read
March 15, 2025I am just not feeling this one. I can’t get into the characters or the way the story is told. It’s not capturing my attention after multiple tries, so it’s a DNF.
I do want to thank NetGalley and Rising Action for the eARC. All opinions are mine.
I do want to thank NetGalley and Rising Action for the eARC. All opinions are mine.
dnf
February 20, 2025 DNF 4%
I can’t with the narrator, doesn’t fit the vibe of the book or the character.
I can’t with the narrator, doesn’t fit the vibe of the book or the character.
November 13, 2024
As a hiker I was a little triggered but this was an easy fast paced read. However I felt a little let down with the nameless things it seemed like they were an after thought and we didn't get much description on the deaths they seemed too fast. I think it's a good read but unfortunately not a reread.
March 10, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 star Apocalyptic package. 💀💀💀💀💀
I'm not sure what to say. 😶
This was difficult to get into due to my fear of the creepy crawly critters. 😖
Anything that could go wrong, did.... 😟
No happy endings here. 😭
I could see this being in movie theaters. 🍿
I'm not sure what to say. 😶
This was difficult to get into due to my fear of the creepy crawly critters. 😖
Anything that could go wrong, did.... 😟
No happy endings here. 😭
I could see this being in movie theaters. 🍿
February 20, 2025
I really wanted to love this story, but it ended up feeling like a weaker, less refined version of The Troop by Nick Cutter. The premise had potential, but the execution fell flat—mainly due to the writing, which felt immature and often undercut the horror elements rather than enhancing them. The scares lacked the tension and atmosphere needed to be truly effective, making the story feel more juvenile than unsettling. While it didn’t work for me, I hope others connect with it more than I did!
February 27, 2025
This book is like if that AMAZING movie Tremors and Nick Cutter's, The Troop, had a baby. I devoured this. This book is all things weird and disgusting and I cruised through this in one sitting. I love how we hit the ground running and didn't stop until the end. And that ending??? Immaculate. Anything that ends on an ambiguous note makes my little heart sing with joy.
The characters were all kind of thrown into this melting pot of horrors and it truly was survival of the fittest or smartest? Regardless, the survivors ENDURED SOME SHIT. The way those who didn't make it died in unique and disturbing ways.
I loved the setting for this read so much. I truly think stories set in the middle of nowhere woods are top tier because the possibilities of horrors are endless. And as someone who loves to go hiking and hopes to conjure some weird horrors, this book added more fun possibilities to my arsenal.
Thank you Netgalley for my ALC/ARC!
The characters were all kind of thrown into this melting pot of horrors and it truly was survival of the fittest or smartest? Regardless, the survivors ENDURED SOME SHIT. The way those who didn't make it died in unique and disturbing ways.
I loved the setting for this read so much. I truly think stories set in the middle of nowhere woods are top tier because the possibilities of horrors are endless. And as someone who loves to go hiking and hopes to conjure some weird horrors, this book added more fun possibilities to my arsenal.
Thank you Netgalley for my ALC/ARC!
January 10, 2025
Post-breakup, Mike gets invited to go camping with his friend Wade when a meteor strikes, leaving them and several other campers stranded. They soon discover that with this meteor came these strange worms and they like to bite. As the horror unfolds, it becomes a race to get out of the state park in one piece and find help.
This book wasn’t perfect but the vibes for me were immaculate. Oddly enough, I had a fun time reading this and absolutely devoured this book. I can tell that this had some inspiration from the movie “Tremors” but I didn’t mind that. This book was gory and action-packed with a lot of death.
The character development could’ve been improved but I think it was hard to achieve because There were several moments that felt lacking and flat due to this. Even though the character development was lacking and this book felt like a bit like free-for-all, I loved the humor. I always find myself enjoying horror books more when they contain an element of dark humor and this delivered on that for me. It was also nice to see a mixture of characters from other countries and to get some of their slang and humor in the story as well. Imperfections included, this book still has probably been my most enjoyable read of this year so far.
For those of you that may be concerned, there is a dog in this book and the dog I don’t want to spoil too much, but you will understand what I mean by that when you reach the end. There is also a child in this story and
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for sending me an arc!
