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Inhabited
They were looking for an adventure—a night of harmless fun. Miguel has a map. Kristin’s friend has the equipment. The mine leads to the cave, and the cave is where they’ll find their fortune.
But down in the darkness, something waits.
It needs them.
The caves hold a secret. They’re Inhabited.
But down in the darkness, something waits.
It needs them.
The caves hold a secret. They’re Inhabited.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 29, 2015
162 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Ike Hamill
54 books189 followersIke Hamill writes fast-paced horror novels with strong, relatable characters. His books have gained a steady following amongst readers who enjoy his blend of sci-fi, paranormal, occult, and suspense. Whether focused on a small family trying to survive the move to a haunted house, or following a band of angry rebels determined to withstand an apocalypse, his stories draw the reader into the lives of real people in crisis. Readers are always sad to leave the characters behind when the book is finished.
Reviewers compare Ike to Dean Koontz and Stephen King—two of his favorite authors. His narrative often jumps between interwoven stories, presenting readers with a fresh perspective and keeping them guessing until the last chapter. Most of Ike’s readers are repeat customers. Pick up one of his books to learn why.
Reviewers compare Ike to Dean Koontz and Stephen King—two of his favorite authors. His narrative often jumps between interwoven stories, presenting readers with a fresh perspective and keeping them guessing until the last chapter. Most of Ike’s readers are repeat customers. Pick up one of his books to learn why.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 24, 2015
INHABITED is the fifth or sixth Ike Hamill novel that I have read since first discovering him less than 6 months ago. Hamill has a unique style of writing that makes one want to think. Most of his novels are a little like David Lynch movies, where things are often not as they seem and one has to fill in the blanks for oneself. The previous Hamill novels that I've read were all thrillers, Stephen King-like in plot (but completely original), and mostly horror, sometimes tinged with science fiction. One trademark of Hamill's clean, brisk prose is that quite frequently things are deliberatey left vague, or ambiguous. The monsters are just off-screen, just beyond our sight. The explanations for things are just a fraction of an inch beyond our grasp. That makes them even scarier than they ought to be, which is plenty scary.
INHABITED is about two groups of teenagers, one a bunch of friends, the other a group of students, who are exploring an old mine for different reasons. Both are fairly well equipped for a single day (or nighttime) excursion into the old mine. But almost as soon as they enter the mine, they find trouble. The two groups get separated into smaller groups. Things start to disappear. Strange sounds are heard, and odd artifacts found. What started out as a lark becomes deadly. And then it starts to get scary.
INHABITED is another completely original story. It's not what you think. But it is completely, indubitably, Hamill-like. Just when you think things can't get any stranger, they do. Just when you think it's finally over, it's not. Hamill plays about with the flow of time. INHABITED is plot-driven, but like the other Hamill novels I've read, the main characters, and there are several, are pretty well fleshed out. The pacing is excellent, and the novel is hard to put down.
Hamill appears to be something of a writing machine. He only started self-publishing in 2011 and he already has by my count 13 novels in print. I haven't a clue how he manages to write that quickly, or that well. But he does. I really hate to say this, because it is so badly overused, but if you like Stephen King (as I do), i'm fairly certain you will like INHABITED and other Ike Hamill novels (try TRANSCRIPTION and THE CLAIMING next).
Highly recommended.
JM Tepper
INHABITED is about two groups of teenagers, one a bunch of friends, the other a group of students, who are exploring an old mine for different reasons. Both are fairly well equipped for a single day (or nighttime) excursion into the old mine. But almost as soon as they enter the mine, they find trouble. The two groups get separated into smaller groups. Things start to disappear. Strange sounds are heard, and odd artifacts found. What started out as a lark becomes deadly. And then it starts to get scary.
