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Monstre: Volume One
There is no stopping it.
The Cloud is armageddon, steamrolling the world at a walking pace.
In his thrilling debut novel Monstre, author Duncan Swan crafts a relentless, terrifying, genre-bending tale of courage, desperation, and redemption that shows just how fragile our civilization is... and how far we will go to survive.
Day 0. From the wreckage of a research facility in Switzerland, a plume of toxic smoke and ash pours into the sky, forming an impenetrable cloud that is slowly smothering the world in darkness. As Europe disappears beneath the Cloud, a squad of United States Marines are sent on a desperate mission to find out what went wrong, and how to undo it before it's too late. Venturing into a cold, dark world, the Marines must travel deep under the Cloud, with no comms, no backup, and no idea of what they will face.
Day 89. Half a world away, the Cloud has reached the East Coast of the U.S. With nowhere to run and no hope of survival, the American people have descended into madness, turning on themselves and each other. From the sidelines, an old Tennessee sheriff watches as his country unravels. But he can't bring himself to take the easy way out. Quitting isn't in his DNA. So when one of his deputies asks him to help protect her family, he leads them west, chasing a miracle-a rumor of an old nuclear bunker that just may be their only hope for survival. Because if the Cloud doesn't kill them, what's hiding in the dark will.
The Cloud is armageddon, steamrolling the world at a walking pace.
In his thrilling debut novel Monstre, author Duncan Swan crafts a relentless, terrifying, genre-bending tale of courage, desperation, and redemption that shows just how fragile our civilization is... and how far we will go to survive.
Day 0. From the wreckage of a research facility in Switzerland, a plume of toxic smoke and ash pours into the sky, forming an impenetrable cloud that is slowly smothering the world in darkness. As Europe disappears beneath the Cloud, a squad of United States Marines are sent on a desperate mission to find out what went wrong, and how to undo it before it's too late. Venturing into a cold, dark world, the Marines must travel deep under the Cloud, with no comms, no backup, and no idea of what they will face.
Day 89. Half a world away, the Cloud has reached the East Coast of the U.S. With nowhere to run and no hope of survival, the American people have descended into madness, turning on themselves and each other. From the sidelines, an old Tennessee sheriff watches as his country unravels. But he can't bring himself to take the easy way out. Quitting isn't in his DNA. So when one of his deputies asks him to help protect her family, he leads them west, chasing a miracle-a rumor of an old nuclear bunker that just may be their only hope for survival. Because if the Cloud doesn't kill them, what's hiding in the dark will.
478 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2020
70 people are currently reading
2256 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Swan
1 book97 followersI tell sci-fi / dystopian / horror stories with a bias toward fast paced action, and I work with amazing artists, editors, publishers and marketing geniuses to create something new.
South African born and raised, Kiwi Immigrant, Australian Citizen, and now a US Permanent Resident living in LA. Chasing the dream with my superstar wife and baby girl. I hold a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Commerce.
South African born and raised, Kiwi Immigrant, Australian Citizen, and now a US Permanent Resident living in LA. Chasing the dream with my superstar wife and baby girl. I hold a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Commerce.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
October 8, 2020
4 stars
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
Holy hell - what did I just read?? This is a fantastic first book in a new apocalyptic Science Fiction/Horror book series. It has an explosive beginning (literally) and doesn't let up until the frenetic cliffhanger ending.
This book has it all - science, space, scientists, military facing impossible odds, shadowy government operatives, desperate citizens, quiet heroes, evil para-military villains exercising vigilante justice and monsters. I'm sure I left out a few, but you get the gist.
I really enjoyed this book. It is dark and creepy and the tension slowly builds as the book progresses. My biggest criticism is about the time and location jumps throughout the book. I know this is a popular method of telling a story, but it's not quite successful in this book and was confusing at times. I can't really go into too many details about it without giving out spoilers, but when you start reading it, you'll know what I mean.
Day 0: We start off in Cern, Switzerland at a research facility. It explodes and sends a huge plume of smoke and ash in the sky. "The Cloud" starts spreading, slowly smothering the world in an impenetrable cloud of ultimate darkness. As The Cloud spreads across Europe, a team of Marines are sent on a desperate and seemingly impossible mission to gather information that may help combat The Cloud.
Day 89: The Cloud has enveloped the East Coast and is spreading to the Midwest. Citizens are desperate. Chaos and violence erupts as people flee west. An aged Tennessee Sheriff watches as the world falls apart around him. He is talked into helping a fellow Sheriff and her family flee their hometown for a pipe dream of an old nuclear bunker that may save them from The Cloud. Of course, there's a couple thousand miles between them and the bunker and they have to not only contend with limited resources for the trip, but the evil that waits for them along the way.
The world-building is well-done and the characters pop off the page. The author does a great job delving into the complexities and foibles of his protagonists. This is definitely a testosterone-fueled book with plenty of action, fighting, blood, guts and gore. The few female characters in the book are only minor characters and are written as stereotypical "weaker sex" tropes. While this is unfortunate, you have to take this book as it is - an adrenaline junkies wet dream. While I can't read too many books like this, I can make a few exceptions if the story grips my attention, and this one did.
Even though this book is almost 500 pages, it's a quick and easy read. I couldn't put it down and can't wait until the next book comes out next year.
Thank you to NetGalley and Super Hoot Publishing for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
Holy hell - what did I just read?? This is a fantastic first book in a new apocalyptic Science Fiction/Horror book series. It has an explosive beginning (literally) and doesn't let up until the frenetic cliffhanger ending.
This book has it all - science, space, scientists, military facing impossible odds, shadowy government operatives, desperate citizens, quiet heroes, evil para-military villains exercising vigilante justice and monsters. I'm sure I left out a few, but you get the gist.
I really enjoyed this book. It is dark and creepy and the tension slowly builds as the book progresses. My biggest criticism is about the time and location jumps throughout the book. I know this is a popular method of telling a story, but it's not quite successful in this book and was confusing at times. I can't really go into too many details about it without giving out spoilers, but when you start reading it, you'll know what I mean.
Day 0: We start off in Cern, Switzerland at a research facility. It explodes and sends a huge plume of smoke and ash in the sky. "The Cloud" starts spreading, slowly smothering the world in an impenetrable cloud of ultimate darkness. As The Cloud spreads across Europe, a team of Marines are sent on a desperate and seemingly impossible mission to gather information that may help combat The Cloud.
Day 89: The Cloud has enveloped the East Coast and is spreading to the Midwest. Citizens are desperate. Chaos and violence erupts as people flee west. An aged Tennessee Sheriff watches as the world falls apart around him. He is talked into helping a fellow Sheriff and her family flee their hometown for a pipe dream of an old nuclear bunker that may save them from The Cloud. Of course, there's a couple thousand miles between them and the bunker and they have to not only contend with limited resources for the trip, but the evil that waits for them along the way.
The world-building is well-done and the characters pop off the page. The author does a great job delving into the complexities and foibles of his protagonists. This is definitely a testosterone-fueled book with plenty of action, fighting, blood, guts and gore. The few female characters in the book are only minor characters and are written as stereotypical "weaker sex" tropes. While this is unfortunate, you have to take this book as it is - an adrenaline junkies wet dream. While I can't read too many books like this, I can make a few exceptions if the story grips my attention, and this one did.
Even though this book is almost 500 pages, it's a quick and easy read. I couldn't put it down and can't wait until the next book comes out next year.
Thank you to NetGalley and Super Hoot Publishing for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2020
MONSTRE: Volume One is the debut novel--and first in an apocalyptic horror series--by Duncan Swan. We start in Switzerland, in a CERN research facility, where something goes horribly wrong. It begins with a dark cloud that spreads across countries.
And something worse, hiding in the darkness it brings.
"People think evil es easy to spot . . . "
Then we jump forward months later to when the cloud begins to cover the United States. A band of people--shocked by the reaction of so many neighbors and friends--decide to try to head out West. Rumors of a secret bunker in Colorado Springs are the only hope they hold onto of survival.
However, it isn't only the oncoming cloud and what comes with it that they need to fear.
". . . sometimes evil looks just like the kid next door."
The author alternates between these two time frames and groups of people: those there at the start, and the US group months after the initial breakthrough. Although the first group was a bit confusing to me at times (with the scientific and military-heavy references), there were some people I became invested in. With the secondary timeline, I was in it every mile of the journey.
My only real complaint was that nothing was "settled" by the end of the novel. It ends both timelines a cliff hanger--making you wait for the next installment to get any kind of revelations. Despite this, it was an action-packed story that left me wanting to know more, and eagerly anticipating Book 2.
**I received a physical ARC of this book from the promoter. I wanted to add that it is possibly the most gorgeous ARC I have--sprayed edges, great colors, and a fantastic, eye catching cover! Thank you.**
Recommended.
And something worse, hiding in the darkness it brings.
"People think evil es easy to spot . . . "
Then we jump forward months later to when the cloud begins to cover the United States. A band of people--shocked by the reaction of so many neighbors and friends--decide to try to head out West. Rumors of a secret bunker in Colorado Springs are the only hope they hold onto of survival.
However, it isn't only the oncoming cloud and what comes with it that they need to fear.
". . . sometimes evil looks just like the kid next door."
The author alternates between these two time frames and groups of people: those there at the start, and the US group months after the initial breakthrough. Although the first group was a bit confusing to me at times (with the scientific and military-heavy references), there were some people I became invested in. With the secondary timeline, I was in it every mile of the journey.
My only real complaint was that nothing was "settled" by the end of the novel. It ends both timelines a cliff hanger--making you wait for the next installment to get any kind of revelations. Despite this, it was an action-packed story that left me wanting to know more, and eagerly anticipating Book 2.
**I received a physical ARC of this book from the promoter. I wanted to add that it is possibly the most gorgeous ARC I have--sprayed edges, great colors, and a fantastic, eye catching cover! Thank you.**
Recommended.
December 3, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this debut from Duncan Swan! It is sci-fi at it's (almost) finest. I thought the characters are believable and felt real. The plot worked for me and flowed nicely. This was a really good start to a series... Omg I hope it's a series!
Special thanks to #NetGalley for an e-copy of this book, but an even bigger thanks to the publisher for graciously sending me a physical copy. The book itself is so pretty and the paper is black edged! I mean really beautifully done.
I will recommend this book to my friends and family and anyone who I know loves a good sci-fi adventure. I will definitely be looking forward to more from this author!!!
Special thanks to #NetGalley for an e-copy of this book, but an even bigger thanks to the publisher for graciously sending me a physical copy. The book itself is so pretty and the paper is black edged! I mean really beautifully done.
I will recommend this book to my friends and family and anyone who I know loves a good sci-fi adventure. I will definitely be looking forward to more from this author!!!
