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Awakened #3
Obliteration
Evils both above and below ground arise once again, threatening the world and all its inhabitants with extinction in this electrifying science fiction thriller - the final novel set in the Awakened universe - from the #1 internationally bestselling author and star of television’s Impractical Jokers and a bestselling science fiction writer.
Thanks to the heroics of former New York City Mayor Tom Cafferty and his team, the world is once again safe. The villainous Foundation for Human Advancement has been dismantled, the cities of the world are safe from nuclear annihilation, and Cafferty is now on a hunt to decimate every nest of creatures on the planet.
When Cafferty enters a nest underneath the Nevada desert, he is horrified to find it completely empty. It can only mean one thing: the battle for survival is not over. Across the planet, creatures are emerging from their subterranean homes. Now, the all-out war against humanity has begun—a war in which only one apex species will survive. Humankind has finally met its match.
Cafferty knows that only one man can help him stop the onslaught. A man who is despised by the world. A man who has already caused the death of millions. A man who is a sworn enemy hell-bent on taking Tom Cafferty down forever: Albert Van Ness.
But even this desperate move may not be enough to stop the creatures and save humanity...
Thanks to the heroics of former New York City Mayor Tom Cafferty and his team, the world is once again safe. The villainous Foundation for Human Advancement has been dismantled, the cities of the world are safe from nuclear annihilation, and Cafferty is now on a hunt to decimate every nest of creatures on the planet.
When Cafferty enters a nest underneath the Nevada desert, he is horrified to find it completely empty. It can only mean one thing: the battle for survival is not over. Across the planet, creatures are emerging from their subterranean homes. Now, the all-out war against humanity has begun—a war in which only one apex species will survive. Humankind has finally met its match.
Cafferty knows that only one man can help him stop the onslaught. A man who is despised by the world. A man who has already caused the death of millions. A man who is a sworn enemy hell-bent on taking Tom Cafferty down forever: Albert Van Ness.
But even this desperate move may not be enough to stop the creatures and save humanity...
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 23, 2020
89 people are currently reading
1183 people want to read
About the author
James S. Murray
9 books911 followersJames S. Murray is a writer, executive producer, and actor, best known as “Murr” on the hit television show Impractical Jokers on truTV and for his comedy troupe, the Tenderloins. He also served as the senior vice president of development for NorthSouth Productions for over a decade and is owner of Impractical Productions, Inc. Originally from Staten Island, he now lives in Manhattan. Awakened is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
August 22, 2025
And the award for the Year’s Most Gratuitous Violence and Ridiculous Monster Mayhem in Literature goes to James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth’s “Obliteration”, the third book in their Awakened sci-fi/horror trilogy. Seriously, if countless graphic descriptions of people being decapitated, bisected, de-limbed, crushed into pulp, having their intestines pulled out of their guts, or chopped into sushi-size bites is your cup of tea, then this book is definitely for you.
I shouldn’t like this series as much as I do. I’m not generally into gore for gore’s sake. Not that I don’t appreciate a good blood-and-guts story now and then, I just tend to get turned off and/or, well, bored, by excessive amounts of gore.
Murray/Wearmouth’s saving grace is that the gore is almost SO excessive as to be cartoonish and unbelievable. There is also a somewhat tongue-in-cheek humor to this series, subtle as it is at times, that makes one realize that the authors are kind of winking at the audience. A kind of “We’re not taking this too seriously, so why should you?”
Also, when contemporary pulp authors like Brad Meltzer, James Rollins, and R.L. Stine have glowing blurbs featured on the back cover, you should know what to expect.
If you’ve followed the series at all, “Obliteration” is basically just more of the same, just now on a global scale.
Supervillain Albert Van Ness is in a maximum-security prison barge in the middle of the Atlantic. Former New York City Mayor Tom Cafferty is now leading a much larger team to defeat the subterranean creatures, which have frighteningly evolved to breathe oxygen and survive in sunlight, which means that they are venturing more and more to the surface.
Every major city in the world is under assault. The human population is being exterminated in the millions on a daily basis. It is too much for Cafferty and his team. American President Amanda Brogan gives him the order he is dreading: enlist Van Ness to help.
What follows is a pulp novel that is as extraordinarily intense as it is cheesy good fun. The novel employs genetically-engineered super-soldiers, battles on the high seas, daring rescues, science nerds who end up saving the day, and a climactic encounter with a giant Godzilla-like monster queen in the middle of San Francisco.
There is also, surprisingly, some pathos and scenes of moving humanity. But there’s a lot more gore and monster mayhem than the touchy-feely crap, which in this context is a win. Still, it’s not for everyone. Don’t read this series expecting Pulitzer Prize material. This is grade-B late-night drive-in stuff. Enjoy.
I shouldn’t like this series as much as I do. I’m not generally into gore for gore’s sake. Not that I don’t appreciate a good blood-and-guts story now and then, I just tend to get turned off and/or, well, bored, by excessive amounts of gore.
Murray/Wearmouth’s saving grace is that the gore is almost SO excessive as to be cartoonish and unbelievable. There is also a somewhat tongue-in-cheek humor to this series, subtle as it is at times, that makes one realize that the authors are kind of winking at the audience. A kind of “We’re not taking this too seriously, so why should you?”
Also, when contemporary pulp authors like Brad Meltzer, James Rollins, and R.L. Stine have glowing blurbs featured on the back cover, you should know what to expect.
If you’ve followed the series at all, “Obliteration” is basically just more of the same, just now on a global scale.
Supervillain Albert Van Ness is in a maximum-security prison barge in the middle of the Atlantic. Former New York City Mayor Tom Cafferty is now leading a much larger team to defeat the subterranean creatures, which have frighteningly evolved to breathe oxygen and survive in sunlight, which means that they are venturing more and more to the surface.
Every major city in the world is under assault. The human population is being exterminated in the millions on a daily basis. It is too much for Cafferty and his team. American President Amanda Brogan gives him the order he is dreading: enlist Van Ness to help.
What follows is a pulp novel that is as extraordinarily intense as it is cheesy good fun. The novel employs genetically-engineered super-soldiers, battles on the high seas, daring rescues, science nerds who end up saving the day, and a climactic encounter with a giant Godzilla-like monster queen in the middle of San Francisco.
There is also, surprisingly, some pathos and scenes of moving humanity. But there’s a lot more gore and monster mayhem than the touchy-feely crap, which in this context is a win. Still, it’s not for everyone. Don’t read this series expecting Pulitzer Prize material. This is grade-B late-night drive-in stuff. Enjoy.
October 12, 2020
The first installment in "The Awakened" trilogy was an atmospheric, tense page-turner of a story.
Now comes the final installment of the trilogy and I can't help but be reminded of how Star Trek infamously had to "de-fang" the Borg a bit in order to keep the popular adversaries coming back.
Picking up a year after the second installment left off, "Obliteration" finds the creatures suddenly swarming from their nests and exterminating any human being unlucky enough to be caught in their path. Humanity has only one hope -- VanNess is holding one final card and he's willing to play it, for a price.
If you've read the series until now, odds are you can easily deduce what the price is.
Now, I mention the Borg because that threat was neutralized a bit by the introduction of a queen-figure. So, if you're reading this trilogy, you can figure out that there is a queen-figure and eliminating her is the key to stopping the creatures once and for all. And an army of hybrid soldiers that VanNess has created and hidden at a secret base in Antarctica.
There's a couple of new characters who come into play in this installment, though I sort of deduced early why and how they would play a role in the final battle.
Look -- a lot of stuff happens over the course of this novel. And perhaps I didn't pay enough attention in the second installment, but it feels like a lot of what's introduced here just comes out of left field. The sense of terror and dread that pervaded the first novel is diminished quite a bit and what's left is a lot of pages of gore piled on top of gore. Sure, I found myself rooting for humanity to win -- but, it's not like I can root for the monsters tearing us all limb from limb every chance they get.
I wanted this series to go out on a high note. Alas, this was just a pretty good note.
I'm glad it's wrapped up but I honestly don't feel like I want or need to spend more time in this universe.
I will say that if you're a fan of James S. Murray from Impractical Jokers, there are (once again) Easter eggs if you know your lore about the group and Murr's life in particular.
Now comes the final installment of the trilogy and I can't help but be reminded of how Star Trek infamously had to "de-fang" the Borg a bit in order to keep the popular adversaries coming back.
Picking up a year after the second installment left off, "Obliteration" finds the creatures suddenly swarming from their nests and exterminating any human being unlucky enough to be caught in their path. Humanity has only one hope -- VanNess is holding one final card and he's willing to play it, for a price.
If you've read the series until now, odds are you can easily deduce what the price is.
Now, I mention the Borg because that threat was neutralized a bit by the introduction of a queen-figure. So, if you're reading this trilogy, you can figure out that there is a queen-figure and eliminating her is the key to stopping the creatures once and for all. And an army of hybrid soldiers that VanNess has created and hidden at a secret base in Antarctica.
There's a couple of new characters who come into play in this installment, though I sort of deduced early why and how they would play a role in the final battle.
Look -- a lot of stuff happens over the course of this novel. And perhaps I didn't pay enough attention in the second installment, but it feels like a lot of what's introduced here just comes out of left field. The sense of terror and dread that pervaded the first novel is diminished quite a bit and what's left is a lot of pages of gore piled on top of gore. Sure, I found myself rooting for humanity to win -- but, it's not like I can root for the monsters tearing us all limb from limb every chance they get.
I wanted this series to go out on a high note. Alas, this was just a pretty good note.
I'm glad it's wrapped up but I honestly don't feel like I want or need to spend more time in this universe.
I will say that if you're a fan of James S. Murray from Impractical Jokers, there are (once again) Easter eggs if you know your lore about the group and Murr's life in particular.
July 28, 2020
2.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/07/20/...
Although I’m glad I got to finish the Awakened trilogy, it is unfortunate to see the quality go down with each book. To be fair, the authors probably weren’t aiming for anything more than a mindless action-packed thriller, but still, when you compare the first book with Obliteration, the differences between the two are quite telling. Gone is any attempt at creating suspense or atmosphere, as the focus shifts entirely to cramming as much action into as little time possible.
In terms of the plot, Obliteration picks up shortly after the end of The Brink. To get the most out of it, you do have to be caught up with the previous books, so be aware there may be possible spoilers in this review for what came before. As the story begins, our big baddie Albert Van Ness has been stopped and is currently serving time in a high-security prison for his murderous crimes against humanity. It was only thanks to the efforts of Tom Cafferty that millions more did not die in the name of Van Ness’ fanatical crusade against the ancient bloodthirsty creatures that have emerged from their underground nests. The world can finally catch its breath and begin rebuilding, now that it’s safe from both monster attacks and total nuclear annihilation by a madman.
But is it really over? Tom isn’t so sure. He knows there are more creature nests still out there, and he won’t rest until he finds and destroys them all. On his latest mission with his team out in the Nevada desert though, he is shocked to arrive on the scene of a purported creature stronghold to find it completely empty. Realizing too late what it means, Tom races back up to the surface to find the world in chaos. Across the globe, cities are being overrun by the monsters who have emerged from their lairs to launch a coordinated attack all at once, killing everything in their path. Within moments, the United States loses every single one of its major urban centers, including Washington DC. Left with no choice, the President orders Tom to turn to his archnemesis, Albert Van Ness. He may be an evil maniac, but Van Ness has also dedicated his entire life to annihilating these creatures, and if anyone knows what to do now, it would be him.
This was a fun book, perfect for a bit of escapism. And had I not known the authors are capable of so much more, that would have been perfectly fine. Except I have read this series starting from Awakened, and the difference going to this one reminds me of when movies get straight-to-TV sequels. While Obliteration still delivers rapid-fire cinematic action, it does smack of going through the motions. The plot is all flash and no substance, all bloodbath and no subtlety. An army of super-soldiers just appearing out of nowhere? Hey, whatever, it’s not like the audience actually cares about explanations!
Well, except I kind of care. At the very least, I wanted more development of these characters I’ve spent three books following. What we get is pretty shallow at best, though, and it’s even more lacking for the new POVs presented. I’m also disappointed that the atmosphere was a casualty in the trade-off for more action and thrills. Looking back at my review for Awakened, I praised the book for giving me serious flashbacks to the Alien movies, as well as for its claustrophobia-inducing intensity and edge-of-your-seat suspense. That’s all been thrown to the wayside apparently, and it’s actually been happening since The Brink, sad to say.
Overall, I guess there’s something to be said about the entertainment value in a book like Obliteration, but can’t say I really enjoyed myself all that much. That said, I’m glad I saw this series through to the end, even if I can’t it remaining in my memory too long. It’s a shame, because the first book started out quite strong, but unfortunately the rest of the trilogy just wasn’t able to continue the same levels of interest or momentum.
Audiobook Comments: To his credit, James “Murr” Murray once again did a great job narrating his own book. He’s clearly experienced from his TV work, and being intimately familiar with the story and characters also helped. While I wasn’t too crazy about the book itself, I thought the narration and audio production values were well done.
Although I’m glad I got to finish the Awakened trilogy, it is unfortunate to see the quality go down with each book. To be fair, the authors probably weren’t aiming for anything more than a mindless action-packed thriller, but still, when you compare the first book with Obliteration, the differences between the two are quite telling. Gone is any attempt at creating suspense or atmosphere, as the focus shifts entirely to cramming as much action into as little time possible.
In terms of the plot, Obliteration picks up shortly after the end of The Brink. To get the most out of it, you do have to be caught up with the previous books, so be aware there may be possible spoilers in this review for what came before. As the story begins, our big baddie Albert Van Ness has been stopped and is currently serving time in a high-security prison for his murderous crimes against humanity. It was only thanks to the efforts of Tom Cafferty that millions more did not die in the name of Van Ness’ fanatical crusade against the ancient bloodthirsty creatures that have emerged from their underground nests. The world can finally catch its breath and begin rebuilding, now that it’s safe from both monster attacks and total nuclear annihilation by a madman.
But is it really over? Tom isn’t so sure. He knows there are more creature nests still out there, and he won’t rest until he finds and destroys them all. On his latest mission with his team out in the Nevada desert though, he is shocked to arrive on the scene of a purported creature stronghold to find it completely empty. Realizing too late what it means, Tom races back up to the surface to find the world in chaos. Across the globe, cities are being overrun by the monsters who have emerged from their lairs to launch a coordinated attack all at once, killing everything in their path. Within moments, the United States loses every single one of its major urban centers, including Washington DC. Left with no choice, the President orders Tom to turn to his archnemesis, Albert Van Ness. He may be an evil maniac, but Van Ness has also dedicated his entire life to annihilating these creatures, and if anyone knows what to do now, it would be him.
This was a fun book, perfect for a bit of escapism. And had I not known the authors are capable of so much more, that would have been perfectly fine. Except I have read this series starting from Awakened, and the difference going to this one reminds me of when movies get straight-to-TV sequels. While Obliteration still delivers rapid-fire cinematic action, it does smack of going through the motions. The plot is all flash and no substance, all bloodbath and no subtlety. An army of super-soldiers just appearing out of nowhere? Hey, whatever, it’s not like the audience actually cares about explanations!
Well, except I kind of care. At the very least, I wanted more development of these characters I’ve spent three books following. What we get is pretty shallow at best, though, and it’s even more lacking for the new POVs presented. I’m also disappointed that the atmosphere was a casualty in the trade-off for more action and thrills. Looking back at my review for Awakened, I praised the book for giving me serious flashbacks to the Alien movies, as well as for its claustrophobia-inducing intensity and edge-of-your-seat suspense. That’s all been thrown to the wayside apparently, and it’s actually been happening since The Brink, sad to say.
Overall, I guess there’s something to be said about the entertainment value in a book like Obliteration, but can’t say I really enjoyed myself all that much. That said, I’m glad I saw this series through to the end, even if I can’t it remaining in my memory too long. It’s a shame, because the first book started out quite strong, but unfortunately the rest of the trilogy just wasn’t able to continue the same levels of interest or momentum.
Audiobook Comments: To his credit, James “Murr” Murray once again did a great job narrating his own book. He’s clearly experienced from his TV work, and being intimately familiar with the story and characters also helped. While I wasn’t too crazy about the book itself, I thought the narration and audio production values were well done.
July 14, 2021
A solid end to the trilogy. It's gives a decent and satisfying close to the characters. Something that I feel is hard to do in this creature feature genre is to tie up ends without being cliche and this book gives us something believable. I really enjoyed the new characters and the alternating locations that being our characters together in the end. While I can see how more books of this specific plot would be difficult, I hope Murray and Wearmouth write something else.
June 22, 2020
I thought that this concluding volume in the Awakened trilogy was far stronger than the second book - and closer to meeting the bar set in the opening novel. It's more of a true creature feature and has less of a political focus that the second one had. It's fast-paced, with brief chapters that only help in justifying to keep reading "one more chapter". It's easily more of a one-sitting read and I really enjoyed it much more than the second book!
And I especially enjoyed the inclusion of cameo of Murr himself - that part definitely made me laugh. This one reads like an action movie with plenty of visuals and a lot of action. True, the characters here aren't deeply developed, but just enough that you can root for them. The plot is straightforward and I liked this fun and exciting book! I hope that Murray continues his writing career - though I do wish that here had been more information on the creatures overall...
And I especially enjoyed the inclusion of cameo of Murr himself - that part definitely made me laugh. This one reads like an action movie with plenty of visuals and a lot of action. True, the characters here aren't deeply developed, but just enough that you can root for them. The plot is straightforward and I liked this fun and exciting book! I hope that Murray continues his writing career - though I do wish that here had been more information on the creatures overall...
November 12, 2020
What. A. Book! I absolutely loved it, just as much as the previous books in this series. I loved getting to read about some of my favourite characters again, as I love reading about Cafferty and the team. I also liked the few new characters that we got to meet in this one. I felt so many emotions whilst reading Obliteration, and there was a lot of heart stopping moments! It took me quite a while to read this one, but that’s because I haven’t had much time to sit and read recently. However, as soon as I got the chance to, I devoured the last 150 pages and couldn’t stop reading. I love James Murray’s and Darren Wearmouth’s writing, and I’ve already bought their next book, Don’t Move, which I’m really looking forward to reading soon. However I think I definitely need a break from their writing as their books are quite gory and gruesome. This series isn’t for the faint-hearted but it’s definitely worth reading if you don’t mind a terrifying read!
February 5, 2021
The series gets worse the further you go
I bought the first book on a lark. It was okay. Read the other two because to finish the story. There is no further character development. No understanding of the creatures and how they got here. There is an ending, though. I wouldn’t recommend this series to anyone.
I bought the first book on a lark. It was okay. Read the other two because to finish the story. There is no further character development. No understanding of the creatures and how they got here. There is an ending, though. I wouldn’t recommend this series to anyone.
July 9, 2020
A fun and exciting book, fast paced and action packed.
Great character and world building, gripping and and entertaining plot.
I loved this series and I think this is a great end.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Great character and world building, gripping and and entertaining plot.
I loved this series and I think this is a great end.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
June 18, 2023
These books were a blast! Way to go. Just leave your brain behind and enjoy the ride. Very fast paced and bloody.
I gave it 4 star only because I felt the end could have come about a bit better. Just desserts weren't served in my opinion.
But all-in-all, good read.
I gave it 4 star only because I felt the end could have come about a bit better. Just desserts weren't served in my opinion.
But all-in-all, good read.
January 27, 2025
Van Ness is worse than the monsters and he proves that by nuking parts of America. Sure it takes out some monster nests but there were so many other ways to go about this. His egotistical maniac side is full frontal this time and it's stomach wrenching because the crew and even multiple governments have no choice but to work with him. Under San Francisco hides something hard to believe, something that's possibly worse than all the smart and murderous creatures. The creatures have a Queen and she's the hive mind behind it all. Taking her out will significantly diminish the creatures capabilities but how the F does one take on something so massive and something that literally has mind control. Van Ness has an ace up his sleeve and I must say I'm happy with the way things played out even if it seemed like he held all the cards. We do lose Diego which is not fair but hey in the long run they eventually do end up saving the world and that's something to be happy about, for now at least ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2024
Great
Great ending to the series. I was sad about Diego but it was a thrilling ride. Glad I read the whole series. Thanks for the great read!
Great ending to the series. I was sad about Diego but it was a thrilling ride. Glad I read the whole series. Thanks for the great read!
September 1, 2020
The third book in the Awakened series, Obliteration was published on June 23, 2020. Author James S. Murray and Canadian author Darren Wearmouth co-write this series and is it ever a wild ride! Murray and Wearmouth have created a science-fiction thriller that is bound to keep readers on the edge of their seat and reading past their bedtimes to find out what is going to happen next. With an omniscient viewpoint, readers have the chance to learn about various character’s thoughts and feelings including the novel’s civilians as well as characters who are trying to save the world! The world is being attacked by terrifying creatures that live under the Earth’s surface and their sole mission is to obliterate the human race. Tom Cafferty is not planning on letting that happen. Along with his most trusted allies, Tom also has to put his trust into his nemesis Albert Van Ness who claims that he can stop the monsters from completely taking out the human race.
Murray and Wearmouth have written unique characters that all have voices that can be distinguished from one another as the story plays out. The characters in Obliteration are entertaining and keep the reader engaged throughout the story which helps build on the overall plot of the novel. Obliteration is for pure enjoyment and is meant to entertain and boy does it not disappoint. Murray and Wearmouth have written this novel in a way that plays out like an action movie before the reader’s eyes. The two authors balance action with downtime perfectly so that the entire book isn’t action packed and gives the reader some breathing room so that they are ready for the next action-packed scene.
Obliteration is the perfect book for readers looking for entertainment and escape while not having to worry about heavy themes. While it is a story that is filled with monsters and death, it is an incredibly engaging read that is bound to keep the attention of readers from the first page until the very end. There are currently three books in the Awakened Series but the end of Obliteration leaves the reader thinking that there may be another book joining this action-packed series of novels. One thing is for certain, Murray and Wearmouth make an awesome writing duo and it will be interesting to see what they come up with next.
https://www.cloudlakeliterary.ca/blog...
Originally posted on Cloud Lake Literary’s website, link above.
Thank you to Wunderkind PR for the gifted eARC.
Murray and Wearmouth have written unique characters that all have voices that can be distinguished from one another as the story plays out. The characters in Obliteration are entertaining and keep the reader engaged throughout the story which helps build on the overall plot of the novel. Obliteration is for pure enjoyment and is meant to entertain and boy does it not disappoint. Murray and Wearmouth have written this novel in a way that plays out like an action movie before the reader’s eyes. The two authors balance action with downtime perfectly so that the entire book isn’t action packed and gives the reader some breathing room so that they are ready for the next action-packed scene.
Obliteration is the perfect book for readers looking for entertainment and escape while not having to worry about heavy themes. While it is a story that is filled with monsters and death, it is an incredibly engaging read that is bound to keep the attention of readers from the first page until the very end. There are currently three books in the Awakened Series but the end of Obliteration leaves the reader thinking that there may be another book joining this action-packed series of novels. One thing is for certain, Murray and Wearmouth make an awesome writing duo and it will be interesting to see what they come up with next.
https://www.cloudlakeliterary.ca/blog...
Originally posted on Cloud Lake Literary’s website, link above.
Thank you to Wunderkind PR for the gifted eARC.
April 1, 2021
This was a satisfying end to a trilogy I ended up loving.
Obliteration by James Murray and Darren Wearmouth was one of those books that did an excellent job in its execution (no pun intended) with the main character having to team up with his nemesis, Albert Van Ness. I still hold to the opinion that Van Ness acts somewhat like a cartoonish villain (one of the reasons the book is getting a 4/5), but his villainy is still brilliant and frightening. One of the continuing conflicts in this series (particularly notable in book two), is that the former New York Mayor, Thomas Cafferty, has a similar personality to Van Ness. However, their chemistry is some of the best hero-working-with-villain work I have ever seen before.
One of the characters I particularly enjoyed was Diego Munoz. In a way, he reminds me a lot of myself, if I were placed in a fantasy/thriller world. His humor is nearly on-point with mine, and the way he is passionate and takes his work seriously is something I admire in his character. Sarah Bowcut is also excellent in this book. She is a no-nonsense, SOB (in the good sense of the acronym) that worked well with Munoz. The chemistry the two characters had was beautiful and amusing.
Another major reason for giving the book a 4/5 is due to a character introduced towards the beginning of the book. We are introduced to Karen Green, her husband Daniel, and their son Joey, as they are on a vacation in San Francisco. However, the creatures invade SF and nearly everyone is killed, Daniel included. Reading Karen and Joey's harrowing escape was one of the best parts of the beginning of the book; I was rooting for them to get out of there. However, I feel that Karen's character was a little too "secondary," if that is even a thing. I can say (without a spoiler) her character does become more important in the climax of the story. What frustrated me with the way the authors treated Karen and Joey is that we have no idea what happens to them at the very ending of the book. Even when she was assisting with the victims of the creatures as an EMT, she just seemed to be there for absolutely no reason besides providing help and comfort.
Regardless, I did think this was a great conclusion to a great trilogy. An excellent series I know I will want to revisit in two years or so.
Obliteration by James Murray and Darren Wearmouth was one of those books that did an excellent job in its execution (no pun intended) with the main character having to team up with his nemesis, Albert Van Ness. I still hold to the opinion that Van Ness acts somewhat like a cartoonish villain (one of the reasons the book is getting a 4/5), but his villainy is still brilliant and frightening. One of the continuing conflicts in this series (particularly notable in book two), is that the former New York Mayor, Thomas Cafferty, has a similar personality to Van Ness. However, their chemistry is some of the best hero-working-with-villain work I have ever seen before.
One of the characters I particularly enjoyed was Diego Munoz. In a way, he reminds me a lot of myself, if I were placed in a fantasy/thriller world. His humor is nearly on-point with mine, and the way he is passionate and takes his work seriously is something I admire in his character. Sarah Bowcut is also excellent in this book. She is a no-nonsense, SOB (in the good sense of the acronym) that worked well with Munoz. The chemistry the two characters had was beautiful and amusing.
Another major reason for giving the book a 4/5 is due to a character introduced towards the beginning of the book. We are introduced to Karen Green, her husband Daniel, and their son Joey, as they are on a vacation in San Francisco. However, the creatures invade SF and nearly everyone is killed, Daniel included. Reading Karen and Joey's harrowing escape was one of the best parts of the beginning of the book; I was rooting for them to get out of there. However, I feel that Karen's character was a little too "secondary," if that is even a thing. I can say (without a spoiler) her character does become more important in the climax of the story. What frustrated me with the way the authors treated Karen and Joey is that we have no idea what happens to them at the very ending of the book. Even when she was assisting with the victims of the creatures as an EMT, she just seemed to be there for absolutely no reason besides providing help and comfort.
Regardless, I did think this was a great conclusion to a great trilogy. An excellent series I know I will want to revisit in two years or so.
March 20, 2021
For as long as I've had my Books By Celebrities shelf, three men have been it's most constant mainstays: Chris Colfer (Star of Glee and author of The Land of Stories series, the A Tale of Magic series, Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal and Stranger Than Fanfiction.); Neil Patrick Harris (Star of Doogie Howser, MD. and How I Met Your Mother and author of Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography and the Magic Misfits series.) and Jason Segel (Also a star of How I Met Your Mother, and author of the Nightmares! and Last Reality series.)
So far in 2021, I've read books by Chris Colfer and Neil Patrick Harris. But this looks to be the first year that I won't have any books by Jason Segel to read. However, I guess you could say I'm remedying that by having got two books by Impractical Jokers star James S. "Murr" Murray for Christmas. Obliteration is the first. It's the third and final book in the Awakened trilogy. I read two previous books in the series, Awakened and The Brink, back in 2019. I gave both of them 3-star ratings. But when I reviewed the second book, The Brink, I said that when I read the third book, I hoped I'd be able to give it a 4-star review. Well, now that has finally come to pass. I did actually give Obliteration a 4-star rating. I thought it was an awesome ending to this trilogy! Now I'm on to read the second book by Murr that I got for Christmas. It is called Don't Move, and I hope it is just as good as Obliteration.
So far in 2021, I've read books by Chris Colfer and Neil Patrick Harris. But this looks to be the first year that I won't have any books by Jason Segel to read. However, I guess you could say I'm remedying that by having got two books by Impractical Jokers star James S. "Murr" Murray for Christmas. Obliteration is the first. It's the third and final book in the Awakened trilogy. I read two previous books in the series, Awakened and The Brink, back in 2019. I gave both of them 3-star ratings. But when I reviewed the second book, The Brink, I said that when I read the third book, I hoped I'd be able to give it a 4-star review. Well, now that has finally come to pass. I did actually give Obliteration a 4-star rating. I thought it was an awesome ending to this trilogy! Now I'm on to read the second book by Murr that I got for Christmas. It is called Don't Move, and I hope it is just as good as Obliteration.
September 5, 2020
Tied Up A Lot Of Loose Ends For Me
Obliteration was the third (and seemingly final) book in the Awakened Trilogy. At this point in the series, we know most of the things that these monsters are capable of and know who most of the characters are. That said, Murray and Wearmouth throw a lot of that out of the window and introduce some new things almost right off the bat (which was refreshing, not frustrating).
We are shown the biggest creature yet (I won’t ruin who or what it was, but that was an interesting twist) and we’re shown later in the story just how powerful said beast is. The thing that shines in these books is the characters. They were really good again in this one and the character arcs were completed for pretty much every main character in the book (at least the ones that we care about).
Obliteration shows humanities “final” battle with these creatures and at times I wasn’t sure how it was going to end up. I was kept on my toes until almost the final chapter. I had guesses and I had things I’d hoped would happen, some of them happened and other things Murray and Wearmouth threw me for a loop.
Overall though, I thought that Obliteration was a strong entry in this series. I’m glad it was the final book though, because in the trilogy it was the weakest entry, but it was still a solid book that really tied up a lot of loose ends and questions I had.
Obliteration was the third (and seemingly final) book in the Awakened Trilogy. At this point in the series, we know most of the things that these monsters are capable of and know who most of the characters are. That said, Murray and Wearmouth throw a lot of that out of the window and introduce some new things almost right off the bat (which was refreshing, not frustrating).
We are shown the biggest creature yet (I won’t ruin who or what it was, but that was an interesting twist) and we’re shown later in the story just how powerful said beast is. The thing that shines in these books is the characters. They were really good again in this one and the character arcs were completed for pretty much every main character in the book (at least the ones that we care about).
Obliteration shows humanities “final” battle with these creatures and at times I wasn’t sure how it was going to end up. I was kept on my toes until almost the final chapter. I had guesses and I had things I’d hoped would happen, some of them happened and other things Murray and Wearmouth threw me for a loop.
Overall though, I thought that Obliteration was a strong entry in this series. I’m glad it was the final book though, because in the trilogy it was the weakest entry, but it was still a solid book that really tied up a lot of loose ends and questions I had.
May 21, 2024
Humanity was facing its own extinction.
3 1/2 stars. OK, I admit it, I didn't really take my own advice when I read "Obliteration", the third book in the "Awakened" trilogy by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth. This series has made for enjoyable reading so far even though I had previously (and repeatedly) acknowledged the severe dairy-goodness of the overboard cheesiness involved. I also mentioned the need, nay, necessity for the reader to really, truly, and most assuredly suspend any form of belief in order to make things pass by more smoothly and without feeling the need to bang your head against the wall in frustration. Well, all I can say is that I'm glad I read most of this at night in bed, because pillows make for softer landing spots than drywall or gods forbid, whenever I might have met up with a stud (meaning the bits holding up the wall, not a stud like "hey, he's really cute and hot and whatever else folks say here!").
Does the universe even care about our fate?
It's just this time we passed cheesy, left corny well behind, and got into some full-fledged silliness along the way. Like there were bits that had me LOL'ing when I shouldn't have been LOL'ing at all! No, again don't misunderstand me to any great degree: I still enjoyed the reading experience and the book itself is well-executed, edited, and all the different kinds of things ending in '-ed' you'd like to add. Or added, I'm not sure. But call me a liberal softie but I just expected a bit more "aaarggghhh" from the main players when they realize that in a matter of hours anywhere up to 25% of humankind is wiped out in one widespread and extremely gory swoop. And that doesn't include the, quote, "billions more still in the firing line of tails, teeth, and talons." There's still a lot of focus on themselves - oh whoa is me and my wife and (not) my kid and did Sarah mention again about her dad and brother dying on 9/11 (hint: yes, yes she did!) - and a degree of distance to what all is going on that bordered on being a tad bit, well, absurd.
At the end of this, one of us lives, the other dies. Let’s see what fate has in store.
And speaking of absurd, the whole Jean-Claude Van Damme, oops, I mean Albert Van Ness presence in this book was true schlock at its schlockiest. Not only are we no longer hiding his very open Nazi Manifesto and sworn need(s) to get revenge on anyone, everyone, AND every thing ("I’ve sacrificed more than anyone. And they’ll soon learn my price.") but again what his former Foundation for Human Advancement both did and did not achieve was truly the stuff of B-movie legend. Again, we are treated to a MASSIVE secret base ("…it’s either a really big ice-skating rink or another evil lair.") that was never found even though the allies had been looking since, well, World War 2 for it. And look out Star Wars fans, but the advancements in cloning seem to have eclipsed even that of the Kaminoans (yes, I looked that up) because in this case, the Jango Fett in question is technically not only a really buff - yet understanding - Dutchman, but they also get some - you guessed it (yeah, more than a book ago, right?) - "creature" DNA mixed in there as well. They're fast, they're mean, and their signature move would make Sigourney Weaver swoon with delight (grab, stab, and, um, dab)!
He had set off nuclear bombs in two American cities. People don’t forget things like that easily.
But hey, all of this comes to a righteous climax in the ruins of San Francisco, which we get to witness in the matter of moments it takes to fall. Oh did we not mention that (not really a spoiler as a spoiler would point out that pretty much all big cities across the globe have now been destroyed)[um, oops]? Anyway, at least this time our gritty foursome led by Tom Cafferty, whose "unflinching belief that good would ultimately triumph kept him going", his wife Ellen, Sarah Bowcut (who we mentioned before) and übertech whiz Diego Munoz are back to save the day. Because everything they've done so far has worked out SO WELL (roll eyes until you sprain them, please). But hey, they do some pretty gutsy things along the way and Diego even manages to reveal a heretofore secret about the creatures that no one - including Wheels Van Jerkoff - had uncovered before. No biggie, it's all done with apparently leftover ham radio parts and would wind up apparently changing the tide of the war. Yay, team!
The worst sufferers after traumatic events were not the dead; they were beyond pain.
So yeah, if you haven't guessed by my tone, it all got a bit much for me towards the end. Folks surviving stuff they had no business surviving (I mean, Karen and Joey are kind of a nice distraction but they sure as hell need to play the lotto after this), coincidences out the wazoo and more just had me a little flabbergasted. I guess that after all this time proving how smart and strategically brilliant the creatures were - noting again that no cool name was forthcoming and as such labels like Variants and Sirens are safe! - they still put a ton of faith if you will in having only one Queen! Don't get me wrong: she was awesome and powerful and very, very killy in many nasty ways. But if the trigger to your entire species' existence rests with an entity that can be destroyed like that (whew, this time no BIG spoilers), well, don't be surprised when the fat lady, um, creature starts a singin'!
Trust me, Madam President. No one knows war strategy better than an old German.
Again though, I did enjoy reading the series even if things like the "Hulk serum" (I can't spoil something that was that obvious for so long) just broke my metaphorical back. This book was easily my least favorite of the series but yeah, I was expecting more of an earth-shattering kaboom in there. Again, I really lament that this battle left the confines of New York City as I felt the authors just spread things out way too thin. I guess in many ways I was looking forward to an "Extinction Cycle" or "The Tide" like series like Mssrs. Melchiorri and Sansbury Smith deliver on a regular basis. But hey, as accompanying material to this genre, it wound up being pretty fun. Now go polish your laser guns and stay away from, well, the surface of the planet and everything should be fine!
3 1/2 stars. OK, I admit it, I didn't really take my own advice when I read "Obliteration", the third book in the "Awakened" trilogy by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth. This series has made for enjoyable reading so far even though I had previously (and repeatedly) acknowledged the severe dairy-goodness of the overboard cheesiness involved. I also mentioned the need, nay, necessity for the reader to really, truly, and most assuredly suspend any form of belief in order to make things pass by more smoothly and without feeling the need to bang your head against the wall in frustration. Well, all I can say is that I'm glad I read most of this at night in bed, because pillows make for softer landing spots than drywall or gods forbid, whenever I might have met up with a stud (meaning the bits holding up the wall, not a stud like "hey, he's really cute and hot and whatever else folks say here!").
Does the universe even care about our fate?
It's just this time we passed cheesy, left corny well behind, and got into some full-fledged silliness along the way. Like there were bits that had me LOL'ing when I shouldn't have been LOL'ing at all! No, again don't misunderstand me to any great degree: I still enjoyed the reading experience and the book itself is well-executed, edited, and all the different kinds of things ending in '-ed' you'd like to add. Or added, I'm not sure. But call me a liberal softie but I just expected a bit more "aaarggghhh" from the main players when they realize that in a matter of hours anywhere up to 25% of humankind is wiped out in one widespread and extremely gory swoop. And that doesn't include the, quote, "billions more still in the firing line of tails, teeth, and talons." There's still a lot of focus on themselves - oh whoa is me and my wife and (not) my kid and did Sarah mention again about her dad and brother dying on 9/11 (hint: yes, yes she did!) - and a degree of distance to what all is going on that bordered on being a tad bit, well, absurd.
At the end of this, one of us lives, the other dies. Let’s see what fate has in store.
And speaking of absurd, the whole Jean-Claude Van Damme, oops, I mean Albert Van Ness presence in this book was true schlock at its schlockiest. Not only are we no longer hiding his very open Nazi Manifesto and sworn need(s) to get revenge on anyone, everyone, AND every thing ("I’ve sacrificed more than anyone. And they’ll soon learn my price.") but again what his former Foundation for Human Advancement both did and did not achieve was truly the stuff of B-movie legend. Again, we are treated to a MASSIVE secret base ("…it’s either a really big ice-skating rink or another evil lair.") that was never found even though the allies had been looking since, well, World War 2 for it. And look out Star Wars fans, but the advancements in cloning seem to have eclipsed even that of the Kaminoans (yes, I looked that up) because in this case, the Jango Fett in question is technically not only a really buff - yet understanding - Dutchman, but they also get some - you guessed it (yeah, more than a book ago, right?) - "creature" DNA mixed in there as well. They're fast, they're mean, and their signature move would make Sigourney Weaver swoon with delight (grab, stab, and, um, dab)!
He had set off nuclear bombs in two American cities. People don’t forget things like that easily.
But hey, all of this comes to a righteous climax in the ruins of San Francisco, which we get to witness in the matter of moments it takes to fall. Oh did we not mention that (not really a spoiler as a spoiler would point out that pretty much all big cities across the globe have now been destroyed)[um, oops]? Anyway, at least this time our gritty foursome led by Tom Cafferty, whose "unflinching belief that good would ultimately triumph kept him going", his wife Ellen, Sarah Bowcut (who we mentioned before) and übertech whiz Diego Munoz are back to save the day. Because everything they've done so far has worked out SO WELL (roll eyes until you sprain them, please). But hey, they do some pretty gutsy things along the way and Diego even manages to reveal a heretofore secret about the creatures that no one - including Wheels Van Jerkoff - had uncovered before. No biggie, it's all done with apparently leftover ham radio parts and would wind up apparently changing the tide of the war. Yay, team!
The worst sufferers after traumatic events were not the dead; they were beyond pain.
So yeah, if you haven't guessed by my tone, it all got a bit much for me towards the end. Folks surviving stuff they had no business surviving (I mean, Karen and Joey are kind of a nice distraction but they sure as hell need to play the lotto after this), coincidences out the wazoo and more just had me a little flabbergasted. I guess that after all this time proving how smart and strategically brilliant the creatures were - noting again that no cool name was forthcoming and as such labels like Variants and Sirens are safe! - they still put a ton of faith if you will in having only one Queen! Don't get me wrong: she was awesome and powerful and very, very killy in many nasty ways. But if the trigger to your entire species' existence rests with an entity that can be destroyed like that (whew, this time no BIG spoilers), well, don't be surprised when the fat lady, um, creature starts a singin'!
Trust me, Madam President. No one knows war strategy better than an old German.
Again though, I did enjoy reading the series even if things like the "Hulk serum" (I can't spoil something that was that obvious for so long) just broke my metaphorical back. This book was easily my least favorite of the series but yeah, I was expecting more of an earth-shattering kaboom in there. Again, I really lament that this battle left the confines of New York City as I felt the authors just spread things out way too thin. I guess in many ways I was looking forward to an "Extinction Cycle" or "The Tide" like series like Mssrs. Melchiorri and Sansbury Smith deliver on a regular basis. But hey, as accompanying material to this genre, it wound up being pretty fun. Now go polish your laser guns and stay away from, well, the surface of the planet and everything should be fine!
May 30, 2020
While the first book of the series was a suspenseful read the second book turned into a sloppy, fast paced action book. With the third book in the series we again get a book that moves quick with actions scenes, but is also broken up by a secondary plot with a women and son. Overall, the book just isn't that good. Its pretty paint by numbers and there really isn't any time to develop any plot or characters.
April 21, 2023
Not book one
So I finally got through this trilogy and what a disappointment it was. I have to say Book 1 was amazing it was straight and to the point not overly bogged down it didn't slog along just a great book that could be turned into a movie with some really cool monsters in it and some great action set scenes and then I guess the publisher realized that they had a money cash cow on their hands so they pulled two more books out of the air Book 1 took me a day and a half to read book two and three took me a long time I've been reading book three for a couple months now put it back to the side, read something else, pick it up again, read some more, it's not like it's difficult to pick right back up. I usually don't write bad reviews very often and they're lucky that I gave it two stars,authors need to realize when they have something great and not over do it,this series should have been ended with book one,thing is all three of these books could have been in one big book would only been about 800 pages but they wanted to get all the money out of it they could, this is what happens when you got an author that has been part of Hollywood already it's all about the money then not the fans or the people that read their books it's about how much they can make so yeah sad sad disappointment, so next time don't break it into three books make it into one book and sell it for whatever price you want which is usually $13.99 ebook price which is way high but it'll at least be worth it if it's three books in one not three 250 page books at $13.99 a piece these people make millions off from us at least give us good quality stuff anyway enough of my ranting review don't buy it
So I finally got through this trilogy and what a disappointment it was. I have to say Book 1 was amazing it was straight and to the point not overly bogged down it didn't slog along just a great book that could be turned into a movie with some really cool monsters in it and some great action set scenes and then I guess the publisher realized that they had a money cash cow on their hands so they pulled two more books out of the air Book 1 took me a day and a half to read book two and three took me a long time I've been reading book three for a couple months now put it back to the side, read something else, pick it up again, read some more, it's not like it's difficult to pick right back up. I usually don't write bad reviews very often and they're lucky that I gave it two stars,authors need to realize when they have something great and not over do it,this series should have been ended with book one,thing is all three of these books could have been in one big book would only been about 800 pages but they wanted to get all the money out of it they could, this is what happens when you got an author that has been part of Hollywood already it's all about the money then not the fans or the people that read their books it's about how much they can make so yeah sad sad disappointment, so next time don't break it into three books make it into one book and sell it for whatever price you want which is usually $13.99 ebook price which is way high but it'll at least be worth it if it's three books in one not three 250 page books at $13.99 a piece these people make millions off from us at least give us good quality stuff anyway enough of my ranting review don't buy it
May 12, 2023
Suspension disbelief has to be in pretty high doses in this third and final book of the Awaneked trilogy. Yes, it's true that reptilian beings living underground and attacking people isn't exactly a very credible story, but in both Awakened and The Brink, I found the whole setting and events to be relatively believable (albeit unlikely): a Foundation controlling the world's governments in exchange for protection, unknown creatures, cover-ups...
In Obliteration things escalate to a totally insane level! Clones, epic fights, mass destruction... An absolutely fantastic cocktail for those who like a good dose of action. I would say that the authors lost their minds (in a good way) and let their imagination take them to the limit, without worrying if all that resulted in an overdone scenario.
Being the last book, I already knew that there had to be closure, whether in favor of the creatures or the humans, and after a certain point it is clear which way the scales tip. From then on, a bit of the element of surprise was lost, which is a shame.
Anyway, and despite not being my favorite of the three, I still have the same opinion I had when I read the first one: Awaneked is an incredible, underrated work that should became to become a cult trilogy.
* You can read more reviews on my blog
UmBlogueSobreLivros
In Obliteration things escalate to a totally insane level! Clones, epic fights, mass destruction... An absolutely fantastic cocktail for those who like a good dose of action. I would say that the authors lost their minds (in a good way) and let their imagination take them to the limit, without worrying if all that resulted in an overdone scenario.
Being the last book, I already knew that there had to be closure, whether in favor of the creatures or the humans, and after a certain point it is clear which way the scales tip. From then on, a bit of the element of surprise was lost, which is a shame.
Anyway, and despite not being my favorite of the three, I still have the same opinion I had when I read the first one: Awaneked is an incredible, underrated work that should became to become a cult trilogy.
* You can read more reviews on my blog
UmBlogueSobreLivros
November 6, 2020
When James Murray (and Darren Wearmouth) released their first book, Awaken, I simply loved it. Sure, it was gory, but it was dark, gripping, full of suspense and had great atmosphere. Sadly the follow-up novels lacked all the latter.
It devolved into one big gratuitous gore-fest, sacrificing storyline along the way. Ironically enough, the authors state in an interview at the end of the audio book that they did not want to series to start off with a bang and fizzle away like so many movie series do.
Unfortunately that is exactly what happened here. They traded an original story with amazing atmosphere into a story that doesn't move along other than going from one violent scene to the next without developing the story. Oh, and then it all ends with a showdown with the Queen bug. Very reminiscent of a bad 1990's PC game with a "boss level". (Does anyone else also see the similarity to the Starship Troopers movie franchise?)
I did not feel great writing this review as James Murray seems an incredibly likeable chap. Darren Wearmouth also sounds like a great guy from the aforementioned interview. However, after the initial book, my expectations were high. Maybe not quite Frank E Perretti standard, but I expected them to further improve over time.
In the end the series ended up forgetful. It turned into "candy floss" and in the end had no real substance. The characters are especially incredibly forgetful. Character development was entirely forgotten in the pursuit of shock factor. Pity, they had something working for them in the beginning.
It devolved into one big gratuitous gore-fest, sacrificing storyline along the way. Ironically enough, the authors state in an interview at the end of the audio book that they did not want to series to start off with a bang and fizzle away like so many movie series do.
Unfortunately that is exactly what happened here. They traded an original story with amazing atmosphere into a story that doesn't move along other than going from one violent scene to the next without developing the story. Oh, and then it all ends with a showdown with the Queen bug. Very reminiscent of a bad 1990's PC game with a "boss level". (Does anyone else also see the similarity to the Starship Troopers movie franchise?)
I did not feel great writing this review as James Murray seems an incredibly likeable chap. Darren Wearmouth also sounds like a great guy from the aforementioned interview. However, after the initial book, my expectations were high. Maybe not quite Frank E Perretti standard, but I expected them to further improve over time.
In the end the series ended up forgetful. It turned into "candy floss" and in the end had no real substance. The characters are especially incredibly forgetful. Character development was entirely forgotten in the pursuit of shock factor. Pity, they had something working for them in the beginning.
October 12, 2023
This is where it all ends for Thomas Cafferty and Co. The fight to save humanity against the deadly creatures leads to this final showdown. Obliteration picks up smoothly from where The Brink ends and takes you on a thrilling journey where it's kill or be killed for humans against the savage creatures.
I love how descriptive this whole series has been, especially this last one where the authors give you each and every detail which lets you create the visuals for yourself. The story starts off at its usual pace where it looks like everything is going to be just fine, only to later find out that it's not. The whole book is full of unexpected plot twists that take you by surprise.
The style with which this story is written, gives you a background of every character that matters and it helps you instantly connect with them. From the first page to the last, you are constantly hooked as a reader to know what's next.
Halfway through the story picks up speed and it's no looking back from there. The climax and the ending is beautifully woven together. It's the kind of a resolution you don't find in stories these days which makes it even more special.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the Awakened trilogy and loved how there are little easter eggs in every story that only Impractical Jokers' fans would be able to spot. It's been a very special ride going through this trilogy and I loved every bit of it!!
I love how descriptive this whole series has been, especially this last one where the authors give you each and every detail which lets you create the visuals for yourself. The story starts off at its usual pace where it looks like everything is going to be just fine, only to later find out that it's not. The whole book is full of unexpected plot twists that take you by surprise.
The style with which this story is written, gives you a background of every character that matters and it helps you instantly connect with them. From the first page to the last, you are constantly hooked as a reader to know what's next.
Halfway through the story picks up speed and it's no looking back from there. The climax and the ending is beautifully woven together. It's the kind of a resolution you don't find in stories these days which makes it even more special.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the Awakened trilogy and loved how there are little easter eggs in every story that only Impractical Jokers' fans would be able to spot. It's been a very special ride going through this trilogy and I loved every bit of it!!
August 25, 2024
Some really good stuff, but also some bad
Overall this is a really good book, but there are some messy bits. A large protion of the book is taken up by introducing a new character and her son. The only real reason for Karen to be in the book is so she can relay to the team where the creature queen might be. There's definitely easier ways to accomplish this, and there is way too much time dedicated to her story. There is a lot of excessive descriptions and pages wasted to her. At the same time, there's some really good parts. The team travels to a secret base in Antarctica, which is always cool. The supersoldiers that are intruded fall prey to the same shortcomings as the creatures in a literary sense: they only have one name/description. It's pretty distracting reading creature and supersoldier a thousand times in one book. The final battle in San Francisco is pretty epic, despite being totally impossible. This feels like a Roland Emmerich film mixed with some Guillermo del Toro horror. I still think the first book was the best, as Van Ness is just a combination of every famous movie villian and has ridiculous over the top plans that should have been condensed down if he truly wanted to accomplish his goal. In the end, it's a good, but flawed novel.
Overall this is a really good book, but there are some messy bits. A large protion of the book is taken up by introducing a new character and her son. The only real reason for Karen to be in the book is so she can relay to the team where the creature queen might be. There's definitely easier ways to accomplish this, and there is way too much time dedicated to her story. There is a lot of excessive descriptions and pages wasted to her. At the same time, there's some really good parts. The team travels to a secret base in Antarctica, which is always cool. The supersoldiers that are intruded fall prey to the same shortcomings as the creatures in a literary sense: they only have one name/description. It's pretty distracting reading creature and supersoldier a thousand times in one book. The final battle in San Francisco is pretty epic, despite being totally impossible. This feels like a Roland Emmerich film mixed with some Guillermo del Toro horror. I still think the first book was the best, as Van Ness is just a combination of every famous movie villian and has ridiculous over the top plans that should have been condensed down if he truly wanted to accomplish his goal. In the end, it's a good, but flawed novel.
April 4, 2021
Obliteration is the second Murray/Wearmouth collaboration I’ve read after Don’t Move and as it turns out, the third in a trilogy that I’ve never heard about. I found it in the relatively newly added icky bug section at Barnes & Noble and that might be the reason why. I’m kind of disappointed now that I never read the first two books already. Then again, now that I’ve read the third one, I’m in no hurry to read the first two, knowing how things end up. Maybe one day.
What I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed this almost B-movie-like icky bug story. It had all the trademarks of a screenplay except it was more fleshed out. The writing was solid third-person limited and past-tense. The narrative was brisk and never had time to bog down with endless exposition. In other words, the pace was fast and to-the-point.
I loved it!
The icky bugs (monsters) were great and provided a great adversary when the mayhem ensued, almost from the first page.
Highly recommended.
What I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed this almost B-movie-like icky bug story. It had all the trademarks of a screenplay except it was more fleshed out. The writing was solid third-person limited and past-tense. The narrative was brisk and never had time to bog down with endless exposition. In other words, the pace was fast and to-the-point.
I loved it!
The icky bugs (monsters) were great and provided a great adversary when the mayhem ensued, almost from the first page.
Highly recommended.
October 24, 2020
Obliteration is the third novel in the Awakened series, written by James Murray of the TV show Impractical Jokers and novelist Darren Wearmouth.
This book tells the story of the final battle between humankind and the underground creatures who have evolved in order to survive on Earth's surface and drive humans to extinction. At the same time, the deadly rivalry between Albert Van Ness and Tom Cafferty continues as well. The principle of Chekov's Rifle applies here; attentive readers can pick up clues to how the struggle ends if they're paying attention at the mention of certain items.
I gave Obliteration five stars on Goodreads. This author due has a new book out called Don't Move, which apparently involves a huge spider menacing a group of people camping in the woods. I have it on my 'to read' list already!
This book tells the story of the final battle between humankind and the underground creatures who have evolved in order to survive on Earth's surface and drive humans to extinction. At the same time, the deadly rivalry between Albert Van Ness and Tom Cafferty continues as well. The principle of Chekov's Rifle applies here; attentive readers can pick up clues to how the struggle ends if they're paying attention at the mention of certain items.
I gave Obliteration five stars on Goodreads. This author due has a new book out called Don't Move, which apparently involves a huge spider menacing a group of people camping in the woods. I have it on my 'to read' list already!
March 13, 2023
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. I mostly enjoyed this one too. However, being a veteran, gun enthusiast, and holder of at least one degree dealing with physics and engineering I found the creatures' immunity to bullets a problem for my suspension of disbelief. I can well believe that they are functionally immune to 9mm or 40 caliber bullets. No one in their right mind would hunt bear with those calibers. The military has much more potent firearms at their disposal. Also, the relative passiveness of the military being portrayed was a bit of a problem for me. Even if I accepted that the laser weapon was the only useful tool, then why did Ellen not have one when she was on the aircraft carrier? If she was part of a highly experienced team going into a combat zone and she walked around with no personal weapons? WTF! Sorry guys, this one needs some better editing and some minor rewrites to be truly good.
April 15, 2023
The final installment of a trilogy is always tricky. Will they be able to bring a great story to a satisfying conclusion? Well, they definitely succeeded with this one I can tell you that.
This third book has all the ingredients of a giant Hollywood blockbuster movie (and one has to wonder why this hasn���t happened yet). This book has an apocalyptic feel to it, as the world and humanity faces extinction on a global scale. Will our favorite characters be able to pull of a miracle? I have to admit that I had a blast reading all these three books and all of them were entertaining.
I think I might even like this final part the best if I’m honest. This book is for everyone who likes horror and plenty of action along with thrills and chills. Highly recommended!
This third book has all the ingredients of a giant Hollywood blockbuster movie (and one has to wonder why this hasn���t happened yet). This book has an apocalyptic feel to it, as the world and humanity faces extinction on a global scale. Will our favorite characters be able to pull of a miracle? I have to admit that I had a blast reading all these three books and all of them were entertaining.
I think I might even like this final part the best if I’m honest. This book is for everyone who likes horror and plenty of action along with thrills and chills. Highly recommended!
September 5, 2021
This was the third and last book in the Awakened trilogy. For the third book in a thriller series, this was still quite good. The best parts are when there is a lot of tension and stress the characters are going through. I could have done with a little less blood and gore but given the premise, it was understandable in this context. All three books kept me engaged, although I think the first book was still the best. The way it ended was very satisfying and tied up the story line nicely, while still providing a surprising twist. I would definitely pick up another book or series by this author duo.
May 13, 2024
The conclusion to the Awakened series sees the subterranean creatures rise up and attack the cities of the world, leading to millions dead and the USA government forced to work with evil genius Van Ness, who’s created a deadly crossbreed soldier to fight against the creatures. But you know he’s got more up his sleeve…
This one features a new mad genius scientist, the aforementioned super soldiers, yet another high tech supervillain lair, Diego Munoz being a badass, Ellen Cafferty continuing to save the day, and a whole lot of cartoon level blood and gore. I embrace these books in all their cheesy glory.
This one features a new mad genius scientist, the aforementioned super soldiers, yet another high tech supervillain lair, Diego Munoz being a badass, Ellen Cafferty continuing to save the day, and a whole lot of cartoon level blood and gore. I embrace these books in all their cheesy glory.
August 23, 2021
My concerns following the second book were unfounded. While Brink dragged along, Obliteration flew. It was fast-paced and action packed. The creatures returned to the main stage and were even more horrific she viewed through the fresh eyes of Karen Green. The ending reminded me of Ezekiel Boone's Skitter series, but there are only so many ways to end a monster story. The climactic final battle wasn't terribly original, but it was satisfying. I have to say I'm glad I didn't stop after the second book.
October 6, 2021
I'm torn over my rating. This book is much better than book 2. Writing was better, the storyline and flow was better. I just can't bring myself to give this 4 stars because of the ending.
It was your typical villain-turned-good and I was really hoping that wouldn't happen. ALSO. How the heck you gonna take a vial of some green juice and become freaking super-human and kill the beast? You had all these super soldiers getting torn to shreds, but hey, I'll inject this stuff in me and I'll be able to withstand her power? Nah, bro.
It was your typical villain-turned-good and I was really hoping that wouldn't happen. ALSO. How the heck you gonna take a vial of some green juice and become freaking super-human and kill the beast? You had all these super soldiers getting torn to shreds, but hey, I'll inject this stuff in me and I'll be able to withstand her power? Nah, bro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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