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SNAFU: An Anthology of Military Horror #2
SNAFU: Wolves at the Door
SNAFU brought the pain.
SNAFU: Wolves at the Door will bring the bite, with soldiers fighting for their lives against were-animals.
* * * * *
In the blackest night or under the full moon, danger is lurking.
It’s survival at all costs when you’re fighting against an enemy that could tear you apart – or convert you to the other side.
Against the backdrop of an untamed wilderness or the dark depths of the city, the ultimate clash between the forces of man and nature rages on.
Whether battling the monster within or a war around them – these soldiers may find the cost could prove too great.
SNAFU: Wolves at the Door will bring the bite, with soldiers fighting for their lives against were-animals.
* * * * *
In the blackest night or under the full moon, danger is lurking.
It’s survival at all costs when you’re fighting against an enemy that could tear you apart – or convert you to the other side.
Against the backdrop of an untamed wilderness or the dark depths of the city, the ultimate clash between the forces of man and nature rages on.
Whether battling the monster within or a war around them – these soldiers may find the cost could prove too great.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2015
56 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Brown
86 books129 followersGeoff Brown aka G.N. Braun is an Australian writer and twice Australian Shadows Award finalist-editor raised in Melbourne’s gritty Western Suburbs.
He is a trained nurse, and holds a Cert. IV in Professional Writing and Editing, as well as a Dip. Arts (Professional Writing and Editing).
At graduation, Brown was awarded ‘Vocational Student of the Year’ and ‘2012 Student of the Year’ by his college.
He writes fiction across various genres, and is the author of many published short stories. He has had numerous articles published in newspapers, both regional and metropolitan. He is the past president of the Australian Horror Writers Association (2011-2013), as well as the past director of the Australian Shadows Awards. He was an editor and columnist for UK site This is Horror, and the guest editor for Midnight Echo #9.
His memoir, Hammered, was released in early 2012 by Legumeman Books and has been extensively reviewed. It has been expanded on for rerelease in 2019.
He is the co-founder/director of Cohesion Press and Asylum Ghost Tours.
He is a trained nurse, and holds a Cert. IV in Professional Writing and Editing, as well as a Dip. Arts (Professional Writing and Editing).
At graduation, Brown was awarded ‘Vocational Student of the Year’ and ‘2012 Student of the Year’ by his college.
He writes fiction across various genres, and is the author of many published short stories. He has had numerous articles published in newspapers, both regional and metropolitan. He is the past president of the Australian Horror Writers Association (2011-2013), as well as the past director of the Australian Shadows Awards. He was an editor and columnist for UK site This is Horror, and the guest editor for Midnight Echo #9.
His memoir, Hammered, was released in early 2012 by Legumeman Books and has been extensively reviewed. It has been expanded on for rerelease in 2019.
He is the co-founder/director of Cohesion Press and Asylum Ghost Tours.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 25, 2021
Still Fantastic!
I read this anthology last year. Just for the love of it. I’ve just read it again for my werewolf group. And just for the love of it.
Since I first read this book a year ago, I’ve become familiar with some of the authors in this anthology, such as: W.D. Gigliani, David Benton, and David W. Amendola.
The SNAFU books are militaries, so most of the stories here focus on werewolves fighting during WWII. Against the Nazis, of course. Or for them.
This book is every werewolf lover’s dream. I sure know that it’s mine. 😎
I read this anthology last year. Just for the love of it. I’ve just read it again for my werewolf group. And just for the love of it.
Since I first read this book a year ago, I’ve become familiar with some of the authors in this anthology, such as: W.D. Gigliani, David Benton, and David W. Amendola.
The SNAFU books are militaries, so most of the stories here focus on werewolves fighting during WWII. Against the Nazis, of course. Or for them.
This book is every werewolf lover’s dream. I sure know that it’s mine. 😎
March 30, 2016
When the silvery rays of the moon come down to Earth, there is the first trembling of anticipation felt deep within the bones. Every last shred of will power is exerted in pushing down that dreaded feel and to stamp on its head and yet like an unrelenting nemesis, it rises within the body spreading its tentacles over every cell. Bones rearrange, skin transforms to fur, teeth start changing into fangs and finally what emerges from the throat is a primal howl that strikes fear in human minds. SNAFU takes up this breed of monster in this volume : the lycanthrope. Spanning nine stories across diverse backgrounds and quality of writing, the realm of the werewolf is explored. The stories were :
Taking Down the Top Cat by R.P.L. Johnson : A special forces raid on a drug cartel in South America comes across a beast that is unlike any living on this planet. There is a certain whiff of difference in this tale in terms of its unique monster and backstory which takes shape from Aztec myths. While not exactly a werewolf, the animal here is pure evil. 3 stars.
Skadi's Wolves by Kirsten Cross : The Saxon invasion of Britain is in full swing and a weakening legion finds itself battling a character straight out of the Norse myths. Skadi’s wolves has an atmosphere that befits a monster story : the incessant biting cold, a night that has a hint of brutality and in the darkness are eyes blazing with murderous fury while all you have are your swords to defend yourself. An entity stronger and fiercer than the gods of Asgard stands tall behind the wolves and the men standing in their way have very little hope of coming out of it alive. The story practically drips blood and deserves 3 stars for its atmosphere alone.
Semper Gumby by Steve Coate : Hand-to-hand combat with a werewolf in the desert. There is no preamble in this story and it jumps straight into action. There are times when I watch kungfu fight scenes from movies in YouTube without bothering with the story or the rest of the movie just for the kicks and this story gave such a feel. Soon as the tale is done, there isn’t much to remember. The wolf though is a very nasty one. 2 stars.
Ancient Ruins by John W. Dennehy : A group of rookie US Marines are on a recon mission in Beirut when they come across sporadic firing. On investigation, they determine that the fire was not directed at them but at the lycans. From then on it is bloody mayhem, firefights and hand-to-hand combat. While it looks fabulous on the outside, I had contentions with how this story was structured. Questions like : how did the lead character determine they were facing werewolves ? How did he know to use silver to battle them ? Where did they come from ? were all left hanging in the air. Not a very convincing tale even for one that features the lycans. 2 stars.
The Fenrir Project by David W. Amendola : That favourite haunt of most writers in the SNAFU anthologies : WWII and the Nazi obsession with the occult. A group of American tank teams along with an intelligence office chase a rogue German Panther tank and its team. The Germans are not what they seem at first and in a remote town in Germany, the two face off with violent results. It’s more of a so-so story. 2 stars.
Project Lupine by Brian W. Taylor : An experiment on lycanthropy in an isolated bio-lab, everything goes berserk and then it is Jurassic Park all over again ! The characters here are all rather wooden and clichéd : the macho soldier, the mad scientist, the helpless diva, the innocent victims and the slobbering monster looming over them all. If you have been through a few monster flicks, you will yawn away to glory here. No excitement. 1 star and the weakest card in the pack.
werwolf! by W.D. Gagliani & David Benton : This story begins life in a little village in Italy after they have surrendered during WWII. What sets this story apart from most of the others is that it focusses on character development. The werewolf is not a monster in here but a horrific mistake. It is only in this story that there is a solid portrayal of what happens to a human being as it turns into a wolf and how much a human mind battles against this feral infection and finally slides down, defeated. The results of losing this battle are gory, horrific and tragic. The man who becomes a werewolf here has a family : a wife and son and they are part of an increasingly paranoid society under siege from the dreaded Germans. It is a tad like being family to someone who was diagnosed with the black death. This is a tragic story and one that weaves the werewolf myth into its fold. Solid tale – 5 stars.
The Wild Hunt by James A. Moore : What happens if you are an all-powerful werewolf but you are forced to watch an even bigger monster in the guise of man doing an absolutely terrible act ? How far would you go for revenge ? The lycans in this story are feral and capable of incredible violence and yet they are noble creatures. The monstrosity here is man and a clan of anthropomorphic werewolves avenge a dastardly act of three men in the most ingenious way possible. The humans in this story are quite good character studies with all their flaws and helpless rage in the face of a bestial adversary. The human characters also grow and evolve during the course of the tale thereby making it quite a strong tale. If we were to step beyond the regular horror tropes, this is also a strong short story about retribution and forgiveness. 5 stars.
The rating of 3 for this book is owing to the fact that only two stories from the lot stood out for their inventiveness and appeal. The rest of them are all pretty mediocre.
Taking Down the Top Cat by R.P.L. Johnson : A special forces raid on a drug cartel in South America comes across a beast that is unlike any living on this planet. There is a certain whiff of difference in this tale in terms of its unique monster and backstory which takes shape from Aztec myths. While not exactly a werewolf, the animal here is pure evil. 3 stars.
Skadi's Wolves by Kirsten Cross : The Saxon invasion of Britain is in full swing and a weakening legion finds itself battling a character straight out of the Norse myths. Skadi’s wolves has an atmosphere that befits a monster story : the incessant biting cold, a night that has a hint of brutality and in the darkness are eyes blazing with murderous fury while all you have are your swords to defend yourself. An entity stronger and fiercer than the gods of Asgard stands tall behind the wolves and the men standing in their way have very little hope of coming out of it alive. The story practically drips blood and deserves 3 stars for its atmosphere alone.
Semper Gumby by Steve Coate : Hand-to-hand combat with a werewolf in the desert. There is no preamble in this story and it jumps straight into action. There are times when I watch kungfu fight scenes from movies in YouTube without bothering with the story or the rest of the movie just for the kicks and this story gave such a feel. Soon as the tale is done, there isn’t much to remember. The wolf though is a very nasty one. 2 stars.
Ancient Ruins by John W. Dennehy : A group of rookie US Marines are on a recon mission in Beirut when they come across sporadic firing. On investigation, they determine that the fire was not directed at them but at the lycans. From then on it is bloody mayhem, firefights and hand-to-hand combat. While it looks fabulous on the outside, I had contentions with how this story was structured. Questions like : how did the lead character determine they were facing werewolves ? How did he know to use silver to battle them ? Where did they come from ? were all left hanging in the air. Not a very convincing tale even for one that features the lycans. 2 stars.
The Fenrir Project by David W. Amendola : That favourite haunt of most writers in the SNAFU anthologies : WWII and the Nazi obsession with the occult. A group of American tank teams along with an intelligence office chase a rogue German Panther tank and its team. The Germans are not what they seem at first and in a remote town in Germany, the two face off with violent results. It’s more of a so-so story. 2 stars.
Project Lupine by Brian W. Taylor : An experiment on lycanthropy in an isolated bio-lab, everything goes berserk and then it is Jurassic Park all over again ! The characters here are all rather wooden and clichéd : the macho soldier, the mad scientist, the helpless diva, the innocent victims and the slobbering monster looming over them all. If you have been through a few monster flicks, you will yawn away to glory here. No excitement. 1 star and the weakest card in the pack.
werwolf! by W.D. Gagliani & David Benton : This story begins life in a little village in Italy after they have surrendered during WWII. What sets this story apart from most of the others is that it focusses on character development. The werewolf is not a monster in here but a horrific mistake. It is only in this story that there is a solid portrayal of what happens to a human being as it turns into a wolf and how much a human mind battles against this feral infection and finally slides down, defeated. The results of losing this battle are gory, horrific and tragic. The man who becomes a werewolf here has a family : a wife and son and they are part of an increasingly paranoid society under siege from the dreaded Germans. It is a tad like being family to someone who was diagnosed with the black death. This is a tragic story and one that weaves the werewolf myth into its fold. Solid tale – 5 stars.
The Wild Hunt by James A. Moore : What happens if you are an all-powerful werewolf but you are forced to watch an even bigger monster in the guise of man doing an absolutely terrible act ? How far would you go for revenge ? The lycans in this story are feral and capable of incredible violence and yet they are noble creatures. The monstrosity here is man and a clan of anthropomorphic werewolves avenge a dastardly act of three men in the most ingenious way possible. The humans in this story are quite good character studies with all their flaws and helpless rage in the face of a bestial adversary. The human characters also grow and evolve during the course of the tale thereby making it quite a strong tale. If we were to step beyond the regular horror tropes, this is also a strong short story about retribution and forgiveness. 5 stars.
The rating of 3 for this book is owing to the fact that only two stories from the lot stood out for their inventiveness and appeal. The rest of them are all pretty mediocre.
February 6, 2015
SNAFU: Wolves at the Door
English Edition – Kindle – SNAFU (Book 3)
The name says it all! From ancient cultures to modern laboratories and throughout war – as the moon comes out so do the wolves.
This anthology contains 9 Stories of excellent military horror, each story with its own unique approach to the subject. It is in the nature of a short story, that the author doesn’t have much time to introduce the characters. The writers in this anthology solved this issue in an exemplary manner. Each character is introduced as the story goes on and in the moment the shit hits the fan, you have the feeling of knowing these guys for years. Very well done!
Each writer approaches the wolves in their unique way. But they have one thing in common: A dense story telling. The plots are very well developed in each story – absolutely convincing and full of atmosphere.
Fans of military horror, there is only one thing you can do: Read this book!
English Edition – Kindle – SNAFU (Book 3)
The name says it all! From ancient cultures to modern laboratories and throughout war – as the moon comes out so do the wolves.
This anthology contains 9 Stories of excellent military horror, each story with its own unique approach to the subject. It is in the nature of a short story, that the author doesn’t have much time to introduce the characters. The writers in this anthology solved this issue in an exemplary manner. Each character is introduced as the story goes on and in the moment the shit hits the fan, you have the feeling of knowing these guys for years. Very well done!
Each writer approaches the wolves in their unique way. But they have one thing in common: A dense story telling. The plots are very well developed in each story – absolutely convincing and full of atmosphere.
Fans of military horror, there is only one thing you can do: Read this book!
November 30, 2025
Reader beware, I will be reviewing each short story in this anthology. There will be spoilers.
This book is about what I expect from a SNAFU book: Great Horror Stories, authors with a sense of the dramatic and the macabre. I was a little disappointed that the stories didn't follow in the same vein of being military horror fiction that the other two were--however something refreshing every now and then is a good thing.
Taking Down the Top Cat by R.P.L. Johnson:
WOW! This was just plain awesome. It was not a werewolf story, but that little bit can be more than forgiven. I WANT MORE OF THIS AUTHOR! This story deals with a special forces drug raid. The target has set himself up as a sort of Olmec prince reincarnation to deal with the locals. Ok, cute little tidbit. . . until we find that he is in possession of an Olmec artifact that makes him a werecreature. Thankfully he also has the weapon that can kill him in his home and the chaos ensues. This story has excellent pacing, wonderful suspense with an awesome payoff. The little twist at the end will make you wonder, "Could there be more to this story?"
Skadi's Wolves by Kirsten Cross
First, I love historical fiction from the Roman occupation of Britain. Skadi's Wolves takes Norse mythology, Roman history, and legends of the Woad warriors, stirs them into a steaming cauldron and casts a spell that will have you riveted and begging for more. It is the story of the Woads asking for help with a problem. The Romans in their arrogance don't really grasp what is going on and end up being hunted by the werewolves and their mistress. It is a running fight until they reach the Roman Garrison. I wish that I could say that Roman courage and tactics always take the day, but you'll just have to read the story to find out.
Semper Gumby by Steve Coate
This story is drop you in, balls to the wall action, which is something I like. The one problem I have with fast paced action is that every once in a while you miss something. I might have. I want to know the basis for the yellowed fangs at the end of the story. So Steve, if you ever read this, a private email or two would be appreciated ;) That being said, our story jumps off with a military team on a C-130 headed out. A new guy asks about the knife one member is carrying, and a story is told. A silent hostage extraction which goes terribly wrong. Suffice to say that our Navajo hero and storyteller, Jack Howling Wolf, manages to find a silver knife and silver shackles to use as weapons. He puts them to good and unique use. The combat is well written and thought out. I'll let you find out how he gets out of the hot LZ.
Ancient Ruins by John W. Dennehy
I have to call this one a 4 star story. Brilliant concept exploring our issues with Palastine. There were so many ways this could have gone spectacular. I will give Mr. Dennehy credit that he may have had to do a lot of editing for space in the anthology. The story line is that a bunch of marines get out of an APC to engage the enemy and the situation goes from Oorah to Ashes real quick. Lots of awesome marine vs. lycan combat. It even features some tactical assessment on the part of the marines while trying to stay in the game. The story let me down when the ruins didn't play much more than a battle location in the events. I was hoping that the location had something to do with the lycan presence--maybe an ancient curse. What if the lycans were immortal and had been adding to their ranks from the time of Babylon? French Foreign Legion? I guess I'm a backstory guy. That being said, Ancient Ruins is still ONE GREAT STORY!
The Fenrir Project by David W. Amendola
Ok, this was one of the STRONGEST stories in the anthology. Amendola drops us into WWII with an American unit tasked with hunting down possible Nazi remnant units. The SS unit in question might have a special kind of tank. What makes this story special: 1. It's one of the all African American units from WWII. I thought that was a great touch. 2. At least one of the team is aware of the possibility of werewolves and is prepared, so there is none of the "AHHH, Monsters!" stuff. Really well thought out. I've laid down the premise, now you read the story.
Project Lupine by Brian W. Taylor
This story takes the biolab outbreak premise to a whole new level. Werewolves are not magical or mystical creatures here, they are the product of experimentation. I love that about this story. Now this is more private contractor vs. werewolf instead of military which threw me monkeywrench for a few seconds, but as I've said before that can be a good thing. I'll let you read this story to find out if the wolves escape or if the contractors are wiped out...
werewolf! by W.D. Gagliani & David Benton
A hybrid excerpt from W.D. Gagliani's Wolf's Edge
I MUST read the source of this story! This story deals with the end of the Nazi occupation of Italy and the partisan resistance groups. Hot action follows blazing battle scenes so captivating that you can literally taste the blood on your own fangs. The story is also a poignant moral story of a father who will do anything to protects his wife and son. It will leave you wondering what could have happened and was there another way for it to end?
Jester by Jennifer R. Povey
This is an interesting little tale. It deals with a pilot shot down over the English Channel who ends up helping a group of French werewolf resistance fighters. There are some moral delimma questions that had me shaking my head. Read this story and decide for yourself, "What would you do?"
The WIld Hunt by James A. Moore
This was another story that wasn't quite military, but definitely worthy of the SNAFU series. It deals with a group of hunters who've done something terrible to a clan of werewolves and how justice is served Lycan Style. The moral ambiguity of the issues involved, the mercy, and harshness of justice, the good and evil in each character is what makes this story great. There is honor and sacrifice as well as truth. The hunters are given the opportunity to survive a 10 mile run and if they do survive they get to live and leave. In many ways, each hunter must analyze his motives for his past actions and his current ones. I leave the next reader to decide if they made the right or wrong choices and if the punishment fit the crime.
This book is about what I expect from a SNAFU book: Great Horror Stories, authors with a sense of the dramatic and the macabre. I was a little disappointed that the stories didn't follow in the same vein of being military horror fiction that the other two were--however something refreshing every now and then is a good thing.
Taking Down the Top Cat by R.P.L. Johnson:
WOW! This was just plain awesome. It was not a werewolf story, but that little bit can be more than forgiven. I WANT MORE OF THIS AUTHOR! This story deals with a special forces drug raid. The target has set himself up as a sort of Olmec prince reincarnation to deal with the locals. Ok, cute little tidbit. . . until we find that he is in possession of an Olmec artifact that makes him a werecreature. Thankfully he also has the weapon that can kill him in his home and the chaos ensues. This story has excellent pacing, wonderful suspense with an awesome payoff. The little twist at the end will make you wonder, "Could there be more to this story?"
Skadi's Wolves by Kirsten Cross
First, I love historical fiction from the Roman occupation of Britain. Skadi's Wolves takes Norse mythology, Roman history, and legends of the Woad warriors, stirs them into a steaming cauldron and casts a spell that will have you riveted and begging for more. It is the story of the Woads asking for help with a problem. The Romans in their arrogance don't really grasp what is going on and end up being hunted by the werewolves and their mistress. It is a running fight until they reach the Roman Garrison. I wish that I could say that Roman courage and tactics always take the day, but you'll just have to read the story to find out.
Semper Gumby by Steve Coate
This story is drop you in, balls to the wall action, which is something I like. The one problem I have with fast paced action is that every once in a while you miss something. I might have. I want to know the basis for the yellowed fangs at the end of the story. So Steve, if you ever read this, a private email or two would be appreciated ;) That being said, our story jumps off with a military team on a C-130 headed out. A new guy asks about the knife one member is carrying, and a story is told. A silent hostage extraction which goes terribly wrong. Suffice to say that our Navajo hero and storyteller, Jack Howling Wolf, manages to find a silver knife and silver shackles to use as weapons. He puts them to good and unique use. The combat is well written and thought out. I'll let you find out how he gets out of the hot LZ.
Ancient Ruins by John W. Dennehy
I have to call this one a 4 star story. Brilliant concept exploring our issues with Palastine. There were so many ways this could have gone spectacular. I will give Mr. Dennehy credit that he may have had to do a lot of editing for space in the anthology. The story line is that a bunch of marines get out of an APC to engage the enemy and the situation goes from Oorah to Ashes real quick. Lots of awesome marine vs. lycan combat. It even features some tactical assessment on the part of the marines while trying to stay in the game. The story let me down when the ruins didn't play much more than a battle location in the events. I was hoping that the location had something to do with the lycan presence--maybe an ancient curse. What if the lycans were immortal and had been adding to their ranks from the time of Babylon? French Foreign Legion? I guess I'm a backstory guy. That being said, Ancient Ruins is still ONE GREAT STORY!
The Fenrir Project by David W. Amendola
Ok, this was one of the STRONGEST stories in the anthology. Amendola drops us into WWII with an American unit tasked with hunting down possible Nazi remnant units. The SS unit in question might have a special kind of tank. What makes this story special: 1. It's one of the all African American units from WWII. I thought that was a great touch. 2. At least one of the team is aware of the possibility of werewolves and is prepared, so there is none of the "AHHH, Monsters!" stuff. Really well thought out. I've laid down the premise, now you read the story.
Project Lupine by Brian W. Taylor
This story takes the biolab outbreak premise to a whole new level. Werewolves are not magical or mystical creatures here, they are the product of experimentation. I love that about this story. Now this is more private contractor vs. werewolf instead of military which threw me monkeywrench for a few seconds, but as I've said before that can be a good thing. I'll let you read this story to find out if the wolves escape or if the contractors are wiped out...
werewolf! by W.D. Gagliani & David Benton
A hybrid excerpt from W.D. Gagliani's Wolf's Edge
I MUST read the source of this story! This story deals with the end of the Nazi occupation of Italy and the partisan resistance groups. Hot action follows blazing battle scenes so captivating that you can literally taste the blood on your own fangs. The story is also a poignant moral story of a father who will do anything to protects his wife and son. It will leave you wondering what could have happened and was there another way for it to end?
Jester by Jennifer R. Povey
This is an interesting little tale. It deals with a pilot shot down over the English Channel who ends up helping a group of French werewolf resistance fighters. There are some moral delimma questions that had me shaking my head. Read this story and decide for yourself, "What would you do?"
The WIld Hunt by James A. Moore
This was another story that wasn't quite military, but definitely worthy of the SNAFU series. It deals with a group of hunters who've done something terrible to a clan of werewolves and how justice is served Lycan Style. The moral ambiguity of the issues involved, the mercy, and harshness of justice, the good and evil in each character is what makes this story great. There is honor and sacrifice as well as truth. The hunters are given the opportunity to survive a 10 mile run and if they do survive they get to live and leave. In many ways, each hunter must analyze his motives for his past actions and his current ones. I leave the next reader to decide if they made the right or wrong choices and if the punishment fit the crime.
November 26, 2021
This was a wonderful collection overall, however uneven in quality and content type it was. One thing that was consistent: every story had at least one werewolf, most of which were bad news for humans. That's about all that tied these stories together.
The stories in the first half of the book tended to have a stronger military component in them than the stories in the last half. The stories in the first half also tended to be shorter. Breaking them down one by one:
"Taking Down the Top Cat"
R.P.L. Johnson
3.5 stars, 9% of the book
Modern day Special Forces ops try to take down a Latin American drug lord but get more than they bargained for.
"Skadi's Wolves"
Kirsten Cross
4 stars, 7% of the book
Set in northern England in 927 A.D., cudos to Cross for that alone. This was great historical, military horror fiction with unexpected twists. Well paced with nice, atmospheric writing.
"Semper Gumby"
Steve Coate
3 stars, 3%
Too short of a story without much characterization about an operation that went bad in Iraq War.
"Ancient Ruins"
John W. Dennehy
2.5 stars, 7%
Action only story that is really short on characterization. A U.N. mission of U.S. Marines takes incoming from Palestinians in the occupied territories. To make matters worse, the Palestinians have a werewolf on their side.
"The Fenrir Project"
David W. Amendola
3 stars, 7%
World War II story. Well written with lots of action, but not that memorable. It blurs in with the other soldiers on patrol encounter a werewolf stories.
"Project Lupine"
Brian W. Taylor
3 stars, 8%
This is the last action packed, low characterization soldiers encounter werewolf story. The last 59% of the book really picks up from here.
"Werwolf!"
W.D. Gagliani & David Benton
4 stars, 19%
The only collaboration story in the collection. It takes place near the end of WW II in northern Italy. A civilian Italian tries to avoid being shanghaied into Nazi service, then has to fight his way back to his wife through Germans, allied bombs, and then werewolves. Great historical period piece.
"Jester"
Jennifer R. Povey
4 stars, 4%
Another WW II story, it's the shortest in the collection. A British pilot shot down behind enemy lines has to evade capture and try to make his way back through coastal France to friendly territory. Will he make it, or will the Nazis get another POW? Is the werewolf he encounters friend or foe? This was really exciting and taught me a lot about what pilots had to contend with.
"The Wild Hunt"
James A. Moore
5 stars, 36%
The best and longest (over a third of the book) story was saved for last. A group of friends on a hunting trip and drinking too much hit a wolf with their vehicle. Just a road kill, right? Nope. She was a werewolf and had a mate and pack friends. This is a great revenge story, completely unpredictable, with the vivid Stephen King like characterizations that make this story vintage James A. Moore. Some might feel things were a little loose and sloppy plotwise at certain points. But I was so into the story I forgave all that. This was another riveting read from one of my all time favorite authors.
The stories in the first half of the book tended to have a stronger military component in them than the stories in the last half. The stories in the first half also tended to be shorter. Breaking them down one by one:
"Taking Down the Top Cat"
R.P.L. Johnson
3.5 stars, 9% of the book
Modern day Special Forces ops try to take down a Latin American drug lord but get more than they bargained for.
"Skadi's Wolves"
Kirsten Cross
4 stars, 7% of the book
Set in northern England in 927 A.D., cudos to Cross for that alone. This was great historical, military horror fiction with unexpected twists. Well paced with nice, atmospheric writing.
"Semper Gumby"
Steve Coate
3 stars, 3%
Too short of a story without much characterization about an operation that went bad in Iraq War.
"Ancient Ruins"
John W. Dennehy
2.5 stars, 7%
Action only story that is really short on characterization. A U.N. mission of U.S. Marines takes incoming from Palestinians in the occupied territories. To make matters worse, the Palestinians have a werewolf on their side.
"The Fenrir Project"
David W. Amendola
3 stars, 7%
World War II story. Well written with lots of action, but not that memorable. It blurs in with the other soldiers on patrol encounter a werewolf stories.
"Project Lupine"
Brian W. Taylor
3 stars, 8%
This is the last action packed, low characterization soldiers encounter werewolf story. The last 59% of the book really picks up from here.
"Werwolf!"
W.D. Gagliani & David Benton
4 stars, 19%
The only collaboration story in the collection. It takes place near the end of WW II in northern Italy. A civilian Italian tries to avoid being shanghaied into Nazi service, then has to fight his way back to his wife through Germans, allied bombs, and then werewolves. Great historical period piece.
"Jester"
Jennifer R. Povey
4 stars, 4%
Another WW II story, it's the shortest in the collection. A British pilot shot down behind enemy lines has to evade capture and try to make his way back through coastal France to friendly territory. Will he make it, or will the Nazis get another POW? Is the werewolf he encounters friend or foe? This was really exciting and taught me a lot about what pilots had to contend with.
"The Wild Hunt"
James A. Moore
5 stars, 36%
The best and longest (over a third of the book) story was saved for last. A group of friends on a hunting trip and drinking too much hit a wolf with their vehicle. Just a road kill, right? Nope. She was a werewolf and had a mate and pack friends. This is a great revenge story, completely unpredictable, with the vivid Stephen King like characterizations that make this story vintage James A. Moore. Some might feel things were a little loose and sloppy plotwise at certain points. But I was so into the story I forgave all that. This was another riveting read from one of my all time favorite authors.
March 9, 2015
In the interest of disclosure, I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
SNAFU has become a series of military horror books about which I look forward to hearing news of new releases. This book had me doubly excited. A proven series dealing with the subject of my favorite sort of creature, the lycanthrope.
The stories were consistent throughout the volume, though this time the spectrum seemed a bit more widespread, from military horror in the more accepted sense to a more urban fantasy werewolf vibe in the final James
A Moore tale "The Wild Hunt." That said, the tales were very good from start to finish, with particular standouts being Moore as mentioned previously, and the W D Gagliani/David Benton tale Werwolf! I have nothing against UF shapeshifters, but my preference for the use of the lycanthrope in fiction is to see it as the ravening beast, and I got a lot of that here. It was refreshing to read, I'll be honest.
The recommendation for this series continues. Each book in the series has been a great addition to my library and well worth the time reading them. I was pleased to see there is a 4th volume coming later this year. I'm eagerly awaiting that volume.
SNAFU has become a series of military horror books about which I look forward to hearing news of new releases. This book had me doubly excited. A proven series dealing with the subject of my favorite sort of creature, the lycanthrope.
The stories were consistent throughout the volume, though this time the spectrum seemed a bit more widespread, from military horror in the more accepted sense to a more urban fantasy werewolf vibe in the final James
A Moore tale "The Wild Hunt." That said, the tales were very good from start to finish, with particular standouts being Moore as mentioned previously, and the W D Gagliani/David Benton tale Werwolf! I have nothing against UF shapeshifters, but my preference for the use of the lycanthrope in fiction is to see it as the ravening beast, and I got a lot of that here. It was refreshing to read, I'll be honest.
The recommendation for this series continues. Each book in the series has been a great addition to my library and well worth the time reading them. I was pleased to see there is a 4th volume coming later this year. I'm eagerly awaiting that volume.
April 9, 2025
A fun action-packed read
Another awesome collection of military horror. You can never go wrong with a werewolf story. Looking forward to next anthology.
Another awesome collection of military horror. You can never go wrong with a werewolf story. Looking forward to next anthology.
November 24, 2015
A fast paced horror that doesn't have an angsty teenager in sight. This is a book that will keep you turning pages as you explore each story, all different, all brilliant, as you shudder in fear and wonder if that is a noise downstairs...
Certainly clever, great characters, even better monsters. The wolves are certainly beating down the door!
Certainly clever, great characters, even better monsters. The wolves are certainly beating down the door!
November 9, 2019
Anthology books always have an uphill battle. Even if you check and double check the stories, make sure they're all top-notch and of the finest quality, some stories just aren't going to suit everyone. That is the very nature of these collections.
I'm not gonna go through the whole thing and give my opinion on all the stories, that'd take too long. I'll just say that overall I came away from this a bit disappointed. The first SNAFU was uneven but I still remember some stories fondly, such as the one with a boy ghost and the cannon. And I remember some stories, such as the opening, Cthulhu-inspired run and gun story poorly. But the key word here is remember.
I finished reading SNAFU: Wolves at the Door yesterday and I would struggle to remember any of the stories particularly well. The ones I do remember well were the ones that just went on for too damn long. Two of the stories combined made up more than half of the collection... HALF! Meanwhile, other stories barely got started before they ended and at one point I thought I had somehow skipped a big chunk of the story because it just kind of... ended.
And a lot of stories were incredibly similar. As soon as I read it was set during World War 2, my eyes practically glazed over and the story became infinitely less interesting. But that's not necessarily such a big problem, in and of itself, World War 2 is a pretty natural go-to for military stories but the fact that the theme of this SNAFU was so strict meant they all followed a very similar route. Very few took any risk when it came to the depiction of werewolves and only one even dared to have a different animal motif which is lame as hell.
Yeah, I realize the name of the book is "Wolves at the Door" but that could easily have been changed.
I'll admit werewolves don't really interest me like they used to so for the theme to be that was always going to be a dud for me. But I was hoping that it could do some interesting things with it but... well, I honestly can't say I think it did. The only story that stood out to me was the very last one, The Wild Hunt, and even then I felt it went for just way too long. There came an ending and then it just sort of... continued which annoyed the hell out of me.
But hey, that's just my opinion. If you want a bunch of stories about burly men shooting at furry men, then it'll fit you quite nicely.
I'm not gonna go through the whole thing and give my opinion on all the stories, that'd take too long. I'll just say that overall I came away from this a bit disappointed. The first SNAFU was uneven but I still remember some stories fondly, such as the one with a boy ghost and the cannon. And I remember some stories, such as the opening, Cthulhu-inspired run and gun story poorly. But the key word here is remember.
I finished reading SNAFU: Wolves at the Door yesterday and I would struggle to remember any of the stories particularly well. The ones I do remember well were the ones that just went on for too damn long. Two of the stories combined made up more than half of the collection... HALF! Meanwhile, other stories barely got started before they ended and at one point I thought I had somehow skipped a big chunk of the story because it just kind of... ended.
And a lot of stories were incredibly similar. As soon as I read it was set during World War 2, my eyes practically glazed over and the story became infinitely less interesting. But that's not necessarily such a big problem, in and of itself, World War 2 is a pretty natural go-to for military stories but the fact that the theme of this SNAFU was so strict meant they all followed a very similar route. Very few took any risk when it came to the depiction of werewolves and only one even dared to have a different animal motif which is lame as hell.
Yeah, I realize the name of the book is "Wolves at the Door" but that could easily have been changed.
I'll admit werewolves don't really interest me like they used to so for the theme to be that was always going to be a dud for me. But I was hoping that it could do some interesting things with it but... well, I honestly can't say I think it did. The only story that stood out to me was the very last one, The Wild Hunt, and even then I felt it went for just way too long. There came an ending and then it just sort of... continued which annoyed the hell out of me.
But hey, that's just my opinion. If you want a bunch of stories about burly men shooting at furry men, then it'll fit you quite nicely.
August 29, 2022
A little drop in review for this novel in the series. It definitely lives up to the title, dogs, dogs, and yet more werewolves/dogs. From WWII to current times the mythology and superstition of werewolves are carried out very well in these short stories. Not every story should be considered a classic, but for the most part, they are all worth the read. Even if you do not follow on to read more from that particular author, these novellas are still worth your time.
March 11, 2024
Sort of mixed bag
This wasn’t my favorite of these anthologies …I did enjoy it though except for the last story. I just couldn’t finish it. Too long, too gruesome, and people just don’t behave that way. It was awful. Sort of left me with a bad taste for the collection, but in general they weren’t bad.
This wasn’t my favorite of these anthologies …I did enjoy it though except for the last story. I just couldn’t finish it. Too long, too gruesome, and people just don’t behave that way. It was awful. Sort of left me with a bad taste for the collection, but in general they weren’t bad.
May 20, 2021
The Wild Hunt made the book.
This series is amazing. Every time I pick up a SNAFU I know I'm gonna be spending some quality time with a good book. Flat out, the wild hunt needs to be a freaking movie.
This series is amazing. Every time I pick up a SNAFU I know I'm gonna be spending some quality time with a good book. Flat out, the wild hunt needs to be a freaking movie.
May 31, 2018
Good group of stories if you are into werewolves. Scary, suspenseful stories written by some of the best in the horror field.
December 19, 2020
Fun read
Got a little tiresome with the same monster in each story, but the variations kept them interesting. The last story was superb.
Got a little tiresome with the same monster in each story, but the variations kept them interesting. The last story was superb.
January 13, 2021
Worth it for the Moore story alone
Giving this 5 stars because the James Moore novella at the end just did it for me. Pretty damn good.
Giving this 5 stars because the James Moore novella at the end just did it for me. Pretty damn good.
August 4, 2022
drowning in fur and claws
Reading too many story’s with the same enemy type gets old real fast. I should space it out instead bing reading it.
Reading too many story’s with the same enemy type gets old real fast. I should space it out instead bing reading it.
October 21, 2023
Howling good
I love these short stories, each one giving a unique twist to a particular human drama. Very interesting to read.
I love these short stories, each one giving a unique twist to a particular human drama. Very interesting to read.
October 29, 2024
A really great read
Really enjoyed the stories and the writing. Each story written well with believable and interesting characters. A really goid series of books I highly recommend.
Really enjoyed the stories and the writing. Each story written well with believable and interesting characters. A really goid series of books I highly recommend.
February 3, 2015
Review copy
G. N. Braun at Cohesion Press has discovered a formula for anthology gold. It all began in August of 2014 with the release of the original SNAFU anthology. The idea was to combine a military story with horror. In the original there were all kinds of monsters, then in November we were given SNAFU: Heroes, again with a wide variety of monsters. I loved both books and are both still available for purchase.
This time, it's SNAFU: Wolves at the Door. The overall idea is the same, military stories with a touch of horror, but the monsters are limited to werewolves and by the time I got the the end I was actually a bit tired of this sub-genre. SNAFU: Wolves at the Door contains 8 shorts and then a novella length story from James A. Moore to wrap it all up.
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed this volume in the SNAFU series. There were some very good tales here.
It starts with a very entertaining story from R.P.L. Johnson. "Taking Down the Top Cat," about a military unit tracking down a drug kingpin into Olmec artifacts. The action comes fast and furious and the writing is top notch. "Suddenly he became very aware of his place on the food chain and knew it was not the top."
"Skadi's Wolves," by Kirsten Cross features Norse mythology, an epic battle, and the unexpected.
David W. Amendola's, "The Fenrir Project," is the obligatory, but effective tale of a German project to create super-soldiers.
The best of the bunch is saved for last in the form of a novella from James A. Moore. This one story alone is worth the purchase price. It's like getting the other eight tales for free. "The Wild Hunt," is about a group of werewolves that have been wronged and the lengths they go to to get their revenge. At times dark and visceral, I found it to be a fresh and original werewolf story.
SNAFU: Wolves at the Door is available now from Cohesion Press through Amazon.com. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this one at no additional charge. Plus, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can borrow this book for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
Recommended.
G. N. Braun at Cohesion Press has discovered a formula for anthology gold. It all began in August of 2014 with the release of the original SNAFU anthology. The idea was to combine a military story with horror. In the original there were all kinds of monsters, then in November we were given SNAFU: Heroes, again with a wide variety of monsters. I loved both books and are both still available for purchase.
This time, it's SNAFU: Wolves at the Door. The overall idea is the same, military stories with a touch of horror, but the monsters are limited to werewolves and by the time I got the the end I was actually a bit tired of this sub-genre. SNAFU: Wolves at the Door contains 8 shorts and then a novella length story from James A. Moore to wrap it all up.
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed this volume in the SNAFU series. There were some very good tales here.
It starts with a very entertaining story from R.P.L. Johnson. "Taking Down the Top Cat," about a military unit tracking down a drug kingpin into Olmec artifacts. The action comes fast and furious and the writing is top notch. "Suddenly he became very aware of his place on the food chain and knew it was not the top."
"Skadi's Wolves," by Kirsten Cross features Norse mythology, an epic battle, and the unexpected.
David W. Amendola's, "The Fenrir Project," is the obligatory, but effective tale of a German project to create super-soldiers.
The best of the bunch is saved for last in the form of a novella from James A. Moore. This one story alone is worth the purchase price. It's like getting the other eight tales for free. "The Wild Hunt," is about a group of werewolves that have been wronged and the lengths they go to to get their revenge. At times dark and visceral, I found it to be a fresh and original werewolf story.
SNAFU: Wolves at the Door is available now from Cohesion Press through Amazon.com. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this one at no additional charge. Plus, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can borrow this book for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
Recommended.
July 9, 2021
They had some good, short stories. I would've rated it a 4-star book, but I've never been big into werewolves.
June 2, 2016
I think that I am on the fourth installment in the SNAFU collection of anthologies, maybe fifth, but anyway its obvious I am addicted and enjoying them. With this latest one however, I am not giving it five stars without finding fault. The first two stories I had actually read before in different SNAFU anthologies (or it might have been the Sampler), so I breezed over those to get to the new material. Note, however if 'Wolves' is the first book you delve into then you will not have this issue. If however you devour everything SNAFU, you may be a little miffed. Anyway, into the third tale, I was off on a roll of fur, fangs, claws and ammunition. There are quite a few tales in the anthology that keep the interest and get the blood racing, I will admit but the last story....Okay, so the SNAFU collection introduced me to James A. Moore as a fabulous writer, sparked the interest and what not, but his story "The Wild Hunt" blew me away. In the other stories you find some chills and some horror but in that last story you get shaken down to the core. I could never have guessed which way the narrative was headed and he didn't exactly make it easy. Detailing revenge, the nature of a hunter, the nature of a psychopath, the meaning of justice and brutality, Mr. Moore is the classic example of how to hook readers into your brand through shorts and anthologies. This is by no means a discouragement to the other authors in the book. The other stories were very much engaging, well written and enjoyable to read...the last story however is still gnawing at my brain and causing me to tremble.
October 18, 2016
Disclaimer: This book was one of many I read as a judge for the 2015 Aurealis Awards. This review is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
Short review: consistent, but only in being uninspiring and icky. Unlike the previous SNAFU anthology I had read, where I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of writing, this just failed. There are so many interesting things that could be done with the werewolf myth in a military setting, but this set of stories appeared completely fixated on a single (dull) variation.
Unfortunately, I didn't make specific story notes.
Short review: consistent, but only in being uninspiring and icky. Unlike the previous SNAFU anthology I had read, where I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of writing, this just failed. There are so many interesting things that could be done with the werewolf myth in a military setting, but this set of stories appeared completely fixated on a single (dull) variation.
Unfortunately, I didn't make specific story notes.
January 30, 2017
I've been enjoying the SNAFU series and usually like (non-romantic) werewolf fiction, but the stories in this volume, while all good, began to feel a bit samey. The best were the first ("Taking Down the Top Cat" by RPL Johnson) and last stories (James A Moore's "The Wild Hunt"). Good stuff, but maybe take it in sensible bites rather than consuming the whole thing at once.
February 16, 2015
Not my type of book
I really tried but I don't really care for short stories like this. I expected something different which it truly was but no real plots. The ending really didn't end right.
I really tried but I don't really care for short stories like this. I expected something different which it truly was but no real plots. The ending really didn't end right.
Read
February 3, 2016Read for judging.
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