December 22, 2020
I honestly do not know where to start nor do I want to risk giving anything away. Ill start by saying this was a very impressive debut, in fact I still cant believe that it was Swans first novel. Swans writing style and character development was phenomenal. Aside from the writing, the book itself is stunning! I have no issues with E-books but to fully appreciate the dark beauty of this story you have got to grab a copy of the physical book
Monstre is easily one of the best post apocalyptic tales I have ever read. In Monstre, both the best and worst within humanity is exposed, there was no shortage of violence or gore. The story maintains a fast pace while bouncing forward and back in time allowing us to meet multiple characters and experience their varying nightmares as the cloud expands to cover the globe. Even with the varying timelines and multiple narrators the storyline flows smoothly and isnt confusing.
Overall I really enjoyed every minute reading this book. If I am to be completely honest though, the ending pissed me off and I may have thrown my book across the bed in frustration. FAIR WARNING: THIS BOOK IS PART OF A SERIES and book one will leave you hanging. At the end of the day the only real downfall of Monstre is that book two isnt available for a whole year!
Thanks again to Duncan Swan for sending me a beautiful ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Monstre is easily one of the best post apocalyptic tales I have ever read. In Monstre, both the best and worst within humanity is exposed, there was no shortage of violence or gore. The story maintains a fast pace while bouncing forward and back in time allowing us to meet multiple characters and experience their varying nightmares as the cloud expands to cover the globe. Even with the varying timelines and multiple narrators the storyline flows smoothly and isnt confusing.
Overall I really enjoyed every minute reading this book. If I am to be completely honest though, the ending pissed me off and I may have thrown my book across the bed in frustration. FAIR WARNING: THIS BOOK IS PART OF A SERIES and book one will leave you hanging. At the end of the day the only real downfall of Monstre is that book two isnt available for a whole year!
Thanks again to Duncan Swan for sending me a beautiful ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2020
Monstre
Volume 1
by Duncan Swan
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. The book starts with a bang, literally! CERN explodes, a huge dark Cloud appears and with this Cloud comes unusual creatures and toxic air.
The story bounces from several different groups to explain the story of what is happening around the world. It also bounces around time periods.
I really enjoyed the creature section of the book but it also has a section where humans are monsters as much as the creatures! Violent actions are described. I didn't care for this. Also, I really hate cliffhangers and this is one. Overall, an enjoyable read!
Volume 1
by Duncan Swan
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. The book starts with a bang, literally! CERN explodes, a huge dark Cloud appears and with this Cloud comes unusual creatures and toxic air.
The story bounces from several different groups to explain the story of what is happening around the world. It also bounces around time periods.
I really enjoyed the creature section of the book but it also has a section where humans are monsters as much as the creatures! Violent actions are described. I didn't care for this. Also, I really hate cliffhangers and this is one. Overall, an enjoyable read!
February 16, 2021
From the blurb "Day 0. From the wreckage of a research facility (CERN) in Switzerland, a plume of toxic smoke and ash pours into the sky, forming an impenetrable cloud that is slowly smothering the world in darkness. As Europe disappears beneath the Cloud, a squad of United States Marines are sent on a desperate mission to find out what went wrong, and how to undo it before it's too late."
Monstre by Duncan Swan is a "tour de force" of a nightmare vision, that is not at all outside the realm of possibility.
Written beautifully Monstre, grabbed my interest immediately and kept me turning pages to the very end wanting to know what would come next. The author weaves together a mix of genres that will satisfy readers from all genres, offering a beautifully crafted chain of events that promises to entertain, engage and horrify. His skill at making a world that is easily visual comes from offering just enough strong details to let our imaginations fill in the rest. His story telling is intriguing and suspenseful, without the pitfalls that come from overstating. Despite the fact that the story is told from the view point of 8 characters Mr Swan does a marvelous job of keeping it simple and easy to follow. Making sure the reader (myself for one) is never lost or confused as to what is going on and where it is headed.
The characters are all well written with depth and given real world choices to flesh them out, making them not just believable, but reliable. This is what I really liked about them, it was easy to become one of the group, to follow the story from inside the story all because I understood the characters.
The story wouldn't be all that it is if it was just about a dark cloud, no it's what is living in the cloud that pulls us into the story. The inter-dimensional creatures living in this cloud are horrifying and yet maybe not the most horrifying "Monsters" in the book. The authors subtle reminder that sometimes the worse monsters in our lives we call friend, neighbor or family is the real nightmare here. The whole "everyone out for themselves", that is the real nightmare (at least for me). I see a dark cloud and I know I shouldn't trust it. I see monstrosities living in that cloud and I know they can't be trusted. But how do you look at a friend and know you won't be able to count on them or trust them, until of course it's too late.
With lots of action right from thee start this is a non-stop age turner that will hook you and will not let go long after you have finished reading it. A great mix of suspense, thriller, horror and sprinkled with a marvelous amount of character study and who have the start of an epic story that reads like a major blockbuster movie.
I would be remiss to not also mention that the book itself is a beautiful piece of work. Covered in a dark black ink (that also includes the page trimmings), it gives the impression that you can from any angle fall into the dark abyss that surrounds the book. Add to that the deep crimson blood red "M" on the front of the cover and the hairs stand on the back of your next as it makes perfectly clear what awaits for you inside the pages.
A worthy addition to any bookshelf on multiple levels, this is one that fans of many genres are going to be thankful they read.
Monstre by Duncan Swan is a "tour de force" of a nightmare vision, that is not at all outside the realm of possibility.
Written beautifully Monstre, grabbed my interest immediately and kept me turning pages to the very end wanting to know what would come next. The author weaves together a mix of genres that will satisfy readers from all genres, offering a beautifully crafted chain of events that promises to entertain, engage and horrify. His skill at making a world that is easily visual comes from offering just enough strong details to let our imaginations fill in the rest. His story telling is intriguing and suspenseful, without the pitfalls that come from overstating. Despite the fact that the story is told from the view point of 8 characters Mr Swan does a marvelous job of keeping it simple and easy to follow. Making sure the reader (myself for one) is never lost or confused as to what is going on and where it is headed.
The characters are all well written with depth and given real world choices to flesh them out, making them not just believable, but reliable. This is what I really liked about them, it was easy to become one of the group, to follow the story from inside the story all because I understood the characters.
The story wouldn't be all that it is if it was just about a dark cloud, no it's what is living in the cloud that pulls us into the story. The inter-dimensional creatures living in this cloud are horrifying and yet maybe not the most horrifying "Monsters" in the book. The authors subtle reminder that sometimes the worse monsters in our lives we call friend, neighbor or family is the real nightmare here. The whole "everyone out for themselves", that is the real nightmare (at least for me). I see a dark cloud and I know I shouldn't trust it. I see monstrosities living in that cloud and I know they can't be trusted. But how do you look at a friend and know you won't be able to count on them or trust them, until of course it's too late.
With lots of action right from thee start this is a non-stop age turner that will hook you and will not let go long after you have finished reading it. A great mix of suspense, thriller, horror and sprinkled with a marvelous amount of character study and who have the start of an epic story that reads like a major blockbuster movie.
I would be remiss to not also mention that the book itself is a beautiful piece of work. Covered in a dark black ink (that also includes the page trimmings), it gives the impression that you can from any angle fall into the dark abyss that surrounds the book. Add to that the deep crimson blood red "M" on the front of the cover and the hairs stand on the back of your next as it makes perfectly clear what awaits for you inside the pages.
A worthy addition to any bookshelf on multiple levels, this is one that fans of many genres are going to be thankful they read.
October 29, 2020
Remember back in '96 when Independence Day came out and you thought to yourself, “Now that is a blockbuster?” Yea, that’s what this book felt like. Epic. If I was allowed one word to describe Monstre by Duncan Swan it would be that. Epic. An action packed, riveting, globe spanning monstrosity of a story (see what I did there). Oh, and did I mention that this was a debut. A DEBUT! Yes, seriously this was a debut. Wow, holy expletive Batman, is all I can say to that. Never would I have ever guessed that this was the work of a debut author. This was polished. The pacing and prose felt seasoned like grandma’s well loved cast iron skillet.
I have seen this book making the rounds within the horror community but this is first and foremost a sci-fi novel. Mix in some, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and bits of horror and you have a pretty good idea of the ride you are in for when gearing up to read this one. Think if Cherynobl, Starship Troopers, Walking Dead (no zombies though), and Call of Duty somehow all got together and birthed some heathen child, it would be this book. Now that all sounds like it would be a mess but trust me it works, and it works well. After about page 20 Monstre sunk its claws into me and I was hooked. I had a hard time putting this one down.
The story is told from the perspectives of a fairly hefty cast during two alternating timelines. Each chapter is from a different character's perspective like in ASOIAF. No spoilers here, this is all synopsis stuff. Things start off with day 0 at the CERN research facility in Switzerland. Something goes horribly, horribly wrong resulting in a massive explosion that sends a plume of toxic smoke and ash into the sky as a black impenetrable cloud slowly begins to cover the world in darkness. We follow the survivors of this disaster as well as a group of Marines as they try to make sense of this new scary world they find themselves in.
Skip ahead to day 89 over in America. About three months after the initial incident, the Cloud has hit the East Coast of the United States and is showing no signs of stopping. Chaos reigns as people flee west in a feeble attempt to outrun the inevitable. The country has devolved into a lawless land where only the strong survive as every man and woman must fend for themselves. There is no more electricity or running water, the government is gone. Cities have been looted. Robbery and murder are the ways of life now.
I really enjoyed the story telling device of switching back and forth between these two different timelines. It sort of felt like past and present but it never felt like we were flashing back to prior events. We are always in the here and now for whichever characters we are currently following. Over in Europe we are dealing with the intrigue and mystery surrounding the Cloud as well as the monsters that lurk within. Swan delivers perfectly paced gruesome action scenes full of carnage that felt very Call of Duty as the Marines engage in conflict with the monsters. He doesn't shy away from the blood and gore, torn limbs, and imploding bodies. In America things are a bit slower and more insidious as we deal with real life horrors and the human monsters that perpetuate them. There is a high body count here which is par for the course in a story like this. Just don't get too attached to anyone as they might not be around for long. Just as things are really starting to kick off both of these timelines end in cliffhangers as we are left dangling on the edge of our seats for answers.
There is a lot of military terms and technical jargon throughout that may be off-putting to some. For me it wasn't a bother, growing up playing FPS this was something I was used to. The characters themselves I thought were good but they don't all have a lot of depth to them. Trace, Colter, and Clay stood out the most to me. They had interesting backstories that played into how they act and what they think. I hope that we get even more character depth in volume two.
I don't often compare one author to another but if you were to take Duncan's name off the cover and replace it with the late great Michael Crichton I totally would have believed this was written by him. The way that the science and technical aspects of the story were presented in a smart yet easily accessible manner gave me heavy Crichton vibes.
A big budget blockbuster of a book. Pulse pounding action, a frenetic pace, and laced with dread, Monstre by Duncan Swan is the militaristic sci-fi book you have been looking for. I am very much looking forward to reading what happens next and hopefully getting some more answers to the mystery behind the cloud when volume two comes out sometime next summer.
I received an ARC of this book from the publicist for review consideration.
Video review: https://youtu.be/GyEVu7zimaw
I have seen this book making the rounds within the horror community but this is first and foremost a sci-fi novel. Mix in some, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and bits of horror and you have a pretty good idea of the ride you are in for when gearing up to read this one. Think if Cherynobl, Starship Troopers, Walking Dead (no zombies though), and Call of Duty somehow all got together and birthed some heathen child, it would be this book. Now that all sounds like it would be a mess but trust me it works, and it works well. After about page 20 Monstre sunk its claws into me and I was hooked. I had a hard time putting this one down.
The story is told from the perspectives of a fairly hefty cast during two alternating timelines. Each chapter is from a different character's perspective like in ASOIAF. No spoilers here, this is all synopsis stuff. Things start off with day 0 at the CERN research facility in Switzerland. Something goes horribly, horribly wrong resulting in a massive explosion that sends a plume of toxic smoke and ash into the sky as a black impenetrable cloud slowly begins to cover the world in darkness. We follow the survivors of this disaster as well as a group of Marines as they try to make sense of this new scary world they find themselves in.
Skip ahead to day 89 over in America. About three months after the initial incident, the Cloud has hit the East Coast of the United States and is showing no signs of stopping. Chaos reigns as people flee west in a feeble attempt to outrun the inevitable. The country has devolved into a lawless land where only the strong survive as every man and woman must fend for themselves. There is no more electricity or running water, the government is gone. Cities have been looted. Robbery and murder are the ways of life now.
I really enjoyed the story telling device of switching back and forth between these two different timelines. It sort of felt like past and present but it never felt like we were flashing back to prior events. We are always in the here and now for whichever characters we are currently following. Over in Europe we are dealing with the intrigue and mystery surrounding the Cloud as well as the monsters that lurk within. Swan delivers perfectly paced gruesome action scenes full of carnage that felt very Call of Duty as the Marines engage in conflict with the monsters. He doesn't shy away from the blood and gore, torn limbs, and imploding bodies. In America things are a bit slower and more insidious as we deal with real life horrors and the human monsters that perpetuate them. There is a high body count here which is par for the course in a story like this. Just don't get too attached to anyone as they might not be around for long. Just as things are really starting to kick off both of these timelines end in cliffhangers as we are left dangling on the edge of our seats for answers.
There is a lot of military terms and technical jargon throughout that may be off-putting to some. For me it wasn't a bother, growing up playing FPS this was something I was used to. The characters themselves I thought were good but they don't all have a lot of depth to them. Trace, Colter, and Clay stood out the most to me. They had interesting backstories that played into how they act and what they think. I hope that we get even more character depth in volume two.
I don't often compare one author to another but if you were to take Duncan's name off the cover and replace it with the late great Michael Crichton I totally would have believed this was written by him. The way that the science and technical aspects of the story were presented in a smart yet easily accessible manner gave me heavy Crichton vibes.
A big budget blockbuster of a book. Pulse pounding action, a frenetic pace, and laced with dread, Monstre by Duncan Swan is the militaristic sci-fi book you have been looking for. I am very much looking forward to reading what happens next and hopefully getting some more answers to the mystery behind the cloud when volume two comes out sometime next summer.
I received an ARC of this book from the publicist for review consideration.
Video review: https://youtu.be/GyEVu7zimaw
October 24, 2020
"A wall of darkness blowing in off the North Atlantic, its leading front touching the ground like a curtain, purple lightning crawling along its edges. Looking like one of those incredible dust storms he'd seen on the Discovery Channel. So big it altered global weather patterns. So dark it blocked out the sun. So thick it killed radio signals. It was Armageddon, steamrolling the world at a walking pace, and in three weeks it would be here."
This book is one of my top favorite sci-fi post-apocalypse thrillers I've read this year. If you thrive off of fast paced, high heart rate inducing dystopian novels, with an undertone of dark horror - well, this book DELIVERS. From the first few pages right through until the very end, I never *wanted* to put this book down, but was forced to JUST so I could let my heart rate recover.
Duncan Swan is South African born and raised and currently living in LA with his wife and daughter. Monstre is his debut novel that reads like someone who has decades of writing experience. I would not be one bit surprised to see this novel picked up for a movie or Netflix series - it is that good.
Monstre is an exciting, fast moving story of an experiment gone very wrong and the fallout because of it. An explosion of a facility in Switzerland gives birth to a very strange Cloud which begins moving across the world, destroying everything. We flip back and forth between Day Zero with the explosion of the facility and progressing to a few days later as the European people attempt to makes sense of their surroundings and military response and 3 months later with what is left of Earth's population attempting to survive...well, those who are still trying.
I enjoyed everything about this book - the descriptions of the world in the wake of this tragedy - I could picture it clearly and it felt real to me, exactly what I would picture in this event. The characters were so descriptive and I connected with them on an emotional level. I was so invested in their plight and couldn't help but root for all of them to make it. How the human race dealt with the threat and inevitable path of the Cloud - wow. It was gritty and hardcore.
I loved the writing style. It was beautifully descriptive and all of what I would call "military speak" was explained in a way that someone who doesn't know the first thing about the jargon can easily understand and follow.
This is a book that would be enjoyed by anyone who loves non-stop action and impossible odds of survival. I highly recommend it and am very much looking forward to the next installment next year.
It is priced a bit out of its range for being a paperback, $20 is even high for a new hardback release in most cases, but the ebook is priced at $10, which definitely puts it in the preferred range as far as purchase range.
This book is one of my top favorite sci-fi post-apocalypse thrillers I've read this year. If you thrive off of fast paced, high heart rate inducing dystopian novels, with an undertone of dark horror - well, this book DELIVERS. From the first few pages right through until the very end, I never *wanted* to put this book down, but was forced to JUST so I could let my heart rate recover.
Duncan Swan is South African born and raised and currently living in LA with his wife and daughter. Monstre is his debut novel that reads like someone who has decades of writing experience. I would not be one bit surprised to see this novel picked up for a movie or Netflix series - it is that good.
Monstre is an exciting, fast moving story of an experiment gone very wrong and the fallout because of it. An explosion of a facility in Switzerland gives birth to a very strange Cloud which begins moving across the world, destroying everything. We flip back and forth between Day Zero with the explosion of the facility and progressing to a few days later as the European people attempt to makes sense of their surroundings and military response and 3 months later with what is left of Earth's population attempting to survive...well, those who are still trying.
I enjoyed everything about this book - the descriptions of the world in the wake of this tragedy - I could picture it clearly and it felt real to me, exactly what I would picture in this event. The characters were so descriptive and I connected with them on an emotional level. I was so invested in their plight and couldn't help but root for all of them to make it. How the human race dealt with the threat and inevitable path of the Cloud - wow. It was gritty and hardcore.
I loved the writing style. It was beautifully descriptive and all of what I would call "military speak" was explained in a way that someone who doesn't know the first thing about the jargon can easily understand and follow.
This is a book that would be enjoyed by anyone who loves non-stop action and impossible odds of survival. I highly recommend it and am very much looking forward to the next installment next year.
It is priced a bit out of its range for being a paperback, $20 is even high for a new hardback release in most cases, but the ebook is priced at $10, which definitely puts it in the preferred range as far as purchase range.
October 22, 2020
Many thanks go the author and the publisher for an advance review copy I received through Goodreads giveaways. In fact, I won the kindle version and the publisher reached out to me asking if I would like a physical copy of the book, which I received a few days later. What a beautiful book!
I enjoyed reading this book about an apocalyptic future unlike any I have read before. The characters were believable and well fleshed out. The world building was excellent and I really envisioned what the world liked like. My favorite character turned out to be Trace, as I'm sure you will understand upon reading the book. To tell you anything else would just be spoilers.
This is the first of two books and also the first for the author. I look forward go the release of book two and the author is now on my radar. I felt the book was especially good for a debut novel and I'm sure the writing will get even better the more the author writes.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi dystopian stories with a bit of horror added.
I enjoyed reading this book about an apocalyptic future unlike any I have read before. The characters were believable and well fleshed out. The world building was excellent and I really envisioned what the world liked like. My favorite character turned out to be Trace, as I'm sure you will understand upon reading the book. To tell you anything else would just be spoilers.
This is the first of two books and also the first for the author. I look forward go the release of book two and the author is now on my radar. I felt the book was especially good for a debut novel and I'm sure the writing will get even better the more the author writes.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi dystopian stories with a bit of horror added.
June 15, 2020
I went back and forth between giving this a 3 or 4, seeing as Goodreads won't allow anything in the middle. You see, Monstre has some fantastic ideas, sequences, and designs at work. But there are also some important issues, like the jumping of time to and fro every few chapters. But I will get more into it all during my full review. It will appear on Dead Head Reviews prior to being pasted here. See you back later! ---- Thank you to Smith Publicity and the author for providing this beautiful paperback ARC for review consideration; it shows high production value!
September 4, 2020
Usually I try to get cute with my reviews. I try to add in a little artistic flare. Make things sound good, poetic, borderline pretentious. I'm not going to do that with Monstre. I'm going to be as straight forward as I possibly can be. So let me set the scene.
Monstre is if the The Stand, The Road, Pitch Black, and Black Hawk Down had a baby, and that baby came out BEAUTIFUL.
Seriously, this book is fun for the 450 pages it spanned. I truly don't believe a lot of stories deserve or need to be some gigantic tome but for Monstre, it's not even close to enough (obviously since this Volume One), because I was absolutely, positively, invested in the story we were told and now I've got to wait for Volume Two (or Three or Four, or Five? What type of torture does Duncan have in store for us?) before I get answers and resolutions to this wild ride.
I've got to commend Duncan Swan on his use of time in the book. We are given the first few days of the "fallout" interlaced with a completely different cast of characters almost three months later. I call it genius because as we learn more about the "event" and what it brings forth, the dread we feel for the characters three months later grows. It's wonderful storytelling, and provides a really well paced book.
Do yourself a favor. Read this book. Get in on the ground floor. This series is going places, with or without you and everyone wants to be a part of the "cool kids club," right?
Five Stars. FIVE.
Monstre is if the The Stand, The Road, Pitch Black, and Black Hawk Down had a baby, and that baby came out BEAUTIFUL.
Seriously, this book is fun for the 450 pages it spanned. I truly don't believe a lot of stories deserve or need to be some gigantic tome but for Monstre, it's not even close to enough (obviously since this Volume One), because I was absolutely, positively, invested in the story we were told and now I've got to wait for Volume Two (or Three or Four, or Five? What type of torture does Duncan have in store for us?) before I get answers and resolutions to this wild ride.
I've got to commend Duncan Swan on his use of time in the book. We are given the first few days of the "fallout" interlaced with a completely different cast of characters almost three months later. I call it genius because as we learn more about the "event" and what it brings forth, the dread we feel for the characters three months later grows. It's wonderful storytelling, and provides a really well paced book.
Do yourself a favor. Read this book. Get in on the ground floor. This series is going places, with or without you and everyone wants to be a part of the "cool kids club," right?
Five Stars. FIVE.
September 13, 2020
DNF at page 193
Yeah it taken me 2 weeks to get this far. Its 2020 and I dont have time for cis white male action flicky plots. Not one strong female or minority character and someone just used the term "retarded" 🙄 his writing style kills me. I want to proof read the damn thing. I'm not connecting to any character. It's a pretty book though.
Yeah it taken me 2 weeks to get this far. Its 2020 and I dont have time for cis white male action flicky plots. Not one strong female or minority character and someone just used the term "retarded" 🙄 his writing style kills me. I want to proof read the damn thing. I'm not connecting to any character. It's a pretty book though.
October 9, 2020
As far as presentation goes, this is a sexy book! Gorgeous cover, super cool black-dusted pages, and a load of awesome promotional/concept art (seriously, check out the author’s website to see some of it)!
That being said, as far as the story goes it’s a bit of mixed bag for me.
On one hand I found the premise super intriguing, loved the monster design, and enjoyed the fast-paced action scenes. As a white male who greatly enjoys violent sci-fi/action films (and video games like Doom, Gears of War, etc) this book appealed to me on a base level.
However, I can see how someone not like me wouldn’t enjoy it as much, considering the lack of diversity and strong female leads (something I believe this debut author is already working to correct in the future - so good on him!). Indeed I even found many of the characters to be mere enablers of the action instead of well-rounded individuals (except Trace, I ended up liking him).
Overall there was enjoy here to like that it kept me reading, and as this is volume 1 of a two-parter I’m interested to see where it goes. I also think this author is one to keep an eye on the future, and I could totally see this being turned into a pretty great movie (with a few character tweaks).
To see my full review, check out my blog at readingvicariously.net (link also in bio).
That being said, as far as the story goes it’s a bit of mixed bag for me.
On one hand I found the premise super intriguing, loved the monster design, and enjoyed the fast-paced action scenes. As a white male who greatly enjoys violent sci-fi/action films (and video games like Doom, Gears of War, etc) this book appealed to me on a base level.
However, I can see how someone not like me wouldn’t enjoy it as much, considering the lack of diversity and strong female leads (something I believe this debut author is already working to correct in the future - so good on him!). Indeed I even found many of the characters to be mere enablers of the action instead of well-rounded individuals (except Trace, I ended up liking him).
Overall there was enjoy here to like that it kept me reading, and as this is volume 1 of a two-parter I’m interested to see where it goes. I also think this author is one to keep an eye on the future, and I could totally see this being turned into a pretty great movie (with a few character tweaks).
To see my full review, check out my blog at readingvicariously.net (link also in bio).
November 1, 2020
This was a great sci-fi/thriller/horror book that was full of action and suspense from the get-go. It held my interest the entire time and was well-written. I cannot and will not watch gore in movies, but I am able to read about gore in books and this one had plenty of it. I also thought the world building was done well and was very believable as were the characters. Plenty things about the characters and the plot kept me invested in what was happening next, and then came the cliffhanger. The only major problem is I don't know when book 2 is expected and I really want to know what happens!
This exciting book is Duncan Swan's debut novel and I thought he did an exceptional job.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Super Hoot Publishing for a free copy to read in exchange for an honest opinion.
This exciting book is Duncan Swan's debut novel and I thought he did an exceptional job.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Super Hoot Publishing for a free copy to read in exchange for an honest opinion.
March 26, 2021
Loved it, hate the fact that I have to wait until winter for volume two.
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW.
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW.
September 15, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. 'Monstre' by Duncan Swan comes out September 15th, 2020.
'Monstre' is the debut novel by Duncan Swan and begins dynamically enough - told through rushed actions and copious amount of adjectives, we encounter a research facility in the midst of chaos as something has gone wrong. A toxic cloud of smoke and ash has erupted into the sky, and from it, comes death. As the cloud begins to move across the globe, the story takes on an international flare from the perspective of a U.S. Marine Corp sent to investigate the cloud's advances. It is soon realized that it might not just be the toxic cloud that is killing those in its wake and dismantling civilization as we know it, but that something else, something wicked and prehistoric and otherworldly might be lurking in the darkness.
The narration in 'Monstre' is relentless. This is a heavily plot-driven story that reads like an action movie and makes you feel like you're in a first-person shooter video game. It is a "hyper-male" story with little in the way of character development, strong female characters, or even diversity. There wasn't a lot for me to sink my teeth into here or make me care about the fate of the characters. This could be because the characters shift timelines and are inconsistent, but I found it difficult to connect. So, if you are looking for a book that will fill you with nostalgia for 80s and 90s action movies and boys with guns blazing and science smarts to save the day, you might be interested in 'Monstre'.
Swan seems like a savvy writer that is aiming for a screenplay of his debut. I've seen some of the concept art he has posted for this book - it's lovely and terrifying and I think it would look great on screen. I'm picturing some sort of Event Horizon, Independence Day, Lethal Weapon mash-up. But, you know, nostalgia isn't always good. This is a dated throwback in several ways, but the nail in the coffin for me was when the author used the word 'retarded' in causal dialogue. I mean...come on....do we really need to have that conversation? In 2020? What does that add to the plot? Was it necessary? I'll take your hyper masculine - clearly written for a script rework - smoke kaiju horror story any day. Sounds good and I can get on board with that. I love a good monster flick. But you better diversify your characters, put a little more into their development, and for fuck's sake...do not use the word 'retarded'.
'Monstre' is the debut novel by Duncan Swan and begins dynamically enough - told through rushed actions and copious amount of adjectives, we encounter a research facility in the midst of chaos as something has gone wrong. A toxic cloud of smoke and ash has erupted into the sky, and from it, comes death. As the cloud begins to move across the globe, the story takes on an international flare from the perspective of a U.S. Marine Corp sent to investigate the cloud's advances. It is soon realized that it might not just be the toxic cloud that is killing those in its wake and dismantling civilization as we know it, but that something else, something wicked and prehistoric and otherworldly might be lurking in the darkness.
The narration in 'Monstre' is relentless. This is a heavily plot-driven story that reads like an action movie and makes you feel like you're in a first-person shooter video game. It is a "hyper-male" story with little in the way of character development, strong female characters, or even diversity. There wasn't a lot for me to sink my teeth into here or make me care about the fate of the characters. This could be because the characters shift timelines and are inconsistent, but I found it difficult to connect. So, if you are looking for a book that will fill you with nostalgia for 80s and 90s action movies and boys with guns blazing and science smarts to save the day, you might be interested in 'Monstre'.
Swan seems like a savvy writer that is aiming for a screenplay of his debut. I've seen some of the concept art he has posted for this book - it's lovely and terrifying and I think it would look great on screen. I'm picturing some sort of Event Horizon, Independence Day, Lethal Weapon mash-up. But, you know, nostalgia isn't always good. This is a dated throwback in several ways, but the nail in the coffin for me was when the author used the word 'retarded' in causal dialogue. I mean...come on....do we really need to have that conversation? In 2020? What does that add to the plot? Was it necessary? I'll take your hyper masculine - clearly written for a script rework - smoke kaiju horror story any day. Sounds good and I can get on board with that. I love a good monster flick. But you better diversify your characters, put a little more into their development, and for fuck's sake...do not use the word 'retarded'.
June 5, 2020
An adaptation of this will be a bigger phenomenon than The Walking Dead.
Jesus Christ.
Where to begin? This was severely rewarding. It was constant chaos. The minute things seem to start forming into a structured story and you finally think it's about to settle down, it doesn't. How beautiful is it that everything keeps going to shit? Lets dissect this for awhile because I need some self-therapy to work this out.
The Large Hadron Collider exists. Scientist are using it to study laws of nature and smash atoms together at accelerated rates. They discovered the "Gods Particle" not too long ago. It is also capable of creating microscopic black holes. A quick google search tells me that there's nothing to worry about, but this thought has followed me for years. Of course, a book where something goes wrong with the LHC is going to fit in the right place for me. It's a puzzle piece I never knew was empty in my soul.
The first person we meet is also our first casualty in a story filled with them. You know the fulfilling feeling you got when you saw Rogue One for the first time - you did, didn't you!?!?! - and you knew everybody was going to die? It was perfect and it was right. They all died in kind of cute ways where you felt bad but in the end, it was alright. NOT IN THIS BOOK. This book has so many changes of direction it was like the car chase in Tintin. You think somebody is going to die, but they don't. We revisit them later and they are still holding on but not for long. When we jump back to the character again, you start to think maybe they actually make it. Wouldn't that be obvious? No. They're all going to die. They're going to die horribly and suddenly and it's going to happen so don't get attached to anybody.
You change perspectives frequently. The story also jumps between time periods. We follow from the day of the accident and half a year later. Some scenes fill you in on plans or things that occurred in the time between. There's a sequel coming so all will be answered. Those perspectives give us one sad story after another. After the LHC explodes, a cloud fills the air and blocks out the sun. As the world plunges into darkness, monsters described as being fifteen feet from nose to the end of the tail with multiple legs and rows and rows of teeth start killing people. The air is corrupted by toxins commonly found in pesticides. Everyone is struggling to escape, but just by being outside everyone is already doomed.
It actually comes out in the lightest part of the story. One of the sections follows a group of marines investigating the disappearance of other marines in the cloud covered area. The monsters come and destroy the team, and the leader has his gas mask ripped off. While recovering, and receiving new orders, he's told that he probably only has days to live. A bus load of people who they traveled with back to the safe zone started with forty six survivors. They end up with around twenty, and then they all die off once they arrive. A scientist we meet in the beginning of the story gets progressively worse and worse. We last see him hooked up to a dialysis machine and told he's done for. There is no hope. Not for anybody. It's futile. It's delicious.
I hate talking about the marines because by saying this is a book with marines in it I don't want to give you *that* idea that it's some type of military ops book fighting extraterrestrial alternate dimensional monsters. No. Listen, there are tons of different characters here. There's scientist, prison inmates, military both current and retired, everyday people, police officers, rapist, neighborhood watch teams. People of all different nationalities. Kids too. Listen, there's some Crossed vibes here. The kids are going to suffer. Nothing good will happen to anybody. Here's an example:
One character, Mason, is fleeing with a convoy of cars. In his vehicle are his wife, daughter, a neighbor, and his neighbor's wife. They are attacked by the Monsters but make it through okay. Mason figures the Monsters wont attack if they are lit up by the flashlights. It's fine until the attacks start up again. The daughter in the backseat, Jessie, tries to reach for her dad and call his name. Then a Monster burst through the back window, slashes Jessie and her mother, rips the neighbor's wife's head clean off, then kills the neighbor. Mason is the last to die, but it's all instantaneous. There's no breathing room in this book.
I would say the longest part of this book revolves around the police officers in America trying to head to NORAD. One has her family with her. There's also a friend named Drew who is an outdoors guy. They get caught up in a trap set by former criminals who steal people's cars, gas, and possessions. They flee, but end up killing two of them. This leads to them being hunted down, without realizing it and leaves us at the end of the book shocked with a CLIFFHANGER ENDING. How could you Duncan Swan?
Remember when The Walking Dead was the show to watch? People were obsessed with it even in an over saturated zombie market. There was initially a rag tag group of characters that you watched die off one by one until it ended up with a core group and they made the show about hiking. I'm looking at you season four. Picture The Walking Dead but without it sucking. Instead of zombies, we have monsters that are actually scary. You have to keep a Game of Thrones level of attachment to these characters too. You experience the coming doom from a variety of perspectives and cities and countries even. I'm in love with this book. I want to time travel back to February and have it be my neurotic valentine.
Jesus Christ.
Where to begin? This was severely rewarding. It was constant chaos. The minute things seem to start forming into a structured story and you finally think it's about to settle down, it doesn't. How beautiful is it that everything keeps going to shit? Lets dissect this for awhile because I need some self-therapy to work this out.
The Large Hadron Collider exists. Scientist are using it to study laws of nature and smash atoms together at accelerated rates. They discovered the "Gods Particle" not too long ago. It is also capable of creating microscopic black holes. A quick google search tells me that there's nothing to worry about, but this thought has followed me for years. Of course, a book where something goes wrong with the LHC is going to fit in the right place for me. It's a puzzle piece I never knew was empty in my soul.
The first person we meet is also our first casualty in a story filled with them. You know the fulfilling feeling you got when you saw Rogue One for the first time - you did, didn't you!?!?! - and you knew everybody was going to die? It was perfect and it was right. They all died in kind of cute ways where you felt bad but in the end, it was alright. NOT IN THIS BOOK. This book has so many changes of direction it was like the car chase in Tintin. You think somebody is going to die, but they don't. We revisit them later and they are still holding on but not for long. When we jump back to the character again, you start to think maybe they actually make it. Wouldn't that be obvious? No. They're all going to die. They're going to die horribly and suddenly and it's going to happen so don't get attached to anybody.
You change perspectives frequently. The story also jumps between time periods. We follow from the day of the accident and half a year later. Some scenes fill you in on plans or things that occurred in the time between. There's a sequel coming so all will be answered. Those perspectives give us one sad story after another. After the LHC explodes, a cloud fills the air and blocks out the sun. As the world plunges into darkness, monsters described as being fifteen feet from nose to the end of the tail with multiple legs and rows and rows of teeth start killing people. The air is corrupted by toxins commonly found in pesticides. Everyone is struggling to escape, but just by being outside everyone is already doomed.
It actually comes out in the lightest part of the story. One of the sections follows a group of marines investigating the disappearance of other marines in the cloud covered area. The monsters come and destroy the team, and the leader has his gas mask ripped off. While recovering, and receiving new orders, he's told that he probably only has days to live. A bus load of people who they traveled with back to the safe zone started with forty six survivors. They end up with around twenty, and then they all die off once they arrive. A scientist we meet in the beginning of the story gets progressively worse and worse. We last see him hooked up to a dialysis machine and told he's done for. There is no hope. Not for anybody. It's futile. It's delicious.
I hate talking about the marines because by saying this is a book with marines in it I don't want to give you *that* idea that it's some type of military ops book fighting extraterrestrial alternate dimensional monsters. No. Listen, there are tons of different characters here. There's scientist, prison inmates, military both current and retired, everyday people, police officers, rapist, neighborhood watch teams. People of all different nationalities. Kids too. Listen, there's some Crossed vibes here. The kids are going to suffer. Nothing good will happen to anybody. Here's an example:
One character, Mason, is fleeing with a convoy of cars. In his vehicle are his wife, daughter, a neighbor, and his neighbor's wife. They are attacked by the Monsters but make it through okay. Mason figures the Monsters wont attack if they are lit up by the flashlights. It's fine until the attacks start up again. The daughter in the backseat, Jessie, tries to reach for her dad and call his name. Then a Monster burst through the back window, slashes Jessie and her mother, rips the neighbor's wife's head clean off, then kills the neighbor. Mason is the last to die, but it's all instantaneous. There's no breathing room in this book.
I would say the longest part of this book revolves around the police officers in America trying to head to NORAD. One has her family with her. There's also a friend named Drew who is an outdoors guy. They get caught up in a trap set by former criminals who steal people's cars, gas, and possessions. They flee, but end up killing two of them. This leads to them being hunted down, without realizing it and leaves us at the end of the book shocked with a CLIFFHANGER ENDING. How could you Duncan Swan?
Remember when The Walking Dead was the show to watch? People were obsessed with it even in an over saturated zombie market. There was initially a rag tag group of characters that you watched die off one by one until it ended up with a core group and they made the show about hiking. I'm looking at you season four. Picture The Walking Dead but without it sucking. Instead of zombies, we have monsters that are actually scary. You have to keep a Game of Thrones level of attachment to these characters too. You experience the coming doom from a variety of perspectives and cities and countries even. I'm in love with this book. I want to time travel back to February and have it be my neurotic valentine.
March 9, 2021
You ever hear of CERN? If so, awesome, I don’t have to try and explain it to you. If not…well, I can’t explain it to you. Basically, it’s a laboratory that does something with particle physics. It also has this giant machine called the Large Hadron Collider and it slams particles together. It’s all very sciency and I only have a vague grasp on all of it. What I do know, though, is from the moment it went live, people feared it would create a mini black hole that would only expand in size and we’d all get eaten up by it. That didn’t happen. But in Duncan Swan’s book, MONSTRE: Volume One, something does happen. And it isn’t a black hole, it’s a tear in the dimension and the monsters that come through that tear are what we’re going to be eaten by.
Man, I love apocalyptic books. I just enjoy this idea of possibly being one of a few survivors making my way across a wasteland, trying to find a better life. I know I wouldn’t last three days without electricity, but still. I wouldn’t mind living in the universes of Stephen King’s The Stand or Robert R. McCammon’s Swan Song , but I think I’m going to pass on Swan’s MONSTRE.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
Man, I love apocalyptic books. I just enjoy this idea of possibly being one of a few survivors making my way across a wasteland, trying to find a better life. I know I wouldn’t last three days without electricity, but still. I wouldn’t mind living in the universes of Stephen King’s The Stand or Robert R. McCammon’s Swan Song , but I think I’m going to pass on Swan’s MONSTRE.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
September 27, 2020
Title: Monstre: Volume One
Author: Duncan Swan
Release Date: 15 September 2020
Rating: 4/5 stars
Okay, so first off I want to explain why I read and requested this book on Netgalley.
1.) The author is South African. I have read very few books by South African authors because most South African books that are published, just aren’t in the genres I read. So when I saw this apocalypse book about the world ending, you better believe I clicked request as fast as I could.
2.) As I mentioned previously, I love apocalypse books. Give me disasters, give me suspense, give me the worst side of humanity showing itself – I want it.
3.) I am not brave in any way. Imagine my surprise when I saw that not only is this a disaster book, but a horror as well. I almost gave up on this book when it terrified me as I read it at eight in the night, but I made it through and I’m very glad I did! It’s like I proved something to myself by reading my first ever horror book!
Monstre is about an explosion at a research facility in Switserland. From this explosion, comes an enormous black cloud. Nothing stops the Cloud from growing, and no one can stop the terrifying creatures that live within the Cloud.
What I really love about disaster books (and movies, for that matter) is that they always bring out the worst in people. Yeah sure, some people think they would be calm and kind in a disaster, but to be honest I think most of us would run around screaming in panic.
At least, that’s what I would do.
What I really loved about this book is how it tells two stories.
One storyline is about people right at the beginning of the disaster. How they try to escape or fight the monsters in the Cloud.
The other is about a group of people who try to find a rumoured bunker in North America before the Cloud arrives to kill them all.
The one thing I really like about horror, although I never read it, is how it’s never boring. There’s always something happening that makes you want to chew all your fingernails off.
There was no real deep-dive into the characters, except for one called Trace, but as you go along in the story, information about the characters don’t matter. It only matters whether or not these characters can actually survive. And most of them don’t.
So, to summarize.
Monstre will have you on the edge of your seat, praying that these characters survive while also praying that none of these monsters will jump out of the shadows to devour you.
It’s dark, it’s gritty and you can’t put it down. Will I pick up the next book? After the terribly evil cliffhanger, you bet I will try to get that sequel.
*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a review!,/i>
August 16, 2020
MONSTRE Volume 1 by Duncan Swan is a terrifying tale of desperation and determination.
If you enjoy unputdownable reads filled with storylines that will keep you flipping the pages just as quickly as you can, you gotta pick this one up!
Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
The story begins with a character in the middle of a scary situation with a fire burning below him, and it really doesn’t let up from there. Of course, it backtracks to show more of the history so you can see what lead to the character making a mad rush up a stairway… But as you know something bad had happened, the sense of dread is thicker than the smoke from that first scene.
This book follows various storylines that are all interwoven and organized from a starting point from either Day 0 or Day 89.
When I first saw that this was the case, I got a little nervous as I’m not a huge fan of books with multiple perspectives. However in this case, they were all so perfectly developed that I didn’t have a problem keeping up.
This format, combined with the writing style and amazing characters, also made it impossible to put the book down as I just wanted to see how everything turned out for everyone, but you’d have to wait awhile for an update.
The writing was wonderful. From the description of the small details to the explosive action and violence, it was very vivid! The character development had to be pretty quick in quite a few cases, and the author nailed that! I was drawn or interested in all of the characters almost immediately. I also loved that some of the characters we developed in a way that made us slowly learn more about them, so there was a sense of mystery and unease with a few!
There is a cosmic creature element here and I found it to be incredibly eerie. While leaning heavily toward sci-fi, this is something that I can easily see actually happening so that makes it so much more spooky. And then seeing how some people handled the situation? Even more terrifying.
And my god, that ending. I CANNOT wait for Volume Two!
My Favorite Passages
He looked away from his computer screen for a moment to see that the two men were far less impressed, shaking their heads. Then they exploded into a fine pink mist.
There wasn’t a tree or building left standing, no people, nothing but scattered fires and columns of smoke, charred and splintered trees lining the sides of the road. Their shattered trunks glowed white in his flashlight, like jagged teeth, as though the four of them were walking into the mouth of some giant beast.
Claire was the type of person who could put on a brave face like it was makeup.
“I’m Lieutenant Dan,” the soldier said when he didn’t have to scream anymore. “Lieutenant Dan!” said Levi, finding his voice again. He couldn’t help it. “You got new legs!”
People think evil is easy to spot. They think of evil and imagine a monster. They imagine the Devil with horns, something obvious and identifiable.But sometimes evil looks just like the kid next door.
My Final Thoughts
I loved every second of MONSTRE. I could not stop reading! Even though I felt really uneasy throughout the read, I was also totally hooked and blown away by the writing and overall plot. It was so perfectly organized.
I can’t believe this was a debut novel. Sign me up for Volume Two! I cannot wait!!
Thanks for reading!
And thanks again to Sarah Miniaci of SMITH PUBLICITY, INC. for sending a copy my way! I am so grateful!!
If you enjoy unputdownable reads filled with storylines that will keep you flipping the pages just as quickly as you can, you gotta pick this one up!
Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
The story begins with a character in the middle of a scary situation with a fire burning below him, and it really doesn’t let up from there. Of course, it backtracks to show more of the history so you can see what lead to the character making a mad rush up a stairway… But as you know something bad had happened, the sense of dread is thicker than the smoke from that first scene.
This book follows various storylines that are all interwoven and organized from a starting point from either Day 0 or Day 89.
When I first saw that this was the case, I got a little nervous as I’m not a huge fan of books with multiple perspectives. However in this case, they were all so perfectly developed that I didn’t have a problem keeping up.
This format, combined with the writing style and amazing characters, also made it impossible to put the book down as I just wanted to see how everything turned out for everyone, but you’d have to wait awhile for an update.
The writing was wonderful. From the description of the small details to the explosive action and violence, it was very vivid! The character development had to be pretty quick in quite a few cases, and the author nailed that! I was drawn or interested in all of the characters almost immediately. I also loved that some of the characters we developed in a way that made us slowly learn more about them, so there was a sense of mystery and unease with a few!
There is a cosmic creature element here and I found it to be incredibly eerie. While leaning heavily toward sci-fi, this is something that I can easily see actually happening so that makes it so much more spooky. And then seeing how some people handled the situation? Even more terrifying.
And my god, that ending. I CANNOT wait for Volume Two!
My Favorite Passages
He looked away from his computer screen for a moment to see that the two men were far less impressed, shaking their heads. Then they exploded into a fine pink mist.
There wasn’t a tree or building left standing, no people, nothing but scattered fires and columns of smoke, charred and splintered trees lining the sides of the road. Their shattered trunks glowed white in his flashlight, like jagged teeth, as though the four of them were walking into the mouth of some giant beast.
Claire was the type of person who could put on a brave face like it was makeup.
“I’m Lieutenant Dan,” the soldier said when he didn’t have to scream anymore. “Lieutenant Dan!” said Levi, finding his voice again. He couldn’t help it. “You got new legs!”
People think evil is easy to spot. They think of evil and imagine a monster. They imagine the Devil with horns, something obvious and identifiable.But sometimes evil looks just like the kid next door.
My Final Thoughts
I loved every second of MONSTRE. I could not stop reading! Even though I felt really uneasy throughout the read, I was also totally hooked and blown away by the writing and overall plot. It was so perfectly organized.
I can’t believe this was a debut novel. Sign me up for Volume Two! I cannot wait!!
Thanks for reading!
And thanks again to Sarah Miniaci of SMITH PUBLICITY, INC. for sending a copy my way! I am so grateful!!
August 26, 2020
I was lucky to see the twitter post from the author, Duncan Swan, calling for any reviewers interested in snagging a physical ARC of Monstre in return for for an honest review, which follows below. I was even luckier to fall in the number of people that were told yes, there were copies left, DM me the address. I thank him for this opportunity.
I rated this 5 stars.
First off, the book itself is gorgeous; after finishing Monstre the whole design resolves its genius. Secondly, I found the chapter and sub-chapter breaks uniquely done; creating this constant shifting, flowing reading experience. Third, characters were well rounded and authentic; I also felt they stayed true to how they were presented to be. There were no out of left field, story driven only actions from anyone. Finally, the only disappointment I felt was at the end, when I saw the sequel will not be released until winter 2021. I read the sneak peek, which I can usually resist, for the little bit more I could squeeze out story-wise. This read could tickle so many different genre readers’ fancy, I could see dark fiction, science fiction, end of world event, dystopian, survival horror, creature horror, alien warfare, and so many other genres be attached to this and still not grasp all the nuances. I was absolutely blown away by how much I enjoyed this, and this is the authors debut novel. Amazing.
We have all heard “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” but I feel that can do an injustice; thought and effort went into this as well, and is part of the finished product. When I opened the book mail containing Monstre, the very first thing I said was, “This book is beautiful!” Then I made my husband and sons look at it, but didn’t let them touch it, because it was new and mine. Forgive me, but not sorry. There are four colors used; black, grey, red and white. When you hold the novel it seems intimidating, there is a weight pulling at your arms as you’re gazing at the M, the reddish shadows of serrated teeth within the outlined letter. After reading chapter Day 3 D-Day, I am convinced the book design can be a constant reference to an action that happens there, every time you open the book. I think I did that without spoiling it, until you can read it yourself.
Monstre is without a table of contents and the chapters do not begin at 1 and continue on the usual numbered path. The book opens on Day 0 and a location. The sub-chapter is a characters name, introducing the narrator guiding you through that moment. CERN has had an event, once thought impossible; these first introductions are panicked, violent and hook you in instantly. Then next chapter break is Day 89; we are transported from Switzerland to the USA, along with the obvious time jump. We are introduced to new characters, given additional narrators. While European countries were directly affected, America, and the rest of the continent, have their societies crumble while waiting for the inevitable reach of the cloud to cross the land. The location and time jumps happen several times throughout; I thought the nonlinear timeline added to the just absolute immense gravity of the situation happening. For some the event was very quickly here and their part resolved, but for others it was not even to their doorstep; but life for them was already unhinged, unprotected. It was as if the author wanted to apply pressure from different directions to the reader, so there was never really a break.
🎵 Loved it! 🎵
Human nature is complex, flawed, and as varied as pop tart flavours; that gives an author a lot to work with in character creation and development. There are many people introduced in Monstre Volume One, as narrators or interacting with them; not everyone survives, the very summary extinguished that possibility. Whether the person is present from their introduction to the closing of Monstre, or they suffer a meticulously spelled out death, or even an implied one off the page; they were people while I read them. There was personality, strengths and flaws, background to draw upon when needed; the author created these fully formed human for us. Throughout everything thrown at them in the novel, I felt they stuck true to their individually presented values and traits. For example, a hypervigilant person is not going to suddenly ease off that behavior because of group pressure; children previously living pretty cushy lives will not take well to suddenly roughing it. Just overall the way characters’ reacted to events and each other impressed me.
I can not wait for Volume Two to be released so I can dive back in.
I rated this 5 stars.
First off, the book itself is gorgeous; after finishing Monstre the whole design resolves its genius. Secondly, I found the chapter and sub-chapter breaks uniquely done; creating this constant shifting, flowing reading experience. Third, characters were well rounded and authentic; I also felt they stayed true to how they were presented to be. There were no out of left field, story driven only actions from anyone. Finally, the only disappointment I felt was at the end, when I saw the sequel will not be released until winter 2021. I read the sneak peek, which I can usually resist, for the little bit more I could squeeze out story-wise. This read could tickle so many different genre readers’ fancy, I could see dark fiction, science fiction, end of world event, dystopian, survival horror, creature horror, alien warfare, and so many other genres be attached to this and still not grasp all the nuances. I was absolutely blown away by how much I enjoyed this, and this is the authors debut novel. Amazing.
We have all heard “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” but I feel that can do an injustice; thought and effort went into this as well, and is part of the finished product. When I opened the book mail containing Monstre, the very first thing I said was, “This book is beautiful!” Then I made my husband and sons look at it, but didn’t let them touch it, because it was new and mine. Forgive me, but not sorry. There are four colors used; black, grey, red and white. When you hold the novel it seems intimidating, there is a weight pulling at your arms as you’re gazing at the M, the reddish shadows of serrated teeth within the outlined letter. After reading chapter Day 3 D-Day, I am convinced the book design can be a constant reference to an action that happens there, every time you open the book. I think I did that without spoiling it, until you can read it yourself.
Monstre is without a table of contents and the chapters do not begin at 1 and continue on the usual numbered path. The book opens on Day 0 and a location. The sub-chapter is a characters name, introducing the narrator guiding you through that moment. CERN has had an event, once thought impossible; these first introductions are panicked, violent and hook you in instantly. Then next chapter break is Day 89; we are transported from Switzerland to the USA, along with the obvious time jump. We are introduced to new characters, given additional narrators. While European countries were directly affected, America, and the rest of the continent, have their societies crumble while waiting for the inevitable reach of the cloud to cross the land. The location and time jumps happen several times throughout; I thought the nonlinear timeline added to the just absolute immense gravity of the situation happening. For some the event was very quickly here and their part resolved, but for others it was not even to their doorstep; but life for them was already unhinged, unprotected. It was as if the author wanted to apply pressure from different directions to the reader, so there was never really a break.
🎵 Loved it! 🎵
Human nature is complex, flawed, and as varied as pop tart flavours; that gives an author a lot to work with in character creation and development. There are many people introduced in Monstre Volume One, as narrators or interacting with them; not everyone survives, the very summary extinguished that possibility. Whether the person is present from their introduction to the closing of Monstre, or they suffer a meticulously spelled out death, or even an implied one off the page; they were people while I read them. There was personality, strengths and flaws, background to draw upon when needed; the author created these fully formed human for us. Throughout everything thrown at them in the novel, I felt they stuck true to their individually presented values and traits. For example, a hypervigilant person is not going to suddenly ease off that behavior because of group pressure; children previously living pretty cushy lives will not take well to suddenly roughing it. Just overall the way characters’ reacted to events and each other impressed me.
I can not wait for Volume Two to be released so I can dive back in.
September 7, 2020
Monstre by Duncan Swann establishes a terror in the form of a huge dark cloud of radioactive dust that seems to be created by a mysterious nuclear facility meltdown. As the cloud smothers Europe, it slowly heads toward the United States’ east coast, with it brings incomprehensible monstrosities.
A band of survivors traveling towards freedom and away from the deadly storm find rogue enemies blocking their path to freedom. A military troop must combat a strategic and coordinated deadly enemy not yet known to man. These scenarios along with a distrustful madness by deceitful civilians provides a continuous high fueled monster/military action setting throughout the book. Swann combines these and several additional forms of apocalyptic nightmares to establish a highly charged absolute must read. All characters in Monstre should make their peace with death as they continue their path into the unknown, for Duncan Swann has taken a familiar page from George R. R. Martin, meaning the reader will not know who will survive and what will be left of them.
It’s been a long time since I was totally involved and immersed into a work of literature as was the case with this debut novel. This book is the real deal my fellow readers, one of the top books I have read in 2020. The even better news is it’s volume one. 5 out of 5 stars hands down. Buy this book.
A band of survivors traveling towards freedom and away from the deadly storm find rogue enemies blocking their path to freedom. A military troop must combat a strategic and coordinated deadly enemy not yet known to man. These scenarios along with a distrustful madness by deceitful civilians provides a continuous high fueled monster/military action setting throughout the book. Swann combines these and several additional forms of apocalyptic nightmares to establish a highly charged absolute must read. All characters in Monstre should make their peace with death as they continue their path into the unknown, for Duncan Swann has taken a familiar page from George R. R. Martin, meaning the reader will not know who will survive and what will be left of them.
It’s been a long time since I was totally involved and immersed into a work of literature as was the case with this debut novel. This book is the real deal my fellow readers, one of the top books I have read in 2020. The even better news is it’s volume one. 5 out of 5 stars hands down. Buy this book.
August 3, 2020
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this mind numbing book
where to start...
a massive explosion
a black cloud emerges...but whats inside that cloud....
a few make out and run...
this story jumps all over the place and at intervals you meet different people who are experiencing their own nightmares because of the black cloud extinguishing the sunlight and it brings not only darkness but a form of winter and something else...
i dont think i took a breath with what happens to the survivors...it was at times gruesome and horrific...and man at every disaster takes advantaged of the weak and helpless..imagine the living dead..that will give you an idea of what to expect and no this is a zombie book
will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors work
where to start...
a massive explosion
a black cloud emerges...but whats inside that cloud....
a few make out and run...
this story jumps all over the place and at intervals you meet different people who are experiencing their own nightmares because of the black cloud extinguishing the sunlight and it brings not only darkness but a form of winter and something else...
i dont think i took a breath with what happens to the survivors...it was at times gruesome and horrific...and man at every disaster takes advantaged of the weak and helpless..imagine the living dead..that will give you an idea of what to expect and no this is a zombie book
will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors work
November 3, 2020
4.5⭐ THANK YOU to the author for sending me this book for review! It turned out to be a new favorite of the year and I need volume two now because the suspense is ridiculous.
Pros: This scifi horror thriller starts and ends with a 💥 I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Every time I wanted it to get darker, Swan said "Buckle your seat belt". Loved the non linear time line, multiple points of view and over all aesthetic/art of this book (clap it up for the design team cause this book & book mark is sexy) The Monsters themselves were perfect and now I want a little EBE funko for my shelves (marketing idea? *nudge nudge*) It felt like if Jay Kristoff and Stephen king took the mist and the walking dead then mashed them together, this would be the mutated child. Full disclosure, I don't like Jay kristoff's sarcasm (sorry Jay your books are great) because it always seems misplaced. Here, the Sarcasm was reserved for certain characters and made sense as a defense mechanism. Great cast of characters and info dump was not a bore 👏🏽 High stakes, anyone can die at anytime 🥰 also Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year. Can I have an X0S4 for Christmas? I don't know what I would do with it other than run around pretending I was part of the last line of defense for zion in the final Matrix movie. Thanks 💓 Steff
Cons: It reads very cis white male and the only female POV was annoying. I get why she was necessary to spur along certain events but maybe having a second female character would have evened things out, even if she was one of the marines. She very much was too saintly for me. Given her background thought she would have made better decisions. Everything was from an American's point of view and being that this was a world wide effort, I would have liked to see the POV from some non American characters, i.e a soldier on a Russian ship or what was happening in neighboring countries as the cloud expanded.
Trigger warnings: Violence, gore, murder, rape, body horror, derogatory language. If you are sensitive to language that can be degrading or homophobic, brace yourself. People are messed up and the US military has a history of being a hot bed for this kind of language, trust me I know. Which is why it didn't bother me here because sadly it's expected. Is it wrong? Totally. But it was realistic.
Pros: This scifi horror thriller starts and ends with a 💥 I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Every time I wanted it to get darker, Swan said "Buckle your seat belt". Loved the non linear time line, multiple points of view and over all aesthetic/art of this book (clap it up for the design team cause this book & book mark is sexy) The Monsters themselves were perfect and now I want a little EBE funko for my shelves (marketing idea? *nudge nudge*) It felt like if Jay Kristoff and Stephen king took the mist and the walking dead then mashed them together, this would be the mutated child. Full disclosure, I don't like Jay kristoff's sarcasm (sorry Jay your books are great) because it always seems misplaced. Here, the Sarcasm was reserved for certain characters and made sense as a defense mechanism. Great cast of characters and info dump was not a bore 👏🏽 High stakes, anyone can die at anytime 🥰 also Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year. Can I have an X0S4 for Christmas? I don't know what I would do with it other than run around pretending I was part of the last line of defense for zion in the final Matrix movie. Thanks 💓 Steff
Cons: It reads very cis white male and the only female POV was annoying. I get why she was necessary to spur along certain events but maybe having a second female character would have evened things out, even if she was one of the marines. She very much was too saintly for me. Given her background thought she would have made better decisions. Everything was from an American's point of view and being that this was a world wide effort, I would have liked to see the POV from some non American characters, i.e a soldier on a Russian ship or what was happening in neighboring countries as the cloud expanded.
Trigger warnings: Violence, gore, murder, rape, body horror, derogatory language. If you are sensitive to language that can be degrading or homophobic, brace yourself. People are messed up and the US military has a history of being a hot bed for this kind of language, trust me I know. Which is why it didn't bother me here because sadly it's expected. Is it wrong? Totally. But it was realistic.
September 29, 2020
Genre: Adult | Fiction | Apocalyptic | Science Fiction | Horror
5 out of 5 stars!
Black toxic smoke consuming the world one country at a time!
Evil lurking in the dark!
There’s no where to run, no where to hide…..
Monstre is truly the end of the world.
Duncan’s debut novel Monstre: Volume One was unbelievable! I am completely invested in this world and can’t wait for volume two.
I thoroughly enjoyed the format of Monstre. Jumping back and forth between day 0 when everything went down at the research facility to the future. Watching as people lose their minds doing absolutely anything they can to survive but honestly they have no idea what they will be truly facing when the smoke hits. Monstre is also told from multiple perspectives which only gives more depth to an already amazing read.
Dark, gruesome and incredibly detailed! I have read a lot of grim stories but the emotions, feelings and connections between the characters is what made this story much more gut-wrenching. The recognition, seeing your family, friends, neighbours people you cared for ripped apart or mangled so bad almost to the point where they blended in with earth itself! This is where the story will consume you.
I am absolutely impressed with Duncan’s talented story telling. There was not a single moment where I found myself bored while reading Monstre and just when the story starts to slow and you are ready to take that deep breath between the hard moments your beloved characters are blind sided with another horrid, life changing event.
Monstre will devour your mind and soul.
I was completely absorbed from the very first sentence. Not to mention Duncan keeps you questioning what these Monstre’s are in the dark and where they come from. Hoping to get more answers by the end… but do you?
One of my all time favourite reads of 2020 and I highly recommend it.
Thank you so much to Duncan for sending me a copy to read and review.
Publisher: Super Hoot Publishing
Release Date: September 15, 2020
And of course thank you all for reading
Your MONSTRE Book Worm
-Nichole
You can check out my video review here:
https://youtu.be/RsNWpNrVB2o
5 out of 5 stars!
Black toxic smoke consuming the world one country at a time!
Evil lurking in the dark!
There’s no where to run, no where to hide…..
Monstre is truly the end of the world.
Duncan’s debut novel Monstre: Volume One was unbelievable! I am completely invested in this world and can’t wait for volume two.
I thoroughly enjoyed the format of Monstre. Jumping back and forth between day 0 when everything went down at the research facility to the future. Watching as people lose their minds doing absolutely anything they can to survive but honestly they have no idea what they will be truly facing when the smoke hits. Monstre is also told from multiple perspectives which only gives more depth to an already amazing read.
Dark, gruesome and incredibly detailed! I have read a lot of grim stories but the emotions, feelings and connections between the characters is what made this story much more gut-wrenching. The recognition, seeing your family, friends, neighbours people you cared for ripped apart or mangled so bad almost to the point where they blended in with earth itself! This is where the story will consume you.
I am absolutely impressed with Duncan’s talented story telling. There was not a single moment where I found myself bored while reading Monstre and just when the story starts to slow and you are ready to take that deep breath between the hard moments your beloved characters are blind sided with another horrid, life changing event.
Monstre will devour your mind and soul.
I was completely absorbed from the very first sentence. Not to mention Duncan keeps you questioning what these Monstre’s are in the dark and where they come from. Hoping to get more answers by the end… but do you?
One of my all time favourite reads of 2020 and I highly recommend it.
Thank you so much to Duncan for sending me a copy to read and review.
Publisher: Super Hoot Publishing
Release Date: September 15, 2020
And of course thank you all for reading
Your MONSTRE Book Worm
-Nichole
You can check out my video review here:
https://youtu.be/RsNWpNrVB2o
July 7, 2020
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book draws you in and then stomps on your heart. It is a well written end of the world book with believable characters that you get to know and want to root for right away. Don't get too attached though, because there is a high death count (you know being the end of the world and all).
This was a cool end of the world scenario! A mysterious black cloud that appears when something goes wrong at a research facility. It blots out all light and brings death underneath. It is a very dark book though and there are no good things really, despite the efforts of many good people. I found my head going to a dark place after and needed to read something light and frivolous to feel normal again. This book also ends on a very big cliffhanger! Be warned! However, it was well written and I think this author did a good job.
This book draws you in and then stomps on your heart. It is a well written end of the world book with believable characters that you get to know and want to root for right away. Don't get too attached though, because there is a high death count (you know being the end of the world and all).
This was a cool end of the world scenario! A mysterious black cloud that appears when something goes wrong at a research facility. It blots out all light and brings death underneath. It is a very dark book though and there are no good things really, despite the efforts of many good people. I found my head going to a dark place after and needed to read something light and frivolous to feel normal again. This book also ends on a very big cliffhanger! Be warned! However, it was well written and I think this author did a good job.
September 12, 2020
Monstre is the debut apocalyptic novel from Duncan Swan and what a brazen debut it is. It begins with a bang—literally—in a nuclear research facility underground in Meyrin, Switzerland where scientists are searching for the "god" particle in a Large Hadron Collider. Something goes exceedingly wrong and the facility is destroyed in a series of energy spikes and explosions and a billowing black cloud begins deliberately smothering the world.
"...somehow their work had created a bomb, or a black hole, or something that behaved a little like both."
The novel then transitions point of view between seven main characters from various backgrounds and two continents over the course of the book—all either caught under the black cloud making its way across the world or attempting to outrun it. Monstre also jumps time points, often. The reader finds themselves at day 1 one moment and day 91 the next. Regardless of what character or moment you might find yourself in, there's no lack of action. In fact, this novel grabs you by throat from the very beginning and doesn't let go.
Monstre is smart. It grips you from the get-go, gets you invested in its characters, and then crushes all their hopes and dreams while you watch in wide-eyed disbelief. It's a claustrophobic, palm-sweating doomed nightmare. It's genre-defying as well, twisting science fiction and horror seamlessly throughout. While you might be tempted to call it post-apocalyptic horror for simplicity's sake, Monstre is so much more. Enmeshed with military warfare, this bleak and desperate end of days tale delivers survivors, predators, and seekers eeking another second of existence against all odds in this terrifying new world of monster and man.
If you are worried that an intelligent horror novel may not be engaging enough, there is no worry here. You shouldn't get too attached to any of Monstre's cast because no character is shielded from awful, horrible brutality. The gore is never-ending, ripping and tearing, splashing and running red. Death just might be preferable to what the characters endure from beast and human alike. Just when you think it will end and you will finally see some shred of perseverance, it does... The book, that is. Monstre makes no secret of the fact that it is a continuing series so if cliffhangers frustrate you prepare to throw your copy across the room. This is one debut you don't want to miss.
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
"...somehow their work had created a bomb, or a black hole, or something that behaved a little like both."
The novel then transitions point of view between seven main characters from various backgrounds and two continents over the course of the book—all either caught under the black cloud making its way across the world or attempting to outrun it. Monstre also jumps time points, often. The reader finds themselves at day 1 one moment and day 91 the next. Regardless of what character or moment you might find yourself in, there's no lack of action. In fact, this novel grabs you by throat from the very beginning and doesn't let go.
Monstre is smart. It grips you from the get-go, gets you invested in its characters, and then crushes all their hopes and dreams while you watch in wide-eyed disbelief. It's a claustrophobic, palm-sweating doomed nightmare. It's genre-defying as well, twisting science fiction and horror seamlessly throughout. While you might be tempted to call it post-apocalyptic horror for simplicity's sake, Monstre is so much more. Enmeshed with military warfare, this bleak and desperate end of days tale delivers survivors, predators, and seekers eeking another second of existence against all odds in this terrifying new world of monster and man.
If you are worried that an intelligent horror novel may not be engaging enough, there is no worry here. You shouldn't get too attached to any of Monstre's cast because no character is shielded from awful, horrible brutality. The gore is never-ending, ripping and tearing, splashing and running red. Death just might be preferable to what the characters endure from beast and human alike. Just when you think it will end and you will finally see some shred of perseverance, it does... The book, that is. Monstre makes no secret of the fact that it is a continuing series so if cliffhangers frustrate you prepare to throw your copy across the room. This is one debut you don't want to miss.
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
September 10, 2020
Move over Stephen King, there is a new Master of Horror!!!
If Michael Crichton was still around, even he would feel threatened by Duncan Swan's writing and imagination.
There are a zillion books out there that talk about the end of civilization as we know it, but none like MONSTRE by Duncan Swan. In the apocalyptic genre there are few storylines that can be considered original, yet Duncan Swan has achieved that goal.
I do not want to give away any of the plot, nor do I want to lessen the enjoyment of potential readers. I do however want to ensure that anyone who reads this review understands that I am giving MONSTRE the highest possible rating allowable.
In scope, this book takes on a mammoth task. After all, it is about the end of all human life on the planet.
The story begins in Europe and at the end of Book One, readers realize that what began half a world away has now come to North America and threatens to wipe out everything and everyone we hold dear.
If you are a fan of horror, this is a MUST READ. If you are a fan of science fiction, this is a MUST READ. If you are a fan of apocalyptic fiction, you do not want to miss this book. If you are a fan of great dramatic fiction, you just can't afford to miss this novel. If you love character driven, multifaceted, fast paced stories that grab your attention and are so engrossing that you can immerse yourself for hours at a time, and yet still not want to stop reading, MONSTRE is the book for you.
At 388 pages, this first book in what promises to be an amazing series, is long enough to ensure that readers get their money's worth and then some.
Duncan Swan has crafted a winner of a book. If he does not win multiple awards for MONSTRE I would be very surprised.
I rate MONSTRE as 5+++ OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. The only good thing about having to wait is that it will give me a chance to read MONSTRE again.
To read the full review and to view exclusive book photos visit
http://bit.ly/MonstreBkOne
If Michael Crichton was still around, even he would feel threatened by Duncan Swan's writing and imagination.
There are a zillion books out there that talk about the end of civilization as we know it, but none like MONSTRE by Duncan Swan. In the apocalyptic genre there are few storylines that can be considered original, yet Duncan Swan has achieved that goal.
I do not want to give away any of the plot, nor do I want to lessen the enjoyment of potential readers. I do however want to ensure that anyone who reads this review understands that I am giving MONSTRE the highest possible rating allowable.
In scope, this book takes on a mammoth task. After all, it is about the end of all human life on the planet.
The story begins in Europe and at the end of Book One, readers realize that what began half a world away has now come to North America and threatens to wipe out everything and everyone we hold dear.
If you are a fan of horror, this is a MUST READ. If you are a fan of science fiction, this is a MUST READ. If you are a fan of apocalyptic fiction, you do not want to miss this book. If you are a fan of great dramatic fiction, you just can't afford to miss this novel. If you love character driven, multifaceted, fast paced stories that grab your attention and are so engrossing that you can immerse yourself for hours at a time, and yet still not want to stop reading, MONSTRE is the book for you.
At 388 pages, this first book in what promises to be an amazing series, is long enough to ensure that readers get their money's worth and then some.
Duncan Swan has crafted a winner of a book. If he does not win multiple awards for MONSTRE I would be very surprised.
I rate MONSTRE as 5+++ OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. The only good thing about having to wait is that it will give me a chance to read MONSTRE again.
To read the full review and to view exclusive book photos visit
http://bit.ly/MonstreBkOne
October 12, 2020
I'm going to start this review with a confession..... or two. First up, I sort of was regretting requesting a copy of the book on NetGalley. I don't know why but I got it in my head that it was going to be some supernatural demon story, which just isn't my thing. And secondly, I then pre-emptively decided that this book would be average at best. So I put off reading the book for as long as possible. And now comes an apology! I need to apologise to the author for assuming his book was crap before reading it! I like to think that I'm right about everything (my Hubby can confirm that ha ha..) but in this case I was so wrong AND I have never in my life been so happy to be wrong! This book kicks ass!
Monstre tells the story of a major incident at a research facility where a toxic cloud of smoke pours out and starts to spread. We then follow several groups of survivors in different parts of the world at different times since the incident. So we jump back and forth from the first few days to around the day 89 mark. I absolutely loved how we got to see both the immediate effects and responses to the incident, and then got to see how people were coping (or not) further down the line and the fear that came from knowing what was headed their way as the cloud spread across the world. Now, I'm gonna give a tiny spoiler here, and it's only tiny as what I'm gonna say sort of becomes apparent in the first couple of chapters. This book has some weird alien bug creature stuff going on. And if I knew that before requesting the book well.... I just wouldn't have requested it. Because aliens aren't my thing (along with demons ha ha..). BUT it turns out that weird alien bug creatures are my thing!!! Like, this book gave me so many Starship Trooper vibes. It was amazing!
What I've noticed is that time and again I rate apoc / post-apoc books highly when they follow the format that Monstre did with the several groups across the world and different types of characters. It just seems to be something that I love and I think that's because the story is then full of different perspectives and doesn't get too bogged down with 1 plot angle. In Monstre we get just the right amount of science, military, and normal dudes. Plus, it's not too alien heavy for those who don't normally read that stuff.
I cannot wait until Volume 2 is released (which a little bird told me would be Fall 2021)! In the meantime, just go read this book. Like NOW!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest opinion.
Monstre tells the story of a major incident at a research facility where a toxic cloud of smoke pours out and starts to spread. We then follow several groups of survivors in different parts of the world at different times since the incident. So we jump back and forth from the first few days to around the day 89 mark. I absolutely loved how we got to see both the immediate effects and responses to the incident, and then got to see how people were coping (or not) further down the line and the fear that came from knowing what was headed their way as the cloud spread across the world. Now, I'm gonna give a tiny spoiler here, and it's only tiny as what I'm gonna say sort of becomes apparent in the first couple of chapters. This book has some weird alien bug creature stuff going on. And if I knew that before requesting the book well.... I just wouldn't have requested it. Because aliens aren't my thing (along with demons ha ha..). BUT it turns out that weird alien bug creatures are my thing!!! Like, this book gave me so many Starship Trooper vibes. It was amazing!
What I've noticed is that time and again I rate apoc / post-apoc books highly when they follow the format that Monstre did with the several groups across the world and different types of characters. It just seems to be something that I love and I think that's because the story is then full of different perspectives and doesn't get too bogged down with 1 plot angle. In Monstre we get just the right amount of science, military, and normal dudes. Plus, it's not too alien heavy for those who don't normally read that stuff.
I cannot wait until Volume 2 is released (which a little bird told me would be Fall 2021)! In the meantime, just go read this book. Like NOW!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest opinion.
August 31, 2020
I was not expecting this. I was expecting a generic “creature-feature” spectacle. I was not expecting a wholly original idea with exceptional pacing, plotting, visuals, writing, intelligence. One highlight of this novel is that written within these pages are some of the best action and horror scenes I’ve ever read. When the shit hits the fan it covers the walls. And I have to say it is glorious. These well-paced and descriptive experiences really had me on the edge of my seat and filled with anxiety. Character development, which is very important to me, is just ok, but I feel with this type of story characters take a backseat. I was just fine with that. Now I do have a couple of big complaints. First, there is a blatant lack of diversity. This book could not be more white, and there is not one strong female character throughout. Second, the narrative drags tremendously through the third quarter. Those complaints aside, this is one of the greatest melding of science fiction and horror I can remember ever reading. It seems as if volume two will be coming out late 2021 and I can safely say I’m looking forward to it.
#Monstre #NetGalley
#Monstre #NetGalley
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