TW: body horror, death, gore, gun violence, animal death, blood, excrement, grief, murder, injury detail
This book wasn’t perfect but the vibes for me were immaculate. Oddly enough, I had a fun time reading this and absolutely devoured this book. I can tell that this had some inspiration from the movie “Tremors” but I didn’t mind that. This book was gory and action-packed with a lot of death.
The character development could’ve been improved but I think it was hard to achieve because There were several moments that felt lacking and flat due to this. Even though the character development was lacking and this book felt like a bit like free-for-all, I loved the humor. I always find myself enjoying horror books more when they contain an element of dark humor and this delivered on that for me. It was also nice to see a mixture of characters from other countries and to get some of their slang and humor in the story as well. Imperfections included, this book still has probably been my most enjoyable read of this year so far.
For those of you that may be concerned, there is a dog in this book and the dog I don’t want to spoil too much, but you will understand what I mean by that when you reach the end. There is also a child in this story and
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for sending me an arc!
TW: body horror, death, gore, gun violence, animal death, blood, excrement, grief, murder, injury detail
June 28, 2025
This is a debut horror novel by Louise Jensen Duffy, writing as Ernest Jensen. The Author is Australian, and living in Scotland - so I want to note that you will run into a lot of non-American slang words in this novel. I have friends from both countries, so it didn't bother me because I was familiar with the words. I've spoken with people that get really confused when dealing with slang words, so I wanted to make sure readers are aware before they begin their reading journey.
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The first couple of chapters of this book really reminded me of 'Headless' by Scott Cole, which is kind of a sci-fi/extreme horror with worms involved. There's also a bit of 'Tremors' the movie injected into this novel, with a dash of zombie animals and people. While all this sounds fantastic in theory, and I do think I can see what the author was envisioning - this novel was just so dis-jointed and hard for me to read.
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The writing felt very generic, and there was little to no character development - which I think is needed in a story like this because it has a post apocalyptic feel and it's about survival. There was no clear leader, and there was a random 'bad guy' thrown into the end of the book that just really didn't make sense. He just shows up a couple of times, does bad things - then off he goes on his way again.
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A lot of the dialogue is very melodramatic, which just takes away the horror element for me. There also isn't a lot of descriptors used for the creatures, so as much as I'm the type of reader that doesn't need a lot of detail - in this case I felt like the author never really gave a clear idea of what these things actually look like. There's a general idea, but it's just very generic.
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I think this novel could greatly benefit from an editor, and although it missed the mark for me - I think this is a novel that a novice horror reader could digest pretty easily.
February 23, 2025
I truly wished I could justify a higher rating than this, but I can’t. I’m going to be as kind as I can without sacrificing honesty, and say that there’s probably an audience that will enjoy this book. Throughout, it felt very much like a B-movie-inspired creepypasta you’d read on Reddit, or hear narrated on Youtube in the case of the audiobook. If that had been what this was, I’d happily given it a like. As a novel though, (let alone one that’s being monetized), I can’t call it anything else than bad.
We follow our protagonist Mike on camping trip in Devil's Cup State Park, Colorado. When a meteor strikes and releases an infestation of predatory worm-like creatures in the lands around them, it kicks off a series of horrifying events. Mike must team up with several other campers in the area in order to survive this (possibly alien?) terror, and prevent it spread beyond the borders of the Park.
The story takes inspiration from classics like Tremors, The Troop and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but fumbles its execution in just about every way imaginable. In terms of quality of writing and storytelling, this feels like an unedited draft. Despite the overly simple single-plotline, the author still manages to leave in plotholes and unresolved threads. It’s tone feels very clumsy, as I was often unsure if the author was trying to make the protagonist seem cool or actually attempting at snarky humor… They also seriously undercut the moments that were supposed to be creepy. A phrase like “we all looked like we were run over by the exhaustion-express”, or a full paragraph where the protagonist refers to his iced coffee as “caffeination heaven” quickly breaks the little tension that it managed to establish.
Speaking of narrative tone and dialogue; the author drops the ball on almost all of the side-characters voices too. I didn’t know the authors nationality, but simply from the incredibly forced “American- and British slang” I could tell she was native to neither. Turns out, I was correct: she’s Australian living in Scotland. This clunkiness could’ve solved by an American editor reading over this manuscript just once. What couldn’t have been solved was the “Fellow-kids-level” of writing the kids and teens in this story. I’m not sure if that’s fixable at this point…
To add insult to injury, all the aforementioned problems are exaggerated by the audio-narrator. The whiny voice he uses for the kids-characters as well as the single female character (who dies very early on) are extremely off-putting, as are the attempts a stereotypical British accent.
Overall: extremely disappointing and a novel I cannot recommend in its current form. Although it might be fun enough to enjoyed for free as a creepypasta-like story for a quick horror-fix, I cannot justify paying any amount of money for this.
Many thanks regardless to Dreamscape Media and the author for providing me with an audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
We follow our protagonist Mike on camping trip in Devil's Cup State Park, Colorado. When a meteor strikes and releases an infestation of predatory worm-like creatures in the lands around them, it kicks off a series of horrifying events. Mike must team up with several other campers in the area in order to survive this (possibly alien?) terror, and prevent it spread beyond the borders of the Park.
The story takes inspiration from classics like Tremors, The Troop and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but fumbles its execution in just about every way imaginable. In terms of quality of writing and storytelling, this feels like an unedited draft. Despite the overly simple single-plotline, the author still manages to leave in plotholes and unresolved threads. It’s tone feels very clumsy, as I was often unsure if the author was trying to make the protagonist seem cool or actually attempting at snarky humor… They also seriously undercut the moments that were supposed to be creepy. A phrase like “we all looked like we were run over by the exhaustion-express”, or a full paragraph where the protagonist refers to his iced coffee as “caffeination heaven” quickly breaks the little tension that it managed to establish.
Speaking of narrative tone and dialogue; the author drops the ball on almost all of the side-characters voices too. I didn’t know the authors nationality, but simply from the incredibly forced “American- and British slang” I could tell she was native to neither. Turns out, I was correct: she’s Australian living in Scotland. This clunkiness could’ve solved by an American editor reading over this manuscript just once. What couldn’t have been solved was the “Fellow-kids-level” of writing the kids and teens in this story. I’m not sure if that’s fixable at this point…
To add insult to injury, all the aforementioned problems are exaggerated by the audio-narrator. The whiny voice he uses for the kids-characters as well as the single female character (who dies very early on) are extremely off-putting, as are the attempts a stereotypical British accent.
Overall: extremely disappointing and a novel I cannot recommend in its current form. Although it might be fun enough to enjoyed for free as a creepypasta-like story for a quick horror-fix, I cannot justify paying any amount of money for this.
Many thanks regardless to Dreamscape Media and the author for providing me with an audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 3, 2025
I was really excited it about this, but unfortunately, i just wasn't vibing with it and had to dnf it at 50%. I really didn't like the main character. He whined a lot and really didn't show any potential of growth while all this happened around him. He was mad at his friend for not a good reason, in my opinion. He looked down on others around him and complained pretty much the whole time. I feel like this book was trying to do something similar to the Troop, but it took a different approach, and it came out kind of clunky. I think the main character needed to grow up a bit. There's also a scene where he straight up ignores something Claire says, but when his male friend says it, he's like "ohmygodyoursoright" and Claire is just standing there like "wtf". That's part was like funny, in a ridiculous way. I felt like the fact that i didn't enjoy/ couldn't connect to the characters made deaths less impactful for me. I have seen a lot of people review this book with high regard, so maybe it's just a me issue but, wasn't into it and now I've started The Staircase in the Woods and I'm having a better time with that.
February 1, 2025
“My feet squelched inside my boots, rain pelted endlessly, and I was miserable. Even more miserable than when we’d started, or perhaps miserable in a different way. “
Two friends hiking in a caldera natural park get more than they bargained for when a meteorite crashes down, cutting off their exit. As they try to find a different way out, they encounter more trapped hikers, and disgusting, monstrous organisms in the soil. So begins a race for survival, against time, as the creatures start to evolve into something even worse.
This was like “Tremors” combined with “Cast Away”; a survival thriller filled with body horror, human horror, and horrifying organisms. I was so tense at some moments, I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until the scene was over and I would exhale so loudly I’d startle myself. I couldn’t put this story down, and stayed up way too late to read it cover to cover. I felt shakey (I’m terrified of heights) thinking about some of the climbing they attempted and realized I would not actually not be able to do half the stuff the characters tried because of my own fears. So at least I’m at peace knowing I’d just die early on in this story if it was a real event and I was actually there lol.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Rising Action Publishing for a copy!
