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Awakened #2
The Brink
The sequel to the international bestseller (including #1 Sunday Times bestseller) Awakened, by one of the stars of TruTV’s Impractical Jokers and a bestselling science fiction author.
Former NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty has been haunted by the horror of a single day. The opening of the brand new Z-train subway line beneath the Hudson River—the supposed shining moment of his tenure. But the ribbon-cutting ceremony turned deadly when the train carrying Cafferty’s wife and other citizens was attacked by a horde of hyper intelligent, bloodthirsty creatures previously unknown to humanity.
Everything changed for Cafferty, ex-NYPD officer Sarah Bowcut, and tech-expert Diego Munoz that day. They had uncovered the deadly truth: the attack was no accident.
And now the creatures that wreaked havoc underneath New York have spread worldwide, and with a massive cover-up—and a secret organization holding nations hostage with the knowledge of how to kill them—Cafferty’s team must fight against impossible odds to save the entire planet from an apocalyptic scale disaster.
An explosive and thrilling international adventure, the stakes are even higher in the latest book from bestselling duo James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth!
Former NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty has been haunted by the horror of a single day. The opening of the brand new Z-train subway line beneath the Hudson River—the supposed shining moment of his tenure. But the ribbon-cutting ceremony turned deadly when the train carrying Cafferty’s wife and other citizens was attacked by a horde of hyper intelligent, bloodthirsty creatures previously unknown to humanity.
Everything changed for Cafferty, ex-NYPD officer Sarah Bowcut, and tech-expert Diego Munoz that day. They had uncovered the deadly truth: the attack was no accident.
And now the creatures that wreaked havoc underneath New York have spread worldwide, and with a massive cover-up—and a secret organization holding nations hostage with the knowledge of how to kill them—Cafferty’s team must fight against impossible odds to save the entire planet from an apocalyptic scale disaster.
An explosive and thrilling international adventure, the stakes are even higher in the latest book from bestselling duo James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth!
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2019
267 people are currently reading
2029 people want to read
About the author
James S. Murray
9 books899 followersJames S. Murray is a writer, executive producer, and actor, best known as “Murr” on the hit television show Impractical Jokers on truTV and for his comedy troupe, the Tenderloins. He also served as the senior vice president of development for NorthSouth Productions for over a decade and is owner of Impractical Productions, Inc. Originally from Staten Island, he now lives in Manhattan. Awakened is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
August 8, 2019
2.25 stars; it's kind of a fun but superficial SF horror novel. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Human monsters take precedence over the creature type of monsters in The Brink, the sequel to last year’s SF horror novel Awakened. (Some spoilers for the first book are in this review, but are also in the publisher’s blurb for this book, so they’re nearly impossible to avoid.) Awakened was pulpy fun if you like SF horror and mysterious, murderous threats lurking beneath the surface of the earth. The Brink mostly gives us Albert Van Ness, a Diabolical Mastermind (there's even a TV tropes page for it!) of dubious sanity who was apparently imported straight from an old James Bond movie. The creatures are still there, but in a diminished role, mostly as an instrument of revenge in Van Ness’s hands.
Awakened introduced readers to a secret organization euphemistically called The Foundation for Human Advancement, led by Albert Van Ness. The Foundation had its genesis in the final days of WWII, when Hitler was hiding in the depths of his bunker. (“It’s always the damned Nazis,” commented Diego Munoz in Awakened. Truer words, Diego.) One bright spot in this book was finding out how Hitler really died.
In the aftermath, Hitler’s right-hand man, Nazi Colonel Otto Van Ness, formed the Foundation to both fight the underground, methane-breathing creatures and to threaten/blackmail national leaders into paying billions to the Foundation to fund their fight against the creatures, as well as Van Ness’s opulent lifestyle. Otto is dead now and his son Albert is running the Foundation, but Albert’s motivations seem to be more vindictive than his father’s. Albert Van Ness goes completely off the edge when the political leaders of the U.S. and Great Britain decline his demands for vast amounts of money.
Former NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty, his wife Ellen, ex-NYPD SWAT team leader Sarah Bowcut, and ex-gang member and technology expert Diego Munoz managed, against all odds, to survive the events of the first book. Now they’re trying to take the fight to the Foundation and Van Ness, but Van Ness is extremely well-funded and will stop at nothing in his quest for revenge. You can almost see him twisting his moustache and laughing insanely.
In The Brink, authors James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth take the same fast-paced, tension-filled approach that characterized Awakened, but the fear factor is weakened with the shift of focus from the battle against unworldly creatures to a mere human criminal mastermind. Van Ness’s actions are horrific ― The Brink unquestionably ups the ante there ― but the plot, while it has its moments, simply isn’t as compelling. It’s further weakened by sketchy and superficial characterization, and by wildly implausible events: .
The final straw was a maddening ending that defaulted to another overused trope that required people to act in a way that was not only out of character, but created an additional huge, needless risk for humanity. Which risk, one may safely assume, will need to be dealt with in the next book in the AWAKENED series.
The Brink, like Awakened, is highly bloody and violent. It’s short (223 pages) and may appeal to readers looking for a quick, action-packed science fiction horror novel, driven by plot rather than characterization or scientific plausibility.
I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. Thank you!
Human monsters take precedence over the creature type of monsters in The Brink, the sequel to last year’s SF horror novel Awakened. (Some spoilers for the first book are in this review, but are also in the publisher’s blurb for this book, so they’re nearly impossible to avoid.) Awakened was pulpy fun if you like SF horror and mysterious, murderous threats lurking beneath the surface of the earth. The Brink mostly gives us Albert Van Ness, a Diabolical Mastermind (there's even a TV tropes page for it!) of dubious sanity who was apparently imported straight from an old James Bond movie. The creatures are still there, but in a diminished role, mostly as an instrument of revenge in Van Ness’s hands.
Awakened introduced readers to a secret organization euphemistically called The Foundation for Human Advancement, led by Albert Van Ness. The Foundation had its genesis in the final days of WWII, when Hitler was hiding in the depths of his bunker. (“It’s always the damned Nazis,” commented Diego Munoz in Awakened. Truer words, Diego.) One bright spot in this book was finding out how Hitler really died.
In the aftermath, Hitler’s right-hand man, Nazi Colonel Otto Van Ness, formed the Foundation to both fight the underground, methane-breathing creatures and to threaten/blackmail national leaders into paying billions to the Foundation to fund their fight against the creatures, as well as Van Ness’s opulent lifestyle. Otto is dead now and his son Albert is running the Foundation, but Albert’s motivations seem to be more vindictive than his father’s. Albert Van Ness goes completely off the edge when the political leaders of the U.S. and Great Britain decline his demands for vast amounts of money.
Former NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty, his wife Ellen, ex-NYPD SWAT team leader Sarah Bowcut, and ex-gang member and technology expert Diego Munoz managed, against all odds, to survive the events of the first book. Now they’re trying to take the fight to the Foundation and Van Ness, but Van Ness is extremely well-funded and will stop at nothing in his quest for revenge. You can almost see him twisting his moustache and laughing insanely.
In The Brink, authors James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth take the same fast-paced, tension-filled approach that characterized Awakened, but the fear factor is weakened with the shift of focus from the battle against unworldly creatures to a mere human criminal mastermind. Van Ness’s actions are horrific ― The Brink unquestionably ups the ante there ― but the plot, while it has its moments, simply isn’t as compelling. It’s further weakened by sketchy and superficial characterization, and by wildly implausible events: .
The final straw was a maddening ending that defaulted to another overused trope that required people to act in a way that was not only out of character, but created an additional huge, needless risk for humanity. Which risk, one may safely assume, will need to be dealt with in the next book in the AWAKENED series.
The Brink, like Awakened, is highly bloody and violent. It’s short (223 pages) and may appeal to readers looking for a quick, action-packed science fiction horror novel, driven by plot rather than characterization or scientific plausibility.
I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. Thank you!
August 22, 2025
I’m enjoying this sci-fi/horror series by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth way more than I expected to and probably way more than it deserves, but if you’re looking for just balls-out gratuitous gore, violence, and monster mayhem without any literary merit other than a fun pulpy read, then The Awakened series might be for you.
The second book in the series, “The Brink”, continues the fight led by former NYC mayor Tom Cafferty against both the subterranean creatures that have apparently lived beneath us since the beginning of time and the Foundation, an evil organization run by a super-wealthy zealot who claims to want to save humanity as long as humanity is okay with him being world dictator.
It’s been almost a year since the events of “Awakened”. Tom and his wife, Ellen, are rekindling their marriage after several years of Tom’s alcoholism, workaholism, adultery, and almost accidentally killing her by putting her in the middle of a nest of nasty creatures. They have a new baby, though, so things are all good.
President Reynolds is missing after being kidnapped shortly after the NYC Z-train incident. Interim President Amanda Brogan isn’t sure what to make of the President’s and Cafferty’s story. Monsters living in tunnels under every major city in the world? Albert Van Ness blackmailing every world leader? It sounded like a bad novel... (wink)
Cafferty and his “team” (his wife, ex-NYPD officer Sarah Bowcut, and tech expert Diego Munoz) are in London to speak to the Prime Minister in the hopes of convincing him to fight Van Ness and the Foundation.
Then, the proverbial shit hits the fan. Ellen is kidnapped by Foundation thugs, a human-creature hybrid is unleashed, and a nuclear bomb is set to go off under London.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that this book moves at a light-speed pace with edge-of-the-seat suspense on just about every page. The action doesn’t let up until the end.
A word of warning, though, to readers with squeamish stomachs: the level of gore and violence isn’t borderline gratuitous. It essentially jumps the border, sets up camp, and doesn’t even think of going back. This book has more gratuitous slice-and-dice scenes than every “Saw” movie combined. Indeed, the body count is off the charts, especially considering (*spoiler alert*)
I’m almost ashamed to say that I love this series so far (a third book is planned for early release next year), considering it is so pulpy and silly. The villain is such a by-the-numbers Bond villain, and the number of references to movies like “C.H.U.D.”, the Alien series, and the Predator films are too numerous to count. Then again, maybe that’s why I love it so much. It doesn’t pretend to be anything but what it is: a ridiculously gory sci-fi/horror/action thriller.
The second book in the series, “The Brink”, continues the fight led by former NYC mayor Tom Cafferty against both the subterranean creatures that have apparently lived beneath us since the beginning of time and the Foundation, an evil organization run by a super-wealthy zealot who claims to want to save humanity as long as humanity is okay with him being world dictator.
It’s been almost a year since the events of “Awakened”. Tom and his wife, Ellen, are rekindling their marriage after several years of Tom’s alcoholism, workaholism, adultery, and almost accidentally killing her by putting her in the middle of a nest of nasty creatures. They have a new baby, though, so things are all good.
President Reynolds is missing after being kidnapped shortly after the NYC Z-train incident. Interim President Amanda Brogan isn’t sure what to make of the President’s and Cafferty’s story. Monsters living in tunnels under every major city in the world? Albert Van Ness blackmailing every world leader? It sounded like a bad novel... (wink)
Cafferty and his “team” (his wife, ex-NYPD officer Sarah Bowcut, and tech expert Diego Munoz) are in London to speak to the Prime Minister in the hopes of convincing him to fight Van Ness and the Foundation.
Then, the proverbial shit hits the fan. Ellen is kidnapped by Foundation thugs, a human-creature hybrid is unleashed, and a nuclear bomb is set to go off under London.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that this book moves at a light-speed pace with edge-of-the-seat suspense on just about every page. The action doesn’t let up until the end.
A word of warning, though, to readers with squeamish stomachs: the level of gore and violence isn’t borderline gratuitous. It essentially jumps the border, sets up camp, and doesn’t even think of going back. This book has more gratuitous slice-and-dice scenes than every “Saw” movie combined. Indeed, the body count is off the charts, especially considering (*spoiler alert*)
I’m almost ashamed to say that I love this series so far (a third book is planned for early release next year), considering it is so pulpy and silly. The villain is such a by-the-numbers Bond villain, and the number of references to movies like “C.H.U.D.”, the Alien series, and the Predator films are too numerous to count. Then again, maybe that’s why I love it so much. It doesn’t pretend to be anything but what it is: a ridiculously gory sci-fi/horror/action thriller.
July 3, 2019
Started off James Bond-esque ended Austin Powers-esque. Oh, behave.
Dr. Evil stole a nuclear weapon and is demanding a payment of 100 billion dollars. Can Austin Powers stop this madman? Muahahahaha!
This book was laughable but not in a funny way. Poorly written. A bad story told in a bad way. Bland characters with weak dialogue and a weak plot.
They traced a call from the president to a warehouse in Switzerland. They recon the warehouse and find one man is tied to a chair. A trap? Ya think?! Why didn't enter the warehouse with a remote controlled drone? Authors should have taken the time to think the plot out thoroughly and focused on crisper dialogue.
Not an improvement from book one 'Awakened', also two stars. The Brink is a syfy movie with second rate actors and a third rate script. Only 223 pages but not a book i would recommend. Go watch an episode of Impractical Jokers.
"Do I make you horny? Randy? Do I make you horny, baby, yeah, do I? Ooo, Behave!"
Dr. Evil stole a nuclear weapon and is demanding a payment of 100 billion dollars. Can Austin Powers stop this madman? Muahahahaha!
This book was laughable but not in a funny way. Poorly written. A bad story told in a bad way. Bland characters with weak dialogue and a weak plot.
They traced a call from the president to a warehouse in Switzerland. They recon the warehouse and find one man is tied to a chair. A trap? Ya think?! Why didn't enter the warehouse with a remote controlled drone? Authors should have taken the time to think the plot out thoroughly and focused on crisper dialogue.
Not an improvement from book one 'Awakened', also two stars. The Brink is a syfy movie with second rate actors and a third rate script. Only 223 pages but not a book i would recommend. Go watch an episode of Impractical Jokers.
"Do I make you horny? Randy? Do I make you horny, baby, yeah, do I? Ooo, Behave!"
July 3, 2019
‘We stand on the edge of extinction. The brink, if you will.’
After surviving the subway attack in New York City, NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty and fellow survivors have teamed up to take on the Foundation for Human Advancement, the secret organization that maintains control of the creatures that could wipe out the planet. For decades, the Foundation has demanded funds from world leader’s in exchange for their continued survival but following the subway attack and information uncovered about the Foundation and its leader, Albert Van Ness, no one is willing to comply anymore.
The Brink picks up where the first installment, Awakened, left off with a race against time to stop a madman from destroying the world with bloodthirsty creatures that live beneath the Earth’s surface. Discovered during the end of WWII in Germany, Van Ness’ father discovered the way to control the creatures and has been using them as blackmail since. When Albert took over following his father’s death, he continued working towards achieving his dream of purifying humanity. Much like the second-half of Awakened, the story devotes much of its focus to the political drama and conspiracies rather than the actual creatures. Personally, I found the creatures to be of far more interest than anyone in this cast of one-dimensional characters. The creatures are only featured in a few scenes and they were horrific and thrilling but the authors placed much more focus on their laughably evil villain. It’s pretty disappointing when humans are more monstrous than the actual monsters.
The book is a very short read, however, I’m sad to say the dialogue is inept, the storyline is banal, and the ending was so ridiculous that it removed any interest I had in completing the trilogy. Disappointing that the exciting world these authors created with Alien-like creatures ended up being backseat drivers to a story about a Hitler-esque villain.
“My God,” Cafferty said.
“No, not God,” he replied. “Albert Van Ness.”
After surviving the subway attack in New York City, NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty and fellow survivors have teamed up to take on the Foundation for Human Advancement, the secret organization that maintains control of the creatures that could wipe out the planet. For decades, the Foundation has demanded funds from world leader’s in exchange for their continued survival but following the subway attack and information uncovered about the Foundation and its leader, Albert Van Ness, no one is willing to comply anymore.
The Brink picks up where the first installment, Awakened, left off with a race against time to stop a madman from destroying the world with bloodthirsty creatures that live beneath the Earth’s surface. Discovered during the end of WWII in Germany, Van Ness’ father discovered the way to control the creatures and has been using them as blackmail since. When Albert took over following his father’s death, he continued working towards achieving his dream of purifying humanity. Much like the second-half of Awakened, the story devotes much of its focus to the political drama and conspiracies rather than the actual creatures. Personally, I found the creatures to be of far more interest than anyone in this cast of one-dimensional characters. The creatures are only featured in a few scenes and they were horrific and thrilling but the authors placed much more focus on their laughably evil villain. It’s pretty disappointing when humans are more monstrous than the actual monsters.
The book is a very short read, however, I’m sad to say the dialogue is inept, the storyline is banal, and the ending was so ridiculous that it removed any interest I had in completing the trilogy. Disappointing that the exciting world these authors created with Alien-like creatures ended up being backseat drivers to a story about a Hitler-esque villain.
“My God,” Cafferty said.
“No, not God,” he replied. “Albert Van Ness.”
July 4, 2019
Not as good as the original
The first book in the series was a science-fiction thriller. There were vivid descriptions of scary creatures tormenting trapped citizens. This book focused much more on interpersonal relationships, with the creatures taking a very far away backseat. Truly, they could’ve written this book without any mention of the creatures, and you wouldn’t notice that much of a difference. Admittedly, the authors did do a good job of keeping me interested in the story and it really was a page turner. Unfortunately, I was expecting a very different experience than what I got. To paraphrase with someone else said, the first book in the series was something like the movie Aliens, while this book is something like a James Bond novel. It wasn’t a bad read per se, it was just not what I thought it was going to be. Also, without giving away any spoilers, the ending seems very disappointing to me and a bit far-fetched, especially for fans who were so in love with the first book in the series. At this point, I’m not sure if I would read the third book in the series. The authors would have to really focus hard on revisiting what made their work so successful the first time, leaving some of the character drama at the wayside and focusing much more on bringing the creatures to the forefront.
*Review edited on July 3, 2019 to fix typos (nothing substantive changed)
The first book in the series was a science-fiction thriller. There were vivid descriptions of scary creatures tormenting trapped citizens. This book focused much more on interpersonal relationships, with the creatures taking a very far away backseat. Truly, they could’ve written this book without any mention of the creatures, and you wouldn’t notice that much of a difference. Admittedly, the authors did do a good job of keeping me interested in the story and it really was a page turner. Unfortunately, I was expecting a very different experience than what I got. To paraphrase with someone else said, the first book in the series was something like the movie Aliens, while this book is something like a James Bond novel. It wasn’t a bad read per se, it was just not what I thought it was going to be. Also, without giving away any spoilers, the ending seems very disappointing to me and a bit far-fetched, especially for fans who were so in love with the first book in the series. At this point, I’m not sure if I would read the third book in the series. The authors would have to really focus hard on revisiting what made their work so successful the first time, leaving some of the character drama at the wayside and focusing much more on bringing the creatures to the forefront.
*Review edited on July 3, 2019 to fix typos (nothing substantive changed)
February 19, 2021
I felt the need to read the next book in the series even though I only gave the first book 2.7. This one was worse. I was turned off by the shameless plugging of Impractical Jokers repeatedly in the 1st chapter. Apparently they like the word cacophony as it was used multiple times in the book. Murr May no longer be my favorite Impractical Joker.
May 31, 2019
Awakened surprised me. It was dark and full of tension. If Awakened was Alien, The Brink is Alien vs Predator. The Brink focuses more on the humans trying to exploit the creatures and instead of a terror filled trip underground we end up with a world traveling adventure to stop a Bond-type villain. This book is short and reads like it was rushed together just so it could expand into a series. It's full of cliches, including an opening chapter that serves no purpose other than to start with a bang (and repeat a joke about Murray's TV show over and over). The dialogue and descriptions are amateur at times. A big disappointment.
July 29, 2019
This was kind of a let down after the first one. Where the first one was blood and guts and htings crawling out of tunnels, this was more of a military book, with elaborate siege plans, torture techniques, and government coups, with minimal aliens. Wasn't bad, but not what I was hoping for.
February 20, 2021
Summary
Tom Cafferty's fight to save the world is far from over. Not only do he and his team have bloodthirsty, underground creatures to worry about, but also a power hungry German named Albert Van Ness.
The human race is on the brink of extinction and the stakes for both Cafferty and America have never been higher.
Personal Opinion
Not quite as monster or action filled as the first. The Brink was more of a government/ Hitler-like German's power struggle with a few minor creature attacks.
Van Ness has a Dr. Evil (from Austin Powers) vibe in this one and some of his family history is revealed.
I would say this one is more broadly based, jumping to different characters and locations around the world.
After very much enjoying the first claustrophobic horror story, this one just wasn't the same.
Overall, it did a good job expanding the story and made it more realistic but lacked the horror aspect.
Tom Cafferty's fight to save the world is far from over. Not only do he and his team have bloodthirsty, underground creatures to worry about, but also a power hungry German named Albert Van Ness.
The human race is on the brink of extinction and the stakes for both Cafferty and America have never been higher.
Personal Opinion
Not quite as monster or action filled as the first. The Brink was more of a government/ Hitler-like German's power struggle with a few minor creature attacks.
Van Ness has a Dr. Evil (from Austin Powers) vibe in this one and some of his family history is revealed.
I would say this one is more broadly based, jumping to different characters and locations around the world.
After very much enjoying the first claustrophobic horror story, this one just wasn't the same.
Overall, it did a good job expanding the story and made it more realistic but lacked the horror aspect.
June 19, 2019
Very bad books are not an inalienable right,
this novel is a repository for awful writing
and an asinine, semi-functional narrative,
welcome to the nether, to post-zero-fail.
#poem
Chris Roberts, Patron Saint to the Wasp People
this novel is a repository for awful writing
and an asinine, semi-functional narrative,
welcome to the nether, to post-zero-fail.
#poem
Chris Roberts, Patron Saint to the Wasp People
Read
August 30, 2019Full disclosure, I tapped out around the middle of the book so take these thoughts with a grain of salt. On a positive note, I felt this knew exactly what it wanted to be and didn't hesitate to indulge the pulpiness of its material. The first two scenes - separate prologues in which a ravenous monster kills some horny adults in the present day and Hitler in 1945 - should tell the reader everything they need to know about where this book is aimed at. I wanted to root for something so lizard-brained and in love with 80s/90s creature features but I had to get myself into a very specific mood in order to roll with it and I'm not sure I enjoyed where that took me. However if you enjoyed this and are looking for something in a similar vein, I recommend checking out some of James Rollins' work.
September 7, 2019
It’s a very short sequel to Awakened that focuses more on the villain. Maybe too much focus. Otherwise the chapters were short so you could read it in a day.
June 12, 2019
“Murray and Wearmouth’s latest THE BRINK is a white-knuckled rollercoaster. This novel is chocked full of everything I love: strange creatures, a world teetering on the edge, and heroes who I’d want at my side during any firefight. This isn’t just a story hopped on steroids—but one injected with nitrous and blazing on all cylinders. Give me more!” —James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestseller of Crucible
The sequel to the international bestseller (including #1 Sunday Times bestseller) Awakened, by one of the stars of TruTV’s Impractical Jokers and a bestselling science fiction author.
