“Old school horror.” —Jonathan Maberry WHAT HAS LONG PINK FINGERS AND SMELLS LIKE ROTTING FLESH? It is a slime-covered fungus known for its pinkish red tentacles and pungent odor. It is indigenous to Australia but has spread to North America. Its Latin name is Clathrus Archeri, also known as Octopus Stinkhorn. Most people call it The Devil’s Fingers . . . I DON’T KNOW BUT IT’S GROWING ON YOUR … . .
I DON’T KNOW BUT IT’S GROWING ON YOUR NECK.
Deep in the woods of Washington, botanist Autumn Winters stumbles onto a field of the luridly colored fungi. Two of her fellow campers make the mistake of touching it. Now it’s growing on them. Fleshy gelatinous pods. Sprouting from their skin. Feeding on their blood . . .
AND IT’S STILL GROWING.
Autumn watches in horror as her friends are transformed into monstrosities—grotesque, human-fungal hybrids as contagious and deadly as any virus. Autumn knows she must destroy these mutations before they return to civilization. But if there’s one thing that spreads faster than fear, it’s The Devil’s Fingers . . .
Raves for The Montauk Monster
“A lot of splattery fun.” —Publishers Weekly
“Frightening, gripping.”—Night Owl Reviews
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A sucker for tentacles, that’s what I am. (And I can’t resist the old-“Get it? Sucker for tentacles?” So sue me.). Anyway, tentacles- THE DEVIL’S FINGERS has them in spades, and oh what fun it is to be with Hunter Shea again!
A group of 20 somethings head out into the woods to help their friend say goodbye to his recently deceased dad. They’ve come to spread his ashes at his favorite spot. Along the way though, they encounter a strange growth of fungi that somewhat resembles the pods in Alien. What is this gross looking fungus? It can’t spread to humans can it? And if it can, will these humans survive the encounter? You’ll have to read this to find out!
I’m keeping this review short because I don’t want to give anything away and because I don’t want this review to be longer than the book. I liked how this group of friends was written and I really liked how they had the strength to stand up when the time came. For me, with creature features, (even ones featuring a nasty fungus as the creature), the story lives in those who fight it, and in this case they fought hard. I also thought their actions were believable-even during the crazy action scenes and BOY, were there action scenes! Complete with the sounds and smells-everything you would need to create a vivid picture in your head-you are THERE.
In this, the third installment in the One Size Eats All series, Hunter Shea shows he is the master of bringing home dark and amusing B-style movies in Halloween fun-sized nuggets. What horror fan wouldn’t love that?
Highly recommended!
Available everywhere October 23rd, but you can pre-order now, here:
https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Fingers…
*Thanks to Kensington, via Net Galley, for the e-ARC of this novella in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
One thing I can say about The Devil’s Fingers by Hunter Shea, is that it made me more physically uncomfortable than anything else I’ve ever read.
We follow a group who’ve come together to support their friend while he spreads the ashes of his father in one of their favorite places to fish, camp, hike etc. They come across a plant which typically is nothing out of the ordinary, but these were seemingly everywhere, and quite larger than normal.
I refuse to go into detail, because I can already feel my skin begin to itch as I remember all the gruesome details, just think of The Ruins.. but amp up the grotesque factor by, like, a million.
I really enjoyed this one despite how every time I read, I needed to bathe right after. I think Hunter is an amazing storyteller, and there weren’t many things about this one that I disliked. I didn’t care for the use of first and last names used in the beginning. It’s such a minor thing, but it just felt a bit juvenile to me if that makes any sense. There was also an incredibly overly detailed and unnecessary sex scene.. which, again, not really that big a deal in the grand scheme of things.
Overall I’d definitely recommend this book to lovers of horror. If you can make it through without itching or wanting to vomit, all the more power to you.
THE DEVIL’S FINGERS is Book 3 in Hunter Shea’s “One Size Eats All” series. Simply put, this was amazing!
The one thing I noticed that really set this book apart from its predecessors is the tone. The first two books, JURASSIC FLORIDA, and RATTUS NEW YORKUS were almost all “fun”, dark-comedic tales with bucketfuls of gore and a mass of carnage. These were pure “B-movie” style enjoyment to most horror lovers. THE DEVIL’S FINGERS–while still retaining that dark, sarcastic wit–is a bit more “serious” in execution.
“. . . The gradual uphill climb had seemed easy . . . It was amazing how arduous and stifling things got the second they had to sprint like madmen . . . ”
Well, maybe not THAT serious.
The other main difference is that here, we are dealing with seven main characters, primarily. These seven friends are off in a remote wooded area for what is supposed to be a short “memorial” and get-together combined. These individuals ALL stand out to the reader in unique ways. Shea’s characterization is spot-on, as I truly felt a connection to everyone of them by the end of the story.
