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Sam Aston Investigations #2
Overlord
"Part At the Mountains of Madness, part The Thing, part Aliens… another summer blockbuster waiting to happen!" What lurks beneath the ice? Marine biologist Sam Aston is hired to explore a series of subterranean caverns deep beneath the Antarctic. Somewhere within this lost world of magnificent caverns and underground seas lies a source of limitless clean energy, but something guards this treasure. As enemies bent on obtaining this world-changing resource for themselves close in from above, Aston and his team plunge further into the depths, and discover they are not the first to come this way...and thy are not alone. As the death toll mounts, Aston and his companions are forced to uncover secrets hidden far beneath the ice. Danger lurks at every turn as they face the deadly threat of the Overlord! Adventure, Science Fiction, and Horror converge in the Sam Aston Investigations series by the USA Today Bestselling author of Loch and the Australian Shadows Award winning author of The Roo! Praise for the Sam Aston Investigations "The team who took aquatic terror to new depths are turning their talented attentions to caves deep below the Antarctic ice, where ancient carvings and strange symbols have been found, as well as a potentially invaluable crystalline energy source... it's is part At the Mountains of Madness, part The Thing, part Aliens… it’s another summer blockbuster waiting to happen, full speed ahead and damn the special effects budget. Also, no sheep were harmed in the making of this book (that I know of)." Christine Morgan, The Horror Fiction Review "A great adventure story mixed with a creature feature! A book that grabbed my attention early and held on!" Brian's Book Blog "Renegade marine biologist Sam Aston is back for a second outing in what is shaping up to be a must-read aquatic adventure series! Danger and intrigue lurk both above and below in this action-filled, white-knuckle romp with a breathtaking conclusion!" Rick Chesler, author of Sawfish "Everything you'd want from a monster story – great characters, a remote location and a creature with bite! Mixing history and lore with science and action, David Wood and Alan Baxter have penned a thriller that is hard to put down." Jeremy Robinson, author of Island 731 "Bone-cracking terror from the stygian depths! A creature thriller that is both intelligent and visceral. I could hear the Jaws soundtrack playing on repeat, although that might have been my heart pounding." Lee Murray, author of Into the Mist "One of the best, the most thoroughly delightful and satisfying, books that I've read in quite some time. A serious out-of-the-park type of home run hit." Christine Morgan, The Horror Fiction Review "As Adventure Thrillers go, you can't go wrong with Wood and Baxter!" The Grim Reader
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2018
105 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
David Wood
100 books309 followersDavid Wood is the USA Today bestselling author of the Dane Maddock Adventures and many other titles and series. He also writes Science Fiction under the pen name Finn Gray and fantasy as David Debord. He is also a book reviewer, podcaster, and a member of International Thriller Writers and The Horror Writers Association. David and his family live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit him online at www.davidwoodweb.com.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 21, 2021
Love these kinds of books with strange creatures/monster running around causing issues and an action packed plot to follow but I didn't quite got on with the audiobook. Not sure if it was the writing itself or the format but wasn't as excitedly creeped out by it as I wanted to
November 21, 2021
Trigger warnings: death, gore, blood, graphic descriptions of death, death of a friend, gun violence.
Was this ridiculous? ABSOLUTELY. Did I want it to be more like the first one (i.e. a straight up cryptid situation) than it was? Yup. Did I side eye the "there are pyramids under Antarctica" thing REAL hard? You bet your ass I did.
Did I have a good time reading this nonsense? For. Sure.
Was this ridiculous? ABSOLUTELY. Did I want it to be more like the first one (i.e. a straight up cryptid situation) than it was? Yup. Did I side eye the "there are pyramids under Antarctica" thing REAL hard? You bet your ass I did.
Did I have a good time reading this nonsense? For. Sure.
Read
November 28, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Blood & gore depiction
Death of a friend
Gun violence
Blood & gore depiction
Death of a friend
Gun violence
May 8, 2022
I haven't read the first book in this series but Alan Baxter plus Lovecraftian creatures in Antarctica sounds like a win. It's a fun story, the previous novel being about the hunt for a cryptid has us expecting more of the same, but it turns out to be something far more threatening. It's got a little bit of everything - action, mystery, intrigue, romance and yes - horror, and is entertaining. The audio was pretty good.
October 14, 2018
I feel like this is a bad imitation of an Alex Hunter novel. Sam Aston is no Arcadian and the whole story seems like it’s been jigsawed together or something. I kept reading hoping it would improve but now I just want my time back. I love creature fics but this was completely soul less.
August 26, 2018
Our boy Sam Aston is back at it again. How many times can a mysterious guy show up at his work to offer him a sketchy high paying job? This time he finds himself deep under the Antarctic ice, supposedly in search of a new energy source. Things don’t go quite as planned, and the deeper he and his team descends, the deeper the mystery goes. Also part of the team and making a return is Jo Slater, our favorite documentary maker and notch on Aston’s bed post. Who also thinks Aston is still dead. Will she realize she’s no Haley Joel Osment and she’s not seeing ghosts? What will they find buried in the ice? Is there probably another giant creature as before/also based on looking at the book cover? Yep. Is it still a great read and as entertaining as the first go around in Finland? Yep. So read it.
July 1, 2025
David Wood and Alan Baxter bring about a whimsical enacting of the Lovecraftian variety! Okay, less whimsy and more ACTION, and interesting multiple character resurrections to keep it entertaining. A beneficial “Dig” at big engineering company highjinx complete with damsels who seriously don’t need your help, gentlemen (not all the time). Gotta go back and read that Primordial pre-book that introduced the main characters. Sounds like it might add something extra to my Summer reading list enjoyment!
March 6, 2022
Overlord overload.
Okay, well, I was overloaded with joy while I was reading this. Another adventure for Sam, and this time he meets the big daddy of monsters. The setting in Antarctic caves, is perfection. Monsters, more than one kind and taking a tip from the TV series Survivor and having the people eat/ drink yucky stuff was a nice touch. All in all crazy good fun with a bit of everything I wanted.
Okay, well, I was overloaded with joy while I was reading this. Another adventure for Sam, and this time he meets the big daddy of monsters. The setting in Antarctic caves, is perfection. Monsters, more than one kind and taking a tip from the TV series Survivor and having the people eat/ drink yucky stuff was a nice touch. All in all crazy good fun with a bit of everything I wanted.
March 10, 2024
A gripping adventure.
Sam Aston is enlisted for a mission to Antarctica to gather information on a plant with regenerative powers. This involves going underground to undiscovered depths and a cavern maze sloping downwards to a great depth. The team includes heavily armed mercenaries. The action is once again unrelenting with constant terror and tension. Every bit as gripping as the first in the series but the creatures are unoriginal hence only four stars.
Sam Aston is enlisted for a mission to Antarctica to gather information on a plant with regenerative powers. This involves going underground to undiscovered depths and a cavern maze sloping downwards to a great depth. The team includes heavily armed mercenaries. The action is once again unrelenting with constant terror and tension. Every bit as gripping as the first in the series but the creatures are unoriginal hence only four stars.
July 28, 2018
Loved it!
Great book! I thought it was better then the first book in the series. Overlord was a great combination of monsters, archeology and constant suspense! Love how these books are action packed but also without having constant bad language or sex scenes. Thank you David Wood!
Great book! I thought it was better then the first book in the series. Overlord was a great combination of monsters, archeology and constant suspense! Love how these books are action packed but also without having constant bad language or sex scenes. Thank you David Wood!
March 6, 2019
When you're in mood for something pulpy, short, with good dose of horror, thrill, and claustrophobia. And if you're a fan of monster movies and eldritch entities, read this one.
I loved reading it because it's not very serious, requires quite some suspension of belief and the finale of the book is extremely satisfying.
I mean, Antarctica...what can go wrong afterall?
I loved reading it because it's not very serious, requires quite some suspension of belief and the finale of the book is extremely satisfying.
I mean, Antarctica...what can go wrong afterall?
May 18, 2022
What a disappointment. The story started out strong (which is the ONLY reason it didn't get 2 stars) but really went off the rails around the 75% mark. The last quarter of the book found me rolling my eyes and regularly and saying "you have got to be kidding". So much made absolutely no sense. Strike 2 and I'm done with the Sam Aston series.
October 19, 2020
An amazing follow up book to the original Sam Aston adventure, Primordial. A white knuckle, page turner, that is another epic adventure. This quick paced book will have you racing through this terrifying yet entertaining icy tale. Highly recommended book.
October 23, 2021
Great book
Another great adventure for Sam Aston, he's immortal. This is a great story, with lots of action and suspense with a little love story mixed in. Great read and I recommend it to all.
Another great adventure for Sam Aston, he's immortal. This is a great story, with lots of action and suspense with a little love story mixed in. Great read and I recommend it to all.
April 5, 2022
Really enjoyed the series (read #3 firs before going back to read part 1 and 2). The characters are really good and they always have a good monster (or monsters in this case). I'd definitely recommend.
February 21, 2024
I really liked this Lovecraftian adventure tale. This is another book I read through the Audible Plus program and I am thankful I am getting to try all these new authors books and my to buy list has been growing exponentially.
May 15, 2024
Like any B grade monster flick with Lovecraftian vibes, Overlord does a great job paying tribute to HP’s work. It’s a fun, no thinking, romp through a mission doomed to fail from the start. Recommended for fans of Lovecraft or even Matthew Reilly’s Jack West Jr series.
August 9, 2018
Another enjoyable adventure with our intrepid flawed hero. Unbelievable horrors are once again battled and triumphed against and our hero lives to start another adventure another day.
December 3, 2018
Fear holds the expedition back.
Sea monsters, deep caves dead bodies from the past and present. Have many on the. Expedition wanting to go back
Sea monsters, deep caves dead bodies from the past and present. Have many on the. Expedition wanting to go back
June 14, 2019
Loved it! Cheesey and fast and exciting.
November 18, 2019
Finished this the day after the first and fully intended to grab the next in the series. Only to find it's not out yet. Dont know how long I can wait for my next fix.
April 5, 2020
Excellent read
Excellent read, really enjoyed this. Brilliant want to hear more of Aston and Slater, hopefully more to follow. Looking forward to read more David Wood books.
Excellent read, really enjoyed this. Brilliant want to hear more of Aston and Slater, hopefully more to follow. Looking forward to read more David Wood books.
October 15, 2020
Same Antarctica. Save cave system. Same creepy crawlies waiting to jump on people. Gave it three stars because it is well written even if it's totally predictable.
April 22, 2021
Great book
Great book lots of action great characters and a good story line David wood is one of our best authors. Around
Great book lots of action great characters and a good story line David wood is one of our best authors. Around
April 10, 2022
Couldn't finish it - just not my thing. Made it 3/4ths of the way through but had to stop when the story went off in a different direction.
August 31, 2024
This second novel in the Sam Aston cryptid horror series in which a scientific expedition to Antarctica discovers an unimaginable organism that could threaten the entire world. A step up from the first book in the series in terms of stakes, and just as terrifying and enjoyable.
June 25, 2019
What do you do when your name is practically a death sentence? You fake your own death and dive into hiding. The deepest of hiding, of course.(Ha! Dive...) So you take a job that puts you in just as much danger, if not more. Sadly, the new job has you going up against an enormous creature no one believes exists. All you can do is stay under the radar, with your neck above water.
This is Overlord, by David Wood and Alan Baxter.
Overlord is book two of the Sam Aston Investigations. Sam, nearly eaten by a lake monster/god that had been worshipped by a secret, jungle cult is on the go again. Offered a job that will not only pay off his debts, but get him back in the black, he accepts. The job reunites him with someone from his past, but it also puts him thousands of miles below the earth's surface.
And there's something waiting.
This novel is a continuation to Primordial, a follow-up to Sam's extraordinary life. In Overlord, there's something much bigger than some over-sized, underwater lizard. It's about greed, betrayal and of course, a monster! When the team hired discovers they're not the first to have ventured into the cave system, Sam and the crew realize their predecessors never made it out. Will they?
I enjoyed the story- it's high octane and full of exciting action. Aston is a likable character, and more than brave. He's one of those guy's you'd definitely want on your team. And though I didn't like how Slater behaved after her initial shock, she was just as memorable. Everyone's intelligent and not one time did I find myself fussing, calling them idiots! That doesn't happen often. But I still had an issue with the novel.
Overlord was released in 2018. An author, by the name of Scott Sigler, released a audiobook titled Earthcore in 2001. To me, these stories are terribly similar. Searching underground for money (not exact, but still), missing teams, and gruesome deaths. Not saying Woods and Baxter copied anything, just that they're alike. I can't give the similarities without giving away some of the plot, but I can say that both books are good. Overlord is good, though I kept thinking of the other book. Thankfully, the ending is nowhere near the previously mentioned book, leaving me very happy and content.
It's a great read and you can fly through it without knowing what took place in Primordial. It's mentioned a few times, but it doesn't take away. Check out Overlord, for yourself, and see if you enjoy it. If you've not read or listened to Earthcore, then you'll not suffer the issue I did. I'm on to the next read. Cheers!
*For the book video, and more of my reviews, please visit https://www.areneehunt.com/the-review...
This is Overlord, by David Wood and Alan Baxter.
Overlord is book two of the Sam Aston Investigations. Sam, nearly eaten by a lake monster/god that had been worshipped by a secret, jungle cult is on the go again. Offered a job that will not only pay off his debts, but get him back in the black, he accepts. The job reunites him with someone from his past, but it also puts him thousands of miles below the earth's surface.
And there's something waiting.
This novel is a continuation to Primordial, a follow-up to Sam's extraordinary life. In Overlord, there's something much bigger than some over-sized, underwater lizard. It's about greed, betrayal and of course, a monster! When the team hired discovers they're not the first to have ventured into the cave system, Sam and the crew realize their predecessors never made it out. Will they?
I enjoyed the story- it's high octane and full of exciting action. Aston is a likable character, and more than brave. He's one of those guy's you'd definitely want on your team. And though I didn't like how Slater behaved after her initial shock, she was just as memorable. Everyone's intelligent and not one time did I find myself fussing, calling them idiots! That doesn't happen often. But I still had an issue with the novel.
Overlord was released in 2018. An author, by the name of Scott Sigler, released a audiobook titled Earthcore in 2001. To me, these stories are terribly similar. Searching underground for money (not exact, but still), missing teams, and gruesome deaths. Not saying Woods and Baxter copied anything, just that they're alike. I can't give the similarities without giving away some of the plot, but I can say that both books are good. Overlord is good, though I kept thinking of the other book. Thankfully, the ending is nowhere near the previously mentioned book, leaving me very happy and content.
It's a great read and you can fly through it without knowing what took place in Primordial. It's mentioned a few times, but it doesn't take away. Check out Overlord, for yourself, and see if you enjoy it. If you've not read or listened to Earthcore, then you'll not suffer the issue I did. I'm on to the next read. Cheers!
*For the book video, and more of my reviews, please visit https://www.areneehunt.com/the-review...
July 12, 2018
It was an OK monster thriller by one of my favorite authors. I just got really going from one cave to another to another.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews