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Feeding Grounds
Callum watched under the glow of the roadside light as a sweeping tide of rabbits, deer, foxes and squirrels hurried to escape the carriageway. Upwards of a hundred different animals scurried up the embankment before disappearing into the night...
During one of the bleakest storms in years, the raging pulse of an alarm signals a breakout from a government research facility. Hours later, a ragtag team of military rejects slips into a snow laden Midlands town. Their mission: either to retrieve or terminate the escapees.
Rumours soon abound, reports of mysterious deaths and disappearances occurring throughout the area. The attacks are focused along the borders of a local nature park, and when a disparate group of locals turns up at the reserve's tearoom, seeking sanctuary from the storm, it soon becomes apparent there are things moving amid the ivory haze of the blizzard… ravenous creatures on the hunt for fresh meat.
During one of the bleakest storms in years, the raging pulse of an alarm signals a breakout from a government research facility. Hours later, a ragtag team of military rejects slips into a snow laden Midlands town. Their mission: either to retrieve or terminate the escapees.
Rumours soon abound, reports of mysterious deaths and disappearances occurring throughout the area. The attacks are focused along the borders of a local nature park, and when a disparate group of locals turns up at the reserve's tearoom, seeking sanctuary from the storm, it soon becomes apparent there are things moving amid the ivory haze of the blizzard… ravenous creatures on the hunt for fresh meat.
- GenresHorror
515 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2021
13 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
David Brian
19 books382 followersOfficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-...
Once More with Feeling
"There are people in the house. They have the children. What should we do?"
Available October 17th, 2022. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDMCLZVQ
I was born into a world of horror... Well, not quite, but almost! To be more precise, my 'very sudden' arrival into this world came about via a broken cinema seat. It was a seat into which my heavily pregnant mother found herself wedged. Once it had collapsed beneath her bulk, the resulting chaos of attempting to free her - perhaps not surprisingly - induced a rather rapid labor.
Talk about a grand entrance.
I'm guessing it was something of a talking point among those present, and probably for many years after.
Oh, yeah, and the film that was showing? It was The Phantom Of The Opera!
I have had a fascination with all aspects of the horror genre since my childhood, and it is a major driving force in my desire to write entertaining stories.
Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria is my first novel; It's the story of Laura Bennett, who finds everything changes on the day a beautiful and mysterious stranger first enters her life...
A novel length re-imagining of J.S. Le Fanu's original novella, Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria draws on much of the original narrative, but also introduces an array of new Characters to bring a whole new level of horror, and tragedy, to the legend of Carmilla.
The novel is co-authored by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and David Brian.
Collections of my short stories can be found in the fantasy books Dark Albion, Kaleen Rae, and The Cthulhu Child.
Once More with Feeling
"There are people in the house. They have the children. What should we do?"
Available October 17th, 2022. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDMCLZVQ
I was born into a world of horror... Well, not quite, but almost! To be more precise, my 'very sudden' arrival into this world came about via a broken cinema seat. It was a seat into which my heavily pregnant mother found herself wedged. Once it had collapsed beneath her bulk, the resulting chaos of attempting to free her - perhaps not surprisingly - induced a rather rapid labor.
Talk about a grand entrance.
I'm guessing it was something of a talking point among those present, and probably for many years after.
Oh, yeah, and the film that was showing? It was The Phantom Of The Opera!
I have had a fascination with all aspects of the horror genre since my childhood, and it is a major driving force in my desire to write entertaining stories.
Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria is my first novel; It's the story of Laura Bennett, who finds everything changes on the day a beautiful and mysterious stranger first enters her life...
A novel length re-imagining of J.S. Le Fanu's original novella, Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria draws on much of the original narrative, but also introduces an array of new Characters to bring a whole new level of horror, and tragedy, to the legend of Carmilla.
The novel is co-authored by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and David Brian.
Collections of my short stories can be found in the fantasy books Dark Albion, Kaleen Rae, and The Cthulhu Child.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 15, 2022
This is the first time in a while that a contemporary horror felt like a genuine vintage paperback from hell. Why is that? Was it full of 70s caricatures? Was there plenty of 80s nostalgia? Was there off-the-charts violence reminiscent of 90s-era splatterpunk?
Well, the subject matter certainly helped, being of the animals-amok subgenre that took horror by storm after Frank Herbert's "The Rats." David Brian set out to write a fun pulp story that would appeal to lovers of classic sci-fi horror fans, the kind of readers who also love watching monster flicks late at night. But he took his job seriously, and you can see this in the quality of his prose and dialogue. The same can NOT be said for every example of millennial horror. I actually started (and gave up on) several similar books this month before finally settling down with "Feeding Grounds." They were all sci-fi horrors featuring mutant animal hybrids wrecking havoc. So why could I not stand the others?
Perhaps I'm turning into an old curmudgeon. I truly find much of the latest wave of horror output hard to stomach, but not for the right reasons. I have not to left reviews on most of them, because I didn't feel they were worth the extra time to spend writing about. After rage-quitting numerous horror pulps written in the last ten years or so, I think I know why. There is a general lack of true grit in the soul of some of these newer authors. Many of them are genuinely nice people who spend a lot of time on the social media circuits developing a following of friends, not fans, who then leave 5-star reviews on Goodreads and Amazon or their BookTube channel, but when a relative horror culture outsider like me comes in and tries to give a new author an honest try, I feel like I'm reading fan fiction from a twelve-year-old. The lack of emotional and mental maturity, even from writers not much younger than me, just is astounding. It is especially reflected in how characters are constructed and in the dialogue. Such books are written exactly like my seven-year old son and ten-year-old daughter argue. Novels and short fiction are getting published these days that are so childish and superficial that I am reminded of how fleeting life is, and that no one has enough time left to input such rubbish into their brains. Some books are just candy--I get that. I like candy. In fact, I WANT candy sometimes. But so much horror out there now is neither tasty superfood nor junky snacks. Such books force you into literary pica, the equivalent of absent-mindedly chewing away at a spoonful of Argo cornstarch or your own eyelashes.
Not so with "Feeding Grounds." This book was refreshingly "vintage," but not because it was self-consciously trying to emulate the heyday of paperback horrors like a sociopath trying to act like a real human being. This was the genuine article, only it was published in 2021 rather than 1981. The difference between modern "B-movie" throwbacks like this book and it's lesser peers (say, for example, Stephanie Rabig's "Playing Possum") is subtle but immense, like freshly popped corn with real butter in front of a classic summer blockbuster rather than a sad bag of cold crumbs drowning in artificially-flavored vegetable oil that you somehow managed to finish before the end of the opening credits to yet another tired horror reboot.
The premise is simple and familiar. Experiments on novel treatments for Alzheimer's dementia create a super-breed of aggressive squirrels infected with a malignant virus. The military wants to exploit the creatures as bio-weapons, but after the beasties intelligently break free from a government lab, the big brass wants to clean up and bury their mistakes even more. A team of semi-retired mercenary trackers are hired to take down the menacing rodents. Think squirrels are too adorable and fluffy to be scary? Read this book, and the next time one is making a racous in your attic at night or jumps out from your Christmas tree, you'll think differently.
All of this is brainless and comfortable territory that people like me love upon unwinding from a hard day. But David Brian manages to serve it up without having to resort to nauseating doses of popular Twitter politics, or too many obnoxious twenty-year-old characters getting shit-faced and cursing at each other in the name of witty "banter," or ridiculous stacks of unappetizing and uninteresting pages of bodily fluids to earn the overused title of "transgressive" or "extreme."
One of the things I found infuriating, but which somehow kept me reading, was that you never could anticipate a character arc. Just when you hated someone, they'd turn around and do something heroic or noble. Just when you felt tenderly for a character, they'd do something selfish or evil. Just when you thought a character was safe, they weren't. No one is safe in this book. Remember what I said about grit? This book is like getting the sandcastle you worked on for hours getting kicked into your open mouth.
The prose itself is quite well done. It does have it's share of silliness and juvenile dialogue, but overall the narrative maintains a high standard, full of economical yet beautiful descriptions such as describing a snow storm as "a blanket of face-slapping white" or a man's face as "a Rorschach of concern."
But don't misunderstand what this book is at heart. It's brutal. There are some scenes of human torture and monster mayhem that are certainly not for the squimish. But the author delivers solid self-aware entertainment without insulting the intelligence of the reader by trying too hard to earn likes and street cred from a limited demographic of the potential market of horror fandom. It's just honest, politically incorrect, old-school gore, action, and thrills at a breakneck pace that really deserves to have a glorious hand-painted cover from Paperjacks, Del Abyss, or Leisure.
Horror lovers young and old, THIS is the kind of throwback you've all been looking for! It certainly ranks up there with classic animal attack novels like Shaun Hutson's "Slugs," Guy N. Smith's "Night of the Crabs," and of course, "The Rats," all of which receive a nod at the finale of this novel. So grab a copy of "Feeding Grounds," make yourself some fresh popcorn and--SQUIRREL!
WORD OF THE DAY: Salubrious
Well, the subject matter certainly helped, being of the animals-amok subgenre that took horror by storm after Frank Herbert's "The Rats." David Brian set out to write a fun pulp story that would appeal to lovers of classic sci-fi horror fans, the kind of readers who also love watching monster flicks late at night. But he took his job seriously, and you can see this in the quality of his prose and dialogue. The same can NOT be said for every example of millennial horror. I actually started (and gave up on) several similar books this month before finally settling down with "Feeding Grounds." They were all sci-fi horrors featuring mutant animal hybrids wrecking havoc. So why could I not stand the others?
Perhaps I'm turning into an old curmudgeon. I truly find much of the latest wave of horror output hard to stomach, but not for the right reasons. I have not to left reviews on most of them, because I didn't feel they were worth the extra time to spend writing about. After rage-quitting numerous horror pulps written in the last ten years or so, I think I know why. There is a general lack of true grit in the soul of some of these newer authors. Many of them are genuinely nice people who spend a lot of time on the social media circuits developing a following of friends, not fans, who then leave 5-star reviews on Goodreads and Amazon or their BookTube channel, but when a relative horror culture outsider like me comes in and tries to give a new author an honest try, I feel like I'm reading fan fiction from a twelve-year-old. The lack of emotional and mental maturity, even from writers not much younger than me, just is astounding. It is especially reflected in how characters are constructed and in the dialogue. Such books are written exactly like my seven-year old son and ten-year-old daughter argue. Novels and short fiction are getting published these days that are so childish and superficial that I am reminded of how fleeting life is, and that no one has enough time left to input such rubbish into their brains. Some books are just candy--I get that. I like candy. In fact, I WANT candy sometimes. But so much horror out there now is neither tasty superfood nor junky snacks. Such books force you into literary pica, the equivalent of absent-mindedly chewing away at a spoonful of Argo cornstarch or your own eyelashes.
Not so with "Feeding Grounds." This book was refreshingly "vintage," but not because it was self-consciously trying to emulate the heyday of paperback horrors like a sociopath trying to act like a real human being. This was the genuine article, only it was published in 2021 rather than 1981. The difference between modern "B-movie" throwbacks like this book and it's lesser peers (say, for example, Stephanie Rabig's "Playing Possum") is subtle but immense, like freshly popped corn with real butter in front of a classic summer blockbuster rather than a sad bag of cold crumbs drowning in artificially-flavored vegetable oil that you somehow managed to finish before the end of the opening credits to yet another tired horror reboot.
The premise is simple and familiar. Experiments on novel treatments for Alzheimer's dementia create a super-breed of aggressive squirrels infected with a malignant virus. The military wants to exploit the creatures as bio-weapons, but after the beasties intelligently break free from a government lab, the big brass wants to clean up and bury their mistakes even more. A team of semi-retired mercenary trackers are hired to take down the menacing rodents. Think squirrels are too adorable and fluffy to be scary? Read this book, and the next time one is making a racous in your attic at night or jumps out from your Christmas tree, you'll think differently.
All of this is brainless and comfortable territory that people like me love upon unwinding from a hard day. But David Brian manages to serve it up without having to resort to nauseating doses of popular Twitter politics, or too many obnoxious twenty-year-old characters getting shit-faced and cursing at each other in the name of witty "banter," or ridiculous stacks of unappetizing and uninteresting pages of bodily fluids to earn the overused title of "transgressive" or "extreme."
One of the things I found infuriating, but which somehow kept me reading, was that you never could anticipate a character arc. Just when you hated someone, they'd turn around and do something heroic or noble. Just when you felt tenderly for a character, they'd do something selfish or evil. Just when you thought a character was safe, they weren't. No one is safe in this book. Remember what I said about grit? This book is like getting the sandcastle you worked on for hours getting kicked into your open mouth.
The prose itself is quite well done. It does have it's share of silliness and juvenile dialogue, but overall the narrative maintains a high standard, full of economical yet beautiful descriptions such as describing a snow storm as "a blanket of face-slapping white" or a man's face as "a Rorschach of concern."
But don't misunderstand what this book is at heart. It's brutal. There are some scenes of human torture and monster mayhem that are certainly not for the squimish. But the author delivers solid self-aware entertainment without insulting the intelligence of the reader by trying too hard to earn likes and street cred from a limited demographic of the potential market of horror fandom. It's just honest, politically incorrect, old-school gore, action, and thrills at a breakneck pace that really deserves to have a glorious hand-painted cover from Paperjacks, Del Abyss, or Leisure.
Horror lovers young and old, THIS is the kind of throwback you've all been looking for! It certainly ranks up there with classic animal attack novels like Shaun Hutson's "Slugs," Guy N. Smith's "Night of the Crabs," and of course, "The Rats," all of which receive a nod at the finale of this novel. So grab a copy of "Feeding Grounds," make yourself some fresh popcorn and--SQUIRREL!
WORD OF THE DAY: Salubrious
November 8, 2021
Crazed squirrels running rampant!
A small backstory:
A research facility has a major escape as mutant squirrels break free and tear up the countryside killing anything in their path! No one knows how to stop them so the government calls in a retired soldier (John Wilder) to gather a team together to track down the squirrels and to do whatever is necessary to stop them from killing and causing havoc.
There are lots of different characters within the storyline, but quite a bit of the focus is on the soldiers led by Wilder as they hunt the creatures and try to contain them. The feeding fest is on and it will take all the survival skills of the soldiers to bring down the mutant squirrels!
Thoughts:
This was a great story and I probably won't look at squirrels the same way again either! They went from cute and adorable to crazy creature killers within this book! Fast paced and bloody action throughout most of the book! There was some world building in the beginning of the book but there was also squirrel action almost right away too and it never let up throughout the story! Giving this book four "Scary Squirrels" stars!
For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
A small backstory:
A research facility has a major escape as mutant squirrels break free and tear up the countryside killing anything in their path! No one knows how to stop them so the government calls in a retired soldier (John Wilder) to gather a team together to track down the squirrels and to do whatever is necessary to stop them from killing and causing havoc.
There are lots of different characters within the storyline, but quite a bit of the focus is on the soldiers led by Wilder as they hunt the creatures and try to contain them. The feeding fest is on and it will take all the survival skills of the soldiers to bring down the mutant squirrels!
Thoughts:
This was a great story and I probably won't look at squirrels the same way again either! They went from cute and adorable to crazy creature killers within this book! Fast paced and bloody action throughout most of the book! There was some world building in the beginning of the book but there was also squirrel action almost right away too and it never let up throughout the story! Giving this book four "Scary Squirrels" stars!
For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
May 22, 2022
Brian gave Feeding Grounds a definite 'old school' flavor in writing this creature feature, and he also sprinkled in numerous references to classics of the genre, like Herbert's The Rats and Night of the Crabs. While rats and giant crabs may have some instinctual revulsion, however, but squirrels? Yes, this is a story about gene mutated giant squirrels on the loose in England with a taste for human blood.
Using the very familiar trope of science gone wrong which goes back to the Romantics and Shelly, a secret government project created the mutated squirrels originally to help cure Alzheimer or something, but the military realized they may have a new bio-weapon, and so it goes... until the critters escape. Wanting to keep the 'troubling issue' under wraps, some shady government figure digs up a handful of ex-special ops folks to track the critters down with prejudice.
While Brian is not really breaking any new and novel ground here on the horror front, the story flows nicely and yes, even squirrels can be rather scary. This really reminded me of Herbert's early work, and not just due to the British slang and so forth. The characters populating the novel are interesting, and you can pull for some of them for sure. This has a really atmospheric feel to it as well, as a big chunk takes place during an unseasonable blizzard. Feeding Ground is basically a homage to classic creature features, and if you liked The Rats or Night of the Crabs, you will probably enjoy this. Fun stuff by Brian, and I will definitely be looking into more of his work. I am hemming and hawing between a 3 and a 4, but will go with four murderous critter stars.
Using the very familiar trope of science gone wrong which goes back to the Romantics and Shelly, a secret government project created the mutated squirrels originally to help cure Alzheimer or something, but the military realized they may have a new bio-weapon, and so it goes... until the critters escape. Wanting to keep the 'troubling issue' under wraps, some shady government figure digs up a handful of ex-special ops folks to track the critters down with prejudice.
While Brian is not really breaking any new and novel ground here on the horror front, the story flows nicely and yes, even squirrels can be rather scary. This really reminded me of Herbert's early work, and not just due to the British slang and so forth. The characters populating the novel are interesting, and you can pull for some of them for sure. This has a really atmospheric feel to it as well, as a big chunk takes place during an unseasonable blizzard. Feeding Ground is basically a homage to classic creature features, and if you liked The Rats or Night of the Crabs, you will probably enjoy this. Fun stuff by Brian, and I will definitely be looking into more of his work. I am hemming and hawing between a 3 and a 4, but will go with four murderous critter stars.
June 22, 2021
A fast-paced creature feature in the tradition of James Herbert's The Rats and Shaun Hutson's Slugs.
Gruesome and gory, but fun!
Gruesome and gory, but fun!
June 20, 2021
I enjoyed this one. A fast paced horror focused around a breakout from a government run laboratory. With some truly memorable scenes (and I mean gory), and a disparate group of characters thrown together and fighting to survive, this kept me turning pages from beginning to end. I'll never think of squirrels as cute again.
August 2, 2021
If you go into the woods today...
I read some of the reviews for this, and when I learned the creatures doing the killings were squirrels I wondered if it might all be a little bit hokey and jokey. Nope! The book is filled with interesting characters, with interesting side stories. And the mutated squirrels are terrifying, not to mention murderous and hungry.
I read some of the reviews for this, and when I learned the creatures doing the killings were squirrels I wondered if it might all be a little bit hokey and jokey. Nope! The book is filled with interesting characters, with interesting side stories. And the mutated squirrels are terrifying, not to mention murderous and hungry.
July 3, 2021
I requested an ARC of Feeding Grounds, so apologies to David Brian for my taking so long to finish and review the book. The delay was nothing to do with the quality of the story, which I thought was very good.
There are a lot of different characters in Feeding Grounds, and as the story unfolds it reveals details about all of the main players pasts - and nearly all of them have dark clouds in their history. I enjoyed the world building aspects of the book, and I thought this was interesting even without the overhanging threat of mutant squirrels escaped from a scientific lockup.
This is a big book, but the way the various story threads unfold around the different players, while interspersing bouts of savage violence and copius amounts of torn limbs and spilled blood, there is a lot for horror fans to enjoy. Definitely a hit for me.
There are a lot of different characters in Feeding Grounds, and as the story unfolds it reveals details about all of the main players pasts - and nearly all of them have dark clouds in their history. I enjoyed the world building aspects of the book, and I thought this was interesting even without the overhanging threat of mutant squirrels escaped from a scientific lockup.
This is a big book, but the way the various story threads unfold around the different players, while interspersing bouts of savage violence and copius amounts of torn limbs and spilled blood, there is a lot for horror fans to enjoy. Definitely a hit for me.
June 28, 2021
When retired special forces soldier John Wilder gets a call to return to arms, he knows something bad must have happened. However, this isn't a job that involves dealing with terrorists or operating covertly on foreign shores. There has been a breakout from a secret scientific laboratory, and Wilder is to tasked to lead the team responsible for capturing (or eradicating) the escaped critters.
It's not a spoiler to reveal that the monsters in this story are hideously mutated squirrels (it's a fact revealed almost immediately), and I don't think I'll ever be able to view the cute little things with affection ever again.
This is very much an ensemble drama, with an interesting array of individuals ranging from battle toughened soldiers and overworked police officers, to kindhearted pensioners and a single mother struggling to protect her kids. There is also a thread involving a recently released prisoner and the gay fella he hooks up with. I enjoyed this section of the story, although I felt particularly bad for Mammy. No one deserves that.
A group of the characters end up in a face-off with the squirrels, and I enjoyed how some who had started out as complete dicks ended up gaining my sympathy when the carnage erupts, while others kept me guessing as to how they would act. A nerve jangling and bloody good read.
It's not a spoiler to reveal that the monsters in this story are hideously mutated squirrels (it's a fact revealed almost immediately), and I don't think I'll ever be able to view the cute little things with affection ever again.
This is very much an ensemble drama, with an interesting array of individuals ranging from battle toughened soldiers and overworked police officers, to kindhearted pensioners and a single mother struggling to protect her kids. There is also a thread involving a recently released prisoner and the gay fella he hooks up with. I enjoyed this section of the story, although I felt particularly bad for Mammy. No one deserves that.
A group of the characters end up in a face-off with the squirrels, and I enjoyed how some who had started out as complete dicks ended up gaining my sympathy when the carnage erupts, while others kept me guessing as to how they would act. A nerve jangling and bloody good read.
July 5, 2021
I quite enjoyed this little story. It's a violent and gory tale which I thought evoked a classic slasher movie-level bloodbath while also having some surprisingly complex characters. In some ways, I think the story could have worked well as a standalone drama, even without people being torn to shreds by bloodthirsty monsters (although that certainly doesn't detract from the experience).
I also love that the premise borrows somewhat from James Herbert's "The Rats" by taking a mundane everyday creature and turning it into something horrifying.
I also love that the premise borrows somewhat from James Herbert's "The Rats" by taking a mundane everyday creature and turning it into something horrifying.
June 28, 2021
A fast paced story that throws around enough blood to decorate the walls in an abattoir. Imagine Lair by James Herbert, but with grotesque squirrels. I felt sorry for so many of the people caught up in the frenzy of the situation, but I felt especially sorry for Mammy.
October 17, 2021
Good creature feature. Should appeal to fans of James Herbert, Hunter Shea, or Guy N. Smith.
October 29, 2022
I've read a handful of books by this author and this is definitely my favourite so far. Feeding Grounds is about mutated squirrels and it fits perfectly with the 'labatory mutated animals escape into the wild' trope. But it is a standard formula that is enacted very well.
The novel unfolds during a major snowstorm, and this assists the uneasy atmosphere that accompanies the regular bloody assaults as the squirrels go in search of (human) meat. I'd go so far as to say the mutated squirrels featured in this novel sit well alongside James Herbert's Rats and Guy N SMith's Crabs, and anyone who enjoyed those books will likely be drawn to this one.
The novel unfolds during a major snowstorm, and this assists the uneasy atmosphere that accompanies the regular bloody assaults as the squirrels go in search of (human) meat. I'd go so far as to say the mutated squirrels featured in this novel sit well alongside James Herbert's Rats and Guy N SMith's Crabs, and anyone who enjoyed those books will likely be drawn to this one.
June 18, 2021
4,5 stars. Genetically modified creatures escape from a research lab and indulge in wrecking havoc on an ensemble cast of characters. The result is a well paced horror novel that includes a number of particularly gruesome scenes, before providing a nice twist in the tale that adds reason to why the animals have ended up where they are.
March 15, 2023
This was great fun! Assuming that people being chewed apart by monstrous squirrels can ever be considered fun? The squirrels in question have escaped from a research laboratory, and when they turn up in Northampton (which is my home town) a team of ex-soldiers is recruited to eliminate the problem.
Working alongside the local police, who have been alerted to the spate of unnatural killings, all of which are taking place during a freak blizzard that acts to hinder the authorities. Our assembled heroes set out in an attempt to subdue the carnivorous animals.
There are a number of side plots that run in tandem to the various brutal attacks, as well as focusing on the ongoing work of the various law enforcement divisions.
These additional storylines include that of a single mother desperate to protect her two young children, and a sexually ambiguous criminal looking to evade the prison authorities, and the gay man who he teams up with.
All of the side characters have interesting and well developed stories, and the blood and gore is delivered with plentiful bouts of spilled guts and torn bodies. Violence is never far away, and it is delivered alongside some neat plot twists and deftly crafted scenes that'll linger in my memory for a while yet.
Working alongside the local police, who have been alerted to the spate of unnatural killings, all of which are taking place during a freak blizzard that acts to hinder the authorities. Our assembled heroes set out in an attempt to subdue the carnivorous animals.
There are a number of side plots that run in tandem to the various brutal attacks, as well as focusing on the ongoing work of the various law enforcement divisions.
These additional storylines include that of a single mother desperate to protect her two young children, and a sexually ambiguous criminal looking to evade the prison authorities, and the gay man who he teams up with.
All of the side characters have interesting and well developed stories, and the blood and gore is delivered with plentiful bouts of spilled guts and torn bodies. Violence is never far away, and it is delivered alongside some neat plot twists and deftly crafted scenes that'll linger in my memory for a while yet.
July 13, 2021
Second book I've read in a fortnight featuring a well defined set of characters, although this one intersperses quantities of horror in among the various character arcs. This is a fairly big book, but I breezed through this tale of mutant squirrels and the carnage they inflict upon anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path. The horror sequences in particular were great fun, and will probably have you looking up to check the treeline next time you hit the wilds.
August 3, 2021
I started reading David Brian's books because he writes horror, and because he is an author based in my home town. I've enjoyed most of his stuff that I've read, but this proved downright freaky. I live less than fifteen minutes away from Bradlaugh Fields, and so it was really weird reading about monsterous things happening in an area I know well. As to the story itself, a good plot and more than enough gruesome action to keep me nervously entertained.
December 8, 2022
This was great. Certainly no deep thinking required for a story about cannibalistic squirrels running wild across the UK, but I sense the author was having some fun writing this. The story had a real 70s/80s vibe -think The Rats or Killer Crabs, and you'll get the idea.
There are a lot of different characters and intertwining plot threads running through the story, but the author handles all of the various threads well. And the horror sequences are bloody and play out at breakneck pace.
There are a lot of different characters and intertwining plot threads running through the story, but the author handles all of the various threads well. And the horror sequences are bloody and play out at breakneck pace.
June 24, 2021
I received a copy of Feeding Grounds in exchange for an honest review. I'll start by saying I don't know how authors come up with the ideas they do. I suspect they have some strange dreams.
Feeding Grounds is a horror novel that centres around monstrous squirrels escaped from a research facility. The animals end up at a nature reserve called Bradlaugh Fields, and this intrigued me as Bradlaugh Fields is a real place some fifteen minutes from where I used to live. Even the Bradlaugh Barn and its tearoom feature heavily in the story, and I have visited there several times. Spooky!
There is a sizeable array of well drawn characters in the book, and a number of them have really tough back stories, although nothing like as tough as they face from the marauding squirrels. With their bloated bodies, savage maws and lumpy heads, the squirrels more closely resemble bushy tailed pit bulls than cute little furries.
Be warned, once the squirrels attack it is brutal. There were a number of scenes that I found truly horrific. Two scenes in particular almost made me stop reading.
My favourite characters were Ali, a young mother struggling to raise two children alone while worrying about her violent ex, and DC Callum Dickson, a policeman working to solve the spate of attacks. I loved the interractions between these two characters and Ali's children. Oh, and I adored Benson, Ali's pet Staffy. I also liked Dooley, a tough as nails soldier trying to overcome a dreadful event in her past.
I enjoyed this book. It has interesting characters and provides enough horror to make you feel sorry for most of those characters.
Feeding Grounds is a horror novel that centres around monstrous squirrels escaped from a research facility. The animals end up at a nature reserve called Bradlaugh Fields, and this intrigued me as Bradlaugh Fields is a real place some fifteen minutes from where I used to live. Even the Bradlaugh Barn and its tearoom feature heavily in the story, and I have visited there several times. Spooky!
There is a sizeable array of well drawn characters in the book, and a number of them have really tough back stories, although nothing like as tough as they face from the marauding squirrels. With their bloated bodies, savage maws and lumpy heads, the squirrels more closely resemble bushy tailed pit bulls than cute little furries.
Be warned, once the squirrels attack it is brutal. There were a number of scenes that I found truly horrific. Two scenes in particular almost made me stop reading.
My favourite characters were Ali, a young mother struggling to raise two children alone while worrying about her violent ex, and DC Callum Dickson, a policeman working to solve the spate of attacks. I loved the interractions between these two characters and Ali's children. Oh, and I adored Benson, Ali's pet Staffy. I also liked Dooley, a tough as nails soldier trying to overcome a dreadful event in her past.
I enjoyed this book. It has interesting characters and provides enough horror to make you feel sorry for most of those characters.
December 12, 2021
This is automatically five stars because I live barely more than ten miles from where the story is set. I have even taken my children for walks on Bradlaugh Fields. Thankfully we didn't run into any monster squirrels.
It's perhaps only fair to also mention that I know the author, although that has little to do with the fact that I enjoyed the book. This is definitely one for fans of "The Rats", or "Clickers", or Hunter Shea's crypto horror books.
It's perhaps only fair to also mention that I know the author, although that has little to do with the fact that I enjoyed the book. This is definitely one for fans of "The Rats", or "Clickers", or Hunter Shea's crypto horror books.
October 7, 2022
This was loads of fun. A plethora of mutated squirrels escape from a research centre, and turn up on a nature reserve during one of the worst snowstorms Britain has seen in years. A mixed group of characters end up trapped in the reserve's community hub, so it is just as well that the research centre has dispatched a team of ex-special forces operatives to recapture/dispose of the creatures.
Gory and action filled, this reminded me of something James Herbert or Shaun Hutson might have turned out in the 80s. And I mean that as a compliment!
All the characters are well drawn, and all have interesting back stories that were intriguing enough to have kept me reading even without the regular splashings of bloody violence. I really enjoyed this book.
Gory and action filled, this reminded me of something James Herbert or Shaun Hutson might have turned out in the 80s. And I mean that as a compliment!
All the characters are well drawn, and all have interesting back stories that were intriguing enough to have kept me reading even without the regular splashings of bloody violence. I really enjoyed this book.
June 21, 2021
I liked story but it was terrifying.
November 26, 2021
4-and-a-half stars. At times brutal story about laboratory bred squirrels escaping from a military research facility. There are an interesting mix of supporting characters that keep this ticking along nicely, and some truly memorable (gory) scenes. Anyone who likes creature feature horror such as The Rats or Crabs will probably enjoy this.
February 20, 2023
There's a lot going on here and a fair portion of it involves violence and bloody carnage. Feeding Grounds is a fairly new book, but it definitely carries the feel of an old school horror classic.
A group of mutated squirrels escape a research facility during a major blizzard. The animals end up on the outskirts of an English town, leading to a snowy and bloody confrontation with stranded townspeople, the local police force, and a group of ex special forces soldiers. Nicely defined characters and a solid plot. I'd highly recommend this, especially for anyone who enjoys books like The Rats, or Night of the Crabs.
A group of mutated squirrels escape a research facility during a major blizzard. The animals end up on the outskirts of an English town, leading to a snowy and bloody confrontation with stranded townspeople, the local police force, and a group of ex special forces soldiers. Nicely defined characters and a solid plot. I'd highly recommend this, especially for anyone who enjoys books like The Rats, or Night of the Crabs.
July 8, 2022
entertaining creature feature about mutated squirrels. The story is mostly set within the confines of a nature reserve during a blizzard, and centers around an ecletic group who find themselves trapped inside the park's cafe.
Among those battling to survive is a rag tag group of ex soldiers, two young mothers and their kids, an in-the-wind prisoner looking to evade the authorities, some police officers and two women who work at the cafe, plus a gay guy who ventured into the park while trying to find out what happened to his missing mother, and a homeless ex-soldier suffering PTSD. The charaxters are all well thought out and with interesting back stories that make you want to support them.
It's good story. Some warnings though, I'll never again think of squirrels as being cute. The action scenes come thick and fast, and many of the attack scenes are absiolutely brutal!
Among those battling to survive is a rag tag group of ex soldiers, two young mothers and their kids, an in-the-wind prisoner looking to evade the authorities, some police officers and two women who work at the cafe, plus a gay guy who ventured into the park while trying to find out what happened to his missing mother, and a homeless ex-soldier suffering PTSD. The charaxters are all well thought out and with interesting back stories that make you want to support them.
It's good story. Some warnings though, I'll never again think of squirrels as being cute. The action scenes come thick and fast, and many of the attack scenes are absiolutely brutal!
October 25, 2022
Who would ever have thought that grey squirrels could pose a threat to humankind? Well they do in Feeding Grounds by David Brian, and I have to say that this tale of wildlife gone beserk was a lot of fun!
Nothing too original in a novel about laboratory mutated creatures escaping into the envoroment, but some interestingly crafted characters with entertaining backstories-a prisoner on the run, a gay man who worships his mother, a band of ex-soldiers dragged into dealing with the creatures, a young detective and the vulnerable family he is called in to assist- all helped carry what was a thrilling, gory and bloody good ride. Great book!
Nothing too original in a novel about laboratory mutated creatures escaping into the envoroment, but some interestingly crafted characters with entertaining backstories-a prisoner on the run, a gay man who worships his mother, a band of ex-soldiers dragged into dealing with the creatures, a young detective and the vulnerable family he is called in to assist- all helped carry what was a thrilling, gory and bloody good ride. Great book!
August 19, 2021
4.5 stars.
I bought this without knowing it was about killer squirrels. Once I learned the nature of the antagonists I wasn't sure how well the horror would work. Squirrels are super cute, right? Well, not these nasty little buggers (and they're not particularly little, either).
Without giving away too many spoilers, imagine squirrels the size of terriers with a rabid hate for mankind and a taste for human meat. Yep! Mayhem ensues! This was an interesting story that held my attention, and it provides layers of blood and gore along the way.
I bought this without knowing it was about killer squirrels. Once I learned the nature of the antagonists I wasn't sure how well the horror would work. Squirrels are super cute, right? Well, not these nasty little buggers (and they're not particularly little, either).
Without giving away too many spoilers, imagine squirrels the size of terriers with a rabid hate for mankind and a taste for human meat. Yep! Mayhem ensues! This was an interesting story that held my attention, and it provides layers of blood and gore along the way.
November 28, 2022
Who would ever have thought that squirrels could be terrifying? On the surface there is nothing too original here. Genetically modified creatures escape from a secret research facility and cause chaos and mayhem in urban (and suburban) England. But the execution was great.
David Brian took the time to flesh out an array of characters before the mayhem begins, and so when circumstances bring the group together in a fight for survival they were people I cared about. Well, I cared about most of them anyway. Others seemed more irredeemable, and that was another thing I enjoyed. Just when you thought of someone as a hero, they'd do something really selfish. And just when you thought someone was a scumbag, they'd act like a hero.
The character twists and the backstory surrounding the creatures kept things interesting, and once the bloodletting started in earnest it came fast and furious. Things get real bloody real fast, and the horror scenes were reminiscent of Herbert and Hutson at their best. I've read a few books by this author, and this is up there with the best of them. Hell, it's on par with the best British creature feature novels.
David Brian took the time to flesh out an array of characters before the mayhem begins, and so when circumstances bring the group together in a fight for survival they were people I cared about. Well, I cared about most of them anyway. Others seemed more irredeemable, and that was another thing I enjoyed. Just when you thought of someone as a hero, they'd do something really selfish. And just when you thought someone was a scumbag, they'd act like a hero.
The character twists and the backstory surrounding the creatures kept things interesting, and once the bloodletting started in earnest it came fast and furious. Things get real bloody real fast, and the horror scenes were reminiscent of Herbert and Hutson at their best. I've read a few books by this author, and this is up there with the best of them. Hell, it's on par with the best British creature feature novels.
July 18, 2022
There was a lot to like in this story of science projects gone mad. When genetically modified squirrels with a taste for warm flesh escape a research lab and end up hunting for fresh prey on a nature reserve, the government sends in a group of ex-special forces soldiers to take the animals out and clear up the mess. The task is made all the more difficult by a freak blizzard that turns the area in to "a blanket of face slapping white" - I really liked this line, and it was just one example of some nicely descriptive dialogue.
There is also a group of locals trapped in the park, and the fight for survival turns into bloody carnage. Good story. Interesting characters. And some of the scenes are absolutely brutal! Third book I've reviewed by this author. I've enjoyed everything I've read so far, but this is definitely my new favourite. Best creature feature I've read in years. I'd recommend Feeding Grounds to anyone who enjoys Shaun Hutson, James Herbert, Guy N. Smith, or Graham Masterton.
There is also a group of locals trapped in the park, and the fight for survival turns into bloody carnage. Good story. Interesting characters. And some of the scenes are absolutely brutal! Third book I've reviewed by this author. I've enjoyed everything I've read so far, but this is definitely my new favourite. Best creature feature I've read in years. I'd recommend Feeding Grounds to anyone who enjoys Shaun Hutson, James Herbert, Guy N. Smith, or Graham Masterton.
October 30, 2022
This is the fourth book by David Brian that I've reviewed and another satisfying read. Actually, this winter storm set tale about flesh eating squirrels is probably my favourite of Brian's novels. It reminded me of The Rats by James Herbert, or more accurately Lair (Rats 2) by Herbert which also focuses largely around events taking plave in and around a forest on the edge of a town.
Much of what occurs in Feeding Grounds takes place on a large nature reserve, and also in the town that encircles the forest park. The book focuses on a number of different characters and there are a good few plotlines running through the novel-many of which are interspersed with lashings of gore. Honestly, I've always thought of squirrels as cute and interesting but I'm having second thoughts after reading this.
Much of what occurs in Feeding Grounds takes place on a large nature reserve, and also in the town that encircles the forest park. The book focuses on a number of different characters and there are a good few plotlines running through the novel-many of which are interspersed with lashings of gore. Honestly, I've always thought of squirrels as cute and interesting but I'm having second thoughts after reading this.
March 15, 2022
Thoughtful monster mayhem focused around what (possibly) goes on inside secret government research laboratories. There is a sizeable cast of characters in this book, and a number of interesting side stories add weight to the otherwise frenetic and bloody proceedings that centre around a babble of escaped squirrels.
The squirrels in question turn up at a country park. They are far larger than is normal, as a number of experiments have suceeded in breeding formidable hunter/killers. This is action packed and fast paced, with supporting characters who carry enough weight to hold the interest. Second book in a couple of months that i've read by David Brian. I'm becoming a fan.
The squirrels in question turn up at a country park. They are far larger than is normal, as a number of experiments have suceeded in breeding formidable hunter/killers. This is action packed and fast paced, with supporting characters who carry enough weight to hold the interest. Second book in a couple of months that i've read by David Brian. I'm becoming a fan.
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