Hostile

by Luke Scull

James Herbert meets Silent Hill in this unforgettable horror novel from an acclaimed voice in epic fantasy.

John Sharrock is a struggling writer living in a small English market town. He and his wife have recently separated, he is battling depression, and of late he is experiencing strange thoughts and dreams. When his dog begins acting strangely, it is the first sign that something is terribly wrong within the animal kingdom. Soon after, a series of horrific animal attacks hints at a deadly new virus.

John must survive bloodthirsty pets and ferocious local wildlife as he embarks on a journey to save his estranged wife and seek answers to the question: what caused all animal life to turn hostile?

Set against the backdrop of the uncertain spring of 2016, Hostile blends gruesome set pieces with psychological horror and delivers a knockout finale that is guaranteed to shock readers.

Genres: Horror

328 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2025

About the author

LUKE SCULL is a British author and videogame designer. Luke’s first novel, The Grim Company, was shortlisted for the Gemmell Morningstar Award and earned a starred review from Kirkus as well as praise from the Guardian, the Sun, and the Daily Mail. Luke’s game design credits include several acclaimed titles for Ossian Studios. He has worked on The Witcher, Neverwinter Nights, and Baldur’s Gate franchises and is currently design lead for several projects.

You can keep up to date with Luke’s various projects by following him on Twitter at @Luke_Scull and visiting his website at www.lukescull.com

For book-specific monthly updates, join his mailing list and receive the short story “A Ring to Rule Them All” absolutely free!

Reviews

[Mark Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUT TODAY!

I'm thanked in the back of this book for my "sage advice, encouragement and support".

More accurately this should read: "for nagging, badgering, and nagging".

This is Luke Scull's first book for 10 years. Dead Man's Steel came out a LONG time ago, ending the Grim Company trilogy.

The book's cover declares "James Herbert meets Silent Hill". I don't know anything about Silent Hill but I read James Herbert in the 80s. The Fog and The Rats for sure (written in the 70s). The Herbert vibe is strong in the first half of the book. The story hits the ground running and keeps the pace up. We're moving from scene to scene, PoV to PoV, as the 'bad thing' happens to a sequence of people - which for me is core horror.

Since we discover the "main thing" really early on, I'm going to say what it is. If you feel this might be a spoiler ... bail here!

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Animals go mad and try to kill people. The book dives into the traumas and problems of the main character and is not a superficial murder-flick of a book, but the many and varied scenes of animals chomping people are entertaining in an increasingly schloky way. The nearby Safari park ensures that we're not limited to murder-dogs, murder-cats, and murder-cows (which are seen in Herbert's The Fog!).

Another very mild spoiler is that if I'd written the "James Herbert meets Silent Hill" line, I would have put "James Herbert meets Catriona Ward", Ward being a successful author of psychological horror.

The tone of the book changes as it develops and it requires a degree of faith in the author if the animal attacks start to feel a bit much.

The book's main focus - behind a facade of berserk shi tzus and psycho squirrels - is an examination of the main character, writer John Sharrock, his relationships and issues. There's a faint Stephen King vibe in the central character being a writer. Mr King does this a number of times to great effect.

Scull has a difficult needle to thread between the 80s horror entertainment of animal attacks and the psychological side of the equation, and the tilting of the balance between them. Part of that difficulty is the fact that each reader will plot their own path through the tale regardless of the steers that the author gives them. Some will spot what's going on by page 7 and others will doggedly follow the headline even when the clifftop is 100 yards behind them Wile E Coyote style.

For me it worked very well. I had a great time with the zoo-full of killings, and I rode the curve as the focus shifted.

Great to see Luke back in the writing saddle. A very entertaining return. Can't wait to see what's next.




My stupid dog, Ruby, approves. Mainly because she doesn't know about all the animal-related carnage between the covers!




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[Luke Scull]

I'm obviously not rating this, since I wrote it.

So, HOSTILE is a strange one. I started it 2-3 years ago, shelved it for a while, and then returned to it last December. Something finally clicked, and two months later, it was finished. I had no idea if the book was any good - but I did know that it meant a lot to me, and that it was a story I wanted to share with the world. My last novel was published nine years ago. There was a point where I wondered if I had another book in me. It turns out I had, and my hope is that this is the first of many more.

It is a somewhat unusual novel, which is why I've taken it the self-published route. It doesn't, perhaps, fit neatly into a particular style of horror. It does things that go against the grain of the genre. It might well be a better book in my head that it is on the page. I'm okay with all of that.