Two friends hiking in a caldera natural park get more than they bargained for when a meteorite crashes down, cutting off their exit. As they try to find a different way out, they encounter more trapped hikers, and disgusting, monstrous organisms in the soil. So begins a race for survival, against time, as the creatures start to evolve into something even worse.
This was like “Tremors” combined with “Cast Away”; a survival thriller filled with body horror, human horror, and horrifying organisms. I was so tense at some moments, I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until the scene was over and I would exhale so loudly I’d startle myself. I couldn’t put this story down, and stayed up way too late to read it cover to cover. I felt shakey (I’m terrified of heights) thinking about some of the climbing they attempted and realized I would not actually not be able to do half the stuff the characters tried because of my own fears. So at least I’m at peace knowing I’d just die early on in this story if it was a real event and I was actually there lol.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Rising Action Publishing for a copy!
February 2, 2025
Being this was Louise ( Ernest) Jensen’s first horror novel she absolutely knocked it out of the park. I laughed, cried, gasped, and there at the ending held my breath. I was so invested into what happened next.
The ending got me! My mouth dropped my heart fell out of my butt. I didn’t see that coming one bit.
To the bad part. I only had one thing I didn’t really care for. The kid. He disappeared and when the event unfolded after they looked for him there was no mention of him. They didn’t even discuss if they should keep looking for him. It was like he was never there.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of nameless Things by Ernest Jensen.
4 ⭐️
The ending got me! My mouth dropped my heart fell out of my butt. I didn’t see that coming one bit.
To the bad part. I only had one thing I didn’t really care for. The kid. He disappeared and when the event unfolded after they looked for him there was no mention of him. They didn’t even discuss if they should keep looking for him. It was like he was never there.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of nameless Things by Ernest Jensen.
4 ⭐️
March 9, 2025
Nameless Things
Ernest Jensen
Felt like a fun horror movie from the 80's.
It's serving Tremors, a la Nick Cutter.
3.25 / 5
Ernest Jensen
Felt like a fun horror movie from the 80's.
It's serving Tremors, a la Nick Cutter.
3.25 / 5
February 21, 2025
I hate to say it, but this was just not good. The premise was intriguing, but I really struggled with the stilted dialogue and very repetitive nature of the book. The writing felt very juvenile. There were a lot of events that were included for shock value, but not much else. The dog diarrhea near the end of the book was just nonsense. The only redeeming part of the story was the unexpected ending!
Sadly, the narration did not add anything to the story. If anything, I think the narration made it even cringier! This is not an audiobook I can recommend. There was some promise, but it really missed the mark for me.
Sadly, the narration did not add anything to the story. If anything, I think the narration made it even cringier! This is not an audiobook I can recommend. There was some promise, but it really missed the mark for me.
November 30, 2024
I was not shocked to learn that this author was Australian, or that she lives in the UK, based on the language used in this book, which claims to be written from the perspective of a queer American man. So much of the book is written in British English that when she finally got around to the scene where the British and Australian characters were comparing slang and swear words, and our "American" narrator was left befuddled, it was humorous for all the wrong reasons. You're telling me this man says "torch" and "trousers" and "bugger" and says things like "can't be assed" (there is no American equivalent to "can't be arsed", Ms. Duffy; you're better off saying "can't be fucked"), but he doesn't know what "bollocks" means? Ridiculous!!
I was shocked, however, to learn that Louise "Ernest Jensen" Duffy has written five books before because this one was not even close to being good. The characters weren't compelling, it was difficult to get into, and the language used was so boring and generic it felt exhausting to read for such a short book. Normally, I'd finish something this length in a day or two, but this one took me about a week because I had to keep putting it down. The only part that got any kind of an emotional reaction out of me was when I thought they might have to leave the boy's dog behind near the end.
Don't get me wrong. This book wasn't COMPLETELY terrible. It just wasn't very good. As a writing teacher, if one of my high school or college age students turned something like this in, I'd be impressed. But knowing this comes from an adult author who has written multiple other novels, I'm severely disappointed, not only in her, but in the company or companies who have agreed to publish her. Is this really what we've come to in this day and age? Is media literacy really down this much? I sure hope not.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
I was shocked, however, to learn that Louise "Ernest Jensen" Duffy has written five books before because this one was not even close to being good. The characters weren't compelling, it was difficult to get into, and the language used was so boring and generic it felt exhausting to read for such a short book. Normally, I'd finish something this length in a day or two, but this one took me about a week because I had to keep putting it down. The only part that got any kind of an emotional reaction out of me was when I thought they might have to leave the boy's dog behind near the end.
Don't get me wrong. This book wasn't COMPLETELY terrible. It just wasn't very good. As a writing teacher, if one of my high school or college age students turned something like this in, I'd be impressed. But knowing this comes from an adult author who has written multiple other novels, I'm severely disappointed, not only in her, but in the company or companies who have agreed to publish her. Is this really what we've come to in this day and age? Is media literacy really down this much? I sure hope not.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
February 28, 2025
This is supposed to be a work of horror about an infestation of lethal worms that appear to have arrived on a meteor. It sounded promising, but the execution was lacking.
In a post-apocalyptic or disaster work, it is so important to have characters that you can connect with, root for, and that you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat hoping they survive. But there was zero development or depth to these characters. They weren't likeable, but weren't written to be unlikeable, and they were painfully flat. The group of characters were all men save for one woman, and it was impossible to remember who was who. The dog was the only character that I cared about, and it had very little page time.
Without strong characters, a book has to have something else to support it - a strong plot, interesting setting and descriptions, or even vibrant writing. But this book was also lacking all of these things. The author told us everything, from emotions to actions, to the point where everything was bland. There were also errors throughout the writing, including accidental tense changes. The author also chose to start new chapters in the middle of scenes quite often, which added nothing to the tension but became frustrating.
I can't recommend this book to anyone, though if you are going to read it, the audiobook narrator was good. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work, which will be published March 11, 2025. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
In a post-apocalyptic or disaster work, it is so important to have characters that you can connect with, root for, and that you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat hoping they survive. But there was zero development or depth to these characters. They weren't likeable, but weren't written to be unlikeable, and they were painfully flat. The group of characters were all men save for one woman, and it was impossible to remember who was who. The dog was the only character that I cared about, and it had very little page time.
Without strong characters, a book has to have something else to support it - a strong plot, interesting setting and descriptions, or even vibrant writing. But this book was also lacking all of these things. The author told us everything, from emotions to actions, to the point where everything was bland. There were also errors throughout the writing, including accidental tense changes. The author also chose to start new chapters in the middle of scenes quite often, which added nothing to the tension but became frustrating.
I can't recommend this book to anyone, though if you are going to read it, the audiobook narrator was good. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work, which will be published March 11, 2025. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
November 19, 2024
3.5 Stars
I love a good horror book set in the forest. I would say this is a mix of sci-fi and horror. Absolutely rancid and nasty and had me pausing a few times with how gross it was. It was both bleak, funny and terrifying. The characters all felt real, and even when they were annoying, I was still rooting for their survival. I wouldn't say it was the BEST creature feature/alien type book i've read but it was still well written and engaging. I can't wait to see what else the author puts out.
Thank you netgalley and Rising Action Publishing for the arc!
I love a good horror book set in the forest. I would say this is a mix of sci-fi and horror. Absolutely rancid and nasty and had me pausing a few times with how gross it was. It was both bleak, funny and terrifying. The characters all felt real, and even when they were annoying, I was still rooting for their survival. I wouldn't say it was the BEST creature feature/alien type book i've read but it was still well written and engaging. I can't wait to see what else the author puts out.
Thank you netgalley and Rising Action Publishing for the arc!
August 10, 2025
Ernest Jensen's Nameless Things feels like a Goosebumps book, and I mean that disrespectfully.
Like, everything here is immature and unserious, starting with the overall tone and narrative voice, then running through literally every fiber of this book's being from the writing and plot to the character development and world building to, most criminally, the dialogue and language used. It's all childish.
From the jump there's this unfunny, running gag about how "old" the protagonist is despite being mid-30's. And I probably should have thrown the towel in on page 2 when a grown, adult man says to another grown adult man, "Hey, Slothapotamus, you want a break?"
No, but give ME a break please and thanks!
Does that not sound like it belongs in a Goosebumps book?
And that's just one example. The characters here ALL act like 12-year old boys. They call each other "dorks", make "your mom" jokes, then reference things like Zendaya in Dune and the Deadpool movies.
