Mandy Reviews - Predators of Darkness: Aftermath (Book One of the Darkness Series) by Leonard D. Hilley II

ISBN #: 978-1463631772

Page Count: 326

Copyright: June 21, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

The desolate streets of downtown Pittsburgh in 2073 are a reminder of the missile attack that forever changed the lives of the surviving scientists and students hidden in the fallout shelter of Helmsby's Genetic Research Center. Believing themselves to be the only survivors, they station themselves inside the center until food supplies near depletion. Thinking the fallout has lessened, they emerge three years later to discover strange creatures patrolling the streets in search of human flesh and blood. The creatures possess the ability to shift their genomes and alter their appearances by realigning their genetic sequences. Daniel Hutchinson soon discovers mysteries more frightening than the shifters. The tip of Pittsburgh has been fenced off. Low-flying helicopters observe the streets. He ponders the question: Were the shifters released as simply part of a military experiment with humans being their prey?

Mandy's Review:

Everyone's worst nightmare has come true: a nuclear attack is taking place and they must run for cover to the nearest fallout shelter. Many did not survive the attack. Those that did were changed forever.

The year is 2073. Location: Pittsburgh.

Even though this book was futuristically set, the people and technology felt familiar and now. The shifters were new, but they derived from cloning which not many people think about anymore ... at least nobody I know.

After surviving three years in a fallout shelter, Dan has become the noticeable leader of the ragtag bunch of survivors. His best friend, Lucas, is his second-in-command, so to speak. The only reason they left the fallout shelter was because food was running out. Lucas and Dan are the two main guys to venture out into Pittsburgh in search of canned food, bottled water and other necessities they can come across. They have to be careful while out due to the permanent fog and shifters.

The shifters in this book are animalistic in nature, but were human at one time. Once they become shifters, the thirst for blood, killing and revenge are almost insatiable. Killing a shifter is dang near impossible since they can regenerate any damage done to their muscle, organs and flesh. The only thing that seems to stop them is decapitation.

Basically this book was a war between humans and shifters. The military aspect was thrown in due to them having created the process for cloning humans and turning them into shifters ... which they sold to foreign countries. There was a small romantic element thrown in, but I think the author may have done that to draw the women readers into the story. It didn't seem out-of-place, though. It fit in well with the rest of the story.

I must say that I had a difficult time believing a big group of people could survive three years inside of a fallout shelter without venturing outside of it. That is a lot of food and water to have stored in order to keep everyone alive. Also, and this is just how my brain works, where'd they go to the bathroom? I can just imagine the stink in that place after being cooped up for three years ... phew!!!

This is definitely a futuristic sci-fi-type novel that I think would appeal more to the male readers than the female readers. Other than some slight editing issues, this book had a strong plot with realistic characters. Job well done, Mr. Hilley.