Heather’s Bookshelf: The Initiates
Author: Ryan Hyatt
Released: 02/11/25
Genre: NA Sci-Fi/Horror
“There must be more to life than the destruction an death caused by the Kiaskis. If only Myles could be up there, in space, exploring the heavens, and far from the nightmare-inducing hell these alien invaders have unleashed on Earth.”
“The Initiates” introduces Myles Harper in 2036 California. He’s a recent high school graduate unsure of what his future holds, but he knows he can’t stay in his parent’s house rent-free forever.
Stumbling across a want-ad for a summer camp counselor, something about it seems like a match and Myles applies. Myles gets the job and his stepfather couldn’t be more proud. A brief goodbye to his parents and he’s off with his childhood toy Supernova Cid to Camp Friendly Forest. Supervising a cabin full of pre-teen boys in the middle of woods has it’s own challenges.
Just as he begins to make friends and settle into his new role, an alien invasion hits California. Kiaskis, vicious cosmic canines, overrun Southern California without much difficulty and kill most of the camper’s families. As camp deteriorates, the Kiaskis are on their way Camp Friendly Forest. Myles and his friends must choose to fight or die alongside everyone else.
Meanwhile, a psychic named Alice is working to escape her captors and a hacker named Gus, her old school friend, is trying to help her. But what does all of this have to do with Myles or the Kiaskis? And will they all survive this nightmare?
Trigger Warning: violence, adult language, animal death
What a wild ride! The book starts off as a pretty straight-forward new adult leaving the nest and finding themselves type of tale. Set in the near-recent future, political and environmental challenges are rampant and Myles starts off as jaded as you would expect. His charm and desire to fit in allow him to quickly make friends while also becoming a distinctive and likable character. His friendship with Jose, the wise-cracking second-chancer, and encounters with Tiffany, the strong-willed but poor decision making counselor, and Billy the video-game obsessed and reluctant camper, provide further character details for Myles and his friends. The alien invasion is surprising and changes the entire feel of the story. The peak of emotion and transition into the new story culminates with Myles goodbye to his parents. It’s brutal, emotional, and terrifying. Intertwined with Myles’ storyline is that of Gus, a hacker with a complicated past whose friendship with Alice, a powerful psychic, puts him in the middle of an even more complicated present. The POVs flip back and forth without breaks between them which becomes a bit confusing especially with characters named Gus and Geo in opposing views. Then there’s Mr. Pootin, the killer bobblehead, that felt a bit out of place for some of the more tension-filled moments of the story. The ending wraps everything up including a couple of surprises (that I won’t spoil here!), both of which may have been better developed through the tale but made sense and did setup for a possible sequel. I for one, would love to read it!
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A creative and surprising story with a likable protagonist and some truly horrifying scenes. Dueling POVs were a bit challenging, but the ending ties everything together.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Ryan Hyatt
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Find it for purchase here
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