Not long ago, I received an email
from Alister Hodge asking if I would be willing to review his new book, The
Cavern. His email included the Kindle file, so how could I say no?
Set in the Australian Outback
near the small town of Pintalba, The Cavern opens with the discovery of
a cave system revealed by a sinkhole on a nearly defunct sheep ranch. A young
couple arrives on the scene and pays the owner of the ranch to be the first to
explore the discovery. As they move about underground, they discover a
beautiful cave setting complete with an underground lake. The couple also
discovers more than they bargained for when they are attacked by a strange
creature.
When another team hears about the
new cave system, they lay their plans to also explore and map the discovery.
The team is joined by Sam, a vacationing paramedic who will go along as medical
support for the team that consists of his girlfriend, Ellie and Ellie's
brother, Max. It is originally planned that Sam will remain at the base camp
ready to go into action if there is a medical need for him.
When the crew stops for
refreshments at a Pintalba pub, they are warned by the proprietor A veteran
named Jack, to stay away and leave it alone. When asked, Jack wouldn't tell the
explorers why they shouldn't venture forth. The team of explorers thinks he
might be hiding some secret, or maybe he's just a crazy old man who is
imagining something. Never the less, Sam, Ellie and Max are determined to be
the first to explore and map the new cave system. Of course, they are unaware
of the previous couple that also wanted to be the first.
While Sam's team sees all the
beauty that they expect to see, they also learn that the cave system connects
to a string of opal mines that harbors a horrible secret. There are monsters
there that are vicious, relentless, and also have a peculiar intelligence. It
isn't long before everyone is in a fight for their lives and it would seem to
be a losing battle.
There is no shortage of
excitement in The Cavern. It is a fast paced horror story that will keep
a reader on the edge of their seat as one is taken on a rollercoaster ride of
terror by Hodge. If the descriptions of the monsters aren't enough, their
attacks are given in detail to the point that a reader will be thankful to stay
on the surface of the planet and never venture below. Much of what is described
must come from the author's experience as a professional medical practitioner.
That is to say that the detail is stunning and horrifying.
Hodge also captures the flavor of what it might be like to be underground in a cave. Both the peaceful and serene feelings one might have, as well as what it might be like if one is trapped and unable to move when moving through narrow passages. There were several scenes that had me holding my breath as I read to the resolution of several situations.
The story concludes with an open
ending that might be begging a sequel. While I would call this more of an
adventure-thriller, there are hints at science fiction in several places in the
book and am looking forward to and hoping for a continuation that will carry
forth from the ending to show what the monsters are and where they came from.
The characters in the story are
well developed to the point that I felt that I would like to know most of them.
Each has their own dynamic and are believable as real people. Sam, the (more or
less) main character is a bit of an adventurer, but he doesn't care for the
idea of exploring caves, and he is really repulsed at the idea of scuba diving
underground. Yet, he faces and defeats his fears in favor of helping others
that might be injured. He is a likable character, and as most of the others in
the story, has a sense of courage.
The most surprising character is
the bartender, Jack. In the story, he is kind of a curmudgeonly old man, but
not in such a way that he will put people off. He is a veteran and seems to
know a great many things, especially about the monsters that he has encountered
in the past. When the monsters are discovered, the cavers decide that they have
to be taken out of the picture, but none of them have the right weapons to do
the job. Jack is the one who comes up with the firepower to take care of
business, but also displays a load of grit as he takes on the creatures. Jacks
scenes were my favorite in the story and I think that many will also find him
an inspiration.
I recommend this book for anyone
who enjoys medical drama and monster driven thriller stories. As a fan of
Sci-Fi, I enjoyed The Cavern immensely and didn't take long to read it;
it only took me three sittings to get through it. I was very eager to get back
to it when I was forced to put it down. I could have read it in one sitting
actually thanks to the relentless action in the book, it never really lets up.
I will add this, owing to the
graphic descriptions of the monster attacks, and how the author goes into great
detail on how the attacks take place and the results of those attacks, one
might consider whether they can handle this story. There is very little left to
the imagination.
The following is from the
author's Amazon page:
Alister Hodge is an Emergency
Nurse Practitioner, who lives in Sydney with his wife and two daughters. He is
also a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Sydney, the author of numerous
journal and textbook publications, and the co-creator of an app to support
triage nurse development in Australia.
As a mental break from providing
healthcare in a busy Emergency Department, Alister leaves behind the everyday
traumas and horror of the real world, by creating new ones for a post-apocalyptic
landscape.
Well, there it is...
Qapla'!
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