Dark Wings

by John J. Rust

Mothman and the Jersey Devil. For years they have been regarded as legends. Now humanity has learned the terrifying truth. These "cryptids" are actually beings from another world, and they have invaded Earth. Delta Force Major Jim Rhyne fights to survive in occupied Kentucky. Along the way, he is joined by mysterious allies. But can he trust them, and can they defeat the invaders?

Genres: Cryptozoology

251 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2011

About the author

Born in Hamilton Township, NJ, Rust graduated from Nottingham High School before obtaining degrees in communications from Mercer County College (NJ) and the College of Mt. St. Vincent (NY). He worked as a reporter for New Jersey 101.5 FM before moving to Arizona, where he became the sports director/sportscaster for KYCA-AM. Rust published the military sci-fi novel "Dark Wings," the baseball-related books "Arizona All-Time Baseball Team" and "The Best Phillies Team Ever," the cryptozoological thriller "Sea Raptor," and several short stories, including "The Art of Fear" starring the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, which appears in the anthology "Halloween Dances with the Dead."

Reviews

[Yesenia Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book because it was easy to get involved in the story due to the great use of imagery the author incorporates. Even though I could not relate to the characters experiences, I was still able to get lost in the world of extraterrestrials.
"Dark wings" follows the life of Jim, Val, Chuck, and Doug who are in the woods when they first encounter what looks to be a new species of animal. What they think is a new animal species turns out to be highly advanced mothmen. It is easy to get hooked because of all the different themes this book contains. Great imagery is portrayed through out the whole book and it is easy to follow the characters through all their struggles. not only is this book full of battles and horrifying new creatures, it also contains romance. As the story unfolds, the truth about the origin and purpose of the mothmen's attack is revealed. What started as a mission to identify a new creature ended up as a mission to save humanity.

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Dawn but with aliens

What started as a creature horror novel eventually turned into an alien invasion/Red Dawn crossover. Interesting idea with the possibility for sequels

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a combination of the walking dead mixed with predator and the mothman (obviously) and just a touch of maybe animal farm. The story follows a group of friends and family, most with specialized military training, who stumble out of the woods after a hunting trip to find the world has basically ended. We follow our oblivious heroes as they try to survive an alien invasion of human flesh munching monsters. They are "rescued" by an advanced military recon unit from an alternate earth. There's lots of shooting and dying for those who like that. And for the softies, there's even a bit of romance. A truly patriotic us against them type of tale. An enjoyable read that begs the question, should we really be trying so hard to find and contact alien life? I gratefully won this book as part of a goodreads giveaway.

[Sean Valdez · Rating 4 out of 5]

All around this was a very entertaining book. It had me frustrated, confused, and feeling for the characters. The imagery was another amazing factor in this book. The whole book gives off a really dark mood and most of the setting are at night. My family has history in the armed forces so the fact that all the main characters are related to the force got me into the book extremely fast. The choices that the main character makes are the things that got me frustrated, but in the end he always makes the right choice. All around this is a quality book with tons of imagery and suspense. It will leave you wondering and wanting more.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent! It really took the legends and made them into something new. I highly recommend this book!