EIGHT: Terror Has A New Species

I love this book love the spiders, I like most of the characters It is fast paced and thrilling can't wait to read the next one in

I enjoyed this. The characters are likeable, the writer does an excellent job of bringing the rainforest setting to life, and it's a gripping, exciting tale.My only real criticisms would be the over-use of certain plot devices:- the last third or quarter of the book contains far too many cliffhangers where one character or another is inches away from death, this gets repetitive after a while and the reader stops feeling the tension.- there are a few too many instances of words along the lines of "and then she saw it and realised the horrible truth" but the reader isn't told for another couple of chapters what she saw or what its significance was.Those plot devices work in moderation, they're just a bit over-used here.

My first and certainly not my last Mortensen book. It has it all what makes a book exciting for me. Old legends, trips to the Amazon, anything but friendly alien and local lifeforms. I can rifle through a book to get to the action, it wasn't necessary with this one. Reading this book made me double my bloodpressuremedication. I've put this man on my buy immediately list. So good and exciting.

The over the top action in last last third of the book spoilt it.Repeated sentences such as "and that was when he saw it" followed by a spider the size of a bus.I think less is more, like in the movie jaws. No need for this amount of continuous unrealistic chaos. Again, the first half was engaging enough.

Wonderfully researched and atmospheric; makes you feel you are in the Amazon rainforest. Spiders are creepy and the story is well told. My biggest criticism is the ridiculous cliff-hangers at the end of each short chapter. Just as a person wriggles out of one perilous situation they slide into another. It actually had me laughing out loud toward the end; a reaction, I'm sure, the author never intended. I reminded me of Bruce Willis's character in Die Hard film, battered and battered but keeps going. But a thoroughly enjoyable read nonetheless that I stayed with to its conclusion.

It soon became apparent that large spiders were going to be the main protagonists in this novel and I have to say I felt a little disappointed as spiders don't bother me in the least. I needn't have worried though as a thrilling adventure unfolded. The first half of the book is relatively slow but this works in its favour as depth is added to the characters and lots of interesting information about the Amazon is thrown in,which really gives you atmosphere and feeling for your surroundings. Then the roller coaster begins,with lots of surprises and sub plots to keep you wanting to read more,and although I'm certainly no expert I believe all the subject matter to have been well researched,so much so that the story seems quite plausible. Will be looking out for this blokes future offerings

The debut novel from Australian author W. W. Mortensen is the type of action packed horror story that I absolutely adore, full of expertly researched scientific facts and interesting information, it is also overflowing with such horrifying creatures that will scare you to your very core, arachnophobic or not.EIGHT is extremely long, for a debut novel, however with the aid of great writing, short chapters, and past-paced action you don’t really notice, it will hook you so deeply into its web of intricate storytelling that you will find yourself completely engrossed, unable to tear yourself away from it, for hours on end.

A thrilling action adventure, featuring giant spiders inhabiting inaccessible parts of the Amazon jungle, along with a group of scientists, adventurers and military types. There are quite a few highly unlikely cliff hangers and escape sequences, but this is only to be expected and adds to the enjoyment. Just suspend belief, it's interesting and entertaining. The book is well written and has been proof read.

This book kept me totally spellbound from beginning to end! I would recommend any avid reader who has dreams of adventure in South America and the Amazonian jungles, and has a strong stomach for blood, gore and unimaginable horrors...to read this novel. Not for the faint of heat but truly a remarkable read!

...Ich fand die extrem kurzen und vielen Kapitel störten den Fluss des Lesens. Sonst war die Geschichte spannend und die Charaktere sehr interessant. Ich werde auf alle Fälle ein weiteres Buch von diesem Autor lesen.

In this amazing adventure story, scientist Rebecca Riley is on the next flight to Brazil. She's joining a team of scientists involved in a mysterious source of power which will end oil dependency. Unfortunately, the expedition leader is Ed Reardon, the man with whom she had a past broken relationship. But they discover during their exploration through the Amazonian jungle, something which shocks the entire team. This reminds me of Jurassic Park, and reading this story will make you feel you are part of the team. Exceptionally well written and is also a learning experience. This adventure thriller really took my breath away. Highly recommend.

What a fun story! This author is new to me, in fact he popped up in a Facebook suggested post so i had no idea what to expect. I was captivated by the story, a mix of action adventure, mystery and creature feature with hint of sci-fi. Looking forward to reading more by WW Mortensen

It was a fun read, and the author certainly has a way with action... almost an addiction, because in the last half of the story the action becomes almost non-stop and strains credulity (yes, there even has to be some of that in adventure/science-fiction.) At times, I thought he (I'm am only assuming Mortenson is a "he") might be pitching a video game. It started to get formulaic with the main heroine thinking she was going to do and then, miracle of miracle, she made it thru again, and the creatures (no spoilers here) showing up at every turn. There are loose ends, too... like, just why did those US special forces happen to be in the area?But back to the positive, the biggest of which is the heroine, Rebecca and a supporting female character, Jessy, both of whom are made into very believable characters... strong, intelligent and resilient. For both these two, as well as Bob, Owen and Sanchez, the author avoids cluttering up the story with hackneyed devices such as love triangles going wrong and deadly or bumbling scientists. Again, they are human with frailties but they never break down in their support for each other as a group.Bottom line: Not great fiction, but fun fiction.