The Void

FINALLY! I am all caught up with the Alex Hunter series by Greig Beck! Seems like just a short while ago that I found the series. I'd actually purchased one of Beck's ebooks years back but hadn't read it. It wasn't until I'd decided to read Arcadian Genesis that I realized I'd been sitting on an adventurous goldmine! So what is The Void about? Are there monsters? Will there be gruesome deaths? Will there be the handsome Alex Hunter, code name Arcadian? Bank on it! Sometimes lessons are never learned. Oh- I guess I'm ahead of myself. When the US sends out a shuttle for a mission, all is well, but the return raises issues no man ever expected. Something begins to follow the shuttle before reentry to the earth's atmosphere. They can't seem to escape it, since changing trajectory of the shuttle also causes the object to change direction as well. Instead of ignoring it, they reach out and bring it into the shuttle... Mistake. Mission Control can't reach their team, they only know the shuttle's crashed into a crater that seems to be emitting a sort of gaseous fog. Since the trouble began after bringing the asteroid onboard, they know there could be contamination. They have to get information pertaining to the mission as well as any survivors of the crash. Carefully. Which is near impossible because something's going on below the fog. A lot of something. Some things actually. When the HAWC's are deployed, they take with them a news reporter who refuses to take no and a specialized crew fo know about the mission and possibly what the shuttle crew came in contact with. They're wrong. They're all wrong and there are thigns no man could ever imagine down there and they're hungry. So The Void is not just a science fiction thriller, this book is scary and creepier than any of the other Beck novels! I cringed and frowned and could not stop my imagination from seeing all of there horrible things! Alex Hunter is the man, for real! And then there's a situation going on, at home with Joshua, his son. How can anyone escape all of these horrors? This book was freaking phenomenal! I love his stories so much! I loved The Void so much, I sent a message to Mr. Beck, thanking him for such a fab read! If you've touched any of his books, you know the accolades I raise for this series. I probably said too much about the story but I couldn't help it. And that only sets things oup! Read The Void! Read the series! You will not be sorry! Off to the next read. Cheers! The Void Book 7 of the Alex Hunter series Written by Greig Beck Narrated by Sean Mangan Kindle Edition, 329 pages Audible Running Time: 14 Hrs 25 mins Published February 13th 2018 by Momentum Released July 2018

I had a couple of issues with this story, but otherwise, it was an enjoyable thrill ride. Beck is always good at delivering those. I always love the real science behind that story that he brings in to his books. It's that 'maybe this could happen' scenario. Truly, you never know what's really out in space somewhere, just like there are things in the Amazon that no one has ever had to deal with. And the HAWCs have some great new tech at their disposal to make things interesting. Now, what I had trouble with was that NASA would be looking at a possibly threatening sample in anything other than one of those boxes you often see on TV and in movies that separates the scientist from the organism. And even if they didn't, why wouldn't they be in a full 'bunny suit'? The other thing is that very high heat has to be used to kill the organism, but they manage to kill one with chlorine gas so they can examine it. Yup, not buying it. But don't let my hang ups ruin what is actually a really good story. And don't miss the sighting of Arn from the Valkeryn Chronicles.

Another great read by Beck. Spoiler alert. This one starts with the space shuttle Orlando. Something from the void has targeted the space shuttle. No matter how many times they back the oncoming "thing" is right there. Commander Mitch Granger consults with Houston and its decided to use the long arm grab bar to snag the "thing" and put it in the bay. What a mistake this turns out to be. The shuttle then crash's in the mountains of Alaska. Alex Hunter, the Arcadian and Casey Franks are waylaying the yacht Manhattan. A yacht owned by a former Senator Robert A Anderson and his wife Gillian. Hunter is swimming to the ship while a disguised Casey is in front of it making eyes at the jihadists who took over the ship. Once Hunter takes out the jihadists who have a nuclear bomb on board he and Franks clear the ship. They find the bodies of the former Senator and his wife on board. Hunter and Franks leave the rest to professionals and head for home. Alex is with his long time love Aimee Weir and his very special son Joshua. He is the happiest he's been in a long while. Hammerson has a new mission for him though. Its the recovery of photo chips from the downed Orlando. Alex picks his team which includes his long time friend and number two Sam Reid, Franks, two new guys Steven Knight and Andy Garcia, Drake Monroe, Anita Erikson and Max Dunsen who Hunter and Reid have worked with before. All are HAWCS, All very capable men and women. This is the team he will take to Alaska along with Russ Burrows, Scott McIntyre and Anne Peterson all from NASA. A newspaper reporter Morag O'Sullivan and her cameraman Calvin Renner also became part of the crew when the Chinook hauling them all landed in Alaska and the two of them jump aboarde. Hunter didn't want them along but Burrows stated that they could record the whole thing. Its a decision that O'Sullivan and Renner would come to regret. The Russians know all about the photos taken and the fact that the Orlando has crash landed. A Russian team is already on the way. They want those photo's back. Ivan Zlatan is leading the ream. All Kurgan super soldiers. Once on site Hunter finds the bowl that the shuttle landed in is warm. About fifty degrees. All of the HAWCS have on super body armor and breathing apparatus. The NASA folks and the reporters have suits on and oxygen as well. It doesn't take Hunter long to discover that something very strange is going on in that bowl. So begins another fine read by Beck. This one has Alex, Aimee, Joshua, Sam, his team, O'Sullivan, Renner, the Russians, creatures, a ship that is still partially intact, a silver A1 that will lend a hand, a German Shepherd call Tor that is a gift to Joshua, a Joshua who can follow whatever his dad is doing, the Russians who have no suits or oxygen and are breathing the air that is changing them and Alex Hunter doing his best to complete his mission, bring his team home alive and survive. Five Stars and then some.

I love the Alex Hunter series, they are somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me. I don't know that this is usually my genre of books, but somehow I find them really good. There are well written characters, and I really enjoy the cameraderie between the HAWKs. There are also insane adventures and action, and a lot of cool monsters that show up throughout the books. The Arcadian himself keeps evolving and growing in every book as well. In this book, a space shuttle crashes in the mountains in Alaska, and Alex and his team have to race the Russians to get there first. The shuttle however, has brought something back from space, and the HAWKs have to battle Lovecraftian monsters to get what they came for.

I could not put this down and thanks to a very heavy snowfall I was housebound and able to read uninterrupted. The best Alex Hunter book to date in my opinion. Non stop from start to finish. And there is a new 4 legged member of the family which always gets my vote.

Greig Beck has done it again! Another rip-roaring adventure served up with his usual ingredients of cutting edge science and horrifically frightening creatures. Beck really has a way with words and his evocative descriptions put you right there in the midst of the action. A real winner!

Excellent

Greig Beck is Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Frederick Forsyth, Stieg Larsson, Robert Ludlum and Mathew Reilly all rolled into one. He has their ability to write well and more importantly, amazing imagination which makes him an awesome fiction writer. 'The Void' is the first book by this author that I bought, and am now reading 'Dark Rising' both books are total page-turners. You just can't stop and wish it would never end. The thing that differentiates Greig Beck from other similar writers is, his ability to imagine something totally different from the usual formulae of some terrorist or spy and so forth. This difference means you get to read something new and refreshingly different - and not some rehash of an old story. Add to that the fact he does not rush through but dives deep and uses his intelligence to make the scene plausible. He also does a lot of research into whatever he chooses to write - the hallmark of a great writer. So although it is fiction, you end up thinking "yea this could happen". I'm lucky to have discovered Greig. So if you're wondering whether to buy this book - just go ahead and grab it. There are 14 other books (that I know of), that he has written including: 1. Arcadian Genesis 2. Dark Rising 3. This Green Hell 4. Black Mountain 5. Gorgon 6. Hammer of God 7. Kraken Rising 8. The Void 9. Beneath the Dark Ice 10. Book of the Dead 11. Fathomless 12. Return of the Ancients 13. The Dark Lands 14. The First Bird and, 15. The Immortality Curse

Fantascienza-azione con enfasi su fanta e azione, per trovare la scienza bisogna cercare un poco. Si lascia leggere ma personalmente ho notato una discesa rispetto ai numeri precedenti di questa saga, forse l'autore sta esaurendo la vena (il testo è in Inglese, il primo episodio della saga fu pubblicato in italiano su segretissimo anni fà)