First of all, I am very surprised and disappointed in all of the negative reviews. I’m a huge horror fan and read a lot of horror novels, horror anthologies and novellas from well-known authors to indie authors and I really enjoyed this novel. Was it an award-winning novel? No. Was it unique, fast-paced and creepy as hell? Yes.

When two friends go hiking in a Colorado forest, they slowly realize they are experiencing something unknown and horrific. As they meet other campers and hikers along the way, they slowly figure out that not all of them will make it out alive. I, personally, cannot begin to imagine how awful and terrifying it would be to die the way these characters die. As the characters figure out how to avoid becoming a meal, they realize the horror is growing, evolving and becoming more dangerous as they try to escape the deep caldera they’re trapped in.

I think the negative feedback about the characters being unlikable isn’t really fair. From my perspective, the author was trying to show how normal, nice people can become selfish, mean and angry when faced with an untenable situation. As the group of survivors is slowly culled, we see desperation and loss come out in many ways. I thought the author handled the different personalities well and I felt they were very real reactions to the situations they faced.

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a unique take on the horror genre and likes an edge of your seat read. I don’t ever really get scared but I do get anxious and nervous and this book took me there. It was a fun, quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn’t go into this novel to find the next Dracula or Janelle Eyre, I went into it looking for an entertaining and scary read. And that’s exactly what I found. I think some people try too hard to find fault instead of just going along for the ride.

Post-breakup, Mike gets invited to go camping with his friend Wade when a meteor strikes, leaving them and several other campers stranded. They soon discover that with this meteor came these strange worms and they like to bite. As the horror unfolds, it becomes a race to get out of the state park in one piece and find help.

This book wasn’t perfect but the vibes for me were immaculate. Oddly enough, I had a fun time reading this and absolutely devoured this book. I can tell that this had some inspiration from the movie “Tremors” but I didn’t mind that. This book was gory and action-packed with a lot of death.

The character development could’ve been improved but I think it was hard to achieve because.. (Removed the end due to slight spoilers in explanation. Spoiler explained version included on Goodreads).. There were several moments that felt lacking and flat due to this. Even though the character development was lacking and this book felt like a bit like free-for-all, I loved the humor. I always find myself enjoying horror books more when they contain an element of dark humor and this delivered on that for me. It was also nice to see a mixture of characters from other countries and to get some of their slang and humor in the story as well. Imperfections included, this book still has probably been my most enjoyable read of this year so far.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for sending me an arc!

TW: body horror, death, gore, gun violence, animal death, blood, excrement, grief, murder, injury detail

Fast-paced, eerie, and oddly humorous—"Nameless Things" by Ernest Jensen takes you on a wild ride through the nightmarish landscape of Devil's Cup State Park. From flesh-piercing worms to the unseen terrors lurking beneath our feet, this debut novel had its gripping moments.

While the relentless suspense and body horror kept me intrigued, I found myself wanting a bit more to keep me hooked. The plot moved swiftly, but it lacked the deeper engagement that makes you eager to turn the next page. Despite these hiccups, I enjoyed the dark vein of humor and the unpredictable twists. This book is like a spooky rollercoaster—thrilling, but could use a little more polish on the tracks.

Overall, I definitely recommend there are already reviews out there with many different opinions, but I like it 😅

Big thanks to @netgalley and @risingactionpublishingco for this ARC.

Here is my confession:

I love a good survival trope. Give me monsters’, human or otherwise, a challenging setting, and characters fighting tooth and nail to make it through the night, and I’m sold. Unfortunately, “Nameless Things” didn’t live up to its potential.

This story of worm-like creatures wreaking havoc in a hostile, unforgiving landscape had all the ingredients for a gripping creature feature. The setup was solid, the environment was grim, and the premise hinted at relentless tension. But somewhere along the way, it lost its bite.

The characters were, to put it bluntly, flat. Not only were they unlikable, but their interactions felt forced, their dialogue so stilted and repetitive that it constantly pulled me out of the story. In a survival tale, I want to root for at least one person, to feel invested in their fight for life—but here, I didn’t care who made it or who got devoured.

The pacing, too, dragged in places. Scenes that could have been taut with tension were bogged down by unnecessary chatter and repetitive descriptions. For a book about monstrous creatures stalking their prey, the humans felt like the real obstacle to enjoyment.

That said, “Nameless Things” isn’t without merit. The ending is where it finally shines. Dark, hostile, and unapologetically bleak, it captures the tone the rest of the book seemed to be striving for. It’s the kind of conclusion that sticks with you, leaving a bitter aftertaste that feels strangely satisfying.

Unfortunately, a strong finish wasn’t enough to salvage the rest of the book for me. While I appreciated the grim world and the visceral horror of the worms, the lackluster characters and distracting dialogue made it a slog to get there.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this but it got a little bit repetitive. I think it has great potential and that the author should definitely consider continuing writing horror style novels. I enjoyed the ending, but like I said the book had gotten slightly repetitive as you progress, and I feel that there were multiple unanswered questions left once the book came to an end.

A meteor storm brings deadly giant worms to a Colorado state park

I am a sucker for the popular trope of ‘man versus the unknown’ and so started Nameless Things, the debut novel of Ernest Jensen, who also writes as Louise Jensen Duffy, with high expectations. However, even though it is reasonably solid, is ultimately disappointing, falling well short of my favourite wilderness themed horror. Even if slightly underdeveloped, for those of you seeking an easy and undemanding read blending science fiction, a dash of cosmic horror with something deadly (and hungry) lurking underground then check in for a quick bite.

Set in Devil’s Cup State Park in Colorado, Nameless Things has various hikers banding together or clashing in a battle of survival in making it back to civilisation after the ground is infested with dangerous, and very hungry worms, caused by a meteor storm. This is a familiar b-movie style plot, which although has its moments, is hindered by an incredibly annoying first person narrative which restricts getting to know any of the other characters. I was quickly bored of this testing internal monologue and felt it would have been stronger if this apocalypse were described via multiple points of view. For example, there is a scene when a little boy disappears, he is gone for a large chunk of the book before eventually turning up. I was more interested in finding out how he managed to survive on his own rather than spending time with some of the bores the reader is stuck with.

The concept of deadly and fast growing worms which can infect by contacting skin and attack by exploding out of the ground was a cool one, but it went largely unexplored. I wondered how the meteor storm escalated so quickly into the huge monsters the characters were presented with further into the story. Is some ways Nameless Things is a traditional ‘creature feature’ but there is just not enough of the creature. Masters of the genre, such as Scott Sigler and Nick Cutter, would have gone to town in bringing their beasts to life, by not putting extra flesh on the monsters felt like a missed opportunity. This is a shame, as there is excellent build up with a couple of early infections and painful deaths, followed by eye catching appearances of the creatures. They became reminiscent of the Tremors film franchise, without the humour, but the predatory exploding from the ground sequences had some kick.

The characters might not have been so annoying if we knew more about them, but the style of narrative made this incredibly difficult. Little is revealed about the narrator beyond him being gay (this is superficially mentioned in passing) and is on a short holiday with an old friend. After realising they are trapped in the park due to huge landslides Mike and Wade stumble across several other survivors and the author does a decent job of ramping up the tension with the story edging into the realms of survival thriller. They run low on food and water, quickly realising things are much more serious than they initially thought. There is also a smart sequence when they try to climb a dangerous rock face in attempting to escape.

Some of the strongest scenes were straight out of Tremors, as the group realise they can only stand or walk on rocky ground due to what lurks underneath. The kill scenes were swift and brutal but the plot is let down by incredibly obvious twists. The ending is abrupt, but is also seriously predictable, some readers may feel they were left hanging, but by this point it became obvious in which direction the narrative is heading into. This type of novel needs a person to carry the action, not necessary a hero, (where was Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward when you need them?) and this story is entirely devoid of any type of character charisma because it relies solely on the inner dialogue of one terrified guy. This is just not enough to carry what is supposed to be a horror thriller.

350 pages is way too long for what Nameless Things has to offer. There is definitely a lean and very solid novella lurking within these pages, but it requires more defined characters who do not whine all the time and more page time developing the creatures beyond peekaboo cameos.

Generally a good story, but I didn’t really mesh with the writing style. All the characters talked in similar crass ways. Just wasn’t for me. The horror elements were enjoyable, and I did like the bleak ending! The dialogue was irritating though. I’m sure people will like it, it’s always so interesting what I like vs someone else.

Nameless Things by Ernest Jensen

3.5/4 stars

Thank you to Net Galley for the arc copy of this book.

I think this was probably one of my first cosmic horror books, and it was a delight to read. This was also heavy on the body horror aspect, which was not new to me in book form, but the two together made for a wild ride.

I liked the premise, and I enjoyed the never ending sense of dread and doom all the way through the end of the book. The middle felt a little muddy and slow, but really the action in this book started right away and didn't really let up all the way through the end. And just to add, loved the ending. I love endings like this one had. I won't go into any detail to avoid any spoilers.

I don't always see books as movies in my head, but this one definitely played out like one and it was agonizing haha. That being said, I don't think this likely would ever be turned into a movie but it probably would make for a decent one. Some of the horror/action scenes were a little confusing and I wasn't entirely sure what was going on? I'm picturing 'Tremors' but I don't think that's entirely right.
This was pretty atmospheric, and I really felt like I was following all the characters through the creepy woods as they outran what was constantly chasing them.

Anyway, where this book lacked for me was the characters. Really honestly didn't like any of them, so it was hard to care what happened to anyone. The only one I cared about was Barney the dog and Josh, his owner. The main character was alright, but kind of annoying and frustrating. The rest of the characters were all rather unlikable in my opinion. I understand the times were stressful in the book, so they were on edge, but they were just annoying. I don't feel any of them were developed particularly well, unfortunately, but I also understand that some. I'm guessing they weren't all meant to be liked, but not liking any of them probably wasn't the goal either.

My other issue again was probably just the pacing. It was very quick to get into the thick of what was going on, but then a lot of the middle of the book was a lot of wandering around and avoiding the worms, etc. and it just felt a little boring sometimes. In a movie format this would be okay, but in a book it felt repetitive.

I also found some of the bickering between the Australians/British to be annoying and distracting from the story? I guess the author is both, so I get why it was in here, but it just was a bit much sometimes for me. Like it felt like it went on and on for pages at times and it could have been left out.

Anyway though, it was a fun worthwhile horror read. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time, so that's always a plus. I also enjoyed some of the darker humor/banter. It kinda gave me 'Cabin in the Woods' vibes a little bit, and that's always fun to get a taste of in other media forms.

I'd recommend this one to horror fans. It's not my favorite horror read of all time by any means, but it was enjoyable enough to pick up and read.

Thanks again to Net Galley for the ARC copy.

A fun and action packed survival horror read that will appeal to those who enjoyed books like The Ruins. The pacing was good and the characters were believable (and apparently expendable as well hahaha). There were some twists and a few storylines that I felt could have been better explored...the gun toting lunatic could have been better used IMHO. There was some gore but nothing that would require caution and the ending was not what I was expecting. I appreciated the humour that was worked into the tale as well. As someone who uses humour as a coping tool in stressful situations it felt very real to me. Overall a good read that will certainly have a spot on my recommends shelf.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to an advanced readers copy of this title free of charge. I'm leaving my honest review voluntarily.

3.00 stars
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After a breakup, Mike and his friend Wade embark on a camping trip to get away. What pulls you in immediately is how isolating the setting is, you're camping in the woods, with nowhere to go. After the discovery of where a meteor landed, things started to pick up. Our friends, meet a family (The Taylors) and from there the actions of the book will have you on the edge of your seat.

After our group has an unfortunate run-in with some worms, members of their group start to die one after the other in the most horrific ways. If body horror isn't your thing, I would advise you to read with caution. I'd like to think of myself as having a pretty strong stomach, but some of the scenes were a little much for me.

The book is bleak. We do meet other characters along the way, but a lot of them don't stick around for too long. What starts off as worms in the ground, becomes so much more, and stepping off the path could end their lives in an instant. I really wanted to love this one, and it did make for an entertaining read...I just like to be a bit more hopeful while reading. I feel like the entire book was a lot of leadup to our group finding their way out, only to get a devastating shock at the end of the book.

Overall, if you're into dreaful, slow-burn, body horror I would highly recommend this one!
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I would like to thank Rising Action Publishing, Ernest Jensen, and NetGalley for a copy of Nameless Things in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions formulated are my own - Nameless Things is scheduled to publish on March 25th, 2025, you can pre-order your copy today!

Other than it started off as a slow read, and needing more work on the writing it was overall really good. It kept me on a seat and would recommend to another horror book fan

I’m not sure what took me so long to read this, but wow. I finished in one night!

Yes, the dialogue needs work. Yes, some parts didn’t make a lot of sense. HOWEVER, I could not get enough of this book. The whole way throughout was nail biting, horrific, terror. I needed to know who would survive and what would happen to the group.

One by one, each character was dying off in horrible ways. Each situation was terrifying and had you on the edge of your seat. It’s been such a long time since a book made me feel like this! Also, the ending? Yeah, wasn’t expecting that at all. Pretty grim!

I highly enjoyed this story. This could have easily been a 5 star book for me if not for some of the dialogue and the lack of sense some of the scenes made.

This was a fun read. It looks like some other folks who didn't enjoy it as much as I did are criticizing a lack of character development or a deeper theme...? As far as I'm concerned, this was a fun, turn your critical thinking off, wonderfully disgusting horror story. Sometimes you just need an escape and see who turns into worm food and who survives.

Although the book is marketed as being for fans of Stephen King and Nick Cutter, I have to admit that there's a subtle (and occasionally not so subtle!) streak of dark humor in it, such that these authors never really crossed my mind once. Especially the ending, which should have shocked me, had me laughing in embarrassment. And yet! that's a good thing, because Jensen has an approach to horror all of her own ("Ernest Jensen" is Australian -but UK based- author Louise Duffy): lots of suspense, terrific pacing, non-stop action, and several creepy moments and horrifying imagery, with a rather darkly humorous undertone throughout.

The premise itself is awesome: two friends on a hike witness a meteor falling from the sky and soon the whole place they're hiking in is infested by worms. The two guys keep meeting other people hiking (and a dog), and the cast gets larger and larger, before it starts getting smaller and smaller as the infestation spreads and the truth about its nature finally comes out.

Despite all that, the book's gotten pretty bad reviews on NetGalley and Goodreads (1-star and 2-star mostly), and I think the reason is that Jensen is very weak on dialogue and characterization: the narrator is supposed to be a young gay man, yet this neither shows nor plays any role in the narrative (except once, when someone claims that gay characters die first in horror movies lol!); two of the cast are Australian and three are British, yet again the dialogue sounds so unnatural and messy they might all be American; and finally, the child doesn't really sound as a young boy would, though he certainly acts like one! Moreover, emotions do not really come across as genuinely as they should: panic, anxiety, fear, they're mostly "told" rather than "shown".

That said, the story is really really good, and several absurd situations aside, the book has many parts where I couldn't stop turning the pages and wondering where the survivors of this worm-infested valley would end up. Well, the ending did not really surprise me, but it certainly satisfied my curiosity. "Nameless Things" (a reference to Tolkien's LotR) being a debut horror novel for Jensen (she's already published five books in other genres), it should be approached with reasonable expectations. It has some triggers (many unexpected deaths, reminiscent of the Squid Game more than any King book), and a very annoying doggie messing up the plot (but at least it doesn't die!), but no extreme horror or gore (at least none unmotivated by the plot). The body horror elements are very well-done, and I wouldn't have minded if creepy crawlies had appeared more often in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and I would eagerly recommend it if you like survival horror with a dose of humor, and can handle children and animals being in peril. I can't wait to see what Jensen comes up with next!

I was hoping for a good creature feature to curl up with. This is a genre I love, but its difficult to find books that are well written and don't go into over the top silliness or rely on blood and gore.

I was once again disappointed. It isn't a terrible book, but it sadly didn't engage me and hold my attention. The bones of the story are there; it just didn't go anywhere I was interested in.

The writing needs some work and depth. I felt like I was not with the characters in the story. It was not engaging. I also got confused because the organization wasn't great.

Well, where to start? If you’re expecting a heart-pounding, creature-filled thrill ride, this might leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed. I’m a sucker for a good creature feature, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The story felt scattered like it wasn’t sure where it was going or how to get there. The main concept had potential, but it didn’t feel fully developed.

Most of the characters were more annoying than engaging, and I found myself frustrated by the overuse of inner monologue. When you’ve got a fast-paced story, the last thing you want is to wade through a character’s constant internal musings. And speaking of pacing, the deaths were so quick that I didn’t even have time to process what had just happened—there were moments where I had to stop, rewind, and re-read because the action was over before I could catch my breath.

And then there’s the ending… It was so abrupt that I felt like I was left hanging. After all the build-up, I expected more than a sudden, unsatisfying conclusion.

The cover of this book is what drew me in. It was a fast paced horror book that was fun and easy to read. The Little mix of sci-fi made it all that more fun.

This book was very creepy, scary and gave me some anxiety. Which I LOVED. i really enjoyed the story and the twists that happened. I would definitelt read this author again. Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this

Nameless Things by Ernest Jensen

During a scenic escape through a state park in Colorado, Mike and Wade experience something rather strange. More than unusual, unreal to be exact. What looks to be a meteorite flies overhead and crashes to the earth within close proximity. Smoke billows from the wreckage, which has them both wondering what they have just witnessed. Ernest Jensen, our horror orchestrator, begins supplying the characters to flesh out this dreadful tale. A family, with dog in tow, emerges and seems friendly enough. However, circumstances change as the mother begins to change. Upon digging through the soil, her interaction unleashes torment from the worms slumbering below. These small invertebrates knife their way into her system and alter her senses. Deeming the situation unsafe, they attempt to escape the basin as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the circumstances are far more dire than they first appear. The pathways have been blocked, and the earthen soil on which they stand becomes their biggest enemy. Can they endure a lack of food and water, or will they succumb to whatever lurks underneath their uneasy footing?

A frolicking, frightful experience was had. The scene had been set, the landscape of a state park in Colorado. You can imagine the sun setting, the skyline washed in a tint of orange. Beautiful. The story is told through the eyes of Mike, a man looking to escape a failed relationship. I am one with the group, the dirt climbing on the back of my calves. Smelling the forestry and meeting new friends. A family of three, a couple from Australia, and lastly a group of British youngsters. Ernest Jensen has other ideas in mind; there will be no postcard snapshots. A more sinister event is planned with death inviting itself to the table. Please, just let me survive.

First, the narrative had an effectively scary yet whimsical narrative. Plenty of snarky comments to break through some of the intensity. The comedic relief seldom lingers too long, as the characters are in constant need to focus. Tortured by a barrage of uncertainty, the stress reveals itself in the form of bickering amongst one another. They are forced to rely on the trust of total strangers, creating a sense of camaraderie yet apprehension. The style of writing is straightforward, exuding enough depth to make you feel at home within the group. Of added brilliance, the choice of having something as sacred as the ground we walk be the place in which horrors dwell was shrewd. Imagine having to play a real live game of floor lava in order to cling to life.

The end draws near; climbing my way to the top of the mountain, I see it... Wait! I am shocked to say the least, albeit in a pleasantly vile way. I began noticing the little dastardly smirk appearing on my face. There can always be some criticism of any work; is this perfect? No, by no means. The premise alone brings out the worst in people. Their annoying traits grating against my mind. I found myself harboring some ill feelings about some of the characters, begging the author to make them shut up already. However, for me this was a minor issue and one that is wholeheartedly up to one’s own interpretation. For having enjoyed this, I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended!

Many thanks to Rising Action Publishing for the ARC through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.