This horror book just didn't catch my attention. I couldn't get into the characters and it just felt flat.

This was such a shocking book! I loved it and wanted it to continue but alas it ended. It had so much suspense. A couple of guys go camping and hiking with exciting things happening. You need to be surprised as I was so I won't tell you! I kept thinking about it for days after though. I like the way it kept going on with such crazy things happening. This type of book may not please other people but I truly enjoyed it. If anyone has other books similar to this please leave in your review and hopefully I will see what you put. If you love trudging thru the woods and having your worst nightmare come after you then it will thrill you also!

**Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for this ARC of Nameless Things by Ernest Jensen, in return for my honest opinion. Expected pub date: Mar 25 2025**

This is a debut horror novel by Louise Jensen Duffy, writing as Ernest Jensen. The Author is Australian, and living in Scotland - so I want to note that you will run into a lot of non-American slang words in this novel. I have friends from both countries, so it didn't bother me because I was familiar with the words. I've spoken with people that get really confused when dealing with slang words, so I wanted to make sure readers are aware before they begin their reading journey.
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The first couple of chapters of this book really reminded me of 'Headless' by Scott Cole, which is kind of a sci-fi/extreme horror with worms involved. There's also a bit of 'Tremors' the movie injected into this novel, with a dash of zombie animals and people. While all this sounds fantastic in theory, and I do think I can see what the author was envisioning - this novel was just so dis-jointed and hard for me to read.
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The writing felt very generic, and there was little to no character development - which I think is needed in a story like this because it has a post apocalyptic feel and it's about survival. There was no clear leader, and there was a random 'bad guy' thrown into the end of the book that just really didn't make sense. He just shows up a couple of times, does bad things - then off he goes on his way again.
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A lot of the dialogue is very melodramatic, which just takes away the horror element for me. There also isn't a lot of descriptors used for the creatures, so as much as I'm the type of reader that doesn't need a lot of detail - in this case I felt like the author never really gave a clear idea of what these things actually look like. There's a general idea, but it's just very generic.
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I think this novel could greatly benefit from an editor, and although it missed the mark for me - I think this is a novel that a novice horror reader could digest pretty easily.

3.5 Stars

I love a good horror book set in the forest. I would say this is a mix of sci-fi and horror. Absolutely rancid and nasty and had me pausing a few times with how gross it was. It was both bleak, funny and terrifying. The characters all felt real, and even when they were annoying, I was still rooting for their survival. I wouldn't say it was the BEST creature feature/alien type book i've read but it was still well written and engaging. I can't wait to see what else the author puts out.

Thank you netgalley and Rising Action Publishing for the arc!

What sets Nameless Things apart is its dual focus on survival and the fragility of human connections under extreme pressure. As the group faces dwindling supplies, rising paranoia, and the monstrous threat below, their alliances fray in ways that feel heartbreakingly real. Mike’s transformation from a man seeking solace to a determined survivor is compelling, and his harrowing journey to escape the caldera keeps the tension razor-sharp

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

First off I loved that this was set in my home state of Colorado because that made the story much more creepy. I wasn't expecting the body horror but the whole story was written very well - very tense and full of dread!

This is an intense and fast paced creature feature that starts off with a bang and never lets up. There are some incredibly tense scenes and twists in this book, and I really didn’t know what was going to happen next. It’s gross, it’s creepy, the kills are fantastic and shocking and it has a seriously awesome ending.

As a hiker I was a little triggered but this was an easy fast paced read. However I felt a little let down with the nameless things it seemed like they were an after thought and we didn't get much description on the deaths they seemed too fast. I think it's a good read but unfortunately not a reread.

I was hooked from the cover and description, it had that element that I wanted in a horror genre. The characters had that overall story that worked and was engaged with the thriller element that blended. I enjoyed the way Ernest Jensen wrote this and thought the characters worked with the story being told.

Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action for the ARC.

I was drawn to this book from the description and the setting in Colorado. There were many things I enjoyed about this book.

The characters for the most part were well-written, and in most instances were not formulaic or stereotypical. I found that I was drawn to and cared about a few of the main characters and many of them I simply did not. Many different types of people were part of the story, differences in gender, nationality, age and many other attributes made for a realistic collection of characters.

The author did well in describing the terrain and painting a good picture of the area the characters were in. There were times it felt a bit wordy but overall was well written.

The horror aspects had many moments where they made you feel on edge or even shocked when something happened. The author did a good job of making you feel dread, fear and uncertainty throughout most of the book. The concept of the NAMELESS THINGS was great and I felt was an interesting take on something scary that was not the same conventional creature someone has used before. The meteor strike tied the concept together well.

I would have given this a higher rating if I didn’t feel like some of the concepts were far-fetched enough not to fit in the world the author created. In other words, the rules laid down by the narrative weren’t always followed which made some of the concepts less frightening and potentially comical. I found myself quite a few times disappointed in something that did not make sense given the parameters that had been laid out up to that point. One concept in particular stuck out like a sore thumb. Unless I missed something early on, it never made sense to me. I also feel like some of the characters moved on from trauma too easily, even for a horror/survival story. Many of the characters were affected by this very realistically. It was the few times when it didn’t feel like it matched the rest of the character’s nature, that it threw me off like some of the far-fetched concepts.

I loved the ending. I did not see it coming and it was done very well. It gave terrifying closure but possibly left the door open for more story in the future? If half-star ratings were possible, I would like this to reflect 3.5 stars.

This is a novel which combines cosmic horror, body horror, and a struggle for survival against all odds.

Mike and Wade are on a camping trip in a basin type area when a meteorite crashes nearby. Along with a family of three, and another couple, they ponder where it landed.

But then people start dying horrifically and there are worm like things in the ground which are very hungry. That's not even the worst of it! As they realize the danger they're in and no way to escape, they must fight to survive an unstoppable presence with nothing but bloodshed on its mind.

They will meet other characters but as their dire situation becomes increasingly more brutal, friendships are tested, bonds are broken, and the body count keeps rising.

This is a book that puts the creep in creepy. The body horror is dreadful and you never know what's going to happen next. Plus there's a dark vein of humor running throughout. Part creature feature, part cosmic horror, but altogether terrifying, I highly recommend it.