Dominion

by Doug Goodman

Overnight, household pets transformed into monsters that took over the world. Now, survival is about the struggle where humans have become prey to creatures that are faster, stronger, and better able to sense them. Three months after Black Friday, Aidan and his friends are hiding in a neighbor’s attic. Every day they watch wargs and rocs hunt and devour their neighbors and their friends. Every night the house is swarmed by bats and ugly black birds that are searching for them. In between, they hunt for supplies and fight others for control of solar cells to power the attic fan. Hard choices need to be made. Stay in the safety of their attic in Houston, or escape the subdivision and head far to the north where they hope it is too cold for most animals. If they leave, they will be open to being hunted by every kind of animal-turned-monster living in North America, including a murderous monster nicknamed The Warden of the West.

Genres: Horror

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

I live in Houston, but I was raised in Lubbock, Texas. I’m an animal writer. It doesn’t matter if the animals I write about are zombie-hunting dogs, dinosaurs, or giant kaiju monsters, I’m interested in that area where animals and humans intersect. I’m especially curious about the mind meld that happens with working animals. This is my point of view for examining human nature, and why I enjoy writing these books so much.

My site says I’m a writer and an explorer. My wife and I are “often” travelers. Thanks to my work, I sometimes get the opportunity to visit extraordinary people in out-of-the-way places. In recent years I’ve explored parts of the Navajo Nation, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and I did a mesmerizing 20-state roadtrip with my supportive family. I’ve been to all but four states in the United States.

I live with two awesome kids (though one is having her own adventures in college), one amazing wife, and two white German Shepherds. Thank you for stopping by, and please check out one of my books. (They are all available from Amazon as paperbacks and e-books.) Since mid-2019, I’ve been donating twenty percent of my proceeds to charity. If you want to see where I donate, I update my donations via my newsletter.

Reviews

[Rebecca Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

I received this book as part of the LibrabyThing give-away. That being said, here is my review...


Black Friday changed the world! That was the day the animals mutated and turned on the humans.


Aidan, his brothers and a few friends found shelter in an attic, but two months later they were forced to abandon their safe haven. Now on the run from the mutations, they travel North in search of a safe place. Can they find safety? Or will they end up tortured to death by the mutations? Will they all survive?





This is one of the most well thought out Post-Apocalyptic stories I have read. With great character interaction, a well thought out description of each mutation, and a realistic plot I greatly enjoyed reading this story.

[Victoria Simcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aidan and his pals have some crucial decisions to make. They can either hunker down in the security of their neighbor’s attic in Houston, or they can flee the sector and travel far-off, to the north and try to be optimistic that outdoor creatures won’t be able to survive in the cold there. The problem is, if they flee they have a chance of being stalked by monsters; one of them known as The Warden of the West. In the rafters of the house of a neighbor, every day they watch wargs and rocs that hunt and devour their fellow citizen and their friends. Each evening the residence they are in crowds with bats and horrible dark fowl, seeking them out. The little undisturbed time they have they make use of by gathering provisions and materials including any type of solar power to run a fan. It wasn’t long before all this their world was turned upside down when rapidly, tame animals changed into monsters with a single-minded purpose, to take over the world. What’s left of this mess is a need to fight and survive and desperately hope not to become these hideous creatures next prey. Doug Goodman has done it again written a nail-bitter of a narrative. If you like on the edge of your seat fight or flight type suspense, post-apocalyptic reads then don’t miss out on this one great story for a steal of a price!

[Shannon Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique and thrilling!

This was such a unique story. I’ve read zombies before but this was not zombies. It went in a completely new direction from anything I’ve read before. The idea that an apocalyptic danger could come from this particular source was so fresh, very different but also had a scare factor to it that makes you think.

I loved the cast of characters. The author did an excellent job setting up his people, revealing backstory without slowing the pacing, and giving each of them a separate and endearing personality that made you love and root for them.

As far as setting, the author threw you into that with immediacy that creates tension and suspense from the first page. There were very few moments of true downtime to this story, which kept the pages flowing effortlessly. I would have given this a five star except for the tendency to switch points of view without transition or warning. However, the action, story and characters were so engaging that it wasn’t difficult to keep up in the end.

This book had moments of happiness and humor, sadness, tears, life and death. All of this created a well-rounded book with an eerie, suspenseful and truly interesting new take for an apocalyptic tale. The author was also able to convey real emotion and character connection to the reader. I really enjoyed this.

[Elke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dominion presents a different take on the apocalyptic theme: what if animals took over, mutated into savage beasts, hunting humankind into extinction!? The story follows a group of young people, brothers and their friends, as they leave their hiding place in search for some safer grounds or maybe other survivors. Of course, they have to face all kinds of horrible animal-monsters, and of course they have to deal with losses, but they also meet some new faces along the way.

