South China Sea

Twist and turns, in every direction. I guess thats why the predator is fighting a snake on the cover.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars I just finished reading this entry to the series, and cannot say too many good things about this book. The characters, setting, mood, and the Predator are all top notch. To begin with, the book has a variety of characters, all with different motivations, loyalties, and personalities. I don't want to spoil anything concerning the motivations, but several characters have a very good idea of what they are facing, and this plays out very well at the start of the novel. The setting, which at first I thought might be cheesy, works very well in the story. The variety of settings: the hunting lodge, swamp, grasslands, valleys, and the abandoned temple prevents the action from getting boring and lets the hunt play out with differing tactics. The mood of this story is very dark, gritty, and brutal: just what the franchise is about. There are decapitations, mutilations, and every other type of death that can be thought of. There is also a fatalistic sense, with the characters believing that they are not going to survive their encounter with the Predator. This feeling was absent in Turnabout, and I personally felt it hurt that novel. As to which movie this book 'feels' like, I would say the 1st film without a doubt. I can't conclude this review without mentioning the Predator. He is by far the most BA, toughest, and experienced that has been featured in either the films or books. He is an absolutely brutal character; as examples (don't read for spoilers) he paints his helmet with human blood, throws the severed heads of soldiers back to their comrades, plays the recording of him killing a character's sister back to her, and racks up the highest body count of any predator by leaps and bounds. To conclude, if you are a fan of either the films or books, read this novel

I think that this is an awesome book. I'm a huge fan of the Predator universe, and of VanderMeer's other work (Shriek: An Afterword in particular), so I was excited when I discovered this book. It's not as wildly experimental as some of his other fiction, and honestly I think that works in the novel's favor. This is a Predator story, and it's clear that VanderMeer understands and loves this universe. He has fun with it, and that makes for a fun read. I've been disappointed with Predator books before. It's good to see some of these big franchises turning to talented writers every once in a while, instead of just churning out hack work because they know we'll buy.

There are still some Predator books out there I have not read but to date, this is the best one yet. Full of colorful characters with secrets which cause plot twist through out the book. I can see why the writer was an award winner. There wasn't a dull moment in the book. The Predators talents were on display and I was pleased to see that there were some savvy human beings too. They weren't just there to be slaughtered. What a fine book. I look forward to reading more from this good author!

OMG! Dark Horse has found a writer that took the Predator franchise into the stratosphere. After reading this fantastic novel, it is clear why Predator newcomer writer, Jeff VanderMeer has awards for his writing. This is more epic and better than the original! VanderMeer's cast of human characters are so hardcore that they kinda made Arnold Schwarzeneggar and his band of soldiers look like nusery school kids. Great and epic stuff, this! And this predator too is the baddest of the bad, making previous Predators also seem like pre-adolescent Preds. Fantastic!! Riveting, harrowing, dark and bloody, Predator: South China Sea will surely please REAL Predator fans to its extreme limits. If only Hollywood could produce gold products like this...