And I swear this is an interaction between grown-ass adults after they've already witnessed someone's death and the one and only child among the group has freshly disappeared into a wilderness infested with worms they are aware of:
Like, THAT is the vibe here. See what I mean about immature and unserious?
And if you thought you could make it all the way through this with just a poorly-timed fart joke, you are mistaken. By the end, we cruise right through a Home Alone style bad-guy-punched-in-the-dick scene, and escalate all the way up to an epic mess of an action scene featuring dog diarrhea that, I swear to god, was setup early on like a comedy punch line.
As if the author's goal from the beginning was to get to this... literal shit like... wtf? Was this written by a 12-year-old??
Perhaps the most perplexing thing of all is that Ernest Jensen is the pseudonym for a woman named Louise Jensen Duffy who looks to be middle aged. Like girl... grow up. I don't know what tf this book is, but I see why you changed your name about it. I'd be embarrassed too.
Nameless Things is awful. 1 out of 5 stars.
I might recommend it to little children who aren't quite ready for The Troop or The Ruins or The Laws of the Skies or This Wretched Valley or any of the far better horror books this one seems inspired by.
But honestly... they'd get a better story with far less shit, both literal and figurative, if they just picked up a Goosebumps book instead.
Like, everything here is immature and unserious, starting with the overall tone and narrative voice, then running through literally every fiber of this book's being from the writing and plot to the character development and world building to, most criminally, the dialogue and language used. It's all childish.
From the jump there's this unfunny, running gag about how "old" the protagonist is despite being mid-30's. And I probably should have thrown the towel in on page 2 when a grown, adult man says to another grown adult man, "Hey, Slothapotamus, you want a break?"
No, but give ME a break please and thanks!
Does that not sound like it belongs in a Goosebumps book?
And that's just one example. The characters here ALL act like 12-year old boys. They call each other "dorks", make "your mom" jokes, then reference things like Zendaya in Dune and the Deadpool movies.
And I swear this is an interaction between grown-ass adults after they've already witnessed someone's death and the one and only child among the group has freshly disappeared into a wilderness infested with worms they are aware of:
"Too right," Pete said. "Then search and rescue'll find Josh." He turned marginally towards Dan. "This time tomorrow, we'll all be safe." He grinned at Claire. "Except me, of course, I've still got to sleep with someone's toxic farts."
"Oi." She did the swatty thing to his arm and I actually smiled. "Don't listen to him, he's the one with the lethal arse. Bloody crop duster."
I grinned and checked our pan, as it was taking forever to boil.
"It's not my fault," Pete said. "I'm lactose intolerant." (p.72)
Like, THAT is the vibe here. See what I mean about immature and unserious?
And if you thought you could make it all the way through this with just a poorly-timed fart joke, you are mistaken. By the end, we cruise right through a Home Alone style bad-guy-punched-in-the-dick scene, and escalate all the way up to an epic mess of an action scene featuring dog diarrhea that, I swear to god, was setup early on like a comedy punch line.
As if the author's goal from the beginning was to get to this... literal shit like... wtf? Was this written by a 12-year-old??
Perhaps the most perplexing thing of all is that Ernest Jensen is the pseudonym for a woman named Louise Jensen Duffy who looks to be middle aged. Like girl... grow up. I don't know what tf this book is, but I see why you changed your name about it. I'd be embarrassed too.
Nameless Things is awful. 1 out of 5 stars.
I might recommend it to little children who aren't quite ready for The Troop or The Ruins or The Laws of the Skies or This Wretched Valley or any of the far better horror books this one seems inspired by.
But honestly... they'd get a better story with far less shit, both literal and figurative, if they just picked up a Goosebumps book instead.
February 23, 2025
1,25 ??
I really wished I had enjoyed this book more, but I honestly never truly knew what was going on. I never really connected with the characters nor the writing style and the tone of the narrator certainly didn't help. It was very "action movie written for teenage boys" rather than "holy shit bio-hazard meteors???". I refuse to believe Mike is 30, I genuinely found him insufferable.
Listening to this audiobook kinda felt like watching those youtube "overview of (X Horror movie)" videos where everything is very sensational and they're giving you all the gory scenes, some names and hope they don't lose you on the ride. I got lost.