Dominion read like a post-apocalyptic road-movie, but with zombies were replaced by mutant animals. The action was fast-paced and not squeamish at all, and there where a several losses to mourn. However, I found the interaction between the group members were the weakest link in the plot. Of course you have to keep in mind that the group consists of young adults, but their dialogue sometimes felt too immature for my liking.

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

[Katie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine Revolution meets The 100 and you have a book that you hate to see end. That's how Dominion is. Some kids thrown into a world no one understands, all the rules have changed. The game of life is just that, to live to see tomorrow. Not knowing what has happened and trying to figure it out along the way. Wondering whose alive or has passed on. The whole time heading North, but why North? They just know they must.....

To begin with, I was not sure if it would hold out. It had a good story line and characters. And it did better than i thought. Grab your ereader or paperback, cozy up with a blanket, and make sure your pets dont leave your line of vision.

I received this book in exchange to give an honest review..... Honest review: I will watch for this authors other works.

[Chrystal Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying

This book was great. Excellent characters full of flaws and fears just like real people would be. The monsters are terrifying in their familiarity. I need more from this author.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather interesting take on the post apocalyptic story as instead of the usual zombies, nuclear war etc. this time it is nature that has bitten back. Something has happened to animals across the world, resulting in them mutating and becoming super aggressive towards humans. The story begins about 3 months after life has taken a turn for the worse and follows Aiden, his brothers, and a few of their friends as they struggle to survive in a world without the mod cons they are used to, and a world without adults to help them. As they move through this new world, they are forced to grow up fast, making choices that many adults would struggle with, and having to learn as they go without the internet to solve their problems. There is a lot going on in this book and it could've done with a bit more clarity when the narration jumps backwards in time or to other characters' point of view but this aside, it was a great read.

[Thistle · Rating 1 out of 5]

A post-apocalyptic book. Something happens and all animals on the planet get larger, meaner, and become flesh-eating. All animals now eat meat, from biggest to smallest, and so people are being killed off left and right.

It was an interesting idea, and one I hadn't read about before, but somehow the writing didn't work for me. DNF

[Toni L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the idea behind this book. What would happen if all the animals in the world had enough of humanity and human arrogance and decided to reclaim the earth?
The book jumped a little too abruptly into action for my taste. I would have liked a bit more of an introduction leading up to the apocalypse. I also would have enjoyed a bit more character development. I had a hard time feeling anything for any of the characters. There were hints here and there of a character's whatever makes them tick but not enough to make me care for what happened to them.
That is only a personal preference and not a criticism of the book itself. If the book is taken as an action orientated apocalyptic novel in itself then it will definitely appeal to those who love the idea of animals finally fighting back to reclaim the earth. I really love the idea behind this book and am hoping there will be a second novel in the series with a bit more character development (I like to get emotionally involved with my characters :))
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for allowing me to read it.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book. I started two days ago; I was slow to read it, for my standards, but I would've read it in a day if it had been possible.
The book moves way too fast, so I got a little lost sometimes. Loved the narrative, it was an easy read and it was nice to see a post-apocalyptic book acknowledge things so many overlook, like the tampons thing. Totally loved the characters and the story, but I felt in an episode of Game of Thrones with the way people kept dying. And I really enjoyed the relations between the characters and the way the "love" part of the situation was handled; as well as the interactions between the animals and the terrifying thought of the possibility of this happening

[Joeylea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a giveaway for review. When I read the description of this book I was curious but not sure what to expect. This is a post apocalyptic thriller that began with a war for survival starting on black Friday. It isn't man against man but man against animal. Somehow the animal kingdom has gone beserk and has taken over killing any human in their path. The animals are extremely smart and seem to want to obliterate all humans. The story follows a group of teenagers on their journey to discover what happened to change the animals and to stay alive. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Ceh131973 · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Dominion] by [Doug Goodman] was a fast paced adventure that I really did not want to put down. The concept that the natural order has been turned on it's head and suddenly humans are not the apex predator. The trek of a group of young people as they try to survive and find someplace safe keeps you wondering what will happen next. Not only do they have to fight the outside forces but the internal struggles within the group threaten to tear them apart. How much is survival worth?

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a totally different take on the end of the world as we know it. Mutant animals that can think and communicate telepathically. Made me look at my Rottweiler in a different light. Large insects that would scare the crap out of me. Hate insects. This is not a world I would like at all. I think it would make a good film. The CGI would be awesome. If you like end of the world books give this one a read.

[Sharon Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the concept of this and it played out pretty well. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and I couldn't put my finger on why. It's something a bit different from your typical apocalypse tale and should appeal to fans of YA dystopian novels.