Cryptids

Cryptids #1

by David Haynes

Shaw and his loyal dog Girl do their best to avoid humanity, especially now that his fellow werewolves are nearly extinct. But humanity is heading his way.

The Facility is a research centre that specialises in cryptozoology: the search for legendary creatures. Once these ‘cryptids’ are found, they are caged, abused and experimented on to graft their physical prowess onto ordinary soldiers.

Even as the Facility’s troops hunt down Shaw, and the cunning Cryptid Nine plans her escape, something far more horrifying is emerging from hibernation to feed.

And both human and cryptid will discover that nothing can stop the Wendigo…

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal, Monsters, Audiobook, Fiction, Cryptids

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 15, 2021

About the author

When 12 year-old David Haynes picked up a battered copy of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, he never looked back.

Writing in the grand tradition of the horror paperback originals of his misspent youth, Haynes populates his spine-chilling novels with ancient evils and small-town terrors, mutant monstrosities and knife-wielding psychopaths, and is dedicated to disproving the depressing observation that “...they don’t write ‘em like they used to.”

David Haynes is the author of sixteen horror novels and three collections of macabre short fiction, and lives in England with his wife and dog - that he wasn’t allowed to call Cujo.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a great "creature feature" romp into the mind of author, David Haynes!



A small backstory without giving away spoilers:

A facility research center is studying cryptids but they put the beasts through torture which makes some of them want to break free of their prisons.

Shaw (a werewolf) and his loyal companion dog (Girl) roam their own territory, but something else has entered their domain and Shaw is on high alert to get rid of the intruder anyway he can, but easier said than done as this beast is far superior than anything that Shaw has ever encountered.
The hunt is on for all beastly creatures as soldiers from the facility will do anything in their power to take down the beasts including the intruder that is in their midst.

That is about all I can give on a backstory so no spoilers here as you will need to just read the book!

Thoughts:

I have read a few books by this author and I am always impressed about how fast I am drawn into his stories. This one was no exception and the fast paced of the story starts off with creature action which ended up being full throttle for most of the book. There is a second book that is out so I will be continuing on with the story. Giving this book five "Creature Feature Cryptid" stars.

For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really craving some creepy, "creature feature" (as someone else put it) and I wasn't disappointed at all. Great fun at parts, some creepier than others and I'm intrigued to read more from this author or in the series if there is more

[Graeme Rodaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret Facility Imbroglio! Monsters or just Monstrous! "Well, supposedly the cryptids were the monsters, but the real freaks were the people who worked there!" - The Hidden Facility Report

This is my first outing with a book by David Haynes, and this is a ripper of a story. Filled with wonderfully imagined 'monsters,' of the cryptid and human sort.

It was easy to read and enjoy.

Note: Lots of violence and gore.

Recommended. '5 Ripper Monsters,' stars.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one by David Haynes! Great storyline with having all kinds of cryptids in it, instead of just one. Loved some of the characters and absolutely hated others. This book made me feel so many emotions. Going to have to read the second book soon to see what happens.

TW: animal cruelty/death

[Shainlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 Stellarly Spiky stars

The idea of cryptids is fascinating to me. Well, the idea of any undiscovered species of animal or plant is fascinating as well. The idea of a species that has evolved itself to have specialized adaptations to survive in its environment really amazes me. I love watching David Attenborough talk about Madagascar ! The unusual fascinates and scares.

Haynes uses that very well in his first book; the fascination we have for the uncanny, the otherworldly, and the unusual. Different characters: some are military and blind to the existence of cryptids, some ARE cryptids, some are military-ish and very aware of them, some are in it up to their chin and obsessed with cryptids (for differing wack-a-doo reasons); and other ppl are just jerks that were always a few biscuits short of a full pan.

The story is intense and raw and got very emotional with me, especially when it came to Girl. I almost stopped reading. I’m glad I did not. The main protagonist grew on me and I really wanted to see him at least left in a place to be in the next book.
I have to say, the Wendigo sounded fierce and nauseating and I kept wondering how will they get away?

[David Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good creature feature that doesn't take itself too seriously. The action kicks in almost from the get-go, and once it has a hold on you the story rarely lets up. In fact, judging by its tone I'd guess that author David Haynes is a fan of 70s/80s splatterpunk.

I also enjoyed the fact there are various brands of monster depicted in this book, including a creature that is criminally underrepresented within the genre. Fast paced and bloody, what more could you want?

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always excited to see a new David Haynes novel. Cryptids are hidden life forms (like werewolves) and there’s a special place in America where they are being ‘studied’, to use the word loosely. We see this from several points of view and I found the writing drew me into hoping for the best for some monstrous creatures. It’s cleverly and excitingly written and sometimes pulls the reader’s sympathies in unexpected directions. I’m really pleased to see that this is the first of a series and I can’t wait to read the rest.

[Wayne Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gawd!

Ok I'm not smoking any grass right now so this review won't be as all over the place as my review for Skitters was lol. Creature Features are bigger than ever now and I hope this author does more in this genre. God do a horror kaiju story while your at it! David Haynes is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. He doesn't take himself to seriously which makes a great writer in my book he doesnt bog his stories down with unnecessary nonsense and this bro is a lover of good o!d fashioned 80's to mid 90's style splatter punk escapism and I can't thank this author enough for just making a good cringe worthy story cringe worthy in a good way. Just do more the monster in this one was fantastic!

P.s some people don't like splatter punk understandable but I mean it in a forgive me if I spell this authors last Rick Hautala sort of way

[myreadingescapism · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Shaw and Girl. I was rooting for them all the way. Quick little creature feature.

[Horror_Reader1973 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

A werewolf, monsters, experiments, a mad scientist, an army made up of deviants and isolated facility - what more could a horror lover want?

I loved it. David Haynes writing is so fluid, he uses simplicity as a wand to create magic! His characters, descriptions and imagery are easily brought to life and imagined in your mind. He's a master of brutal, bloody gore as a realistic trait not something unbelievable.

The characters in this book are great! A right horrible bag of psychopaths. I love the facility, Dr Borm is despicable (perfectly despicable), his experiments are gruesome, inhuman and relentless.

Shaw is my favorite character, an isolated man, just minding his own business until gunfire and men venture onto his territory.

(Trigger warning - there is a dog, and without spoilers- if you don't like dogs getting hurt you won't like this book.)

[Dawn Tincher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was so fun. It's definitely not for everyone but it reminded me of all the nights I sat with my dad watching "Josh Gates" (on the old Sci-Fi Network) hunt Bigfoot. I listened to this one to kill time before Onyx Storm comes out and was pumped to see its a set of 3 books.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 star until the last 1/3 of the nook, which just revved everything up. Great ending. Fast paced and gory. Onto the next Haynes book as I really enjoyed this.

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

Very enjoyable book! Action packed, all kinds of monsters, great gory scenes. I will definitely be checking out more by him!

[Joo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I'd fancy this based on the description, but as I usually love this author's stories I got stuck in.
It didn't disappoint. Whilst the story-line looks far fetched, the story wasn't too out there and silly.

I'm looking forward to where this series will go. It wasn't left on annoying cliff-hanger. Just a hint that there's more of this story to come.

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

No morals, no remorse, no thought, just fury. It was beautiful.

4 1/2 stars! I must confess to being extremely pleased and surprised at how much I enjoyed David Haynes "Cryptids", the first book in the trilogy of the same name. No, not because I doubted the author's talents but because - how to put this? - well, because I had been deeply hurt before by a vaguely similar set-up. You see (have the violins started yet?) some months ago I was working on a cryptid-themed reading challenge and had then made the decision to have only book containing a = ONE Wendigo, as well as any multiple cryptids-facing-off-in-climatic-battle-scene (or scenes as the cases wound up being), um, book in my list. And at that time, I went instead with the "Bishop" duology by Candace Nola, which wound up being a rather drawn-out and poorly executed couple of stories that had me regretting for a while not only my selection but involving myself in the read-a-thon in the first place.

Monsters were everywhere. You just had to know how to smell them.

Yes, for all you writers out there, it's not only the talent YOU possess or how well YOUR book is received. But you need to accept that your fellow writers' efforts also influence whether or not we mere humans known as the reading public will buy your books. Totally fair, right? Needless to say at that time I swore off Wendigo-based stories as well as pretty much anything with the prefix were- shoved in front (exceptions included were-rats and were-cats in the domain of one Douglas Lumsden). THANKFULLY though, all that is behind me now because this first chapter by Haynes was absolutely kick-ass fantastic (it took me a while but I got there)! "Cryptids" was very well-written and exciting, with a host of fascinating and badly damaged characters including, yes, a Wendigo, at least one werewolf and some kind of critter I still haven't been able to identify (reminder to self: google "cryptid with spikes everywhere"). And that doesn't even start on us on the hybrids, the pseudo-bigfoot, nor the various psycho- and sociopaths that made up the human contingent in this thrilling adventure. Or it's really just one big clusterfuck, your call.

In its wake, a smoky plume of death trailed from its gaping maw.

And while we're on the topic (we are, trust me): if you are interested in checking this book out, I would put it in the same category as Larry Correia's "Monster Hunters International" stories, though with much, much less weapons worship than the MHI crew shows. Sure, it's still very much in parts a "hoorah, let's kick some cryptid ass" tale but all that is within reason and there's some neat twists included with same. I'd also even give a nod towards Nicholas Sansbury Smith' and Tom Abrahams' truly immortal "Extinction Red Line" aka "Extinction Cycle #0.5", which I hope that fans of this sub-genre know was the precursor to the amazing "Extinction Cycle" series of what I still think of as just an absolutely wonderfully apocalyptic set of stories! Bottom-line - and lesson to be learned - though is that when you're looking to enhance soldiers by using bits and pieces from monstrous species, things will go very very wrong very very quickly! Even if you wind up using what Haynes refers to as a very human "Berserker" to practice your voodoo on! (no, sadly he did not wind up being a crazy-eyed, drooling Viking but we can't have everything, eh?)

Humanity had nothing to offer but wanton greed, violence and hatred.

Really though, again, it's Haynes' multiple POVs that he gives us with just a number of really off-kilter folks that make this story live and breathe, as far as any of these characters actually qualify for either. For example, even taken solely on his own, Captain Case is one really messed up killing machine. And he's not the only military man that shows only his worst side to the reader. From his fellows that make up whatever they decided to call these cryptid hunters to the psychopaths on guard duty at the Facility - including apparently one serial killer? - the service members of the USofA are not presented as gleaming paragons of citizenship and empathy. No, these are the folks that should already be long and thoroughly incarcerated and removed from endangering the public, if not worse (for them, not us).

He was a god, a demon. He was the creator, born of blood and death.

And that doesn't include the scientists that we meet, especially the utterly sadistic Doctor Borm (who I couldn't stop calling Brom in my head… and to be fair, he's called Born at least once!), the freak in charge of R&D who personally manages to mangle and abuse just about any living thing he's EVER gotten his hands on. But it all combines into one deliciously mixed potpourri of the worst humanity has to offer, to the point that we're all forgiven for wondering who are the real monsters involved here. Personally, I'm pulling for the folks that get all hairy during the full moon… what? Like they'll be worse than the current batch of "leaders" we've got running things?

The two parts of the creature, death and life, coexisted in a grotesque symbiosis.

We also then must include Shaw (his full name btw) and his loyal dog Girl (why you call her Girl? 'Cause that's what she is…). The history lessons that the former provides the reader are extremely poignant and added an absolutely wonderful sense of immortality and lore to the proceedings. No, cryptids are not something new, though the threat of man is relatively recent albeit overwhelming. It all makes for wonderful reading and I can't wait to continue the series - new reading challenge be damned (further chapters in a series don't count, sorry)! So as soon as I file this review away (as well as my abbreviated Amazon review, my Instagram post, and so on), I am definitely downloading both chapters 2 and 3! This is the good stuff folks and I'm just so glad the author reminded me why cryptid-based stories have always been among my favorites! Bite'cha later!

[Dale Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Got sucked right into the story from the very start. David's writing is great and makes it easy for the reader.

I will say this - there are only maybe 5 "main" characters and a handful of others that the storyline follows, the rest are fodder for the beasts. Speaking of the beasts, there wasnt as many as i thought there would be and they were all named "Cryptid X" (where X is a number) with generic horror movie descriptions (big claws, red eyes, deep carvenous maws, etc etc) - i was expecting things like Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster or numerous other real world cryptids. Something more specific and not generalised. That was my only disappointment with the book.

There's definitely an emotional attachment to be had with some characters, especially Shaw. Maybe even Dr. Borm. And it's a very enjoyable, blood spattered, action romp through the wilderness.

Looking forward to book 2 to see the story continue.

[Paul (Life In The Slow Lane) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cryptic christening into cryptids.

If you’re a bit sick of the standard creature feature fare, then maybe a cryptid is right up your alley (ouch…sounds painful). This one has an assortment of cryptids sprinkled with a few toothy werewolfies.

The writing style is all up in your face with staccato lines, weird descriptions and unimaginative names (the bloke calls his dog “girl” for heaven’s sake). Also, there seemed to be too many characters to keep track of in this complex plot. I remember thinking, “Shaw! Now was he a good guy or a bad guy?” (Hint: They’re all bad guys…hehehe.) I just loved the non-stop action and don’t be eatin’ your fish and chips while reading this, ‘cos it’s loaded with imaginative gory bits.

The ending leads into Book 2, which was a little disappointing as there were many ribbons left untied. Oh well. Guess I’ll be reading Book 2. I loved my second venture into Cryptid Land and give this 4 gory stars.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start of a new series by Haynes, a writer whose books I've enjoyed for a while. His books are well written, gory and fast paced, and Cryptids is all of these. Somewhere out in the woods military scientists are performing shady medical experiments upon human/animal/mythological creatures in an attempt to weaponize them. No chance of anything going wrong there then. There's werewolves and monsters and humans who're worse than the monsters. And then there's the mysterious Cryptid 12 who I hope we see a lot more of. I very much look forward to the next in the series.

[James Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great creature action

Like the title of the book says this is a supernatural adventure including creatures from myths like werewolfs and wendigo. I millitary unit is capturing cryptids in a hidden facility and experimenting on them to make weapons. A team is on the hunt for a wendigo but this time they fight a monster that fights back, a lot is happening here and it was fun to read, very well written and i will defently read a follow up

[Sammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is a possibility this is a better book than my rating suggests, but the audio narration is so very bad, I can't separate the two.

[The Smoog · Rating 3 out of 5]

The basic plot is pretty decent, and I guess that most people (like me) who are looking for a popcorn creature feature will enjoy it. There was maybe a little too much focus on the sexual aspect of one of the cryptids for my taste, but YMMV on that facet. I think the book's major flaw is its inconsistency in the abilities of the creatures, and in some of the characterisation. Otherwise, it was okay- not great, but alright to put on when you want something that you don’t have to really concentrate on.

One thing I will add is that I listened to this on Audible, and honestly there could have been better narration. It didn’t do anything for me at all, nearly every character was given the exact same gruff'n'tough voice that felt like an edgy teenager's version of a badass Wolverine-wannabe.

[Paul Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsters everywhere! Both traditional cryptids and proto-crypts are featured.
A man isolated from society gets an uninvited visitor to his home. Seeking to defend his claimed territory he winds up battling unknown foes. Using all his senses and resources to oust the intruder, our guy encounters a black-ops military force who use him as bait to lure the big, bad uglies to them.
More of an action-thriller than a horror novel—and the final few chapters are action packed indeed— it is a nifty spin on cryptid stories.
Can recommend.

[A.E. Stueve · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the classic sci-fi horror film Predaator was about a wendigo instead of an alien and had a b-story that focused on mad scientists and their captive experiments, you'd get Cryptids. A wild adventure with enough gore to please any horror fan and plenty of references to common and obscure cryptids, this book is a quik, fun ready. Best of all? There are two more in the series and I, for one, am excited to read more about Shaw, Cryptid 9, and all the other characters in Cryptids>.

[Rusty Ray Guns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't have my hopes up for this one for some reason maybe because it hasn't been put in print but I really enjoyed it .
It felt like a fun 80s horror paperback .
I liked the nuts characters the cryptid theme and the setting of this black ops human mutation cryptid capture unit and the secret underground facilities.
will definitely carry on with the series

[Mr Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humans are bad long live monsters.

This is a multi-story from the hunting of said monsters (Cryptids) to the experiments they perform on them and a werewolf who wants to be just left alone.

Really enjoyed this and hit all the buttons on the monster lust I've been craving.

A need for any monster fan.

[Stephen Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark but fun, fast-paced, gory creature feature with intense action sequences and intriguing characters (Girl is best girl). It also managed to be creepy and atmospheric in places, while never really feeling like a slog, even when it slowed down. In fact, I couldn’t put it down; it was that enjoyable.

[Elise Dufour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different but a great read

Really enjoyed this. Different but in a good way. Looking forward to the second book. Wondering how the Wendigo blood will finally play out in each character.

[Justin David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. More than great...

Incredible story! Strong characters blending the best of cryptid mythology. I find myself somewhat shocked that the author was able to weave such a rich and enthralling story using just two major theaters. Looking forward to the next one!

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I loved ''the skittering'', this just wasn't it for me. Didn't care for the characters, maybe Shaw and Girl I liked, but they weren't present enough for my rating to go up. Don't think I'll read second book, but who knows.

[Jessica L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free with audible membership. Give something t*ts and men will try to f*ck it. Really enjoyed everything about the book with the exception of the sexual assault. Good performances, great mix of cryptids, 1st book in a series.