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Hydra: A Sci-Fi Horror Novel
Survival comes at a cost.
The events in Sierra Leone have taken a toll on the U.S. Army CBRNE Enhanced Response Force. By giving the order to save her team from certain death, Director Dayna Raines unwittingly exposed CERF to elements within the Department of War that have been plotting against it for decades, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, which comes when a commercial fishing trawler is found listing at sea, its crew overcome by a flesh-eating parasite smuggled aboard in an infected lab animal.
Commander Brian Feldman and his beleaguered unit are dispatched to investigate, stranding them in the open ocean on a sinking ship crawling with terrifying creatures … and leaving their secret headquarters vulnerable to a faction hell-bent on its destruction. Can they stop the deadliest threat they’ve ever faced from spreading to the mainland and prevent their unknown adversary from amassing the most lethal arsenal of bioweaponry the world has ever known, or will all life on the planet come to an end?
“McBride’s style brings to mind both James Rollins and Michael Crichton.” — Sci-Fi & Scary
“Thrilling entertainment.” — Publishers Weekly on Mutation
The events in Sierra Leone have taken a toll on the U.S. Army CBRNE Enhanced Response Force. By giving the order to save her team from certain death, Director Dayna Raines unwittingly exposed CERF to elements within the Department of War that have been plotting against it for decades, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, which comes when a commercial fishing trawler is found listing at sea, its crew overcome by a flesh-eating parasite smuggled aboard in an infected lab animal.
Commander Brian Feldman and his beleaguered unit are dispatched to investigate, stranding them in the open ocean on a sinking ship crawling with terrifying creatures … and leaving their secret headquarters vulnerable to a faction hell-bent on its destruction. Can they stop the deadliest threat they’ve ever faced from spreading to the mainland and prevent their unknown adversary from amassing the most lethal arsenal of bioweaponry the world has ever known, or will all life on the planet come to an end?
“McBride’s style brings to mind both James Rollins and Michael Crichton.” — Sci-Fi & Scary
“Thrilling entertainment.” — Publishers Weekly on Mutation
301 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 24, 2026
Action Packed, Inventive, And Horrifying. This tale combines arguably even *more* insane pacing than the most frenetic action Matthew Reilly or Jeremy Robinson have *ever* been able to pull off (which is saying quite a bit!) with equally arguably even more inventive chimeras than even Robinson pulled off in his Island 731. (Which features at least one creature nearly as terrifying as anything in this tale... and that McBride managed to *outdo* even Robinson on "terrifying creatures" is rather remarkable given the particular creature I'm referring to from Island 731.)
Picking up just after the events of Book 2, Venom, this is truly an utterly *insane* - in the best possible ways - action thriller with just enough intrigue to elevate it just enough for the "thinking man" while still giving military technothriller/ horror purists everything they want. Hell, there's even a *very* tenuous connection to Marvel's The Avengers. (Yes, it is there, technically, but even I have to admit that one is a bit of a stretch, and McBride here makes it a *far* more realistic take on this particular scene. To the level of being horrifying in its own right.)
As with the rest of this series (and indeed much of McBride's tales generally, at least those I've read), the science is *just* plausible enough for those of us who don't know exact details that it works within story to keep the disbelief suspended enough to sit back and enjoy the ride without being so technical as to throw us out of the zone and force us to think things through too much. In other words, pretty well spot on in the sweet spot for such a creature based tale.
At just a hair over 300 pages, the length here is still decently short... and with the pacing McBride maintains throughout here, it will ultimately feel a *lot* shorter than it actually is. You're going to blow through this book and feel like you've ran a world record marathon even if you can barely move a mile in 30 minutes in the "real" world.
Very much recommended.
Picking up just after the events of Book 2, Venom, this is truly an utterly *insane* - in the best possible ways - action thriller with just enough intrigue to elevate it just enough for the "thinking man" while still giving military technothriller/ horror purists everything they want. Hell, there's even a *very* tenuous connection to Marvel's The Avengers. (Yes, it is there, technically, but even I have to admit that one is a bit of a stretch, and McBride here makes it a *far* more realistic take on this particular scene. To the level of being horrifying in its own right.)
As with the rest of this series (and indeed much of McBride's tales generally, at least those I've read), the science is *just* plausible enough for those of us who don't know exact details that it works within story to keep the disbelief suspended enough to sit back and enjoy the ride without being so technical as to throw us out of the zone and force us to think things through too much. In other words, pretty well spot on in the sweet spot for such a creature based tale.
At just a hair over 300 pages, the length here is still decently short... and with the pacing McBride maintains throughout here, it will ultimately feel a *lot* shorter than it actually is. You're going to blow through this book and feel like you've ran a world record marathon even if you can barely move a mile in 30 minutes in the "real" world.
Very much recommended.
September 26, 2026
A Blast Of A Body Horror Meets Sci-fi Thriller Book!
Hydra is an outstanding sci-fi thriller meets body horror and conspiracy thriller revolving around a ship floating around off the coast of Nantucket. Inside, weaponized animals and infectious invertebrates await the CERF team while the headquarters of CERF faces an extreme danger itself. The writing is spectacular, with just enough science to satisfy geeks like me, while still retaining the action and horror the genre demands! The characters are complicated, dedicated and self sacrificing. The dialogue is completely believable given the danger the entire CERF faces. Overall, 5/5 stars, highly recommended to readers of sci-fi, thrillers, horror, technothrillers and any readers who are looking for a thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end; basically this book should appeal to a huge cross section of adult readers.
Hydra is an outstanding sci-fi thriller meets body horror and conspiracy thriller revolving around a ship floating around off the coast of Nantucket. Inside, weaponized animals and infectious invertebrates await the CERF team while the headquarters of CERF faces an extreme danger itself. The writing is spectacular, with just enough science to satisfy geeks like me, while still retaining the action and horror the genre demands! The characters are complicated, dedicated and self sacrificing. The dialogue is completely believable given the danger the entire CERF faces. Overall, 5/5 stars, highly recommended to readers of sci-fi, thrillers, horror, technothrillers and any readers who are looking for a thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end; basically this book should appeal to a huge cross section of adult readers.
October 15, 2026
Well Written
This book was excellent in terms of writing. I can't imagine how much research was involved by the author, and as he said in his notes, the reality what people smuggle across the ocean is indeed depressing. This was my 3rd book in the Creature Files, not sure there will be any more sequels, but I'll keep an eye out.
This book was excellent in terms of writing. I can't imagine how much research was involved by the author, and as he said in his notes, the reality what people smuggle across the ocean is indeed depressing. This was my 3rd book in the Creature Files, not sure there will be any more sequels, but I'll keep an eye out.
November 1, 2026
Hydra by Michael McBride
A thrill ride a second novel! Action from beginning to the end. The third book in the series, it finishes the story in a violent manner! McBride writes well, getting details so accurately that you see the action as you read. This trio of books is a must read.
A thrill ride a second novel! Action from beginning to the end. The third book in the series, it finishes the story in a violent manner! McBride writes well, getting details so accurately that you see the action as you read. This trio of books is a must read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews