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The Kraken of Cape Madre (Lorestalker #2)

J.P. Barnett (Goodreads Author)

4.30 · Rating details · 57 ratings · 19 reviews

Spring break will never be the same after a legendary creature rises from the depths.

It’s been almost two years, but the nightmares still haunt Miriam Brooks—grisly images of her brother being slaughtered. A relaxing Spring Break at the beach seems like a good way to put some distance between her and the troubling past, but paradise shatters when she saves a tourist fr ...more

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Kindle Edition, 239 pages

Published June 3rd 2019 by Evolved Publishing LLC

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Mar 10, 2022 Toria (some what in hiatus) rated it really liked it

The first book wasn't available on my book app but I hoped I would get into the story anywho and enjoy it and I definitely did. Intrigued to see where the series is going next ...more

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Jun 25, 2019 †Reviews of a FearStreetZombie† rated it it was amazing

Barnett has skills. He has the ability to take a reader anywhere and everywhere and make you feel every bit of emotions his characters are feeling.

I hate sea books. Won't even lie there. But I loved Barnett's first Lorestalker book, so I knew I could trust this book would be just as amazing. It. Did. Not. Fail.
Oh man, this book is one of a kind for me, literally. Haha.

The pacing was perfect and the tension. Oh gosh the tension was crazy. I felt like a rubberband pulled to tight. The buildup w ...more

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Nov 15, 2020 Barbara J. rated it really liked it

Very entertaining and good science!

Enjoyed the premise, but the climax seemed unending. The mystery of the missing victims, the connection to the Sirens, the evolution of the organisms, all were described skillfully. I would read more J.P. Barnett!

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May 04, 2019 Amanda rated it it was amazing

I liked this one even more than the first book in the series! The characters got fleshed out further without sacrificing the fast-paced nature of his writing. He is such an intelligent writer, and I found line after witty line that I can’t imagine finding anywhere else. I love watching the progression of this author and his characters! I was rather sad to see the book end😭.

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Aug 07, 2020 Liza Cordero rated it really liked it

Great pacing

It starts out with a day on the beach, slow & calm. Then it picks up the pace quickly. A monster hunt that draws you in.

I wanted to know more about the characters. They were endearing, but I felt that there was more to them. The story revolved around the threat, the monster, which was really another main character in the book.

If you like adventure stories and epic monsters, this book is definitely a must-read.

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May 28, 2019 Alicia Smock rated it it was amazing

2019 is proving to be an amazing year for talented new authors in the writing community and many of these authors are coming from the publisher readers need to keep their eye on: Evolved Publishing. One such author, J.P. Barnett, released his debut novel, The Beast of Rose Valley, in early March. This debut marked the first in his creature feature suspense Lorestalker Series. Now, just a few months later, readers can read the next in Barnett’s promising new series with the release of The Kraken 2019 is proving to be an amazing year for talented new authors in the writing community and many of these authors are coming from the publisher readers need to keep their eye on: Evolved Publishing. One such author, J.P. Barnett, released his debut novel, The Beast of Rose Valley, in early March. This debut marked the first in his creature feature suspense Lorestalker Series. Now, just a few months later, readers can read the next in Barnett’s promising new series with the release of The Kraken of Madre Cape on June 3rd.

Two years have passed since the Beast terrorized the small town of Rose Valley. Two years have passed since Miriam witnessed her brother’s massacre and her life was changed forever. Trying to forget her haunting past, Miriam travels to Cape Madre with her newfound friend Macy for a fun Spring Break at the beach. The fun does not last long when Miriam finds herself saving a tourist from something lurking under the water… something big and very dangerous. Seafaring legends and Norse mythology point her in the direction of a sea creature she aims to find and destroy, yet her past as a hunter for creatures of legend is the past she so longs to forget. Now, Miriam faces the battle of her life to not only save Cape Madre from becoming the next victim to a creature of the deep, but to save herself from becoming someone she is not meant to be.

Barnett has not only succeeded in telling yet another exciting new story for fans of monsters and folklore, he has strengthened his writing and storytelling skills in The Kraken of Cape Madre. His short, sweet, and to the point writing style still takes readers on a fast-paced adventure, but he slows down just a touch in his newest novel, giving readers more detail behind the characters of the story and the recent disappearances of people from Cape Madre. His storytelling is just as clever as it was in The Beast of Rose Valley and has gained a bit more of the suspense/ horror aspect the first seemed to have been lacking.

While the monster in The Kraken of Cape Madre is more well-known than the Beast Barnett introduced, this new monster is not what it seems. Readers may have it pegged for what the title gives away; however, Barnett has worked his magic and put a clever spin on a legend told since the times of pirates and Vikings. Introducing the monster right away, Barnett continues his trademark of not leaving the readers saying, “Reveal what the threat is already!”, rather, having his readers say, “Wow, that was fast! Tell me more!”. A very clever technique Barnett has developed right at the start of his writing career is giving just enough detail to keep readers guessing without giving away the mystery. For example, there are parts in the story where the monster is mentioned and described to the readers, but at the same time, it isn’t described. Without even realizing it, readers will have a clear image of the monster in their minds with very minimal detail given.

While the cast of characters in The Beast of Rose Valley was small, it is even smaller in The Kraken of Cape Madre. In all honesty, this was an excellent decision on Barnett’s part. While he developed his former characters very well, there were still certain aspects of some that remained a mystery. The handful of characters in this story, some readers already know and some brand new faces, are given the chance to grow and develop as the story goes on. His characters’ dialog is just as strong in this installment as his first, but the most noteworthy character is the main protagonist, Miriam. While she did not have as much time in the spotlight before, readers will most certainly learn about her now. Her character is so complex and beautifully written. She longs to hunt the monster to avenge her brother’s death, yet also does not want to revisit her past of how she was trained to track down folklore. She is sure of herself, yet at the same time, indecisive. She portrays the perfect blend of stubbornness and grief, a combination many readers can most likely relate to.

Fans of monsters and folklore are in for yet another treat as Barnett continues his new Lorestalker Series with a second strong installment. The Kraken of Cape Madre offers readers what The Beast of Rose Valley did and more. His fast-paced storytelling and the mystery and suspense of his monster keep readers intrigued and wanting to know more. It offers a bit more of a horror aspect in addition to the suspense and thrills and more adventure. If anything, Barnett’s new series is almost turning into a crazy new version of Scooby Doo: no talking dog and goofiness, but plenty of thrills and hunting of monsters not in a costume. This series of unknown length is becoming one to keep an eye on. Pick up a copy of The Kraken of Cape Madre on June 3rd and readers will also get a first look at the third in the series, The Witch of Gray’s Point, releasing in December of this year.

**Originally published on my blog Roll Out Reviews on May 28, 2019** ...more

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Jan 03, 2021 Carin rated it it was amazing

Ah, 2020…the year of my brain going to mush. It got very bad. I had to switch to audiobooks at one point because I just couldn’t hold my focus to read a book. As 2021 begins, it is a year I think I will take to reset my brain and expectations of myself as we settle in to an uncertain year.

To begin my year, I decided to turn off my television and pick up a book that had been sitting on my shelf for some time. I knew J.P. Barnett’s first book of the Lorestalker series, The Beast of Rose Valley was Ah, 2020…the year of my brain going to mush. It got very bad. I had to switch to audiobooks at one point because I just couldn’t hold my focus to read a book. As 2021 begins, it is a year I think I will take to reset my brain and expectations of myself as we settle in to an uncertain year.

To begin my year, I decided to turn off my television and pick up a book that had been sitting on my shelf for some time. I knew J.P. Barnett’s first book of the Lorestalker series, The Beast of Rose Valley was a fun and quick read and is exactly the kind of book I’m looking for when I’m on the struggle bus with reading, so I picked up book two of the series, The Kraken of Cape Madre on New Year’s Day. I was not disappointed!

The book begins with two friends going to the Gulf of Mexico for Spring Break holiday. Macy is an outgoing young woman that wants to go out and have fun and meet lots of guys while Miriam is on the quieter and more cerebral side. While at the beach, a girl gets attacked by an unknown creature in the water and is saved by Miriam. The nature of the attack intrigues Miriam whose reluctant interest in cryptozoology gets piqued. She runs off to research what this animal could be and finds that the town has its past secrets with attacks.

Cape Madre is a fishing and tourism community and so Miriam’s research is not received well. As she pushes on to find out what this potential monster is, the action is pretty much non-stop. The locals are interesting. There is of course, an old salt with a heart of gold named Bark (who I still am considering what I think of his character as I finished the last pages) who knows what Miriam is searching for. The self-serving younger fisherman named Newt also plays a big role in Miriam’s search. Tommy, the detective assigned to the case of the attacked woman, was an instant favorite.

What transpires will not leave you waiting for long. The book is action packed and reads really quickly, and I found myself turning pages and having trouble walking away from the book. It is highly plot driven, lots of action, and really likeable characters. Miriam is a badass. I love her. She’s awkward, smart, and capable which is what I like to read when I read about females that are the main character of a story. Macy initially seemed pretty vapid, but by the end of the book I had changed my mind.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot because at less than 300 pages, the story reads so quickly that it would spoil it to say much more. I will say that it was a great way to start off my 2021 reading year and hopefully this will get me out of my reading slump. J.P. Barnett delivered a fantastic follow-up to The Beast of Rose Valley in my opinion, and I can’t wait to start the next book in the Lorestalker Series.

Cross-posted on my blog:
https://littlebookish.wordpress.com/2... ...more

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May 05, 2019 Rachael rated it it was amazing

The latest books from one of my favorite new authors is the kind I couldn't put down. It's the perfect book for a day at the beach, although you might want to swim before you start it as there are some scary things happening in the waters of a coastal Texas town. The characters became my friends quickly and still surprised me at times with the wisdom they shared. It's a fast paced mystery and a quick read but this author is so good at weaving in some of the complexities of life: the pull of addi ...more

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Jan 10, 2022 E.D. Martin rated it it was amazing

Book 2, The Kraken of Cape Madre, switches the main character from a Texas guy to Miriam. This threw me at first, since she was basically just a side character in the first book with no POV, but it works for the series, and she becomes the main protagonist for most of the series. Miriam, her cousin, and her best friend are on vacation on the Texas Gulf coast, and a giant octopus appears. Again, the author takes everything you think you've figured out about the story, tells you you're right, and ...more

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Jun 23, 2019 Crystal's Book World ~ Crystal Cordova rated it it was amazing

Wow! J.P. Barnett blew me away with The Kraken of Cape Madre! It is hard for me to really get into a thriller, folklore story. But Barnett will hold his readers captive and drawn to the mystics of his characters with this book. Mariam, she was perfection. I felt her need to protect. I could feel the hair on my arms standing. Book friends! If you need some suspense, thriller, folklore in you life, THIS IS IT!

...more

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Jun 07, 2019 Dean Palmer rated it it was amazing

Once again Mr. Barnett takes the reader on a fast, energy filled journey into the world of Cryptids. His writing is smooth and fast. Not only is the story fast paced but it reads fast. The author doesn't put in a lot of extraneous things that pull you out of the story. I was able to read the entire book in one plane trip, reading the last page as the plane touched down. From his first book you can see that Mr. Barnett has honed his craft and is keeping the story exciting and well written. ...more

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May 16, 2019 Lisa Perez rated it it was amazing

This book was so GREAT! One of the best books I've read in a long time. I seriously couldn't put it down. I read the whole book in just 36 hours. The characters were fleshed out and I really cared about them. There were no slow spots. It was funny, intelligent, and surprising. I absolutely loved it. Miriam is my favorite. ...more

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May 04, 2019 Mistie Cogdill rated it it was amazing

Exiting and hard to put down! Loved it. Really enjoy having a smart, badass girl for the main character.

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Jun 12, 2020 Sylri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: creature-feature, horror

Another great book in the Lorestalker series.
I think I liked this book even more than the first - which is saying something because I really liked the first book!

J.P. Barnett does a great job weaving the supernatural events with human involvement that creates a page turner which makes you want to find out how everything is tied in together. In that way it makes me think more of a supernatural thriller (a cousin of the occult detective) which I love the idea of and wish there were more of.

Miria ...more

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May 14, 2021 Javier Reyes rated it really liked it

The classic story of a kraken that we've all heard about attacking ships at sea, but told in a way current with modern times. It manages to be a little more complicated than just a huge octopus and makes for a fun read. ...more

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Jul 17, 2019 Kyle May rated it it was amazing

I liked the first book, but thought this one showed growth in Barnett's writing. I liked the pace of the story and I felt the suspense of the story pushing me to finish the book quicker than planned. ...more

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Nov 05, 2019 Shaun Little rated it it was amazing

Exciting read from start to finish! Looking very much forward to the next in the series. Do yourself a favor and read this book, and the first one too.

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Aug 08, 2022 Rachel Barnard rated it really liked it

Full review to follow.

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Jan 22, 2021 Lynn Leach rated it liked it

Interesting enough to keep me reading so I finished it in 2 days!

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About J.P. Barnett

J.P. Barnett

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J.P. Barnett grew up in a tiny Texas town where the list of possible vocations failed to include published author.

As a child, J.P. consumed any book he could get his hands on. The likes of Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and Dean Koontz paved the bookshelves of his childhood, providing a plethora of fantastical and terrifying tales that he read way too early in life. Though the effect these books ...more