this was a really good read, it had what I was looking for in a horror novel and a scifi novel. I really liked the characters.

4 Stars!

Sometimes the name of a novel can be confusing in its origin. Other time, it is straightforward and to the point. Obliteration by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth is a prime example of the second case. There seemed to be little subtlety to the title or the cover and I went into the story hoping the same from the tale.



The humans had beat back the aliens but they had only won the battle, not the war. Former New York City mayor Tom Cafferty and his squad had driven the aliens back and destroyed the nest near the city and the people felt safe again. The aliens had retreated but not in defeat. They had instead retreated to regroup and reload for a final push to destroy mankind. The queen was coming and god have mercy on anyone who stood in her way.



The only way to save mankind is to make a deal with the devil himself. Cafferty has been trying to track down the aliens only to find their dens empty and comes to realize the harsh truth: the aliens are gathering for a final offensive. Cafferty knew there was only one hope for humanity and it was also the one thing that could end up being worse than the aliens. Albert Van Ness had already caused the deaths of millions of people but he alone had the key to the war to stop the alien queen from destroying all humanity. Van Ness had a weapon that could destroy the aliens once and for all. Cafferty must make a deal with the devil himself in order to save the world. Van Ness may be able to save the world but would his reward be more than the human race could pay?



I mentioned Obliteration is a novel whose title does not hide anything that happens in the novel and that was the case. From the first word to the last, the novel attacks the reader and never lets up. There is nothing subtle about this novel. All of the action is fast and violent with just enough story to keep it moving right along. The characters are all fairly transparent and I had a feeling from the beginning that I knew where the book was going to end up but all of this is not a problem at all because this book is just fun to read. This is aliens and world domination as it should be: fast and unrelenting. I did not want to put the book down and could not turn the pages fast enough. Given my love of monster novels, it is no surprise that I enjoyed this novel.



I went into the novel without expectations as I had not read anything by the authors before and really wanted to get into the book based mainly on the cover. I also did not realize this was the third book in a series but it did not keep me from sliding right into the story and going along for the ride. I also did not realize that the one author was one of the stars from the Impractical Jokers show but this novel is a far cry from the contents of that show. All I can really say at the end of this book is simply: ”Wow!” Obliteration is just a lot of fun. Pulse-pounding action and crisp prose keep the book moving, more like zooming, along and the pages just seemed to flow by. I definitely need to go back to read the first two books in the series and hope to see more from the authors in the future.



I would like to thank Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this review copy. Obliteration is available now.

This book will make you forget the pandemic is happening. The monsters attacking humanity are so terrifying sounding, that today's reality is almost a relief. They are systematically killing off humans, and both good and evil will have to band together to defeat them.
This is the third book of a trilogy. I really wish I had read the first two, but now they will be next on my reading list.
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read an ARC of this book.

I thought that this concluding volume in the Awakened trilogy was far stronger than the second book - and closer to meeting the bar set in the opening novel. It's more of a true creature feature and has less of a political focus that the second one had. It's fast-paced, with brief chapters that only help in justifying to keep reading "one more chapter". It's easily more of a one-sitting read and I really enjoyed it much more than the second book!

And I especially enjoyed the inclusion of cameo of Murr himself - that part definitely made me laugh. This one reads like an action movie with plenty of visuals and a lot of action. True, the characters here aren't deeply developed, but just enough that you can root for them. The plot is straightforward and I liked this fun and exciting book! I hope that Murray continues his writing career - though I do wish that here had been more information on the creatures overall...

What a spine-tingling premise! All of us shiver when a story revolves around nasty creatures looking to annihilate and replace humans, and this tale was particularly chilling. Great reading for late night relaxing...with a light on, of course. Highly recommended.

*My thanks to the author and publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. It's greatly appreciated!*

I have read all 3 Awakened books and they just keep getting better. This book is action packed and fast paced. Great read!