Review: The Brink by James S. Murray & Darren Wearmouth

Authors: James S. Murray & Darren Wearmouth
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: June 2019

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.

I was really looking forward to reading The Brink, which is the sequel to The Awakened (my review). 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.  

Review: Awakened by James S. Murray & Darren Wearmouth

Author: James S. Murray & Darren Wearmouth
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Date of publication: June 2018

After years of waiting, New York's newest subway line is finally ready, an express train that connects the city with the burgeoning communities across the Hudson River. The shining jewel of this state-of-the-art line is a breathtaking visitors’ pavilion beneath the river.  Major dignitaries, including New York City’s Mayor and the President of the United States, are in attendance for the inaugural run, as the first train slowly pulls in.

Under the station’s bright ceiling lights, the shiny silver cars gleam. But as the train comes closer into view, a far different scene becomes visible.

All the train’s cars are empty.

All the cars’ interiors are drenched in blood.

As chaos descends, all those in the pavilion scramble to get out. But the horror is only beginning. High levels of deadly methane fill the tunnels. The structure begins to flood. For those who don’t drown, choke or spark an explosion, another terrifying danger awaits—the thing that killed all those people on the train. It’s out there…and it’s coming.

There's something living beneath New York City, and it's not happy we've woken it up.

Awakened was a random library pick that I ended up being pleasantly surprised with.  The book opens with a the launch of New York's latest subway line.  It's supposed to be an express to from New York to New Jersey under the Hudson river. Reporters, The President of the US and the mayor of New York are on the New Jersey platform waiting for the train to arrive.  When it does, everyone on the train is gone and only bloody hand prints remain.  

I thought this book was a fun sci-fi horror adventure.  The authors did a great job of building tension and suspense. It's bloody and gory, but I didn't mind.  I had a hard time turning the audiobook off, I was that engrossed in the story.   I loved that no one was safe. It was hard to predict who would make it out alive.  The creatures were truly creepy and not something I would want to be caught with underground. It makes you wonder what is really lurking under the subway tracks.  

There are a few twists, since the reader can't predict who is playing for which side.  I could easily see this made into a movie (if it was done right).  My only complaint is that I want to know more about the creatures and how they were first discovered.  Maybe in the next book we will get more background.

I definitely recommend this one. These two author's have done a great job with this collaboration and I look forward to reading more from them.