INHABITED is another completely original story. It's not what you think. But it is completely, indubitably, Hamill-like. Just when you think things can't get any stranger, they do. Just when you think it's finally over, it's not. Hamill plays about with the flow of time. INHABITED is plot-driven, but like the other Hamill novels I've read, the main characters, and there are several, are pretty well fleshed out. The pacing is excellent, and the novel is hard to put down.
Hamill appears to be something of a writing machine. He only started self-publishing in 2011 and he already has by my count 13 novels in print. I haven't a clue how he manages to write that quickly, or that well. But he does. I really hate to say this, because it is so badly overused, but if you like Stephen King (as I do), i'm fairly certain you will like INHABITED and other Ike Hamill novels (try TRANSCRIPTION and THE CLAIMING next).
Highly recommended.
JM Tepper
September 4, 2015
What made this story interesting and engaging is how the author structured the story. Readers will understand this when they read it themselves. The entire time until the end I was thinking there were simultaneous vignettes going on, little back stories, but in actually it was something quite different. Kudos to the author for thinking outside the literary box and coming up with something so fresh and creative. With so many authors falling back on tired formulas and situations in creation of their books, it's nice to see an author trying to do something different.
Although I enjoyed seeing what the characters did in their various scenes, I wasn't very impressed with how they were fleshed out by the author. I didn't feel the author really got into the characters to create something unique and different; something to grasp as a reader and relate to. It was more like watching characters in a B-Movie running about; all surface and no substance. I also would have liked to have seen the non-human characters developed more. Knowing some background information would have helped better balance the story in my opinion. I was left with too many questions. I don't mind a few, but not as many as I was left after reading this story. A good read, but not a great one.
Although I enjoyed seeing what the characters did in their various scenes, I wasn't very impressed with how they were fleshed out by the author. I didn't feel the author really got into the characters to create something unique and different; something to grasp as a reader and relate to. It was more like watching characters in a B-Movie running about; all surface and no substance. I also would have liked to have seen the non-human characters developed more. Knowing some background information would have helped better balance the story in my opinion. I was left with too many questions. I don't mind a few, but not as many as I was left after reading this story. A good read, but not a great one.
July 29, 2017
My second Kindle freebie by this author this year. If you're into horror/thrillers in any way, definitely check him out. This was original and well-written, though you don't get to appreciate exactly how well until almost the very end. I was invested in the story, but not the characters. The ones that lived and the ones that died could have easily been interchanged and I wouldn't have cared... but I wasn't looking for another 600-page in-depth character-driven thriller, I was looking for a easy quickie that would entertain, which is exactly what this is.
October 14, 2015
This was a flop for me. The author starts out the book on a confusing note by introducing way too many characters at once. This story has been told before many times, just the setting is different. A group of kids decide to go seek out treasure before someone else does, but they are met by a dark force. Not very original.
October 18, 2015
The Author was kind enough to send this story to me, so here's my review. Even though I have a Library book I should've been reading, I just couldn't put my Kindle down! It's a dark story w/lots of twists & turns. I recommend it to all! THX for an excellent free read Ike!
September 24, 2015
Good and scary!
July 27, 2020
Are you a cave explorer? Ike Hamill might make you think twice before you go back in.r
A day excursion from school to an old mine. What could go wrong? As it turns out a lot. After they split into groups of two and went to different parts of the mine things would never be the same.
In this well written tale of horror and suspense the characters grow into likeable, if somewhat naive bunch, unaware of what waits for them
A strange deadly force lurks in the dark. Waiting to slowly stalk them and take their lives.
It is actually a tale of two groups, but they are separated by several years, it can be a little weird; but so much fun.
As the story leads us on the couple's run into different horrific events, which leads to them die one by one. A strange blackness seems to follow them, and strange noise like someone expelling a breath and a nasty smelling wind would pass throw the mine. Then there is the white powder on the floor of some of the rooms. The powder burns when it is touched, it also causes trouble breathing, and becomes deadly.
The mine floor so absorbs people, pulling them down to become part of floor. The cave walls also seem to move a nd change, with splits opening and closing with no pattern.
As things get weirder, more people disappear and a man is sighted that is not a part of either group. He comes and goes in strange ways and new places.
So much is going on hard to stop reading at any point. Of course you root for everyone to escape, but it j u st does not happen. One escapes, and one remains trapped to await the next unknowing group to enter the mine...which is "inhabited".
A day excursion from school to an old mine. What could go wrong? As it turns out a lot. After they split into groups of two and went to different parts of the mine things would never be the same.
In this well written tale of horror and suspense the characters grow into likeable, if somewhat naive bunch, unaware of what waits for them
A strange deadly force lurks in the dark. Waiting to slowly stalk them and take their lives.
It is actually a tale of two groups, but they are separated by several years, it can be a little weird; but so much fun.
As the story leads us on the couple's run into different horrific events, which leads to them die one by one. A strange blackness seems to follow them, and strange noise like someone expelling a breath and a nasty smelling wind would pass throw the mine. Then there is the white powder on the floor of some of the rooms. The powder burns when it is touched, it also causes trouble breathing, and becomes deadly.
The mine floor so absorbs people, pulling them down to become part of floor. The cave walls also seem to move a nd change, with splits opening and closing with no pattern.
As things get weirder, more people disappear and a man is sighted that is not a part of either group. He comes and goes in strange ways and new places.
So much is going on hard to stop reading at any point. Of course you root for everyone to escape, but it j u st does not happen. One escapes, and one remains trapped to await the next unknowing group to enter the mine...which is "inhabited".
October 4, 2018
Disturbingly viscerally scary
Just a few pages in, this book will grab you in, and keep you on edge. Few books have made me read doing the mental equivalent of peeping out between my fingers...this one tops that short list.
What seems like straightforward cave exploration by both amateurs and somewhat experienced, turns sideways, literally and figuratively. If you have any type of claustrophobia, be prepared to experience it. Compound it with the unknown literally closing in on you, while trapped in time and place, where the darkness is not your friend. And neither is the light you can see only from the corner of your eyes.
Scientific exploration and a hunt for gold gets derailed by the caves themselves, artifacts of past explorers throwing disturbing hints and tidbits of information about what and why each group is losing members and supplies, in the blink of an eye and right out from under them. A subterranean portrait gallery, shifting passages, and doorways that open to solid rock add to the terror that every survivor is fighting against. Closing your eyes isn't ignoring your situation, it is a life saving technique.
Read this during the day...Avoid nighttime shadows.
Just a few pages in, this book will grab you in, and keep you on edge. Few books have made me read doing the mental equivalent of peeping out between my fingers...this one tops that short list.
What seems like straightforward cave exploration by both amateurs and somewhat experienced, turns sideways, literally and figuratively. If you have any type of claustrophobia, be prepared to experience it. Compound it with the unknown literally closing in on you, while trapped in time and place, where the darkness is not your friend. And neither is the light you can see only from the corner of your eyes.
Scientific exploration and a hunt for gold gets derailed by the caves themselves, artifacts of past explorers throwing disturbing hints and tidbits of information about what and why each group is losing members and supplies, in the blink of an eye and right out from under them. A subterranean portrait gallery, shifting passages, and doorways that open to solid rock add to the terror that every survivor is fighting against. Closing your eyes isn't ignoring your situation, it is a life saving technique.
Read this during the day...Avoid nighttime shadows.
March 15, 2018
Great read!
Ike never fails to disappoint. His stories are always unique and fresh. The language is clear and engaging. The characters are realistic and likeable. This story was structured in way very similar to Kurt Vonnegurts Breakfast of Champions, in that the story was being told from different points of view in a way that did not seem to be connected. At the end, all made sense. The seemingly disparate pieces of the story lined up and clicked together like the pieces in the puzzle.
The "monsters" in this story were very unique in their needs and very unique in terms of their symbiotic relationship. I cannot elaborate without providing spoilers.
One thing I have noticed about horror novels is that some end on a happy note such as Dean Koontz stories and some end on an unhappy note like John Saul novels. Another unique aspect of this novel is that it ends on both a happy and unhappy note.
Ike Hamill is such a great writer and one of the reasons for my continuing Kindle subscription. As a dedicated reader and as an avid fan of horror fiction I would most certainly recommend this book.
Ike never fails to disappoint. His stories are always unique and fresh. The language is clear and engaging. The characters are realistic and likeable. This story was structured in way very similar to Kurt Vonnegurts Breakfast of Champions, in that the story was being told from different points of view in a way that did not seem to be connected. At the end, all made sense. The seemingly disparate pieces of the story lined up and clicked together like the pieces in the puzzle.
The "monsters" in this story were very unique in their needs and very unique in terms of their symbiotic relationship. I cannot elaborate without providing spoilers.
One thing I have noticed about horror novels is that some end on a happy note such as Dean Koontz stories and some end on an unhappy note like John Saul novels. Another unique aspect of this novel is that it ends on both a happy and unhappy note.
Ike Hamill is such a great writer and one of the reasons for my continuing Kindle subscription. As a dedicated reader and as an avid fan of horror fiction I would most certainly recommend this book.
March 7, 2023
Holy crap this was good. I can't believe I haven't heard of this book, what an underrated gem! I went in expecting a silly gore fest to entertain myself with and ended up being blown away.
I always enjoy things like creepypastas and SCP stories that revolve around bizarre, unexplainable events but find it difficult to find that same atmosphere in full length novels, but this one evokes that feeling perfectly. It was incredibly creepy and I never knew what was coming as the mystery went on. The book doesn't overly explain things but I was still satisfied by the ending.
I'm not good enough at reviewing to do it justice but seriously just read it. Especially if you're a fan of the movie The Descent or the SCP Foundation mythos.
I always enjoy things like creepypastas and SCP stories that revolve around bizarre, unexplainable events but find it difficult to find that same atmosphere in full length novels, but this one evokes that feeling perfectly. It was incredibly creepy and I never knew what was coming as the mystery went on. The book doesn't overly explain things but I was still satisfied by the ending.
I'm not good enough at reviewing to do it justice but seriously just read it. Especially if you're a fan of the movie The Descent or the SCP Foundation mythos.
February 25, 2022
Super Imaginative
I’ve read quite a few of the author’s books so far. This book was quite imaginative and in a way puzzling. When you are reading this story it’s hard to figure out what kind of monster is getting the characters and what exactly it’s doing to them. Then the ending shows you what’s happening to them. But you still have no idea what the monster accomplished by taking those who are taken. But it’s still a good story with lots of scary moments and hope that some will make it out alive.
I’ve read quite a few of the author’s books so far. This book was quite imaginative and in a way puzzling. When you are reading this story it’s hard to figure out what kind of monster is getting the characters and what exactly it’s doing to them. Then the ending shows you what’s happening to them. But you still have no idea what the monster accomplished by taking those who are taken. But it’s still a good story with lots of scary moments and hope that some will make it out alive.
October 28, 2019
At first when I started reading I was like oh crap did a buy another dud that I wont enjoy. But after a bit I got into it, made my heart race a few times, but not a constant on edge. Reminded me of watching a horror movie, except I got to use my own mind/imagination to picture & figure out what was going on etc. At times it was a bit predictable, but I would definitely read another Ike Hamill book.
July 20, 2020
If you are claustrophobic, do not read this book! If you want a scary story about people lost in a cave that is able to manipulate itself to keep them lost, this is for you! I never want to go into a cave again. The mysteries of the cave were so well executed with the different groups of people who went into the cave for different reasons. I especially liked the ending where the story lines came together in a creative and frightening way.
December 10, 2019
I rarely do any kind of reviews but wow... I seriously had to turn my TV on to bring me back to reality while reading Inhabited in the dark on my kindle ! This doesn’t happen to me often ! Something is just so FUN and scary about caves /mines especially when the place seems “haunted”.
I will definitely be reading another book of Ike’s soon!!!!! (Any suggestions!?)
I will definitely be reading another book of Ike’s soon!!!!! (Any suggestions!?)
July 23, 2021
Mysterious disapperances after going into a cave...what could possibly cause these disapperances? What could be hiding in the dark? I thouroughly enjoyed the mystery in this book. Ike Hamill does not disappoint when telling a story, he makes sure you get fully immersed within the book. Inhabited is a great thriller that will leave you on your toes.
February 12, 2024
Long!
The book started off strong for me. It gave off creepy, claustrophobic vibes. But it lost me when the shadow monsters entered the picture. I stuck with it to the end but cringed at every new chapter as it continued to get more and more absurd. Well written but not a strong storyline for me.
The book started off strong for me. It gave off creepy, claustrophobic vibes. But it lost me when the shadow monsters entered the picture. I stuck with it to the end but cringed at every new chapter as it continued to get more and more absurd. Well written but not a strong storyline for me.
January 21, 2020
Wonderfully creepy
I don't ever want to go into a cave again. This book had me biting my nails, and kept me up nights. This is a fantastic edge of your seat read. Love Mr. Hamills books.
I don't ever want to go into a cave again. This book had me biting my nails, and kept me up nights. This is a fantastic edge of your seat read. Love Mr. Hamills books.
January 21, 2021
Creepy!
I enjoy all of his books, but this was the creepiest by far. I highly recommend all of them, but especially this one, if you’re looking for some chills in the middle of the night!
I enjoy all of his books, but this was the creepiest by far. I highly recommend all of them, but especially this one, if you’re looking for some chills in the middle of the night!
June 19, 2021
Creepy and Horror Filled
A creepy tale full of strife and possible insanity with a little bit of pay it forward to mix it up. A cave full of time and horrors you need to see to believe. Author Ike Hamill certainly knows how to spin a horror story like a spider spins a web.
A creepy tale full of strife and possible insanity with a little bit of pay it forward to mix it up. A cave full of time and horrors you need to see to believe. Author Ike Hamill certainly knows how to spin a horror story like a spider spins a web.
October 23, 2023
Book 13 of my Spooky October 2023 Readathon! I really liked the creepy cave monster in this, it was pretty interesting. I struggled to keep track of the bit cast of characters and it felt like it was way longer than it was. Still a good addition to my spooky reads!
July 11, 2020
OMG. What a story! Awesome, exciting, suspenseful, and scary tale. Thanks to the author I will never go spelunking! Ever.
September 27, 2022
Really great ending.
January 24, 2024
Very good. It held my attention throughout the book.
June 25, 2024
Great read!
It was very interesting and kept me guessing. I will be reading more of his books ! It was just long enough that it can be read in a couple days
It was very interesting and kept me guessing. I will be reading more of his books ! It was just long enough that it can be read in a couple days
December 29, 2024
Last read of the year and my favourite !
October 14, 2025
Such a fantastic read! Can not recommend enough, such a crazy read that left me with a pit in my stomach
May 27, 2023
Entering an old mine two groups of young adults, one searching for gold, are faced with a supernatural horror which seems determined to keep them there. I picked this up because I'd read and enjoyed one of the author's books already, and cave/underground settings are a favourite of mine. This didn't disappoint as we follow the individuals' attempts to escape a horrific fate. What I like about this author is that his plots don't necessarily take the easy or expected route, bringing in elements that add more depth to the story than perhaps I'm used to seeing in most horror novels. If you're a fan of horror, I'd urge you to give him a try.
