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Jack Frey #1
Cry Havoc
They say when the demons come, you either fight or you die.
The Black Dogs know this all too well. For three hundred years, the warrior priests have sacrificed their lives to keep the island nation of Abios safe from the flesh-eating Nostros, while the rest of the world fell under the demons’ savagery. However, an armada now stands poised to invade mankind’s last bastion.
Child thief Jack Frey is saved from the gallows and joins the mysterious order. Trained with the bullet and the blade, Jack finds himself on the front-line of a centuries-old war.
Across the Angel Sea, Lin is fighting for her life. As a slave of the Nostros, she knows death can strike at any time, either at the hands of her masters or her fellow humans.
Little do they know mankind's fate lies in both their hands.
Fans of Peter V. Brett and Brent Weeks will love CRY HAVOC.
Dive in to a dark and refreshing fantasy epic you won't be able to put down.
The Black Dogs know this all too well. For three hundred years, the warrior priests have sacrificed their lives to keep the island nation of Abios safe from the flesh-eating Nostros, while the rest of the world fell under the demons’ savagery. However, an armada now stands poised to invade mankind’s last bastion.
Child thief Jack Frey is saved from the gallows and joins the mysterious order. Trained with the bullet and the blade, Jack finds himself on the front-line of a centuries-old war.
Across the Angel Sea, Lin is fighting for her life. As a slave of the Nostros, she knows death can strike at any time, either at the hands of her masters or her fellow humans.
Little do they know mankind's fate lies in both their hands.
Fans of Peter V. Brett and Brent Weeks will love CRY HAVOC.
Dive in to a dark and refreshing fantasy epic you won't be able to put down.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2017
276 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 18, 2021
This is one of those books that I have had on my TBR for ages. I was particularly drawn to this one due to the fact that Mike Morris is a very good ‘friend’ of one of my favourite authors Mike Shackle, and on the basis of this thought that there would be some similarities in writing style.
Cry Havoc is a fast paced, coming of age adventure story that really grabs you by the heels and takes you along on a mad dash through monster infested castles and exceptionally written action pieces.
The story revolves around two main characters, Jack Frey (he that is on the front of the book) and Lin, a young girl who resides in a castle that is owned by the Nostros.
We meet them initially as children and we follow their story from there.
After the loss of their father, Jack and his brother Brendan are virtually bringing themselves up. They do have a mother, but she has problems, and whilst it is not explicitly stated, we can determine that after the loss of their father she has fallen into a pit of despair and has turned to alcohol to function (which she doesn’t do very well!), leaving Jack and Brendon to live on their wits. As you can imagine this isn’t going to turn out that well and they find themselves in a life of crime.
After they are caught trying to steal from one of the wealthier members of the populace, they are subsequently sent to gaol to await sentencing. Whilst there, they are approached by Aiden, a knight of the Order of St Stephen otherwise known as The Black Dogs, who gives the boys and their mother an offer to join The Black Dogs or go through sentencing which will surely result in death. He also offers Jack & Brendon’s mother money in relation to this. She subsequently agrees and the boys are indoctrinated into The Black Dogs as soldiers to fight in the war against the blood drinking Nostros.
On the other side of the ocean, Lin is a slave to the cruel Nostros. A race of vampire like creatures that drink blood, eat human flesh and enslave all the humans that they conquer. The slaves are then sorted into several categories, some being meat (speaks for itself), others being grunts (soldiers in the army), sweats (workers) and those who are to be turned into willing slaves of the Nostros.
After a particularly horrific incident when one of the Nostros masters enters the nursery and eats some of the children in front of her, a kindly matron takes pity on her and makes sure that at the time of sorting she will be assigned as a sweat.
Lin’s existence is fraught with danger, with each hour a constant battle in the brutal world that she lives in, as she not only has to traverse the evil masters that are a constant threat, but also the fact that there are evil men in the work detail that she is assigned to.
Lin is primarily the way we see how the Nostros function, their society and their culture. It also gives us a good sense of how bloody evil they are. These are not you cartoonish monsters, the Nostros have no regard for human life and their only goal is to seek dominance over all mankind.
Cry Havoc is a brilliant book, it has the essence of a coming-of-age fantasy but then moves onto a full-on battle fantasy.
The characters are all well rounded, and it is Lin and Jack (obviously, as they are the main characters) that I identified with the most. Lin’s story is the one that is the most stressful as hers is constantly filled with danger, and I constantly found myself on tenterhooks wondering how she was going to survive the page, never mind the book.
I was quite surprised with Jack on the other hand. When we meet Jack, he is quite the precocious teenager. He doesn’t understand why he has been taken from his home and believes that he has been basically sold to the knights and into servitude. However, it is not until about halfway through the book that he realises he has a home. He is continually full of doubts about his own ability to face the Nostros, making him someone that is easy to understand with and get on board with.
In addition to that, Mike Morris writes some of the best action scenes in fantasy in my opinion. They are always cinematic and extremely visual. He must have been taking a leaf out of Mike Shackle’s books.
It is a very fact paced book that never lags at all. It generally keeps the momentum all the way through the book, and Mile Morris’s writing style is really engaging, and I always had to get to the next chapter to see what happens next.
I didn’t want to put this book down, in fact I didn’t want to put the series down and moved immediately on to the next book in the series, Cry Witch immediately.
Cry Havoc is a fast paced, coming of age adventure story that really grabs you by the heels and takes you along on a mad dash through monster infested castles and exceptionally written action pieces.
The story revolves around two main characters, Jack Frey (he that is on the front of the book) and Lin, a young girl who resides in a castle that is owned by the Nostros.
We meet them initially as children and we follow their story from there.
After the loss of their father, Jack and his brother Brendan are virtually bringing themselves up. They do have a mother, but she has problems, and whilst it is not explicitly stated, we can determine that after the loss of their father she has fallen into a pit of despair and has turned to alcohol to function (which she doesn’t do very well!), leaving Jack and Brendon to live on their wits. As you can imagine this isn’t going to turn out that well and they find themselves in a life of crime.
After they are caught trying to steal from one of the wealthier members of the populace, they are subsequently sent to gaol to await sentencing. Whilst there, they are approached by Aiden, a knight of the Order of St Stephen otherwise known as The Black Dogs, who gives the boys and their mother an offer to join The Black Dogs or go through sentencing which will surely result in death. He also offers Jack & Brendon’s mother money in relation to this. She subsequently agrees and the boys are indoctrinated into The Black Dogs as soldiers to fight in the war against the blood drinking Nostros.
On the other side of the ocean, Lin is a slave to the cruel Nostros. A race of vampire like creatures that drink blood, eat human flesh and enslave all the humans that they conquer. The slaves are then sorted into several categories, some being meat (speaks for itself), others being grunts (soldiers in the army), sweats (workers) and those who are to be turned into willing slaves of the Nostros.
After a particularly horrific incident when one of the Nostros masters enters the nursery and eats some of the children in front of her, a kindly matron takes pity on her and makes sure that at the time of sorting she will be assigned as a sweat.
Lin’s existence is fraught with danger, with each hour a constant battle in the brutal world that she lives in, as she not only has to traverse the evil masters that are a constant threat, but also the fact that there are evil men in the work detail that she is assigned to.
Lin is primarily the way we see how the Nostros function, their society and their culture. It also gives us a good sense of how bloody evil they are. These are not you cartoonish monsters, the Nostros have no regard for human life and their only goal is to seek dominance over all mankind.
Cry Havoc is a brilliant book, it has the essence of a coming-of-age fantasy but then moves onto a full-on battle fantasy.
The characters are all well rounded, and it is Lin and Jack (obviously, as they are the main characters) that I identified with the most. Lin’s story is the one that is the most stressful as hers is constantly filled with danger, and I constantly found myself on tenterhooks wondering how she was going to survive the page, never mind the book.
I was quite surprised with Jack on the other hand. When we meet Jack, he is quite the precocious teenager. He doesn’t understand why he has been taken from his home and believes that he has been basically sold to the knights and into servitude. However, it is not until about halfway through the book that he realises he has a home. He is continually full of doubts about his own ability to face the Nostros, making him someone that is easy to understand with and get on board with.
In addition to that, Mike Morris writes some of the best action scenes in fantasy in my opinion. They are always cinematic and extremely visual. He must have been taking a leaf out of Mike Shackle’s books.
It is a very fact paced book that never lags at all. It generally keeps the momentum all the way through the book, and Mile Morris’s writing style is really engaging, and I always had to get to the next chapter to see what happens next.
I didn’t want to put this book down, in fact I didn’t want to put the series down and moved immediately on to the next book in the series, Cry Witch immediately.
September 5, 2020
Thank you to the author Mike Morris for the e-copy in exchange for review. I apologize for the lengthy wait.
This is like the best kind of popcorn reading! Edge of your seat action, explosions, powder guns, some good bloody death scenes and you can’t help but love Jack and Lin.
We meet Jack and Lin as children-
Jack during his time running around with his older brother Brendon, stealing to get by until he gets himself into a bit of trouble and The Black Dogs: Knights of the Order of St Stephen, step in to offer a better life. The Black Dogs fight against the Nostros (basically jacked-up vamps) and do most of their recruiting of young boys that are living on the streets or from families that just getting by). Jack is then taken to learn and train, until he can earn his spot within the order. Jack is an understandably angry young boy but he is a good kid underneath and the opportunities given to him through the Order turn him into a good man.
And Lin, who is our window into the Nostros’s world, where she is one of the human slaves (which is the long straw of the lot when one of your other choices could be a dinner invitation- theirs not yours). She struggles to survive in a place where the odds are pretty low of living through the day, much less to any ripe old age. She’s clever, adaptable, and cares about her little “family” of workers. I loved Lin a lot.
I would say the first third of the book is giving us the background on these two characters while time jumping us up until they’re adults. We learn a lot about their lives, their personalities, and their world during these jumps.
And I think a lot of why Jack and Lin worked for me so well was because of getting to watch them grow up and survive while still keeping that innocence and goodness underneath, as their outer shells harden up over the years.
The story never lags. The world-building leans on things we recognize (crusades/the church/jacked-up vamps etc.) to do some of the heavy lifting, couple that with the on the fly character building it keep things moving along at a steady paced build until it turns into this train-ride of adrenaline and anxiety.
That sequence in the middle was my favourite part. It was a huge adrenaline rush and slightly terrifying- I could not read fast enough in my worry over the people that I had come to know, hoping for that miracle they desperately needed.
I loved the 80’s movie feeling to the ending- giving us lots of damage but a few things to be surprised about (one that I hoped would happen and was very glad when it did) mixed-in with possibilities for fun follow-ups. In other words, if I didn’t already know there were sequels, I’d have been happy with the outcome.
Other notes-
This was not as dark all-around as He Who Fights by the same author but, this does not shy away from the horror and blood and there are a couple good sguicky scenes (some even with children). It is Vampires folks; huge, domineering, remorseless, flesh-eating nasties. You’re going to cheer when these brutes die.
I said yes, to this review request solely on the strength of how much I enjoyed He Who Fights. I don't think I even looked to see what this book was about. Good gamble.
This is like the best kind of popcorn reading! Edge of your seat action, explosions, powder guns, some good bloody death scenes and you can’t help but love Jack and Lin.
We meet Jack and Lin as children-
Jack during his time running around with his older brother Brendon, stealing to get by until he gets himself into a bit of trouble and The Black Dogs: Knights of the Order of St Stephen, step in to offer a better life. The Black Dogs fight against the Nostros (basically jacked-up vamps) and do most of their recruiting of young boys that are living on the streets or from families that just getting by). Jack is then taken to learn and train, until he can earn his spot within the order. Jack is an understandably angry young boy but he is a good kid underneath and the opportunities given to him through the Order turn him into a good man.
And Lin, who is our window into the Nostros’s world, where she is one of the human slaves (which is the long straw of the lot when one of your other choices could be a dinner invitation- theirs not yours). She struggles to survive in a place where the odds are pretty low of living through the day, much less to any ripe old age. She’s clever, adaptable, and cares about her little “family” of workers. I loved Lin a lot.
I would say the first third of the book is giving us the background on these two characters while time jumping us up until they’re adults. We learn a lot about their lives, their personalities, and their world during these jumps.
And I think a lot of why Jack and Lin worked for me so well was because of getting to watch them grow up and survive while still keeping that innocence and goodness underneath, as their outer shells harden up over the years.
The story never lags. The world-building leans on things we recognize (crusades/the church/jacked-up vamps etc.) to do some of the heavy lifting, couple that with the on the fly character building it keep things moving along at a steady paced build until it turns into this train-ride of adrenaline and anxiety.
That sequence in the middle was my favourite part. It was a huge adrenaline rush and slightly terrifying- I could not read fast enough in my worry over the people that I had come to know, hoping for that miracle they desperately needed.
I loved the 80’s movie feeling to the ending- giving us lots of damage but a few things to be surprised about (one that I hoped would happen and was very glad when it did) mixed-in with possibilities for fun follow-ups. In other words, if I didn’t already know there were sequels, I’d have been happy with the outcome.
Other notes-
This was not as dark all-around as He Who Fights by the same author but, this does not shy away from the horror and blood and there are a couple good sguicky scenes (some even with children). It is Vampires folks; huge, domineering, remorseless, flesh-eating nasties. You’re going to cheer when these brutes die.
I said yes, to this review request solely on the strength of how much I enjoyed He Who Fights. I don't think I even looked to see what this book was about. Good gamble.
January 24, 2018
Solid, fast-paced, kickass introduction to the adventures of Jack Frey and his fight against demons.
October 6, 2018
A very really interesting read, I found it difficult to put down. the book should have been about Jack, Lin, and Richard. Richard had me in stitches everytime he opens his mouth. "Priests are not meant to be gambling. I'm not gambling I'm solving maths."
Characters were very well developed, I found myself rooting for Lin to survive without a scratch. The masters were really scary, compared to Lin, Jack's journey was more like a walk in the park.
Black Dogs remains of Game of Throne's Black Watch.
Characters were very well developed, I found myself rooting for Lin to survive without a scratch. The masters were really scary, compared to Lin, Jack's journey was more like a walk in the park.
Black Dogs remains of Game of Throne's Black Watch.
November 12, 2018
Going to cheat with this one... Didn't actually read it, I listened to it on audio book! Going to count it though. This was a really good book, loved it and can't wait for the next one
October 1, 2017
I enjoyed this book. Great action, but could have used some additional character development. Or something. I'm not much of a critic, but I missed a little deeper human feeling. I am definitely going to read the next one and am looking forward to it!
November 24, 2020
This was quite a bit darker than I expected.
I'm not squeamish, but this had me rise my brow at a few scenes - especially early on.
Trigger warning for bad things happening to children.
If you don't mind those and quite a lot of killing, it is a fluent and interesting read!
I liked the main characters, even if they felt a bit stereotype at times. That's the reason why I'm going for 4* as all around I had quite a few "read this, know this" moments. Not as in actually stealing from other works at all - just not as inventive or unique or otherwise blowing me away as I want a book to give it 5*
It was fun and entertaining though, and I'll definitely read book two soonish - so I'm happy to give it 4* anyway!
I'm not squeamish, but this had me rise my brow at a few scenes - especially early on.
Trigger warning for bad things happening to children.
If you don't mind those and quite a lot of killing, it is a fluent and interesting read!
I liked the main characters, even if they felt a bit stereotype at times. That's the reason why I'm going for 4* as all around I had quite a few "read this, know this" moments. Not as in actually stealing from other works at all - just not as inventive or unique or otherwise blowing me away as I want a book to give it 5*
It was fun and entertaining though, and I'll definitely read book two soonish - so I'm happy to give it 4* anyway!
December 22, 2017
Overall quite good
The Jack and Lin storylines are overall intriguing. The Masters I felt could have been better expanded upon. The backstories were very linear, there was some jumping around and the depth of some characters was missing. It felt a little rushed when it should have gone into better detail and went into detail when it could have been rushed. Still an interesting read.
The Jack and Lin storylines are overall intriguing. The Masters I felt could have been better expanded upon. The backstories were very linear, there was some jumping around and the depth of some characters was missing. It felt a little rushed when it should have gone into better detail and went into detail when it could have been rushed. Still an interesting read.
August 23, 2018
Superbly narrated by the wonderful Simon Vance, this tale of a child thief and a slavegirl in a world bedevilled by the flesh-eating Nostros was highly entertaining. Very well paced with great characters has me wanting more!
November 7, 2017
Great book
Enjoyable book. Started off a little slow but got going about halfway thru. Can’t wait for the sequel.... until then I’ll try one of the authors other books.
Enjoyable book. Started off a little slow but got going about halfway thru. Can’t wait for the sequel.... until then I’ll try one of the authors other books.
November 30, 2017
Good Read
Great character, entertaining story. Liked his take on Vampires. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Would recommend.
Great character, entertaining story. Liked his take on Vampires. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Would recommend.
February 20, 2018
I liked it it was a good read I will read the next one.
March 4, 2018
Great book with a smart voice, original plot idea and engaging characters. Really enjoyed it and the writing style.
March 23, 2018
Fantastic!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Finished it in three days. I can't wait to read more of Jack's adventures. I thoroughly recommend this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Finished it in three days. I can't wait to read more of Jack's adventures. I thoroughly recommend this book.
June 16, 2018
I some how forgot to rate this book. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for the next one. It's on of those books you hope turns into a 20 series book. So you can always have something good to read.
Excellent choice on narrator as well.
Excellent choice on narrator as well.
February 27, 2019
Great read. Different take on the vampire mythos but with enough familiarity to draw you in. Highly recommended!
December 14, 2020
Fast read with a really good story that keeps you engaged. Taking a star away for some spelling/grammatical errors that can ruin the flow a bit, but still a great read.
February 2, 2018
Pretty good world building and things not always going well for the main characters.
January 25, 2018
Good story. Left me wanting to read the next one.
July 25, 2019
Good book, I don't mind all the religious tones because it's a fake religion in a fake universe. I wish I could find a picture of Wat a nostros looks like, I only can really picture them as a a larger than human, bipedal cat/vampire type of thing.
March 8, 2018
Interesting and terrifying
An interesting and terrifying story. Interesting because main character s are well written and you care what happens to them. Terrifying to think about another'ô
An interesting and terrifying story. Interesting because main character s are well written and you care what happens to them. Terrifying to think about another'ô
November 25, 2025
Solid 4/5
Dude wow only 600 people have rated this. This author gotta shout out audible for suggesting it to people. I throughly enjoyed this book. I have been in a reading rut and it did a good job at getting me back to reading. I had predictable and unpredictable plots. I like when a book isn’t afraid of killing characters but I hate fake out. You should only be allowed one per book you do it more then twice it loses it flair if I’m being honest. Enemy was super black and white which was nice didn’t care for a complex villain. Some times you just need the villain to want to eat humans and it works. Really nothing too special about this book I really like Jack and Lin(the mcs). Do they need to date like I guess not really. I don’t think either of them are emotionally stable enough too they both have so much trauma. Idk what they would talk about either outside of the whole war idk there’s two more books I bet they have kids or some BS. Fun read would recommend to some people not gonna rave about it but just fun. Ps Robert should not have survived the descriptive attack that he went through. You practically tell me he broke his back and then continues to fight the rest of the war come on man that fucker is tough.
