Savage Waters: A Cryptozoologist Keepers Novella

by Ian Gielen

Kakadu National Park. One of Australia's great national wonders. A place where beauty and danger coexist. A place to explore only for those who are well prepared. But there's no amount of preparation that can save those who encounter the predator lurking in its deepest, wildest depths.

For years, tourists have been reported missing there, their families given explanations that never quite fit. When a new wave of disappearances is reported in the swampland region, a mercenary team is sent in covertly to uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, Kate and Rob—documentary makers and creators of the wildly popular Cryptozoologist Keepers website—receive a report of a mysterious creature seen in the same remote location and decide to investigate.

What the mercenary squad discovers, and what Kate and Rob capture on film, may very well challenge everything humanity believes about the natural world.

Savage Waters is the first in a series of thrilling standalone stories connected through the investigations of those who work for Cryptozoologist Keepers.

Genres: Horror, Folklore

146 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2026

About the author

A horror fan since childhood, Ian embraces his inner geek with pride, his dedication displayed in the intimidating collection of horror novels and video games that threaten to take over his living space.

He is mad for all things Alien, Star Wars, and cats, his furry companions always there to keep him company as he scribbles down his latest ideas.

He's a father in Melbourne, Australia, sharing his home with his partner, two stepdaughters, and four cats. The sheer number of furry and human companions in his life might be enough to drive anyone a little crazy.

You can follow his writing journey on Facebook at - Ian Gielen - Author

Reviews

[Leon Scheppink]

My scoring system
⭐ Don't quit your day job
⭐⭐ It was tough to finish
⭐⭐⭐ A solid read
⭐⭐⭐⭐ That was fun!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I need more. If you don't give it, I'm going to kidnap you Misery-style, without shattering your ankles, of course.

This book has two more or less seperate storylines, woven together. The premise is an interesting one and the typical banter, mainly used in the first part (think Dog Soldiers) works well. The change in storylines seemed somewhat abrupt but it worked out in the end.
The subject matter, the Bunyip, is well chosen: the Australian cryptid is certainly one of the lesser knowns, but a fascinating one and it's refreshing to see something relatively unique.

The story did have some issues though: the pacing is a bit off at times, some parts dragging along a bit. Also, the emotional responses when faced with certain situations was a bit off at times, especially in the first part.

I had an idea where things would go, assuming this is going to be a series, but I was wrong so that's always a bonus. 😉

Curious about what will be next.

[Don Anelli]

For the most part, this was a really strong and likable effort. The effective storyline offers two competing plots in the form of a series of strange animal attacks taking place in the remote Australian wilderness that requires a special covert team to go trace the creature and stop it from attacking others, before turning into a series of adventures following the cryptid enthusiasts trying to track it down themselves. There's a lot to like here with how this is structured, involving the different stories coming together, focusing the first half of this one on the series of attacks taking place and getting to know the various members of the team while undergoing a series of typically engaging series of interactions between the team members that help to make them more relatable.

The creature itself is also quite fun, using some genuine bits of folklore about its history and backstory in a unique location, which makes everything feel quite enjoyable. This one develops a series of encounters that are really likable, with the abilities of the creature brought up to engage in several solid sequences of the team getting wiped out that result in some intriguing setpieces full of solid gore in its kills. The descriptive parts of the park and the interactions that take place are light and breezy enough to get a clear idea of what's going on, as it generates the kind of atmospheric touch that works incredibly well here, even though the main issue here is that the pacing is a bit off at times, with some parts dragging along a bit in the first part. The mercenary team is fine to follow along with and get to know, but parts of this are pretty slow-going, getting through the interactions on display, which can be a bit long for something of this type of novella-style length. Either way, this is not much of a detriment to this in the slightest.

4.5/5

[Jennifer Lindsey]

This was such a fun, cryptic story! I loved getting to experience the events from the perspectives of several different groups of people, including military personnel, ordinary families, and documentary filmmakers. Each group brings a different perspective to the same terrifying story, and no matter who is telling it, one thing remains the same: there is a savage, brutal beast lurking in the territory.
This creature is absolutely merciless. It answers to no one, fears nothing, and will let absolutely nobody pass through its domain. The tension builds as each group encounters the same terrifying threat in their own way, making you wonder just how anyone is going to survive.
The story is fast-paced, dripping with blood, and filled with a constant sense of dread. There is always this feeling that something horrific is just waiting around the corner. If you’re looking for a quick, brutal read with plenty of mystery, gore, and a terrifying creature, this one definitely delivers!

[Angel Medina]

I'm a real sucker for creature horror and this one impressed. We got ourselves some Australian creature horror, which is awesome since I get a different flavor. Ian has evolved as an author. He knows that I love my creature horror and delivered a thrilling experience with plenty of suspense and brutal kills as a proper creature horror should have. I was impressed by the vivid details of the Australian wilderness. Those little details take a great story to one that I remember.

I'm also impressed that this novella was born from a short story that was improved upon. It shows that this story had potential and I'm glad that Ian stood with it. This might be one of his best stories yet aside from Unholy Blood. I truly enjoyed this one!

[Robin Ginther-Venneri]

💀 ROBIN’S REVIEW: THE AUTOPSY OF SAVAGE WATERS

Savage Waters by Ian Gielen

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀

🪦 THE BODY
Australia already has enough things trying to kill you.
Apparently Mr. Ian Gielen looked at that situation and thought, “Needs one more.”
That should tell you everything you need to know about the level of concern I had while reading Savage Waters.
This is one of those stories where the scenery is gorgeous right up until you remember that beautiful remote places are also excellent locations for becoming a cautionary tale.
Very picturesque.
Very peaceful.
Very much no thank you.

🔪 FIRST INCISION

The book wastes very little time setting up the feeling that something is terribly wrong.
You get just enough normalcy to settle in before the story starts quietly removing every reason you had to feel comfortable.
I appreciated that.
By appreciated, I mean I immediately began judging everyone’s life choices.
There comes a point in certain horror stories where sensible readers know the correct response is to leave.
These people did not consult me.

🩸 THE AUTOPSY

What worked for me most was the way the danger keeps growing without turning into complete nonsense.
There is a believable edge to the threat that makes it much worse.
I can handle ridiculous monsters.
Give me something that feels even slightly plausible and suddenly I am reconsidering vacations, hiking, camping, and nature in general.
The story also does a good job of keeping several moving parts going without making everything feel overcrowded.
Different perspectives give the situation more depth and make the eventual overlap feel earned.
Meanwhile, I was just sitting there waiting for everyone involved to realize they had made a terrible career choice.

🫀 STILL HAD A PULSE

The cast worked for me because they felt like actual people rather than disposable snacks with names.
That is always dangerous.
The second I start liking someone in horror, I know I have made a tactical error.
There is good banter, enough personality to keep everyone distinct, and plenty of moments where I genuinely cared what happened next.
Again, unfortunate.
I prefer emotional detachment when large unknown predators are involved.

🦴 WHAT BROKE

For such a short book, there is a lot happening.
A couple of transitions made me mentally reorient myself for a second, but overall the story moves quickly and keeps its claws in.
Honestly, the bigger problem was that 146 pages went by much faster than I expected.
That feels less like a complaint and more like Mr. Gielen owes me additional pages.

☠️ CAUSE OF DEATH

Savage Waters is exactly the kind of creature horror I enjoy.
Fast, tense, nasty when it needs to be, and just grounded enough to make you wonder whether staying indoors forever might actually be a reasonable lifestyle choice.
Mr. Ian Gielen clearly understands that the best cryptid stories do not just make you afraid of the monster.
They make you afraid of the place where the monster might be.
And Australia did not need the help.
If this is where the Cryptozoologist Keepers Universe is starting, I am very interested to see what fresh nightmare gets dragged out next.
Preferably somewhere I was never planning to visit.

Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review

[J.M. Horn]

Bunyip running amok.

First time reading Ian Gielen's work and it didn't disappoint.

Gielen did a great job of breathing life into the Bunyip. From the folklore to the creature itself. Love diving into cryptids in other parts of the world. The Australia setting was the cherry on top.

The cast of characters were solid and the plot was straigh forward. The only knock was the intermingling of the military team and the cryptid researchers. The transition felt off and took me out of the story by slowing the pacing down until the end. It would have felt more coherent had the research team introduction been at the beginning then followed things from there.

Looking forward to continuing on with the series for Cryptozoologist Keepers.

[Ginger Kat]

This book was basically two stories. One followed a group of professionals investigating some disappearances in the wilderness. The other follows two content creators investigating cryptoids. I preferred the parts about the professionals, but the book overall wasn't bad. I had never heard of a bunyip before, so it was cool to be introduced to that creature here. The setting of the Australian wilderness was cool, and there were plenty of gore and kills. I'm always a sucker for a good monster story, so I enjoyed my time here. I received a free copy of this story and write this review voluntarily.

[Shanda]

Crypids are one of my absolute favorites. And Ian did not disappointme. The story is broken down into two parts. First part follows a group of mercenaries as they look for tourists that have disappeared in Kakadu National Park. The second part follows a couple of cryptozoologist as they search for the bunyip.
I've never been to Kakadu National Park but the way it was described was perfectly detailed. I could picture the scenes and felt like I was walking alongside everyone. The characters were very well written and I enjoyed following their journey.
I've read a few books by Ian and they keep getting better and better. Can't wait for the next one!!

[Wendy Armitage]

Once I was finally able to sit down and read the book, I was hooked. I loved how the story follows two separate parts and eventually comes together as one in the end. This was done really well.

“This place is wrong. Bad things live here. You go deeper, you won’t come back.”

This quote gave me some creepy vibes and you just know that the characters should have listened. It also captures the atmosphere within the book.

And honestly, if a Bunyip is living in Kakadu it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest!

I received a free ARC copy from the author and this is my honest review.

[Stacy Rowe]

Legendary Cryptoid? Ian has a way with writing about a cryptoid. It is not this fake hairy beat no one has seen. This is a beast that will protext his land at all coat. If dare to hunt or cross its teritory there will be consequnces. Hikers missing, secret military mission gone wrong and Cryptoidzoologists seek to discover fame. The story line is great. No harm to kids or domestic animals if those are triggers. Highly recommend.

[Christine]

Review to come.

[Stefanie Dawn]

WhaaaaAAAATT!? I was not prepared for this read lol.

I thought I was ready for what this novella held, I was wrong.

And very happy to be wrong! The last couple of chapters will live rent free in my mind!

Will definitely be reading more from Ian!

[Mickey]

This one is split into two parts, and I was hooked from the very first page.
The prologue throws us straight into the Australian wilderness with two brothers on a hiking trip... and let's just say things go downhill very quickly. Yikes.
Part One follows an ex-military team heading into the same national park to investigate the growing number of missing hikers. Then Part Two switches gears completely, following a pair of amateur cryptid investigators convinced a creature is lurking out there picking people off.
The premise? Absolutely my kind of book. Give me creepy forests, missing people, mysterious creatures and locals warning outsiders to stay away, and I'm happy.

The atmosphere is where this book really shines. The Australian setting feels wild, isolated and genuinely unsettling. I may have spent half the book Googling things because Australia is apparently determined to invent the most terrifying wildlife possible and giving everything crazy names. A goanna? A billabong? "English, motherfuckers. Do you speak it?" (I'm kidding... mostly.)
The writing is strong throughout, the tension builds nicely, and I was completely invested in where everything was heading.
Unfortunately, that's also where my biggest issue comes in.
Just as the ex-military team's story really gets going, we jump to Part Two. Then, right near the end, we suddenly rejoin what's left of that original team... except we never actually see what happened to them. We don't witness how they survived, what they faced, or how everything unfolded. It felt like I'd skipped a chunk of the book by accident.
For me, that missing piece stopped this from being a five-star read because I desperately wanted to experience that section instead of just hearing the aftermath.
Still, if you're after a tense cryptid creature feature with creepy forests, survival horror and an Australian backdrop that'll have you questioning whether you should ever leave your house, this is definitely worth checking out.

🩸 The Panic Verdict: A brilliantly atmospheric creature feature that had me gripped from the start, but one missing chunk of the story left me wanting more.

[Darren]

Hey there, book lovers! It’s your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes Loves Books Headquarters. Today, I am looking at Ian Gielen’s Savage Waters. I have coffee in my system and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

Cryptids- is there anything better? They are all over the world. Every country has a cryptid or two (or three or four), even Australia. I’ve seen pictures of some of the critters they have, and the question I have is, “How can you tell the difference?” Now, to be fair, I am not besmirching Australia or its wildlife at all. Far from it. But there was a picture of a spider on a wall that took up the whole wall. At first, I thought it was fake until I saw a few videos of the same kind of spider scurrying (does something that big scurry?) and I am convinced that they have scary critters.

Then Ian Gielen released his book, Savage Waters, and he gave us something even more terrifying to consider. The thing in question requires a mercenary team to investigate, and it would not be a horror novel if things did not go sideways. And they do go sideways. When this thing attacks, you might as well put your head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye. Think of the scariest thing you can; I’ll wait. Got it in your mind? Okay, that scary thing is small potatoes compared to what this team is investigating. Add to the mix a couple of cryptid hunters, and what can go wrong? Well, as it turns out, how do I put this….EVERYTHING!

So, let’s get to some nuts and bolts…the novel is well written. The pace is consistent; in that sense, there is not much lag. The characters are well fleshed out. You will have to deal with some Australian terms, but they are easy to figure out. The best part is that this novel is done before you know it. The best part of this book is that it is one hell of a fun read.

Is this book worth the money? Yes!

Would I recommend it? Yes! Shoot, I might even buy it as gifts when the time comes; you just never know.

This book is great for those who love a good dose of cryptids with a horror chaser!

I give this one 5 bookmarks out of 5!

[Brandon Wilson]

**ARC Review**
Author: Ian Gielen
Book: Savage Waters
Book Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Horror

“Here, where few people had trod, nature was a wild and stunning masterpiece, exactly as it should be.”

This novella is peak Ian Gielen. I’ve read most of his work and, in my opinion, he keeps getting better and better. Savage Waters is no exception and shows off what Ian Gielen is great at: putting believable characters in unnatural situations.

This story is broken into three parts. We travel with a family that is going camping in Australia’s Kakadu National Park, a group of mercenaries that are sent to investigate the mysterious disappearances of tourists, and a couple of cryptozoologists trying to find proof of a bunyip. While all three stories take place in the same location, it's not till the end of the story that they all merge and become a cohesive horror novel.

I have always been interested in cryptozoology, and this book has scratched that itch. With the promise that Savage Waters is book one of the series, I am eagerly anticipating the rest of the series.

Gielen is capable of painting a beautiful picture with words, and I was able to see the scenery and landscape with such ease that when I looked up what Kakadu National Park was, my imagination wasn’t that far off. If you ever wondered how the vastness of Australia could feel claustrophobic, Ian Gielen does just that. His vivid descriptions made me feel like I was standing in the wilderness, but at the same time, I felt claustrophobic and unable to move.

Ian has been an auto-buy author for me since I read his story Saving Tommy last year, and he continues to deliver. If you like cryptids, creature features, and unapologetic horror stories, you will need to pick this book up. Its expected release date is August 7th, and I can’t recommend this book enough.

[2old4BookTok]

I ended up DNFing this around 70%.

TL;DR: I'm giving this a weak 3 based on the portion I read. I didn't finish, not because the writing was poor, but because I never became invested in the characters and found myself losing interest despite an intriguing premise.

---

This is one of those books that's difficult for me to rate because I don't think it's bad. The writing is solid, the Australian setting is vivid, and I genuinely liked the premise. A cryptid lurking in Kakadu National Park while people mysteriously disappear? Sign me up.

My biggest issue was that I never really connected with the characters. Because of that, the slower sections felt much longer than they probably were. The story finally started picking up for me once the mercenary team got close to the creature and the danger became real... only for the book to shift gears and introduce a new group of characters. At that point I realized I was waiting for the cryptid to show back up more than I was interested in following the people.

Around 70% I caught myself hoping someone would tell me it was okay to DNF. That's usually my sign. I found myself reaching for my phone instead of wanting to pick the book back up, and my TBR is already far too long to keep pushing through a book that wasn't holding my attention.

I can absolutely see this working for readers who connect more with the cast than I did. Unfortunately, it just never grabbed me the way I'd hoped it would.

[Milt Theo]

This was absolutely awesome! Excellent writing, great opening scene, wonderful premise, extraordinary execution! I loved it. In fact, I consider it one of the best cryptid longer tales I've read in the last few years: it has everything one might want from a creature feature - suspense, carnage, characters you care about, nasty twists, and a mysterious creature whose behavior seems totally unpredictable!

What's more, the novella is actually two books in one: the first half unfolds as military horror, with a team of mercenaries hired by the army to find and eliminate whatever's responsible for tourists going missing in the swamps of the Kakadu National Park in Australia; the second turns to a couple of cryptozoologists visiting the area in response to a mysterious email they got, inviting them to come and find the local cryptid, the Bunyip. The ending connects the two narratives in the most brutal of ways!

To be honest, I wasn't even aware of the story's cryptid, and really enjoyed both the info and the way it blended with indigenous traditions. Gielen pays attention to all the crucial details of the setting, from the animal threats and the local fauna to the Australian Aboriginal culture.

I think this is Gielen's best work to date: perfectly balancing suspense and strong characterization with immersive action scenes, without any fluff or gimmicks. Highly recommended!

[K.L. Patrick]

Ian brought out the big guns with this one. From lush descriptions of the terrain, to the incredible high stakes thrill ride against what is supposed to be myth.
The writing is brilliantly done as we find ourselves in a double timeline.

Part One feels more like a military thriller than straight horror. A group of contracted killers are sent to investigate the disappearances in the area. Riley is the newest member of this team, and has big shoes to feel, but he didn't expect that the supernatural would be involved, because Crypids can't exist right.

Part two has us follow two cryptozoologist who just got back from a mission searching for a mythic monster of some sort. They get an email mentioning Australia, and possible sightings of a Bunyip. Believing the email they go to outback in search of the thing. As always happens in horror things go wrong.
What is incredible is you sit and wonder when we will get back to Riley? And eventually the timelines come crashing together in a phenomenal conclusion.
I think this is the best of Ian's work so far, raw visceral, and unflinching. With characters you will love, and root for. I look forward to the rest of the series from this shining star in the indie horror community.

[Paul]

For years, the Kakadu National Park in Australia harbors a dark mystery involving missing tourists. The disappearances have been brushed off with with inadequate explanations from the authorities. A sudden wave of disappearances, however, initiates the involvement of two different groups of people: a highly trained mercenary squad that is looking to eliminate the threat, and a couple of filmmakers looking to document and prove the existence of the creature.

The novella unfolds over two parts through parallel perspectives of the two groups. As the story progresses, both groups discover they are completely unmatched. The mercenaries' training and weapons are shown to be useless, and the filmmakers' cameras capture evidence that threatens human understanding of the natural world. The story is a highly tense race for survival as both groups try to escape the park with their lives with the climax connecting both groups in a terrifying and brutal way.

This story is the first I've read by Gielen and boy was it awesome. The characters were developed well and the environment was described in vivid detail. The pacing was solid without having filler text/extra fluff. It is brutal, tense, and fast-paced throughout leading to an awesome climax.

[Drew Moyer]

I don’t know if anyone has the title of “King of the Cryptids” yet, but we should give it to Ian Gielen. At the very least he’s the Connoisseur of Cryptids. His latest book is a wild ride of survival/adventure/horror/action with a lot of blood and gore.

Deep in the Australian wilderness lies Kakadu National Park where dozens of folks have gone missing. So the government sends a team of ex-military badasses to figure out what the hell is going on. They come face to face with a nasty bugger called a bunyip. Then it’s all cryptids, chaos, and carnage until the last page.

As usual with Ian’s writing, I had an absolute blast reading this book. He does a good job bringing the bunyip creature to life, keeping it grounded in reality without becoming too fantastical. I can honestly believe a creature like this is lurking somewhere in the Australian wilderness. This is technically a novella, but it sure doesn’t feel like it with all that Ian jam packs into this book. We essentially get two full narratives that epically collide at the very end.

Read this book! You will have fun, I promise. It’s well written, exciting, and just all around awesome. This is the first book in Ian’s Cryptozoologist Keepers series and I am excited to see where this goes.

[Mieke Janssens]

Ian really sets the mood with his descriptions of the Australian outback, a desolate environment where danger could be lurking behind every tree. The book reads effortlessly, and I cruised through it in just two days.

The story is told in two parts. In Part One, we follow a mercenary team tasked with investigating mysterious disappearances in Kakadu National Park. In Part Two, two cryptozoologists actively search for the bunyip, a mythical creature said to inhabit the same national park.

The first part feels more like an adventure story than a horror novel, but it never becomes boring. The dynamics between the team members and their exploration of the wilderness keep things engaging.

The second part gradually builds tension before erupting into a gory, action-packed finale.

I'm usually not a fan of overly descriptive writing because it tends to slow a book down. But somehow, Ian makes it work. The pacing never falters, and once you're drawn into the story, it's hard to put the book down until you've reached the final page.

[Chris Heinicke]

Savage Waters takes place mainly at Kakadu National Park, and as someone who has yet to visit this place, Ian’s brilliant descriptions made me feel like I was there.
This story is told in two parts, that come together so well at the end. The first half sees a group of Australian mercenaries tracking down the source of what led to the disappearance of several park visitors. Each character a likeable piece in a five person unit who represent an almost family type of bond. In a plot similar to the first Predator movie, the reader follows the group through the beauty and harshness that Mother Nature has to offer, in search of a legendary beast that has you wondering which of them will make it out.
The second half follows an opportunistic couple following a lead on a rumoured sighting of a bunyip, with the hope of exposing said creature and reaping untold wealth.
Ian has come a long way as an author, and Savage Waters showcases his skill as a wordsmith, and I can’t wait for more Cyptozoologist stories to come from his incredible mind.

[Jennifer]

Savage Waters, the first book in The Cyptozoologist Keepers Universe is a creature feature set in the Kakadu National Park in Australia following a defense services team on the hunt for a creature possibly responsible for the disappearance of several hikers and campers in the area. I love an awesome creature feature and this really delivered! Also, I was really in the mood for a hiking/camping horror story and this really delivered on that as well!
This is a multi POV story with excellent pacing and interesting, well developed, and relatable characters. The writing was packed with atmospheric details that made it easy to envision the environment and immerse myself in the story without bogging the story down with too many details.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next installment in the series! If you also love a fantastic creature feature, make sure to put this one on your TBR!

[Julie]

People have been disappearing in Kakadu National Forest. A mercenary team is sent out to investigate at the same time as a Cryptozoology team of 2 is investigating and filming footage of the area. No one is prepared for the predator lurking in these woods. Who, if anyone, will survive? And can they stop the killer before anyone else disappears??

Right off the bat I knew I would enjoy this, when the opening sequence is as fun and anxiety inducing as this novella starts. Set in Australia, the imagery and gore are well done, coupled with the authors skilled development of the entire story in such a short time. While I would have enjoyed more backstory and more explanation of what the thing actually is, I think this was a fun, gory, creature novella. I would def come back to read a sequel to this and would love to get more into the lore and people involved.

Thank you Ian Gielen for the ARC opportunity!!!

[Curt Dunnam]

"Savage Waters" by Ian Gielen is an atmospheric and suspenseful 5-star read! A mercenary team is sent into Kakadu National Park to discover what has been targeting campers visiting the park. At the same time, a team of documentary filmmakers receives a request through their Cryptozoologist Keepers website to investigate a mysterious sighting.

This may be a novella, but it certainly doesn't feel like one because there is so much packed into the story. There is plenty of action and gore for readers like me who enjoy that type of thing. As the first book in a series, it does a great job of setting the stage, and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next. Since this was my first book by Ian Gielen, I'll definitely be checking out more of his work in the meantime.

Thanks to Ian Gielen for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

[Chie | The Review Nook]

Many thanks to the author for the gifted copy!

I wouldn’t pass up a creature feature book, so when I got the opportunity to read this one for free, I immediately jumped at the chance—and I was not disappointed! I read this in one sitting, which says a lot about how much it pulled me in.

This was well written, and I became emotionally attached to the characters. I was rooting for all of them! There are two story timelines, and they were blended beautifully until they finally merged at the end. There was plenty of suspense and brutal kills, and the vivid descriptions of the Australian wilderness really brought the setting to life.

The ending left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to go back to Kakadu National Park—or wherever the author takes us next where cryptids are involved. Haha!

I received a free copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jules Terry]

This book is fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Just like the characters, you don’t get a moment to breathe. I love a good creature-feature, and this one takes you into the Australian Outback where not everyone returns from.
The dialogue is great and realistic. The characters have life and personality. The book is delivered in two parts, but is wrapped up nicely in the end… nicely may not be the right word, but you get what I mean. Always looking out for the next Ian Gielen book!

[Dan Mckeithan]

A story that feels so much bigger than a novella! Ian brings us a fast-paced, tightly packed story that is similar in vein to James Rollins or Matthew Riley. We meet Kate and Rob, two cryptozoologists that are filming a documentary of searching for a legendary creature in the Kakadu National Park in Australia. Also, we follow a military team sent there to look into disappearances. What these two groups find keeps you glued to your seat. It's atmospheric, action-packed, and powerful. The first of a series of interconnected tales, it will make you hold your breath til we get the next one.

[Joseph Stephen Bonnett]

A fast paced and super fun cryptid novella with a strong sense of place.

I like the way Gielen effectively weaves together two narratives in this one, although I much preferred the Cryptozoologist angle, which bodes well for the future series entries.

The descriptions of Kakadu are fantastic, and it's great to see cryptid horror set in Australia; it's such a beautiful and fascinating landscape with so much rugged space ripe for creature features.

Really fun read. Do yourself a favor and take a trip to Kakadu National Park; if the landscape doesn't get you, the Bunyip will.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading]

Excellent Cryptid thriller! You’ll meet a special ops team and monster hunters who take on a fabled being in the North of Australia.

I love a good creature feature, but the author also created a beautiful and dangerous setting for his tale. Despite the risks of the flora and fauna, it still sounds absolutely otherworldly and breathtaking to hike there. I’d probably still go visit there even if there was a Bunyip problem 🫣