February 17, 2016
Inhabited is a haunted house story that takes place in a mine. Actually, certain parts of it reminded me more of Event Horizon. There are quite a few people who have found their way into this mine on a particular day, and one by one the mine and its unknowable inhabitants kill and, well, eat, the outsiders. They get smushed in cracks that suddenly close. They disappear in impenetrable clouds like black smoke. They get pulled, bit by bit, into the rock itself. Poisons lining certain caves can kill in minutes. No matter where our erstwhile spelunkers turn, they’ll lose this game.
I really like the characters in this book. They have depth to them and it wasn’t hard to care about what happened to some of them. The pacing matched the beats of a good horror script.
My only real negative is that there were some details that never gelled for me. For example, there’s a room with a hangman’s noose in it–totally different from anything else in the mine, so it kind of begs for at least a little speculation on the characters’ part if not an explanation. There are a couple of other similar little details that I wanted to know more about. It’s hard to find the right line, in horror, of showing too little versus too much. This book fell a little to the side of not enough for my tastes.
If you’re looking for an interesting, classic horror style show then this is a good book to read!
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/02/r...
I really like the characters in this book. They have depth to them and it wasn’t hard to care about what happened to some of them. The pacing matched the beats of a good horror script.
My only real negative is that there were some details that never gelled for me. For example, there’s a room with a hangman’s noose in it–totally different from anything else in the mine, so it kind of begs for at least a little speculation on the characters’ part if not an explanation. There are a couple of other similar little details that I wanted to know more about. It’s hard to find the right line, in horror, of showing too little versus too much. This book fell a little to the side of not enough for my tastes.
If you’re looking for an interesting, classic horror style show then this is a good book to read!
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/02/r...
September 5, 2015
Creepy cave exploring story!
This book was great! I liked the characters and felt like I was exploring with them; I got stressed out and frustrated alongside everyone and shared in the horrors they found inside the mine/cave. No spoilers here so don't worry - whatever IS inside with them is just descriptive enough (and horrific-sounding enough) to be definitively creepy. Simultaneously, the "monster" vague enough to cause the reader not to immediately detect any realistic threats. This keeps you invested in the plot no matter what, along with the curiosity to find out ANY explanation. It adds to the urgency when you come to realize just how desperate the situation slowly and how the author taunts you with the faint hope that some characters come so close to making it, which is also maintained throughout Recommend!
This book was great! I liked the characters and felt like I was exploring with them; I got stressed out and frustrated alongside everyone and shared in the horrors they found inside the mine/cave. No spoilers here so don't worry - whatever IS inside with them is just descriptive enough (and horrific-sounding enough) to be definitively creepy. Simultaneously, the "monster" vague enough to cause the reader not to immediately detect any realistic threats. This keeps you invested in the plot no matter what, along with the curiosity to find out ANY explanation. It adds to the urgency when you come to realize just how desperate the situation slowly and how the author taunts you with the faint hope that some characters come so close to making it, which is also maintained throughout Recommend!
March 7, 2016
Well Written
Ike Hamill has several really good books that I've read. I'm starting to pick some things I read by just the authors name and his is on a short list that I use this method to choose what I read.
A lot was going on in this story. You really get a sense of what the characters were feeling and seeing. You experience the tale through the senses of two basic groups and what their fates maybe. I would have given it more stars but I'm a firm believer that everything can be better and 4.9 wasn't an option so it was only 4. I do believe that his books are as close to a 5 as any other author can get. His "Extinct" series got me hooked and belong along side great authors of the genre like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. You keep writing and we will keep reading.
Ike Hamill has several really good books that I've read. I'm starting to pick some things I read by just the authors name and his is on a short list that I use this method to choose what I read.
A lot was going on in this story. You really get a sense of what the characters were feeling and seeing. You experience the tale through the senses of two basic groups and what their fates maybe. I would have given it more stars but I'm a firm believer that everything can be better and 4.9 wasn't an option so it was only 4. I do believe that his books are as close to a 5 as any other author can get. His "Extinct" series got me hooked and belong along side great authors of the genre like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. You keep writing and we will keep reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews