Thunder Wells

By: Terry W Ervin II

Narrated by: Jonathan Waters

No one ever said surviving an alien invasion would be easy.

Jack Fairbanks made it through the initial wave of attacks, but now the Mawks have seeded the Earth with dozers and crawlers, tracking beasts that crave human flesh and are bent on hunting the remnants of humankind to extinction.

Joined by Lucia, a hardened urban survivor, Jack finds himself caught up in a secret plan to turn the course of the invasion. Can a college sophomore and a ragtag force of soldiers survive when the Mawks descend from orbit and begin their final assault?

©2016 Terry W. Ervin II (P)2017 Gryphonwood Press

Well written, well crafted invasion story

I am always a little hesitant about diving into alien invasion novels, despite my love of the post-apocalypse and sci-fi genres. Thunder Wells blew my negative expectations totally out of the water. What a fantastically crafted story this turned out to be. Yes, there were aliens, but their presence didn't overtake or detract from other aspects of the story. Nothing about the plot was hokey or entirely unrealistic. (However, I must air my reservations about whether or not large groups of people would voluntarily agree to regularly eating dry dog/cat kibble when food resources are scarce.) The love interest of main character Jack is developed and portrayed in an organic, realistic manner. The survival and warfare techniques described by the author seem plausible. Even as the author describes the aliens' technology, it isn't so far-fetched it turns me off the story. (My fiction needs to bear at least some passing resemblance to non-fiction, I guess!) Overall, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Thunder Wells; with its well-written storyline, thoughtful ending, and superb narration. Do give this one a listen because it won't disappoint!

I was provided a free copy of this audiobook by the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity!

Bob @ Platypire Reviews

​I requested and was granted a code for the Audible version of this book.

This was pretty good. A fresh perspective on an alien invasion that happens in the aftermath. The good guy, bad guys, and other bad guys all played their parts quite well, and I liked how the story wove everything together. Honestly, though, one my absolute favorite things about this book was that there was a "team" (I consider Jack and Lucia a team in my own mind haha) consisting of a man and a woman. And it wasn't sexual! Seriously, you don't actually find that very often, and it was AWESOME to see two people who could be just friends in an apocalyptic novel. I know, I'm weird. But I don't care. I LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to find something new, and this book had just the thing I needed. I was getting a little overwhelmed in too much lovey dovey lately lol.
I give this book 4 Platypires. And that is the rating I'm going with for Goodreads and Amazon.

The Audible version is going to be a 3, as the narrator wasn't my cup of tea. He had a pleasant voice, a steady pace, knew the story. But, I found myself bored and lulled into a state of not even paying attention a few times, causing me to have to go back and listen again. I'm not sure why it was like this for me. I realize that most others loved his narration, but something was just off for me.
If you like aliens and survival of the fittest and smartest, you should definitely check this out.

So, overall: Book is 4 Platypires, Audible is 3.

Tremors anyone?

Its pretty good but reminds me too much of tremors. Lucia is pretty dang annoying so I really dont know why Jack puts up with her. Its still worth a listen however as long as it stays a single if it turns out to be a series I dont see any reason to stay with it.

Unique storyline, invasion from the front lines.

Author has taken a tale and woven it into a story of indomitable human spirit, without making humans the three musketeers. "All for one, and one for all."

Good story, good performance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book since the story was well written and kept flowing very well.

What other book might you compare Thunder Wells to and why?

I would recommend Dawn of Wonder

What three words best describe Jonathan Waters’s voice?

Wonderful, relaxing, and soft

Any additional comments?

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I must recommend that Jonathan Waters gets a popfilter for his microphone. His S's were a bit harsh on my ears and I think that might help with a bit of that.