“. . . Did you think that was Cthulhu’s bastard children out there?”
However, the story still has that sarcasm-laced banter that I love in these books. In this case, not only did it showcase each character’s own personality more, but also served to show their placement in relation to the other friends in this grouping.
When Autumn, the only one still in college, recognizes a mass of rarely-seen-out-of-Australia type of fungus, she identifies it to the others. Although it loses “some” of it’s mysterious and repellant presence in the eyes of the group, there is not a person there comfortable with the sight before them.
“. . . Personally, I prefer their nickname, the Devil’s Fungus . . . ”
This infusion of fact and fiction is something Shea excels in. The factual existence of this fungus immediately brings a new level of credence to the story because it does, in fact, exist. I’ll admit the repulsive descriptions had me grimacing in disgust (not to mention checking out the lawn near the woods once or twice . . . ). Building on something nature had already created and making it “his own” kept the novella “real” in my mind. Add to this some dynamic characters, and I devoured every written word in nearly one sitting.
“. . . Someone has to be behind the Frankenfungus.”
The location and atmospheric conditions described were likewise perfect to the continuity of this tale. I can’t honestly think of a single thing that felt overtly “out-of-place” here. The emotions our friends face and change to contend with their altering environment seemed to be a natural reaction when faced with something . . . inexplicable.
“. . . It’s better than saying a fungus field kicked our asses.”
Overall, I was very impressed with Shea’s latest novella. He’s shown us he can tackle characterization, facts as well as fiction, and mix it all up into an incredible story. I sincerely hope these three “One Size Eats All” contributions are eventually combined into one volume for the home shelves. I’m already eagerly awaiting what Hunter Shea comes up with next!
Highly recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley for an arc copy. All opinions expressed are uniquely my own.
4 and 1 / 2 stars
Several friends are out camping and hiking in the Washington State wilderness. They come upon a clearing of strange fungus-like organisms which smell very bad. One of the students, a budding botanist named Autumn Winters, wants to take some of the pods home with her to show her professor.
When two of the friends go into the woods for a little privacy, they return the next morning looking like zombies. In fact, they have stuff growing on them. The field of Devil’s Fingers that they noticed the day before have somehow infected them. Autumn pops one and little tentacles come out.
Dan goes berserk and starts attacking his friends. He manages to clutch two of them before they get away. As the fungus spreads throughout the group, they unaffected are frightened. Tina has a broken ankle suffered when Dan went berserk and cannot leave with the rest of them when they head to the cars. They will have to come back for her. With Dan, Carrie and now Seth infected, Tina is understandably frightened. But before they set out, their escape route is blocked by the pods that are growing everywhere now.
And then there were three…The last survivor is saved through a quirk of fate – or perhaps not.
Mr. Shea has the ability to scare the pants off the reader in his little novellas. This one did not have the level of humor that is usually exhibited in this author’s stories. This was one of his creepier stories. I was almost squirming in my seat. This story is well written and plotted linearly. One event follows another in a logical progression. I liked the characters and the story was very engrossing and interesting. What if this really happened?
I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books/Lyrical Underground for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read, enjoy and review.
The story goes like this, a group of friends go camping in the woods. One of them is a botanist and she thinks she knows what the field of foul smelling pods are that they come across. Mind you, she thinks. When a couple slip off during the night to get freaky, they do their thing too close to the pods. Now they them growing on their bodies. And they’re about to hatch.
Ah, Hunter has found a devilish fungus to deter us from ever going in the woods again. It’s always a trip how he uses something genuine and then starts killing off his characters in the most creative, and often times revolting, ways.
I always like how the author gives me character’s that I get frustrated with. Then I don’t feel so bad when they’re killed off. I want to ask them if they ever watched a horror movie. They should know not to go off alone in the dark. And especially not to have sex. But, that’s what they do and that’s when the fun begins.
They say a picture paints a thousand words. Well, take a gander at the cover for The Devil’s Fingers. Getting the picture yet?
Once again Hunter Shea shocks and awes me with another deliciously horrific tale. I’ll never pass up one of his books. Out of the park with this one, Hunter. Keep em coming.
Hunter Shea’s humor shines throw the blackness of the horror he created in Devil’s Fingers. They had gathered together to wish Seth’s dad bon voyage into the next world. Their teenage antics are fun…until…Autumn, miss know it all Autumn…I will think twice about entering the woods, and will definitely stay away from any funny looking stuff! Hunter Shea loves to kill off his characters, so be careful who you get attached to because you don’t know who or if anyone will make it out alive. Cryptozoology at its finest.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Devil’s Fingers by Hunter Shea
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