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Pack Animals
Six men. One night. A ravenous evil. No way out.
Lost in a remote wilderness, a group of old friends trapped in a relentless blizzard are stalked and hunted by a pack of predators like no other. In one bloody and horrific night, in a dark forest of ice and snow, beneath an unforgiving full moon, the brutal fight for their lives against the elements and the evil, ravenous horde stalking them has begun…
Winter bites…
As the night unfolds and comes alive all around them, their fight for survival begins, and the realization of what they’re dealing with drives them deeper into the dark, frozen forest, deeper into themselves, their longstanding relationships, and the lengths they’re willing to go to survive not just for themselves, but each other. For any chance at survival, they must fight their way through miles of dark forest and treacherous frozen land, all the while being pursued and hunted by an enormous pack of predators that until then they have always believed lived only in folklore and fantasy. When they uncover the true nature of what’s happening, and the rituals and history behind those hunting them, it’s nearly too late to stop what has already been put in motion. What has existed in the shadows dating back centuries is not only defending their territory and secret way of life, but their literal hunting grounds.
PACK ANIMALS (similar to Gifune’s highly-successful novel of island terror, SAVAGES) is an homage to the survival horror novels of the ’70s and ’80s, and the exploitation films and drive-in movies of the same era. Classic survival horror, with a folk horror twist and a new take on a timeless archetype, it’s also a story of friendship and heartache among a group of middle-aged friends, a blend that makes it perfect for fans of such modern horror masterpieces like DOG SOLDIERS and THE DESCENT
Lost in a remote wilderness, a group of old friends trapped in a relentless blizzard are stalked and hunted by a pack of predators like no other. In one bloody and horrific night, in a dark forest of ice and snow, beneath an unforgiving full moon, the brutal fight for their lives against the elements and the evil, ravenous horde stalking them has begun…
Winter bites…
As the night unfolds and comes alive all around them, their fight for survival begins, and the realization of what they’re dealing with drives them deeper into the dark, frozen forest, deeper into themselves, their longstanding relationships, and the lengths they’re willing to go to survive not just for themselves, but each other. For any chance at survival, they must fight their way through miles of dark forest and treacherous frozen land, all the while being pursued and hunted by an enormous pack of predators that until then they have always believed lived only in folklore and fantasy. When they uncover the true nature of what’s happening, and the rituals and history behind those hunting them, it’s nearly too late to stop what has already been put in motion. What has existed in the shadows dating back centuries is not only defending their territory and secret way of life, but their literal hunting grounds.
PACK ANIMALS (similar to Gifune’s highly-successful novel of island terror, SAVAGES) is an homage to the survival horror novels of the ’70s and ’80s, and the exploitation films and drive-in movies of the same era. Classic survival horror, with a folk horror twist and a new take on a timeless archetype, it’s also a story of friendship and heartache among a group of middle-aged friends, a blend that makes it perfect for fans of such modern horror masterpieces like DOG SOLDIERS and THE DESCENT
- GenresHorror
221 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2025
5 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Greg F. Gifune
81 books353 followersCalled "One of the best writers of his generation" by both the Roswell Literary Review and author Brian Keene, Greg F. Gifune is the author of numerous short stories, several novels and two short story collections. His work has been published in a wide range of magazines and anthologies all over the world, and has recently garnered interest from Hollywood. His novels include The Bleeding Season, Deep Night, Saying Uncle, A View From The Lake, Night Work, Drago Descending, Blood In Electric Blue and Dominion.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
Along with his short story collections, Down To Sleep and Heretics, his work has been nominated for numerous awards and is consistently praised by readers and critics alike across the globe. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of Thievin' Kitty Publications, publishers of the acclaimed fiction magazines The Edge: Tales of Suspense (1998-2004) and Burning Sky: Adventures in Science Fiction Terror (1998-2003), and currently serves as Associate Editor at Delirium Books.
The son of teachers, Greg F. Gifune was educated in Boston and has lived in various places, including New York City and Peru. A trained actor and broadcaster, he has appeared in various stage productions and has worked in radio and television as both an on-air talent and a producer. Earlier in life he held a wide range of jobs, encompassing everything from journalism to promotions.
The author of numerous novels, screenplays and two short story collections, his work has been consistently praised by critics and readers alike, and has been translated into several languages and published all over the world. Greg and his wife Carol live in Massachusetts with a bevy of cats.
Discover more about his writing at GregFGifune.com and UninvitedBooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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December 18, 2025DNF at 10%—unfortunately, the narrator's over-the-top performance completely ruined the experience for me.
I absolutely love your books, Mr. Gifune—your writing style is one of my favorites in horror—but it seems like finding the perfect narrator to match your atmospheric, psychological depth has been a challenge. I'm writing this in the hope of helping with that.
I strongly recommend Geoff Sturtevant as the ideal voice for your work. He frequently narrates for Velox Books and recently did an outstanding job on Wrath James White's latest, The Bug Collector (Story 2* Narrator 5*). His delivery is great, and I think he would perfectly complement your work. To my knowledge, he mostly handles short story collections for Velox Books at the moment, and hasn't yet been picked up by the major publishers, so he might be a great fit before that changes.
Another solid option is Chuck Brugee.
Side note, I'd suggest avoiding David Stifel—he derailed 'The Bleeding Season' for me.
You'll probably never see this, but just in case: best of luck with your future releases. I have no dealings with either of the narrators mentioned by the way. Just want to see your books finally hit home on Audio. I'll try this one again in Ebook format. Cheers.
I absolutely love your books, Mr. Gifune—your writing style is one of my favorites in horror—but it seems like finding the perfect narrator to match your atmospheric, psychological depth has been a challenge. I'm writing this in the hope of helping with that.
I strongly recommend Geoff Sturtevant as the ideal voice for your work. He frequently narrates for Velox Books and recently did an outstanding job on Wrath James White's latest, The Bug Collector (Story 2* Narrator 5*). His delivery is great, and I think he would perfectly complement your work. To my knowledge, he mostly handles short story collections for Velox Books at the moment, and hasn't yet been picked up by the major publishers, so he might be a great fit before that changes.
Another solid option is Chuck Brugee.
Side note, I'd suggest avoiding David Stifel—he derailed 'The Bleeding Season' for me.
You'll probably never see this, but just in case: best of luck with your future releases. I have no dealings with either of the narrators mentioned by the way. Just want to see your books finally hit home on Audio. I'll try this one again in Ebook format. Cheers.
January 8, 2026
Three and a half stars
This was a bit different from the rest of the authors novels, mostly predictable, still enjoyable. The characters were fun to read and learn about and the winter cabin setting always adds to the story. I'm a big fan of mr. Gifune and will continue to read all his stories.
This was a bit different from the rest of the authors novels, mostly predictable, still enjoyable. The characters were fun to read and learn about and the winter cabin setting always adds to the story. I'm a big fan of mr. Gifune and will continue to read all his stories.
December 30, 2025
I love when writers drop the romantic tropes with vampires and werewolves. I don’t want to read about that, I want a blood-thirsty monster! You definitely get that from Pack Animals. I enjoyed the slasher movie vibe and there wasn’t a break once the action started. I feel like something was missing though, perhaps more of a back story for the pack? And I quickly got sick of the six friends making lewd jokes and acting like 13 year old boys.
January 18, 2026
Usually, I don't read stories that feature this type of "monster" because it doesn't draw me in, but I read whatever Greg Gifune writes. So I read this at night during winter and I was properly freaked out. The ending... I had a feeling that particular end might happen because Greg is good at punching you in the face one last time. Loved it.
December 31, 2025
I am really kind of bummed about this one. I am a big Gifune fan but this one was just so generic and flat. Nothing new or exciting here. Very un-Gifune like. Dang.
January 22, 2026
Gifune delivers a brutal novel that has moments of genuine gentleness. This fast-paced story steams along with moments of genuine fright.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews