Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review
I love a good monster, cryptid, or in this case, dinosaur story, and I love the creativity found within the pages. After finishing the first chapter of Monsters in the Clouds I knew I had found another story that met this criteria. Russell James mixed real science with his fiction and that added a layer of realism I really enjoyed. Our protagonist, Grant, who is an author, paleontologist, and college professor, was also the main character in Cavern of the Damned (which I now want to read). I was immediately drawn to this character and his sense of humor, and the surrounding characters were well written too.
Grant is now on another adventure after being hired to prove, or disprove, the existence of an Apatosaurus dinosaur. There is some dubious evidence that the dinosaur is living in the Amazon jungle. Grant and a small team set off to see if the dinosaur is real or if this is a well played hoax. What could possibly go wrong in the middle of nowhere chasing down dinosaurs? I remember how Jurassic Park turned out!
The numerous species Grant finds and isolation of the jungle created a great atmosphere for this story. At every turn there were hidden dangers, and many of them deadly. Grant and the others came looking for an Apatosaurus and found plenty of other surprises. When a giant corporation hires you for an expedition it can’t be expected to go well, and it didn’t. I found the true reason for the expedition very cool and the fact it was kept secret not surprising. I always love a good twist, and this book had many. Now my next challenge, figuring out when I can fit Cavern of the Damned into my ever growing reading list!
Length: 136 Pages
Publisher: Severed Press
Release date: January 29, 2018
To Purchase Monsters in the Clouds Click Here
Paleontologist Grant Coleman and activist Janaina Silva are recruited by Thana Katsoros for a top secret expedition, one in search of a live Apatosaurus on a plateau deep in the Amazonian rain forest.
But their plane crashes short of their destination, and the entire group faces a terrifying fight for survival. This isolated area hosts unknown animals more fearsome than they’d expected, including giant ants and flesh-eating pterosaurs.
Even worse, Katsoros’ agenda has more to it than meets the eye, and Grant soon fears that it doesn’t include all of them getting back alive. Will any expedition members survive to be rescued, or will they be devoured by the creatures indigenous peoples call the monsters in the clouds?
Russell James, Biography-
Russell James grew up on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and The Twilight Zone, despite his parents’ warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.
After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight. He has written the paranormal thrillers Dark Inspiration, Sacrifice, Black Magic, Dark Vengeance, and Dreamwalker. He has several horror short story collections, including Tales from Beyond and Deeper into Darkness, as well as some science fiction collections. Now, Q Island, released July 7, 2015 and he’s already under contract for his next book for 2016.
His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.” He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.
To find out more about Russell R. James, please visit his Website or follow him on Facebook! Join him on Twitter, @RRJames14. Also, feel free to drop him at a line at firstname.lastname@example.org.