Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. 'Monstre' by Duncan Swan comes out September 15th, 2020.

'Monstre' is the debut novel by Duncan Swan and begins dynamically enough - told through rushed actions and copious amount of adjectives, we encounter a research facility in the midst of chaos as something has gone wrong. A toxic cloud of smoke and ash has erupted into the sky, and from it, comes death. As the cloud begins to move across the globe, the story takes on an international flare from the perspective of a U.S. Marine Corp sent to investigate the cloud's advances. It is soon realized that it might not just be the toxic cloud that is killing those in its wake and dismantling civilization as we know it, but that something else, something wicked and prehistoric and otherworldly might be lurking in the darkness.

The narration in 'Monstre' is relentless. This is a heavily plot-driven story that reads like an action movie and makes you feel like you're in a first-person shooter video game. It is a "hyper-male" story with little in the way of character development, strong female characters, or even diversity. There wasn't a lot for me to sink my teeth into here or make me care about the fate of the characters. So, if you are looking for a book that will fill you with nostalgia for 80s and 90s action movies and boys with guns blazing and science smarts to save the day, you might be interested in 'Monstre'.

Swan seems like a savvy writer that is aiming for a screenplay of his debut. I've seen some of the concept art he has posted for this book - it's lovely and terrifying and I think it would look great on screen. I'm picturing some sort of Event Horizon, Independence Day, Lethal Weapon mash-up. But, you know, nostalgia isn't always good. This is a dated throwback in several ways, but the nail in the coffin for me was when the author used the word 'retarded' in causal dialogue. I mean...come on....do we really need to have that conversation? In 2020? What does that add to the plot? Was it necessary? I'll take your hyper masculine - clearly written for a script rework - smoke kaiju horror story any day. Sounds good and I can get on board with that. I love a good monster flick. But you better diversify your characters, put a little more into their development, and for fuck's sake...do not use the word 'retarded'.

Monstre is the debut apocalyptic novel from Duncan Swan and what a brazen debut it is. It begins with a bang—literally—in a nuclear research facility underground in Meyrin, Switzerland where scientists are searching for the "god" particle in a Large Hadron Collider. Something goes exceedingly wrong and the facility is destroyed in a series of energy spikes and explosions and a billowing black cloud begins deliberately smothering the world.

"...somehow their work had created a bomb, or a black hole, or something that behaved a little like both."

The novel then transitions point of view between seven main characters from various backgrounds and two continents over the course of the book—all either caught under the black cloud making its way across the world or attempting to outrun it. Monstre also jumps time points, often. The reader finds themselves at day 1 one moment and day 91 the next. Regardless of what character or moment you might find yourself in, there's no lack of action. In fact, this novel grabs you by throat from the very beginning and doesn't let go.

Monstre is smart. It grips you from the get-go, gets you invested in its characters, and then crushes all their hopes and dreams while you watch in wide-eyed disbelief. It's a claustrophobic, palm-sweating doomed nightmare. It's genre-defying as well, twisting science fiction and horror seamlessly throughout. While you might be tempted to call it post-apocalyptic horror for simplicity's sake, Monstre is so much more. Enmeshed with military warfare, this bleak and desperate end of days tale delivers survivors, predators, and seekers eeking another second of existence against all odds in this terrifying new world of monster and man.

If you are worried that an intelligent horror novel may not be engaging enough, there is no worry here. You shouldn't get too attached to any of Monstre's cast because no character is shielded from awful, horrible brutality. The gore is never-ending, ripping and tearing, splashing and running red. Death just might be preferable to what the characters endure from beast and human alike. Just when you think it will end and you will finally see some shred of perseverance, it does... The book, that is. Monstre makes no secret of the fact that it is a continuing series so if cliffhangers frustrate you prepare to throw your copy across the room. This is one debut you don't want to miss.

Thanks, Netgalley for the early review e-book
MONSTRE: Volume One is the debut novel--and first in an apocalyptic horror series--by Duncan Swan. We start in Switzerland, in a CERN research facility, where something goes horribly wrong. It begins with a dark cloud that spreads across countries.

I absolutely loved this book. I’ve been wanting to read a horror novel for quite a long now and this book successfully completed my need. It filled my head with horrible nightmares. I loved how well written it was. Duncan Swan described every single line of this book in such an amazing way.

I can not wait for Volume Two to be released so I can dive back in.

There’s a lot to unpack with Monstre, and I feel I wasn’t prepared for the sheer scope and detail Swan so meticulously included in this epic debut. I have a great interest in apocalyptic fiction, the more in-depth the better, so when I sat down to read the explosive opening I was thoroughly impressed – it was five-star content, easy. What I really connected with was how the diverse cast of characters, as well as the world around them, handled such a catastrophe; the division, desperation and degradation of society, it was all there, raw and unpleasant. Told through alternating timelines – from ground zero to around a hundred days in – it introduced two separate groups of survivors that had their own obstacles to overcome; from Chief Trace Colter and the urgent journey to outrun the coming danger, to Marine Gunner Colter and his struggles to keep his men alive – a tale of father and son, lost to one another. Despite preferring one party a bit more over the other, I was mostly invested in everything Swan dished out. There was this feeling of dread that the Cloud conjured, and it struck me as impactful overall; a gradually ticking clock as the world was swallowed by the dark.

Let’s face it, this type of fiction is mostly made up of varying takes on zombies, which definitely has its own appeal, but it’s always nice to have something else bring Armageddon upon the world. Comparable to The Mist, Swan’s freakish creations that were closely connected to the Cloud were seriously brutal and eerie in design, but they weren’t the only monsters. The story touched on some ugly and tragic subjects relating to murder and abuse, especially when following Trace and his people throughout the harsh wasteland that used to be civilisation. I was completely engrossed in that gritty side of things, devoted to each twist and turn. I simply couldn’t get enough.

However, regardless of all my praise, I do have to nitpick as there was a portion in the last quarter of the book that completely lost my interest, involving the marines and their assignment preparations. I feel it was bogged down by unnecessary technical jargon that went on too long and held little value, bringing everything to an abrupt standstill. As said, I did appreciate the amount of effort that Swan implemented, and I’m sure there are readers that would enjoy the specifics of that scene, but I had to stop myself from skimming, which proved difficult. It didn’t help that after all the extensive detail, there was little to no time to see the tech itself put into action, as cliffhangers immediately followed, bringing the novel to a close. My feelings are rather lukewarm about the conclusion, or lack thereof, as I’m aware there’s a second volume in the works, but it was just a bit disappointing to be so suddenly cut off during high-tension scenes.

In conclusion: An action-packed novel, Monstre didn’t hesitate to thrust horrors to the forefront, some other-worldly, and others closer to home. I loved getting to know the many characters (even though attachment in this kind of book is ill-advised), as well as the chaos Swan’s world devolved into, which wasn’t pretty. Probably one of the more memorable reads I’ll have this year, it certainly set a standard for what I want in apocalyptic horror. Unfortunately, the pacing toward the end lulled a bit; heavy technical language just doesn’t do it for me, and so I would say while it didn’t reach perfection, it was very close. I’ll be looking out for the continuation of this intense story, you can bet on that.

With a satisfyingly thick and bloody 478 pgs, Monstre starts with a bang and doesn't slow down. As a fan of apocalyptic horror, I'm always on the look out for an original storyline. This didn't disappoint. Part creature feature part disaster event, the plotline is made up of loosely connected stories that together, give you a larger picture of what is going on in the world. If you hate cliffhangers, beware because you will seriously hate this book. As for me I enjoyed it.

Thank you Andrea Thatcher at Smith Publicity for gifting me with an Advance Reader's Copy of this intriguing book.

I shared the cover with release date on my story with Instagram and Facebook as well as this book review on Twitter, my personal Facebook page, Books of Horror readers group and Page Turners Readers Group (on Facebook), AprilsBookishLife Instagram and Goodreads pages.

Monstre
Volume 1
by Duncan Swan
This is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. The book starts with a bang, literally! CERN explodes, a huge dark Cloud appears and with this Cloud comes unusual creatures and toxic air.
The story bounces from several different groups to explain the story of what is happening around the world. It also bounces around time periods.
I really enjoyed the creature section of the book but it also has a section where humans are monsters as much as the creatures! Violent actions are described. I didn't care for this. Also, I really hate cliffhangers and this is one. Overall, an enjoyable read!

Move over Stephen King, there is a new Master of Horror!!!

If Michael Crichton was still around, even he would feel threatened by Duncan Swan's writing and imagination.

There are a zillion books out there that talk about the end of civilization as we know it, but none like MONSTRE by Duncan Swan. In the apocalyptic genre there are few storylines that can be considered original, yet Duncan Swan has achieved that goal.

I do not want to give away any of the plot, nor do I want to lessen the enjoyment of potential readers. I do however want to ensure that anyone who reads this review understands that I am giving MONSTRE the highest possible rating allowable.

In scope, this book takes on a mammoth task. After all, it is about the end of all human life on the planet. 

The story begins in Europe and at the end of Book One, readers realize that what began half a world away has now come to North America and threatens to wipe out everything and everyone we hold dear.

If you are a fan of horror, this is a MUST READ. If you are a fan of science fiction, this is a MUST READ. If you are a fan of apocalyptic fiction, you do not want to miss this book. If you are a fan of great dramatic fiction, you just can't afford to miss this novel. If you love character driven, multifaceted, fast paced stories that grab your attention and are so engrossing that you can immerse yourself for hours at a time, and yet still not want to stop reading, MONSTRE is the book for you.

At 388 pages, this first book in what promises to be an amazing series, is long enough to ensure that readers get their money's worth and then some.

Duncan Swan has crafted a winner of a book. If he does not win multiple awards for MONSTRE I would be very surprised. 

I rate MONSTRE as 5+++ OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. The only good thing about having to wait is that it will give me a chance to read MONSTRE again.

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this heart-pounding read.

I received a copy of this novel from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a long time since I stayed up all night in order to finish a book, and it finally happened again with Monster. I knew I was in for the long haul within the first 5 pages, the momentum kept me going and going and going. By the end I felt like I needed a cup of coffee and a smoke just to decompress after what I had just read.

I am not typically one for this type of story (the more scientific, drama, end of the world kind of story). But this one had me on the edge of my seat needing to know what was going to happen next to the characters I was living vicariously through.

Duncan Swan weaves a story that covers a lot of time, we go from Day 0, the event happening...and then book we are at a completely different place at a different time 89 days in. Yet, through it all I never felt like I got confused or lost track of what was going on as some novels have a tendency to do...this one just flowed for me.
Without blowing it all and causing spoilers I will leave the next reader with this...

Even if you don't think you will enjoy this book...you will...you will get sucked in and at the end you will wish you had more to read already. Whole heartedly looking forward to the next book in the series.

Monstre by Duncan Swann establishes a terror in the form of a huge dark cloud of radioactive dust that seems to be created by a mysterious nuclear facility meltdown. As the cloud smothers Europe, it slowly heads toward the United States’ east coast, with it brings incomprehensible monstrosities.
A band of survivors traveling towards freedom and away from the deadly storm find rogue enemies blocking their path to freedom. A military troop must combat a strategic and coordinated deadly enemy not yet known to man. These scenarios along with a distrustful madness by deceitful civilians provides a continuous high fueled monster/military action setting throughout the book. Swann combines these and several additional forms of apocalyptic nightmares to establish a highly charged absolute must read. All characters in Monstre should make their peace with death as they continue their path into the unknown, for Duncan Swann has taken a familiar page from George R. R. Martin, meaning the reader will not know who will survive and what will be left of them.
It’s been a long time since I was totally involved and immersed into a work of literature as was the case with this debut novel. This book is the real deal my fellow readers, one of the top books I have read in 2020. The even better news is it’s volume one. 5 out of 5 stars hands down. Buy this book.

I honestly do not know where to start nor do I want to risk giving anything away. Ill start by saying this was a very impressive debut, in fact I still cant believe that it was Swans first novel. Swans writing style and character development was phenomenal. Aside from the writing, the book itself is stunning! I have no issues with E-books but to fully appreciate the dark beauty of this story you have got to grab a copy of physical book.

Monstre is easily one of the best post apocalyptic tales I have ever read. In Monstre, both the best and worst within humanity is exposed, there was no shortage of violence or gore. The story maintains a fast pace while bouncing forward and back in time allowing us to meet multiple characters and experience their varying nightmares as the cloud expands to cover the globe. Even with the verying timelines and multiple narrators the storyline flows smoothly and isnt confusing.

Overall I really enjoyed every minute reading this book. If I am to be completely honest though, the ending pissed me off and I may have thrown my book across the bed in frustration. FAIR WARNING: THIS BOOK IS PART OF A SERIES and book one will leave you hanging. At the end of the day the only real downfall of Monstre is that book two isnt available for a whole year!

I recieved a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was not expecting this. I was expecting a generic “creature-feature” spectacle. I was not expecting a wholly original idea with exceptional pacing, plotting, visuals, writing, intelligence. One highlight of this novel is that written within these pages are some of the best action and horror scenes I’ve ever read. When the shit hits the fan it covers the walls. And I have to say it is glorious. These well-paced and descriptive experiences really had me on the edge of my seat and filled with anxiety. Character development, which is very important to me, is just ok, but I feel with this type of story characters take a backseat. I was just fine with that. Now I do have a couple of big complaints. First, there is a blatant lack of diversity. This book could not be more white, and there is not one strong female character throughout. Second, the narrative drags tremendously through the third quarter. Those complaints aside, this is one of the greatest melding of science fiction and horror I can remember ever reading. It seems as if volume two will be coming out late 2021 and I can safely say I’m looking forward to it.

I will post to Amazon when open to do so.
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54030986-monstre

This novel is about a massive explosion and a black cloud...what's inside that cloud?? You're just gonna have to read this novel to find out. =p

I soo wanted to like this book, I've heard a lot about it. But it didn't really live up to the hype for me. Don't get me wrong it was a good book with amazing writing but I guess it was just not for me. It did get my attention it was a page-turner I guess I just don't like the setting or it was hitting to close to what's going on in the world right now. ..I enjoyed the very face-paced storyline it had an interesting plot. it was an okay book

I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Super Hoot Publishing for giving me the chance to read and review this book for them.

I recommend this book for people that like sci fie thrillers and armageddon stuff.

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#Monstre #NetGalley

Swan knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat, pillow gripped tightly, wondering whether he will ever let you off of this hell-ride.

There's a vivid sense of place and the author does well to seat this book in the real world--with the research for the CERN collider being second to none--I was left in awe at the amount of detail packed into this haunting book.

I have a penchant for wonderfully clear prose, and this book did its best not to over do it with pure prose and yet still package enough haunting detail to chill your bones.

I thorough enjoyed this read and would recommend.

A wild ride - like "The Mist" + "Pitch Black" on steroids! What can be worse than being in the pitch dark with large, strong, smart critters that want to eat you? Oh right, not having any light, or food, or gas either? Oh, right, knowing it's coming and you can't stop it and having hoards of humans on the prowl as well.! The author takes an apocalypse scenario and ramps it up with a host of interesting characters and merging plots. Really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next installment! Be advised, there is some very explicit violence, which is very well written, makes you feel like you're there, which is bad in a good way ;)

Monstre is a jem that is difficult to put down, with wonderful characters, solid world building, and a terrific story. There are lots of surprises and nothing left unresolved. I am looking forward to the next installment. A+

So, what to say about Monstre - it's not what I was expecting, however, that's in a good way...whenever I hear of global Armageddon at the moment it makes me think Pandemic. Who needs to hear more about Armageddon when we're living through what seems strange times? Well, this isn't a pandemic book, rather it's a sci-fi/horror twist that bounces between present day and the future for a quick, riveting read. Characters are interesting, story is fast paced and I look forward to the next one - let's just hope 2020 doesn't end up like the world in this book though...

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this mind numbing book

where to start...

a massive explosion
a black cloud emerges...but whats inside that cloud....

a few make out and run...

this story jumps all over the place and at intervals you meet different people who are experiencing their own nightmares because of the black cloud extinguishing the sunlight and it brings not only darkness but a form of winter and something else...

i dont think i took a breath with what happens to the survivors...its was a times gruesome and horrific...and man at every disaster takes advantaged of the weak and helpless..imagine the living dead..that will give you an idea of what to expect and no this is on zombie book

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors work

A debut of this quality is extremely hard to find. Duncan Swan tells us a story that revolves around us as humanity at its core. Through different timelines, we see how we address issues that face us as a species. Post-apocalyptic scenery takes over the pages and we are transported into a new world.

What truly drew me into this, is that it is not an action-heavy novel. While there are most certainly scenes that will tick the boxes for those looking for such a read, I personally preferred that Swan took his time with the story - this does not equate to stagnant writing, mind you.

A well deserved four stars!

Monstre is not your typical Creature Feature. The writing is amazing. I was hooked from the first page. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book, like I enjoyed this one.

[The blurb goes here]

What I liked:
A fresh new story.
Not being able to put this book down.
Amazing characters. Both protagonists and antagonists alike.
Amazing writing.
Amazing setting.
Not knowing what to expect next. The author hints at nothing, there are no "Oh, this is surely going to happen next" moments. It was one surprise after another.
I can't praise this book enough.

What I didn't like:
Having to wait a year for the next installment! Don't worry, I'll live.

I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity of providing me with an advance copy of this book!

I know this is volume one in what will probably be a significant series of books, but I feel like I should care about the characters before they die. And I just didn't care. This wasn't bad by any means, but with a genre that's been done to death, I was hoping for something that would set it apart from other apocalyptic stories other than all the men lose their minds and all the women get raped. No dice. Sara has to be the dumbest character of them all.

The story jumps back and forth a bit from day one when the Cloud first appears from CERN, perhaps some government experiment gone wrong. The cause is never fully revealed. I enjoyed the initial pages, with the characters, mostly scientists from CERN, rounding up other survivors and trying to escape the approaching Cloud. There are some allusions as to what might be in the cloud - think The Mist meets The Hatching - but just when I was really getting into the story it jumped forward in time to day 89. A little annoying but I learned not to get too attached to those characters.

In America, new characters are preparing for the Cloud to envelope their country by driving to the other side of it. Yes, clearly can't out run the cloud but lets try anyway. Why not stay right where you are and spend your last remaining weeks digging some kind of underground bunker rather than driving across the county where everyone has stealing, raping or murdering on their minds?

This was a pretty good take on the post apocalyptic story, with some average characters who probably all die anyway. Again, I know it's only book one, but it felt like a story with no beginning and no end.

Trigger warning: rape, discussed off page.

**Thanks to Smith Publicity for providing my review copy via Netgalley.