Sorry no paragraph breaks don’t feel like doing grammer
Dude wow only 600 people have rated this. This author gotta shout out audible for suggesting it to people. I throughly enjoyed this book. I have been in a reading rut and it did a good job at getting me back to reading. I had predictable and unpredictable plots. I like when a book isn’t afraid of killing characters but I hate fake out. You should only be allowed one per book you do it more then twice it loses it flair if I’m being honest. Enemy was super black and white which was nice didn’t care for a complex villain. Some times you just need the villain to want to eat humans and it works. Really nothing too special about this book I really like Jack and Lin(the mcs). Do they need to date like I guess not really. I don’t think either of them are emotionally stable enough too they both have so much trauma. Idk what they would talk about either outside of the whole war idk there’s two more books I bet they have kids or some BS. Fun read would recommend to some people not gonna rave about it but just fun. Ps Robert should not have survived the descriptive attack that he went through. You practically tell me he broke his back and then continues to fight the rest of the war come on man that fucker is tough.
Sorry no paragraph breaks don’t feel like doing grammer
November 27, 2022
A very good read.
Good character development. Plenty of action. A good twist on Vampire horror.
(There are a few typo errors). I believe fans of fantasy and horror should enjoy this first book in the series.
Good character development. Plenty of action. A good twist on Vampire horror.
(There are a few typo errors). I believe fans of fantasy and horror should enjoy this first book in the series.
October 18, 2017
Good
Nice shortish fast paced fantasy novel I liked it a lot duck you And your word count eat ducks good book overAll late need sleep
Nice shortish fast paced fantasy novel I liked it a lot duck you And your word count eat ducks good book overAll late need sleep
October 9, 2017
Good story
The characters are believable. The plot is interesting and the world building is great. Can’t wait for the next adventure of Jack Frey. Read if you like medieval fantasy with vampires. Other creatures were briefly mentioned and hopefully will be included more in future installments.
The characters are believable. The plot is interesting and the world building is great. Can’t wait for the next adventure of Jack Frey. Read if you like medieval fantasy with vampires. Other creatures were briefly mentioned and hopefully will be included more in future installments.
May 11, 2018
Really enjoyed this on I had the end all figured out but I was dead wrong love I when this happens so I’ve already got the next book thing I’ll read something else something a bit different first
September 28, 2017
Good read
Waiting for the next book to arrive enjoyed the read very imaginative trying to get off this page won't let me go unless I write a reviw not impressed
Waiting for the next book to arrive enjoyed the read very imaginative trying to get off this page won't let me go unless I write a reviw not impressed
January 19, 2023
Fun story and an easy read. The action was well written and characters easily visualized at every step. It's grimdark but not overly so. In all, Jack Frey is a character that I will enjoy watching progress in further books. In fact, I'm on to the next one!
And as a consumer of Audible books, it has to be said that Simon Vance is an amazing narrator. If you've never had the opportunity to listen to him, you're missing out. He's well worth the cost of admission and makes everything he reads, that much better.
And as a consumer of Audible books, it has to be said that Simon Vance is an amazing narrator. If you've never had the opportunity to listen to him, you're missing out. He's well worth the cost of admission and makes everything he reads, that much better.
August 13, 2017
Excellent book! Highly recommend it.
I rarely write reviews. I normally just give books a star rating and move on to the next book. However,when I find a book that I feel deserves to be recognized for its originality, story, etc., I will write a review. This book fits the bill. It was original and fast paced, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I rarely write reviews. I normally just give books a star rating and move on to the next book. However,when I find a book that I feel deserves to be recognized for its originality, story, etc., I will write a review. This book fits the bill. It was original and fast paced, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
August 15, 2017
Good read
Starts out slowly but builds into a wild fun ride. If you like the Solomon Kane novels you'll like this book.
Starts out slowly but builds into a wild fun ride. If you like the Solomon Kane novels you'll like this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews