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The Specimen

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About this listen

Winner of the 2014 Kindle Book Awards for Horror/Suspense - The Kindle Book Review

From a crater lake on an island off the coast of Bronze Age Estonia... to a crippled Viking warrior's conquest of England... to the bloody temple of an Aztec god of death and resurrection.... Their presence has shaped our world.

They are the Riders.

One month ago, an urban explorer was drawn to an abandoned asylum in the mountains of northern Massachusetts. There he discovered a large specimen jar, containing something organic, unnatural, and possibly alive. Now, he and a group of unsuspecting individuals have discovered one of history's most horrific secrets. Whether they want to be or not, they are caught in the middle of a millennia-old war, and the latest battle is about to begin.

©2014 Pete Kahle (P)2017 Pete Kahle Fiction First Contact Horror Science Fiction Scary
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OK, so this isn't the speediest plot in the world and I've enjoyed stories that meandered much less than this, but it's still a solid horror novel in the vein of HP Lovecraft. Wayne can't do an Irish accent which is unfortunately in the opening scene, but he handles everyone else so very well so if you wince at the first few minutes, please give it longer.

The plot jumps about more than a Michael Crichton novel and my brain took a while to catch up when I got back to listening, but the story grows ponderously and with strength IMO. Perhaps the backstories to all the characters isn't neccessary, but with Wayne June's narration I overlooked a lot of the niggles.

And they are niggles. I think this is a pretty good story and I was often left wanting to know what happens next. The characters were colourful and vibrant which is why they were developed so carefully.

Enjoyed it.

Gets There In The End

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