Former NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty has been haunted by the horror of a single day. The opening of the brand new Z-train subway line beneath the Hudson River—the supposed shining moment of his tenure. But the ribbon-cutting ceremony turned deadly when the train carrying Cafferty’s wife and other citizens was attacked by a horde of hyper intelligent, bloodthirsty creatures previously unknown to humanity.
Everything changed for Cafferty, ex-NYPD officer Sarah Bowcut, and tech-expert Diego Munoz that day. They had uncovered the deadly truth: the attack was no accident.
And now the creatures that wreaked havoc underneath New York have spread worldwide, and with a massive cover-up—and a secret organization holding nations hostage with the knowledge of how to kill them—Cafferty’s team must fight against impossible odds to save the entire planet from an apocalyptic scale disaster.
An explosive and thrilling international adventure, the stakes are even higher in the latest book from bestselling duo James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth!
The sequel to the international bestseller (including #1 Sunday Times bestseller) Awakened, by one of the stars of TruTV’s Impractical Jokers and a bestselling science fiction author.
Former NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty has been haunted by the horror of a single day. The opening of the brand new Z-train subway line beneath the Hudson River—the supposed shining moment of his tenure. But the ribbon-cutting ceremony turned deadly when the train carrying Cafferty’s wife and other citizens was attacked by a horde of hyper intelligent, bloodthirsty creatures previously unknown to humanity.
Everything changed for Cafferty, ex-NYPD officer Sarah Bowcut, and tech-expert Diego Munoz that day. They had uncovered the deadly truth: the attack was no accident.
And now the creatures that wreaked havoc underneath New York have spread worldwide, and with a massive cover-up—and a secret organization holding nations hostage with the knowledge of how to kill them—Cafferty’s team must fight against impossible odds to save the entire planet from an apocalyptic scale disaster.
An explosive and thrilling international adventure, the stakes are even higher in the latest book from bestselling duo James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth!
January 27, 2025
Behind every endeavor is some rich egotistical schmuck who lets his power go to his head. As we learn here Van Ness is just such a person and will literally kill those who do not give his Foundation money. What I don't get is he truly gives the bare minimum and expects the most like when he tried to get the US president to donate part of the GDP to him. It's clear he and his foundation know so much about these creatures and he keeps a lot of it under wraps. Personally I'm not all that surprised considering his daddy dearest was a close and personal friend to the one and only Hitler.
Story takes place about a year later and the survivors from book one make it their mission to take on and out the vicious subterranean creatures that are seemingly all over the world lying in wait underground. Van Ness is also a threat and it's so annoying as if they need something else to worry about but at least now they are better equipped and armed to take on the army of creatures. Enjoyable read and honestly I can't help but compare the creatures to xenomorphs only they lack the acid for blood, which they are so lucky for.
Story takes place about a year later and the survivors from book one make it their mission to take on and out the vicious subterranean creatures that are seemingly all over the world lying in wait underground. Van Ness is also a threat and it's so annoying as if they need something else to worry about but at least now they are better equipped and armed to take on the army of creatures. Enjoyable read and honestly I can't help but compare the creatures to xenomorphs only they lack the acid for blood, which they are so lucky for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2023
Being the sequel to Awakened, a novel that I highly enjoyed, this one was simply just as good if not better. The book raises the stakes as the threat of the creatures in the first book, is now even worse, growing to a global scale. Add to that a madman who sees himself as humanity’s savior, but is probably an even bigger threat than the monsters themselves, and we have all the ingredients for a high octane horror thriller.
Pretty much all the characters from the first novel return in the sequel, with a few new ones thrown in as well. The book opens right out of the gate with thrills and action, and it pretty much never lets up until the finale. Action, horror, and enough excitement kept me entertained throughout the entire book.Now it’s time to read the final installment of this trilogy, which I hope will bring the story to a satisfying conclusion.
Pretty much all the characters from the first novel return in the sequel, with a few new ones thrown in as well. The book opens right out of the gate with thrills and action, and it pretty much never lets up until the finale. Action, horror, and enough excitement kept me entertained throughout the entire book.Now it’s time to read the final installment of this trilogy, which I hope will bring the story to a satisfying conclusion.
June 5, 2020
“New York sends its regards.”
.
When Albert Van Ness has a plan to destroy the creatures who live beneath the world while destroying the cities above them as well, Tom Cafferty, the mayor of New York City, is the only man who can stop him.
.
Let me start by saying I believe this book would be a great movie. The structure of
the book and how fast paced it is and the characters being so... *ahem* corny, is a great template for a box office movie. Reading it however was strange. Reading it ALOUD was even more strange.
.
This was the book we read in MiH live with @shotsbydre_ and I specifically gave this book one star more than I would give it if I were reading it by myself because there was something so bizarrely fun about sharing it vocally with the audience. We definitely all had a crack at the dramatically gory scenes and highly predictable situations that I think would have affected me different if I read this by myself. That being said, I suggest buddy reading this book if you chose to pick it up.
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Oh! ALSO - this is the second book in a series. I foolishly dived into this one without realizing there was a first which didn’t confuse me too much but it definitely explained some information that popped out of nowhere but was actually gathered from the first book. The reason I had this confusion is because I actually saw James Murray speak at Bookcon on this book and during the interview he never mentioned it was a second in the series. Nor does it say on the book itself anywhere that it is a sequel. So, here’s me telling you as fair warning.
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Overall, corny, fun, fast paced, just wild. Reminds me of Alien mixed with any ridiculous action movie.
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When Albert Van Ness has a plan to destroy the creatures who live beneath the world while destroying the cities above them as well, Tom Cafferty, the mayor of New York City, is the only man who can stop him.
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Let me start by saying I believe this book would be a great movie. The structure of
the book and how fast paced it is and the characters being so... *ahem* corny, is a great template for a box office movie. Reading it however was strange. Reading it ALOUD was even more strange.
.
This was the book we read in MiH live with @shotsbydre_ and I specifically gave this book one star more than I would give it if I were reading it by myself because there was something so bizarrely fun about sharing it vocally with the audience. We definitely all had a crack at the dramatically gory scenes and highly predictable situations that I think would have affected me different if I read this by myself. That being said, I suggest buddy reading this book if you chose to pick it up.
.
Oh! ALSO - this is the second book in a series. I foolishly dived into this one without realizing there was a first which didn’t confuse me too much but it definitely explained some information that popped out of nowhere but was actually gathered from the first book. The reason I had this confusion is because I actually saw James Murray speak at Bookcon on this book and during the interview he never mentioned it was a second in the series. Nor does it say on the book itself anywhere that it is a sequel. So, here’s me telling you as fair warning.
.
Overall, corny, fun, fast paced, just wild. Reminds me of Alien mixed with any ridiculous action movie.
March 8, 2021
I hadn't read the first in the series, but received this in a subscription box so I wanted to give it a try. You don't have to have read the first one to get the gist of what's going on, but there's continued references to "the event in New York" so you definitely get the sense that you've missed some things that would probably make the story/characters more interesting if you had read about all that too. I suspect a third in the series may be imminent. If you like creature features and government/military strategy this one may be for you.
August 22, 2019
Just like the first book, this was a great summer read that had all the fun and excitement of a 90s action movie. I took off one star because the dialogue would probably suit aforementioned movie, but on paper, fell flat. The climax was a blast and left me chomping at the bit to see where the third book takes us!
December 3, 2024
Honestly, I picked up this book just because Murr was one of the authors. I didn't read Awakened, so I assumed I would be lost for this one. That wasn't necessarily the case. It was mentioned just enough to catch the idea of what happened. Another thing, creepy dude + creepy critters= yes please. This book had some really awesome moments in it. Thumbs up 👍
June 17, 2021
I enjoyed the book. Lots of descriptions! It was not as much like the first book as I hoped it would be. The first book was more like a sci-fi/horror book. This book didn't give us that experience. I will be reading the last book of the series very soon.
July 11, 2019
Another quick read! I can't wait for the film ;)
July 17, 2019
I have to believe that this was intentionally written to be so-bad-that-it's-funny. If it was, then it's very well done.
December 2, 2019
Not even quite sure what to even say, it lost my attention. I had seen so much hype about both books so I was so excited to get both. I gave them away without even finishing. Sadly disappointed.
August 31, 2021
I always enjoy Murr's books. This is the second book in the series and it did not disappoint. This book is pretty scary, and I ended up having nightmares from it. If you like horror novels with politics, this book is for you. There is a lot of gore, so beware!
November 16, 2019
I was really looking forward to reading The Brink, which is the sequel to The Awakened. The Awakened was a pleasant surprise for me, So I had high hopes for this sequel. The story picks up a few months (I think) after the events of the first book.
Sadly, this was kind of a disappointment. One of the things that I loved about the first book was the suspense and creepiness. That was really lacking in this book. It felt more like a spy or secret government espionage story instead of horror. In fact, I was kind of bored. The villain in the book was over the top comically evil. Think Dr. Evil on steroids. The one thing I did appreciate was the background of the creatures and how they were first discovered. However, it wasn't enough to save the story for me. I'm not sure if there will be a third book. If there is, I may give it a try
Sadly, this was kind of a disappointment. One of the things that I loved about the first book was the suspense and creepiness. That was really lacking in this book. It felt more like a spy or secret government espionage story instead of horror. In fact, I was kind of bored. The villain in the book was over the top comically evil. Think Dr. Evil on steroids. The one thing I did appreciate was the background of the creatures and how they were first discovered. However, it wasn't enough to save the story for me. I'm not sure if there will be a third book. If there is, I may give it a try
July 7, 2020
This book made me think of the decline of The Walking Dead. Instead of being focused on the creatures themselves like it’s predecessor (which had Van Ness as a supporting subplot rather than the whole book), this one leans into the possibly George Soros-inspired character of Albert Van Ness and his plot to redesign/destroy humanity with the creatures being used as “attack dogs” for him. Like Walking Dead, the entire book becomes almost completely about human foes vs the creatures AND devolves a bit into a “1960’s Bond Movie” with the bad guy in the underground layer trying to take over the world. I hope the 3rd book fights the wrongs of this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2020
Seemed like the script of a Sci-Fi TV show. It was like Batman against some evil mastermind. A very weak story.
January 30, 2021
I received a copy of Brink included in the My coffee and a book club subscription. The theme of the box is supposed to be horror. Brink isn’t a horror story it’s a international thriller with monsters. Brink the sequel to awakening. Which means that getting brink in a box subscription is getting the second book in a series. I don’t know why the authors would want readers to start the story on the se one book rather than the first, and also be included in a horror box when the book isn’t a horror story but a thriller. The story is interesting and follows a global response to a terrorist using monsters to get 2% of each countries yearly income. Nothing is particularly scary or horrific in the book. The origin of the monsters isn’t explained much in Brink, I assume much of the background for characters was included in the first book. It’s unfortunate that book was included in the subscription box. Feels like a way to recoup losses when’s box doesn’t sell well. Over all the book is an interesting thriller. But I was not expecting to get a thriller when I subscribed to horror. The book isn’t scary, character development is extremely thin. Again the book starts in the middle of a story, where some characters have backstories we’re probably included in the first book. Biggest problem with the story is the absolute blandness of the characters and their motivations. What confused me the most was why the monsters have telekinetic powers at all. I mean their monsters that act like animals hunting and killing. But someone know when to freeze the bad guy and stop the world from blowing up. What’s the point of all the characters running all over the world when the monsters would stop the mad scientist all on their own. Huge plot and logic gaps in this story. I also find it frustrating that the what they monsters look like isn’t described much in this book. They have claws and tails and black skin. That’s it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2024
The world stands on the brink, now more than ever.
A delicious cheese fondue, chocked full of schnapps and garlic, preferrably served in the shadow of the Swiss Alps (oh I know a place in Interlaken that does it right!). A perfectly delivered pizza quattro formaggi, definitely with at least one really good, stinky goat cheese included. A wonderful raclette, served with fresh cheese and a variety of delectable plats d'accompagnement, usually in the form of thinly sliced meats or likewise prepared fresh vegetables. An absolutely divine tartiflette, with only the finest potatoes, reblochon cheese, onions and bacon baked to perfection (my wife is the best at this)! Oh and speaking of bacon, how about a perfect cheeseburger, topped with emmental, cheddar and perhaps even a third surprise cheesy partner to go along with these finely grilled ingredients? Oh and what the heck, how about a superb cheese platter - can I order some well-aged Comté and also Tête de Moine for me? - served as a precursor to after-dinner drinks and later dessert, maybe even mousse au chocolat? Who could ask for anything more?
One of our species is destined to plummet into oblivion. One will survive as the dominant force on the planet.
Yes, friends, these are some of my all-time favorite cheesy things to enjoy! And now I'm glad to add to that list "The Brink", the second and penultimate installment of James S. Murray' and Darren Wearmouth's, "Awakened" trilogy. But please, don't mistake my frivolous introduction to any kind of negative reaction to my reading experience. As with the first book, "Awakening", this was an extremely entertaining jaunt through the maze of schemes and conspiracies that quite possibly herald the end of mankind! But goodness gracious me, this deliciously rendered tale does get really, REALLY corny (we'll try another foodstuff, m'kay?) in spots! Still, I promise if you don't take it too seriously and ignore some of the more obvious "don't go in there, you fool!" moments, you'll have as much fun as I did reading it!
The snarls. The teeth. The spine-tingling shrieks. The thrashing tails.
This time - sadly in many ways to me - we race quickly out of the confines of New York City and continue almost literally around the globe (ok, ok, we're just primarily in Europe and the US) to fight both the threat of "the creatures" (also sadly, no cool names were forthcoming) as well as the revenge-minded Nazi hard-liner Albert Van Ness, who seeks not only to establish human dominance but refine that into clear Hitler-mandated standards ("…the Third Reich will rise again. I will rise again."). Nothing is off the table for this cruel man, as we are met by remote-controlled beasties AND a thermonuclear arsenal that almost defied belief! And the only thing - at first - standing in the way of the diabolical cabal of the Foundation for Human Advancement is the 4-person team of the David M. North Memorial Foundation.
This really is it. Death or glory for a final time.
So hang on: against the billions of dollars in funding of Van Ness's scheme, powering the tens of thousands of his "soldiers", and advanced weaponry, combined with the uncalculable number of critters waiting to chew us all to bits, we have… wait, is that right? … yep, just the ex-mayor Tom Cafferty, his wife Ellen, Diego Munoz (formerly of the MTA) and ex-SWAT agent Sarah Bowcut. No problems, right? This though does assure us of a repeat of some of the more, well, repetive and even redundant parts of the first book. For example, Tom is still struggling with his need to obsess about his goals, even at the cost of his family. Sarah is still lamenting the loss of her father and brother, both of whom had died during 9/11, which often tempts her to be distracted at the worst moments possible. And Diego faithfully continues to wonder how a gangster turned good might be turning gangster again, all the while showing a level of computer expertise that is really rather impressive! Yet, despite all this, they manage do a lot of really, well, dumb things along the way, including leaving Ellen in the most perfect place to be kidnapped you could imagine! But like Flash, we just know they'll save every one of us with skills that'll surprise themselves and all of us, too!
He was so proud of her, the way she had acted, and his heart swelled at how brave she was.
As mentioned, our tale takes us to such wonderful locales as London (England), Paris (France) and even nearby (to me) Solothurn (Switzerland) which in all honesty truly is a lovely wee place to visit. Shame about all the kablooey stuff that happens there, not to mention a couple of seemingly benign spots in the middle part of the US (easy there, Cornhuskers, just making a point!). But hey, if you can't save mankind by blowing everyone to smithereens, really, what's the purpose? And goodness knows since we're monitoring for earthquakes pretty much across the globe on a constant basis, none of the needed prep work would have ever shown up at all, huh? Again, get your belief well-suspended, chillax and maybe enjoy a cheesy treat along the way, then enjoy thoroughly.
He despaired that there was nothing he could do. He was going to witness the end of the world.
After all, the authors have once again carefully manipulated their Sharknado-worthy plot into a position to let everything hang loose for the big finale. Yes, the foreshadowing is delivered with the deft touch of a piledriver. Yes, some of the statements have not aged well AT ALL in our post-COVID world ("Great Britain was renowned for its sense of fair play and lack of corruption."). Yes, when people say today "the ex-Mayor of New York City" our first thought is perhaps not all that positive (or even sane)! But take my word for it: I've been reading pretty much non-stop for 4 days now and don't intend to slow down now! The lasers are loaded (even the Millenium Falcon versions!), the disco balls are ready to be flung and it's time to convince the people of the world to finally unite together in a common cause that will save us and future generations as well! You know, like we've done for climate change… oh wait… wow, we're fucked aren't we? Seriously though: great stuff fans, enjoy!
A delicious cheese fondue, chocked full of schnapps and garlic, preferrably served in the shadow of the Swiss Alps (oh I know a place in Interlaken that does it right!). A perfectly delivered pizza quattro formaggi, definitely with at least one really good, stinky goat cheese included. A wonderful raclette, served with fresh cheese and a variety of delectable plats d'accompagnement, usually in the form of thinly sliced meats or likewise prepared fresh vegetables. An absolutely divine tartiflette, with only the finest potatoes, reblochon cheese, onions and bacon baked to perfection (my wife is the best at this)! Oh and speaking of bacon, how about a perfect cheeseburger, topped with emmental, cheddar and perhaps even a third surprise cheesy partner to go along with these finely grilled ingredients? Oh and what the heck, how about a superb cheese platter - can I order some well-aged Comté and also Tête de Moine for me? - served as a precursor to after-dinner drinks and later dessert, maybe even mousse au chocolat? Who could ask for anything more?
One of our species is destined to plummet into oblivion. One will survive as the dominant force on the planet.
Yes, friends, these are some of my all-time favorite cheesy things to enjoy! And now I'm glad to add to that list "The Brink", the second and penultimate installment of James S. Murray' and Darren Wearmouth's, "Awakened" trilogy. But please, don't mistake my frivolous introduction to any kind of negative reaction to my reading experience. As with the first book, "Awakening", this was an extremely entertaining jaunt through the maze of schemes and conspiracies that quite possibly herald the end of mankind! But goodness gracious me, this deliciously rendered tale does get really, REALLY corny (we'll try another foodstuff, m'kay?) in spots! Still, I promise if you don't take it too seriously and ignore some of the more obvious "don't go in there, you fool!" moments, you'll have as much fun as I did reading it!
The snarls. The teeth. The spine-tingling shrieks. The thrashing tails.
This time - sadly in many ways to me - we race quickly out of the confines of New York City and continue almost literally around the globe (ok, ok, we're just primarily in Europe and the US) to fight both the threat of "the creatures" (also sadly, no cool names were forthcoming) as well as the revenge-minded Nazi hard-liner Albert Van Ness, who seeks not only to establish human dominance but refine that into clear Hitler-mandated standards ("…the Third Reich will rise again. I will rise again."). Nothing is off the table for this cruel man, as we are met by remote-controlled beasties AND a thermonuclear arsenal that almost defied belief! And the only thing - at first - standing in the way of the diabolical cabal of the Foundation for Human Advancement is the 4-person team of the David M. North Memorial Foundation.
This really is it. Death or glory for a final time.
So hang on: against the billions of dollars in funding of Van Ness's scheme, powering the tens of thousands of his "soldiers", and advanced weaponry, combined with the uncalculable number of critters waiting to chew us all to bits, we have… wait, is that right? … yep, just the ex-mayor Tom Cafferty, his wife Ellen, Diego Munoz (formerly of the MTA) and ex-SWAT agent Sarah Bowcut. No problems, right? This though does assure us of a repeat of some of the more, well, repetive and even redundant parts of the first book. For example, Tom is still struggling with his need to obsess about his goals, even at the cost of his family. Sarah is still lamenting the loss of her father and brother, both of whom had died during 9/11, which often tempts her to be distracted at the worst moments possible. And Diego faithfully continues to wonder how a gangster turned good might be turning gangster again, all the while showing a level of computer expertise that is really rather impressive! Yet, despite all this, they manage do a lot of really, well, dumb things along the way, including leaving Ellen in the most perfect place to be kidnapped you could imagine! But like Flash, we just know they'll save every one of us with skills that'll surprise themselves and all of us, too!
He was so proud of her, the way she had acted, and his heart swelled at how brave she was.
As mentioned, our tale takes us to such wonderful locales as London (England), Paris (France) and even nearby (to me) Solothurn (Switzerland) which in all honesty truly is a lovely wee place to visit. Shame about all the kablooey stuff that happens there, not to mention a couple of seemingly benign spots in the middle part of the US (easy there, Cornhuskers, just making a point!). But hey, if you can't save mankind by blowing everyone to smithereens, really, what's the purpose? And goodness knows since we're monitoring for earthquakes pretty much across the globe on a constant basis, none of the needed prep work would have ever shown up at all, huh? Again, get your belief well-suspended, chillax and maybe enjoy a cheesy treat along the way, then enjoy thoroughly.
He despaired that there was nothing he could do. He was going to witness the end of the world.
After all, the authors have once again carefully manipulated their Sharknado-worthy plot into a position to let everything hang loose for the big finale. Yes, the foreshadowing is delivered with the deft touch of a piledriver. Yes, some of the statements have not aged well AT ALL in our post-COVID world ("Great Britain was renowned for its sense of fair play and lack of corruption."). Yes, when people say today "the ex-Mayor of New York City" our first thought is perhaps not all that positive (or even sane)! But take my word for it: I've been reading pretty much non-stop for 4 days now and don't intend to slow down now! The lasers are loaded (even the Millenium Falcon versions!), the disco balls are ready to be flung and it's time to convince the people of the world to finally unite together in a common cause that will save us and future generations as well! You know, like we've done for climate change… oh wait… wow, we're fucked aren't we? Seriously though: great stuff fans, enjoy!
June 6, 2019
2.75 out of 5, rounding up for Goodreads.
After a fairly decent first book, I was hoping book 2 would be as good or ideally better, but unfortunately it leaves much to be desired. There was an opportunity to focus on the creatures and go more scifi, but it went a weird petty revenge way that left me disappointed. I previously compared the creatures to xenomorphs and the creature from Pitch Black, which I felt was a near nod, but this time around it felt too forced and obvious that there is a strong influence. There was too much going on in such a short time frame that it all also felt impossible, and normally I can suspend reality quite a bit, but this felt rushed and very flat.
I'm so disappointed, as I had been looking forward to this after the way book 1 went.
After a fairly decent first book, I was hoping book 2 would be as good or ideally better, but unfortunately it leaves much to be desired. There was an opportunity to focus on the creatures and go more scifi, but it went a weird petty revenge way that left me disappointed. I previously compared the creatures to xenomorphs and the creature from Pitch Black, which I felt was a near nod, but this time around it felt too forced and obvious that there is a strong influence. There was too much going on in such a short time frame that it all also felt impossible, and normally I can suspend reality quite a bit, but this felt rushed and very flat.
I'm so disappointed, as I had been looking forward to this after the way book 1 went.
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