I hope you enjoy it.

[Simon Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

When an accomplished Grim Dark fantasy author decides his next book will be a completely different genre and for that genre to be horror I wondered what we would be in for, especially as horror is not really my bag so to speak.
I shouldn't have worried, the author has crafted a masterful read, that is by turns scary, bloody and very clever.
John Sharrock is a struggling author who has split from his wife and is spiralling with depression, intrusive thoughts and horrible dreams.
the first sign of something being wrong is when his dog starts acting strangely, before long there has been a string of bloodthirsty attacks by domesticated and wild animals alike and people start to worry about a virus spreading.
John is concerned for his wife Maria who works at Longleat Safari Park and when nobody can reach her, he sets off determined to rescue her.
this book moves seamlessly between creature feature to Psychological horror perfectly. The pacing is pretty much spot on, the action as always handled perfectly as John faces nature red in tooth and claw and also comes to suspect something more is going on.
the finale is fast, furious on point and very clever. All in all a brilliant first foray into the horror genre

[Irem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hostile delivers one of my favorite horror setups and runs with it. Teeth bared and claws out.

In the middle of the chaos is John Sharrock, making a desperate journey to reach his estranged wife, Maria, at the Longleat Safari and Adventure Park. He hasn’t seen her in a while, but when she doesn’t check in and people start dying in absurdly violent ways, he hits the road. The early parts feel like a creature-feature survival thriller, but as the story unravels, everything spirals fast and the questions start piling. Something is clearly wrong, and the question of why kept me hooked. Is it a virus? A mutation? Some Lovecraftian force behind the scenes? Or something far more sinister pulling the strings behind those bloodshot, murderous eyes?

I’m a sucker for this kind of horror; when nature flips the script and humans become the prey. It's tense, atmospheric, and bloody in all the best ways (though I wouldn’t have minded even more gore). The mystery kept me guessing throughout. I had theories flying left and right. And while I won't spoil anything (especially since the book hasn't released yet), one of my theories ended up aligning with something that reminded me of a very specific episode from a TV show I used to love. Turns out Luke Scull never watched it, but hey, it paid off beautifully for me anyway.

Now, the ending—yeah, I was warned. It’s a bit of a curveball. It takes its sweet time getting there, and the tone definitely shifts into new territory. I get why it might not work for everyone, but it absolutely worked for me. The payoff landed, and the path to it kept me locked in the whole way. Hostile hit all the right horror notes I crave. The atmosphere is thick, the unease builds like static, low, constant, hard to ignore and I was into the tonal shift in the final stretch.

This one has major movie potential. Feral animals, a safari park setting, escalating madness, and enough mystery to keep viewers hooked. Someone get the rights. I’ll bring the popcorn.

Until then, if you like creature horror, escalating mysteries, survival panic, and a touch of “what the hell is going on,” Hostile is 100% worth the ride.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 / 5

Mesmerizing. The less you know going in, the better. Kept me guessing throughout. Recommended

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this book, I was quite unsure of what I was going to discover. At first, the clues were very minimal as to what John and Maria would come to experience. I read how this virus began taking over a zoo and the animals turned on humans. Even the smallest of creatures were out to get humans. John became worried about his wife Maria and thus began his tale of trying to reach her. While reading about John taking on all kinds of strange things, little clues began seeping into the pages letting the reader know this book had more to the story than just John surviving the animal rages. All the people John knew had a specific place in the story and as friends or foes, he dealt with each one in a different way. Then when a mysterious woman shows up, I soon began to realize where her part in the story was leading. I cannot imagine trying to hide from raging animals and trying to locate a missing loved one. John faced many obstacles but always stayed in focus. As the end became closer the meaning behind the story showed itself and I was heartbroken. All it takes is one mistake to change a person’s life forever. I really enjoyed this book and hope others will too.

[Shanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

John is a struggling writer, battling depression, and estranged from his wife. Things take a turn for the worst when all the animals turn violent, including John's own dog. As John is on a mission to save his estranged wife he notices things getting stranger.
This was a fun creature feature/ psychological horror. The were a few twists, turns, and WTH is going on moments but all in all a good read.

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hostile" is Luke Scull's horror debut; he's already distinguished himself as an author of epic fantasy, though that part of his writing life seems to have concluded some time ago. So I'd suggest it's best to see this book as Scull's foray into writing from scratch, meaning I'll review "Hostile" as a debut novel rather than the author's first work of horror fiction. I feel justified in this, since otherwise certain narrative decisions would have to be judged a bit harshly, especially the convoluted way the book concludes and the inexcusably long journey it takes to get there. This shouldn't be misunderstood as charging the story with fluff or fillers; all I mean is that the impact of the story, for me, would have been very much heightened if it had been the length of a rich and dense novella (this goes double for the epilogue, which I think should have been cut altogether). However, this happens often in debut novels, and should not be flagged as a drawback in a review: in fact, all it may imply in practice is that instead of reading the book in one sitting, this reviewer had to take his time with it, enjoying it in small doses. Surely, not a bad thing at all.

The premise of the book is, apparently, about pets suddenly being friendly no longer, and animals of all kinds (insects and arachnids included) turning hostile towards humans. I stress the rider "apparently," because, although the book contains incredibly well-done scenes of carnage and suspense grounded on this premise, this isn't the book to go to if one's after an apocalyptic story of animals going rogue and attacking humans. The book's vision is far more focused than that, a fact that becomes apparent after the first third of the book, when contradictions and mysteries start hinting at something far more subtle and complicated going on.

As long as "Hostile" sticks to its apparent premise and keeps building on it, the descriptions are amazing, the pacing is generally perfect, and the tension goes through the roof. This is the "James Herbert" part of the book, with harrowing animal attacks, terrifying scenes of zoo horror, and compelling drama of the "show, no tell" kind. But from some point on, the novel starts deconstructing itself, the pacing slowing down, the main character going introspective and asking all the right questions, and soon one realizes that something really bizarre is happening, as the plot is slowly approaching weird fiction territory (this is the "Silent Hill" part of the book, which I found rather too long and unnecessarily overdramatic instead of atmospheric).

Avoiding spoilers, I go straight to the ending, limiting myself to mentioning the uncomfortable way we are taken there. At some point, perhaps fifty pages before the finish line, I begun feeling the story was collapsing on itself. Taking into account the point of the story and the big reveal at the end, this is surely intentional on the part of the author; but whoever has been following indie horror will inevitably compare the book with Ben Young's "Stuck"; and the comparison is not entirely flattering, as Scull, for me, does not do psychological and grief horror equally well with Young - I mean, the barrage of details as the end approaches, the repeat attempts to find a place for everything shown before, the pressure to explain it, took me out of the story emotionally, and had me trying to solve some sort of riddle. The epilogue tried to restore some of the lacking emotion, but it was too little too late, so to speak.

That said, treating the book as a debut novel certainly took the sting out of the above, and allowed me to realize that this is ultimately an enjoyable book, especially the "James Herbert" part. I unhesitatingly recommend it as a clever, imaginative, and skilled exploration of the meaning of regret, wrong choices, and guilt. The book shows unbounded creativity and will easily satisfy readers looking for a complex, challenging plot, with unreliable narrators and cunning plot twists at the end!

[Don Anelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a fairly solid if somewhat slightly flawed effort. The book’s at its best with the burgeoning mystery at its center, with the main aspect of the story offering a strong build-up to what’s going on around the city. The strange series of encounters that take place, mainly through the interweaving narrative of individuals who meet up with increasingly rabid and unnaturally-behaved animals who lurch and attack at any provocation, with the authorities baffled about what’s going on and trying to deal with the multitude of mutilated victims trying to make it out alive. This helps to create a fine mystery where the inability to determine what’s going on and trying to use the available clues about everything going around at the zoo, at the hospital, or in the various homes where the pets are involved in several attacks, going crazy, and attacking owners. With several possible alternatives being discussed as plausible explanations, it has a strong setup going for it.

This is held in fine form by the series of solid attack scenes throughout. With the book diving in nicely with a vicious gorilla attack in a zoo to start things off, the constant hammering home of their deranged nature and unnatural characteristics leading up to the fateful attack has some generally creepy aspects to them. Moving on nicely to the series of attacks and confrontations in the community where it’s either involving narrow escapes from animals that shouldn’t be doing what they do or getting killed by their normally loving pets, it all brings about a slew of fantastic encounters involving dogs, cats, rats, and birds among others. The suspense and action in these scenes involve lengthy and well-detailed scenarios that all contribute to bringing this one along rather well, with the mysterious elements of the storyline being nicely aided, and everything coming together in a fun and thrilling first half.

In the final act of the book, this does take a downfall with a bizarre turn into psychological grief-based horror instead of the nature-run-amok stuff that had been featured until then. The introduction of a specific storyline about the cause of the outbreak and the series of animal attacks that were at the forefront of the book for the first two-thirds of the reading time does this a wholesale injustice by taking the entire purpose of everything into a different area altogether. This is introduced in a bizarre manner involving some incredibly awkward writing, trying to make sure that the connections are obvious, from how the different characters are introduced in the matter of the story, or what the connection means once everything is revealed. The tension is reduced, and the interactions trying to make sense of everything with this newfound revelation come across as clumsy, trying to stretch out a story that was working fine before, which is the one drawback to this one.

3.5/5

[Lance Horsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I recently finished Hostile a new novel by Luke Scull.

Luke’s first set of books was a grimdark fantasy trilogy entitled “The Grim Company” and I really enjoyed it. Since then he took a publishing hiatus for 9 years and this year he released Hostile, a horror. I feel that there are clear overlaps between horror and fantasy - especially grimdark fantasy - but they are distinct genres. If you’re not into long reviews, then the quick takeaway is this: Should you read it? Definitely! I think it’s the twist of the year! Really well set up, fantastically played and it delivers a form of redemption to a flawed character, in a wonderful way.

So, what is it about? John Sharrock, an author, struggling with his new book has a much needed, lucrative writing deal in the balance. As the financial noose tightens and his marriage creaks under the strain, he starts to spiral downwards as his deadline creeps closer. The story starts just after his distraught wife has moved out. Amidst this backdrop of marital discontent, a mystery virus starts to impact on the animals around his local town, turning them into red-eyed slavering vicious killers. Luke really does well in the pacing of the incidents of animal savagery, and as the virus spreads, so the incidents become increasingly violent, gory and common place.

The action of the story takes place over a journey that John Sharrock (Our Author) takes to rescue his estranged wife from her place of work, Longleat safari and adventure park, as nature turns increasingly against us humans, the bipedal, dominant predators of the planet.

I personally found two negatives in the book. One, I had challenges with some of the violence involving animals, but I will say, it was consistent with the horror nature and themes of the book. Two, Hostile feels as though it evolved over three parts. I found part 1, the opening third of the book, to be the weakest. I get the impression that Luke was finding his voice in the horror genre, and I felt that some of his descriptions and characterisations suited fantasy more. But Please don’t let that put you off, it’s still entertaining and engaging. In Part 2 he begins to find his voice, his characters mesh, the plot begins to take shape and he pens his opening action scenes. I will say that Luke writes absolutely fantastic action and when writing scenes of physical conflict and intense emotional movement, he does really, really well. Part 3 is the finale and it is entirely unputdownable! I felt like the close, leading into the well executed twist was absolutely fantastic!

Luke writes great action and I hope he isn’t lost to the fantasy genre, I would love to see that smooth depiction of physical confrontation back into fantasy. (My Personal bias!) All in all, Hostile was a very entertaining and engaging read, an emotional ride with a satisfying and well delivered ending. Well done Luke, and thank you!

[T.O. Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems fitting that Luke Scull’s debut Horror novel is set around the time of the 2016 Brexit vote, since that was the moment it feels like we all started tumbling into a horrific dystopia and we’re still falling.

However, Scull’s narrative takes place in the run up to that fateful lie-strewn vote (£350 million for the NHS does get a mention in its pages) and centres on a few days in the town of Walmer and the nearby Longleat safari park.

Scull’s familiarity with that area comes through in his setting descriptions, both of the park itself and some local hostelries that one might enjoy on the way. Scull's protagonist John Sharrock, is a an author struggling with the aftermath of initial success and the strain that living up to it has put on his marriage.

And if that weren’t enough, Alfie, his diminutive shih tzu has suddenly gone wide-eyed and aggressive. This sudden hostility from a beloved tame animal is not an isolated incident, and with all the charismatic megafauna of Longleat just down the road, there is scope for some serious complications.

Events unfold very much like a disaster movie, with deft quick worldbuilding introducing us to characters and a flash of backstory. There is also a cinematic quality to the way Scull switches settings and point of view characters and then brings them back as their travails weave in and around Sharrock’s journey sometimes illuminating it, sometimes confounding it.

As with all good disaster movies some obnoxious characters get delightfully hideous come-uppances, and others make heroic last stands.

Through it all Scull gives us intriguing characters, eye-catching prose, and a plot as twisting and sinuous as any reptile in the Longleat snake house. One roots for Sharrock. As with the Brexit vote, he must strive to escape the shadow the past has cast on his present and make sense of an uncertain future.

[Kati Chastain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine your dog turns on you. Like, full psycho. Now add squirrels, cats, and basically every animal you’ve ever seen at a petting zoo going full murder-mode. That’s Hostile in a nutshell.

This book is wild. It starts off feeling like a dark comedy about a washed-up writer going through a rough patch and then BAM—cue the animal apocalypse.

It’s funny. Not like “haha” funny, but “I can’t believe that hamster just did that” kind of funny. Scull balances creepy and clever really well. You’ll get these brutally chaotic scenes one moment, and then laugh out loud at John’s dry, sarcastic thoughts the next. The guy’s spiraling, and he knows it, but somehow you’re rooting for him the whole way.

Also there’s a surprising amount of emotion packed in. You start off thinking it’s just a crazy horror story, and then suddenly, boom: feelings.

Hostile is like Cujo meets Shaun of the Dead, with just the right amount of emotional chaos. Read it. Then maybe give your pets some extra treats… just in case.

[Ian Keane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all the good books it keeps you guessing. If you want to try something different that is hard to define but is enjoyable this is for you. Psychological horror thriller definitely worth a read and if you are a fantasy fan of the author it's not a big detour to follow him on this journey.

It's not too long and I think it will be picked up eventually by a big publisher or produced on screen.

[Micki-D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychological horror thriller definitely worth a read. Hostile is a horror about a writer John who lives in Warminster where something is wrong with the animals a virus is taking over the zoo, pet start attacking the owners they going mad and try to kill people.

John is worried about his wife and will try everything he can to reunite with Maria. Even facing blood thirsty animals.

[Dan Mckeithan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome and intriguing story. Watching the animal attacks unfold slowly and building up the tense atmosphere really draws you in fast. You can't help but root for John as he tried to do everything he can to reunite with Maria during this trying time.

And the ending. Wow! Great job!

[Tony splatterpunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read this was, creature/psychological horror about a writer who lives in Warminster and animals start attacking the owners and the animals at Longleat go crazy, the nightmare is only starting for John Sharrock….

[Shonipamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had me in a state of WTF is going on the whole way through. This was a rewarding read and had me questioning what trauma meant to me.
I was on an emotional rollercoaster that I didn’t want to get off. A must read!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to get an ARC.

Great change in tone and tenor from Luke Scull and a clever plotted and executed story from start to finish. Well worth a read.

[Danny Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, could not stop reading.
Horror and mystery was such a perfect combination.
Highly recommend Hostile

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is published at Grimdark Magazine.

Hostile, the debut horror novel from grimdark fantasy author Luke Scull, delivers a deceptively deep psychological thriller on par with the best work of Catriona Ward or Gemma Amor.

Hostile opens at the Longleat Safari and Adventure Park in the Wiltshire countryside of southwest England. Savannah Grace is a new animal keeper at the animal sanctuary, home to an assortment of creatures from around the world, including a rare silverback gorilla. However, there is trouble in Savannah’s wildlife paradise when a chimpanzee goes missing and is discovered later with blood-red eyes and a sudden, uncharacteristic thirst for violence.

The chimpanzee incident is just the start of an affliction that spreads rapidly across animal life in Wiltshire, affecting everything from insects and spiders through domesticated pets, whose unexpected violence catches their owners especially off guard.

What is the origin of this abrupt change in animal behavior? Could they be infected with a newly mutated virus? Or is there a supernatural force at play taking control over these otherwise innocent creatures?

Although Hostile, opens with Savannah Grace, the main protagonist of the novel is John Sharrock, a fantasy author who has just scored his first major book deal. But the pressure of writing a bestselling novel proves too much for John, whose mental health takes a significant toll, alongside the relationship with his beloved wife:

‘I lost myself,’ John said. ‘I became someone else. I lost sight of what was important.’

I honestly thought I knew where Luke Scull was heading with these various plot threads, and I was prepared to write a review saying that Hostile is an entertaining thrill ride but too predictable. Then the last quarter of the book knocked me senseless. I wasn’t prepared for the psychological depth (and associated plot twists) that emerged in the latter part of the book. By the end, Hostile left me genuinely shaken up in a way that few books have done before.

Altogether, Hostile is highly recommended for fans of psychological horror. Luke Scull’s first entry in the horror genre proves to be an expertly crafted, emotionally raw journey into the dark recesses of the soul. Although Hostile is Scull’s first horror novel, I hope it won’t be his last.