Towards the middle of the book I zoned out and literally missed a character's death which somehow did not change much to my understanding.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC, I'm sorry to not have liked this book more :(.
I really wished I had enjoyed this book more, but I honestly never truly knew what was going on. I never really connected with the characters nor the writing style and the tone of the narrator certainly didn't help. It was very "action movie written for teenage boys" rather than "holy shit bio-hazard meteors???". I refuse to believe Mike is 30, I genuinely found him insufferable.
Listening to this audiobook kinda felt like watching those youtube "overview of (X Horror movie)" videos where everything is very sensational and they're giving you all the gory scenes, some names and hope they don't lose you on the ride. I got lost.
Towards the middle of the book I zoned out and literally missed a character's death which somehow did not change much to my understanding.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC, I'm sorry to not have liked this book more :(.
Read
March 9, 2025I have decided to not finish this book at roughly 50% through. I was truly captivated when it began and was super intrigued to see where it would go, but I kept losing interest as the story went on and found myself forgetting to pay attention, which caused me to have to keep rewinding. The character development was not there enough for me to care about the characters fate, and the story itself got a big repetitive. I think it’s an extremely interesting concept for a book, but I just couldn’t get into it.
Though it wasn’t for me, I do absolutely think there are many readers who would love this one!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this ALC!
Though it wasn’t for me, I do absolutely think there are many readers who would love this one!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this ALC!
March 12, 2025
Okay, so during my reading I kept saying UGH TREMORS KNOCK OFF. Which, yes, that's technically what this is, BUT it's also part This Wretched Valley, in my opinion. There was humor, but even that couldn't cover up the absolute feeling of dread this story gave off. Oh! The movie The Descent! That's the dread feeling this book gives off. Also, the whole 'started with a group of friends and ended up with one 1 or 2 left at the end' thing from The Descent, yeah, that too. OH! F*ck you, Bill! That is all.
March 4, 2025
As an avid outdoors woman. I am now absolutely terrified to head up to the mountains this summer…. Thanks Ernest Jensen 😅
This is a perfect horror that I am looking for with the right amount of body horror. I was terrified the entire time but could not put the book down.
The scenes in this book were so graphic that I could see them all in head. It was like watching a horror movie in my head.
The main character was kind of a jerk, definitely to Josh but maybe that’s how he dealt with all this. 🤷🏼♀️
Genre: Horror
APK: Ebook
Pages: 291
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone
Thank you rising action publishing for a free copy of Nameless Things for a honest review.
This is a perfect horror that I am looking for with the right amount of body horror. I was terrified the entire time but could not put the book down.
The scenes in this book were so graphic that I could see them all in head. It was like watching a horror movie in my head.
The main character was kind of a jerk, definitely to Josh but maybe that’s how he dealt with all this. 🤷🏼♀️
Genre: Horror
APK: Ebook
Pages: 291
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone
Thank you rising action publishing for a free copy of Nameless Things for a honest review.
February 16, 2025
Nameless Things by Ernest Jensen (AKA Louise Jensen Duffy) took a very interesting premise, and muddied the waters with an incredibly dumb and unlikable main character, too much inner monologue of this main character, and the chapter progression of a goosebumps book. It felt like 20% of the chapters ended in “and that’s when he/she fell”. I was really looking forward to this one, as the description and even the title was a banger for me.
Unfortunately, by the halfway point of this book I started skimming for dialogue and key actions. The amount of times I had to read “I felt terrible when I woke up after sleeping on hard rock” said in 100 different ways; the amount of times the MC just “could not right now” and demonstrated less composure than a small child; the fact that the author made the decision to go on for 2-3 pages about how heavenly the coffee was that the MC finally got to drink… I almost DNF’d this book and wouldn’t blame anyone for doing so.
Rating: 2/5 stars.
I want to thank NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for sending me a free advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Unfortunately, by the halfway point of this book I started skimming for dialogue and key actions. The amount of times I had to read “I felt terrible when I woke up after sleeping on hard rock” said in 100 different ways; the amount of times the MC just “could not right now” and demonstrated less composure than a small child; the fact that the author made the decision to go on for 2-3 pages about how heavenly the coffee was that the MC finally got to drink… I almost DNF’d this book and wouldn’t blame anyone for doing so.
Rating: 2/5 stars.
I want to thank NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for sending me a free advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
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