They Hunger

by Scott Nicholson

Book Overview

Guaranteed to grab you by the throat, Scott Nicholson's heart-stopping new novel reaches blood-chilling heights in "They Hunger."In the rugged wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains, the treacherous Unegama River holds more than its share of mortal dangers. But something deadlier than any force of nature is about to be awakened. Something both unnatural and immortal. Driven from their ancient hunting grounds, they have dwelt in their cave for hundreds...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786017139
• ISBN13: 9780786017133
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 383 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Significant Improvement from an already great writer

I first discovered Scott Nicholson when his first book, The Red Church, first came out. I loved that book. First non-Stephen King horror novel I'd ever read. Now, a few novels later, Mr. Nicholson comes out with They Hunger. I bought this one when it first came out, and I read it in 3 days. The book is full of believable characters, some you root for, some you love to hate, and the story itself is a solid one. What's more, if you've read any of Mr. Nicholson's other novels, you'll notice that this one showcases a writer fully coming into his own. He is now ready to rival the big boys like Stephen King and Dean Koontz, and believe me, he's giving them a run for their money. They better keep an eye on Scott Nicholson. I recommend this book for any fan of horror, especially those looking for an actual twist on the vampire mythos. And yet, calling the creatures vampires is a total over-simplification. This book is one of my favorite novels, and I'll sing it's praises forever.

4 1/2 Stars...Hungry for More

Scott Nicholson continues to use the Appalachians as a backdrop for modern day tales of horror. In "They Hunger," he leads us on an eerie and sometimes horrific expedition through forests and mountains, into caves and down rapids. Yes, he gives a nod to stories such as "Deliverance" and "The Descent," yet he never gives the impression that he is borrowing from them. This is a tale as old as time, but as new as a baldheaded pop queen. "They Hunger" introduces us to Ace Goodall, a raving religious nut; Bowie, a past-his-prime outdoorsman; Raintree, a Cherokee with Olympic abilities and modern medicine man ways; and Jim Castle, an FBI agent intent on tracking down Goodall. The cast includes others whom you love to hate, and in the end, you may be a bit surprised by those who are left alive--and those who join the undead. Yes, their are ancient vampires in this story, with little resemblance to Anne Rice's European suckers or the creatures of many newer goth tales. No, these are earthy, single-minded beasts, who just happen to find humans in their neck of the woods. Nicholson proves once again that he is a master of creating memorable characters, with nice pacing, true suspense and touches of horror, while never pandering to his audience. He creates evocative settings and uses them to the fullest. If you're a politically correct reader, you may not like most of his characters. If you're easily offended by religious wackos, you may be annoyed. And Nicholson makes no effort to avoid this. He throws all types into his mix, showing the dark underside of mankind, while exploring the ways in which these people respond to the unknown. The results, particularly in "They Hunger," leave me hungry for more.

Scott Nicholson is a Master of Horror

These creatures are as creepy and unforgettable as the monster in Alien. I don't usually like vampire stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed delving into this chilling tale, and not climbing out for awhile. I even slowed down when reading the final twenty pages, just to make it last a little longer. The history and legends of the ancient Appalachian Mountains made these primordial beasts a little too credible. It is the kind of book that intrudes into your day and makes you startle at tree movement. His descriptions have a three dimensional clarity that captured me, clenched my gut and at times gave me a sick gasp. And then there were moments that I burst out laughing. His sex scenes are steel melting hot; I've never read better. I found the characters understandable and uncomfortably realistic as I know there are people like that out there. I found this book a rare treasure, engaging my brain and senses. I have ordered more Scott Nicholson books and am happily looking forward to the experience of reading them.

A novel for fans of both suspense and horror

I don't do plot reviews (where's the fun in spoiling the fun?), so I'll approach this in terms of elements that worked for me. I'll start by saying that I've read perhaps 300 horror novels, and twice as many thrillers of various names and styles and genres. Lotta good, lotta bad. And most novels featuring vampires, werewolves, or haunted houses don't do it for me anymore. It's just so rare that an author working in these genre-proven subjects breaks new ground. But I went with this book because Scott Nicholson is a consistent writer who dispenses with the b.s. and just writes fun books that go to dark places in new and unusual ways. He is reliable, and that's saying something in a field where even the masters like King, Straub, and Koontz sometimes stumble. Don't be fooled by vampires, or put off by them, as I almost was. In any good vampire novel, hell, in any good horror novel, the suspense and the real horror is never about the vampires. Or monster type monsters. It's about the people. And the majority of THEY HUNGER is all about the people. This is Nicholson's finest cast of characters. You've got FBI, you've got macho outdoor-adventure type celebs and non celebs. You've got a Native American trying to reconnect with his ancestors in unusual modern ways. You've got an extremist abortion clinic bomber and his equally odd and almost as disturbing girlfriend. And many others along the way. As he did in THE FARM, Nicholson creates interesting characters and worms his way into their fears. He's got a nice touch, never showing his hand too early about who's good and who's bad, who's gonna get it first, etc. In THEY HUNGER, there is a nice variety of moods and emotional rapids to match his white-water adventure. In addition to the thrills and scares, there's plenty of grim humor, beautiful nature, and believable and pulse-charging "sexy time." The novel allows the reader to go to all of these places because Nicholson takes the time to set up all of his characters as people first--before he unleashes hell on them. THEY HUNGER is also new ground for Nicholson in that it works purely as suspense. The vampires are an added bonus, and they are a nice addition to the dangers of this already dangerous setting. The best vampire novels always take vampires to a new place, or use vampires to show us their human counterparts. Dan Simmons did this with Nazis and mind-vampirism in CARRION COMFORT. King did it with small town evil in SALEM'S LOT. And Richard Matheson used vampires to show us the depths of human lonliness in I AM LEGEND. Without telling you exactly what he uses his vampires for, I'll only say that Nicholson puts his own spin on vampires, and we get to know them first more as natural birds of prey than coffin-dwelling beasties. I liked this a lot--it fits naturally with this tale set in "the oldest mountain range in the world." But there is so much more going on here, and it takes a very expert hand (or

Nicholson hits the adrenaline

This book is about vampires, but not as readers have come to expect. The vampires we encounter here are monsters with a capital "M" and more closely resemble the creatures in the recent horror films THE DESCENT and JEEPERS CREEPERS than they do Lestat or Dracula. Whitewater rafters, a Christian terrorist, and a couple of on duty FBI agents find themselves battling monsters in the Carolina backwoods. Unlike Nicholson's earlier novels this isn't a slow build up spook story, THEY HUNGER is an action juggernaut that rarely slows down. Recommended for fans of Richard Laymon and Douglas Preston.