 Today marks the release date of The Cold the latest novel from Rich Hawkins and Horrific Tales Publishing, and in a weird twist of fate we have not one but two reviews from the Ginger Nuts of Horror's family. I love when things like this happens, as even though both reviews are positive the two reviewers both had different experiences reading the book. So please read both reviews, and if the book sounds like your cup of tea, you can purchase a copy by clicking on the link at the end of the article. THE COLD BY RICH HAWKINS REVIEW BY george illet andersonPlay Misty for Me  Rich Hawkins is one of those writers who has this instantly recognizable style of writing that encompasses aspects of outer and inner horror or the apocalyptic and the personal, to great effect. Unfortunately, in the case of his latest novel from Horrific Tales Publishing, “The Cold,” the impact of this approach is somewhat diminished, and as a result I was left with a novel which whilst enjoyable, felt somewhat underwhelming with a distinct sense of déjà vu to proceedings. I’m not entirely sure what it is about this novel that I found so disappointing. Sure, I blitzed through it in one sitting and although I did enjoy reading it, I can’t honestly say that by story’s end superlatives were spilling from my lips. I think my ambivalent reaction to the novel is that it does feel somewhat like it is sticking to a tried and tested formula. The phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” springs to mind but that is immediately countered with the thought that the definition of insanity is to repeat the same thing over and over and expect different results. Now, before you all start frothing at the lips and hurling invective my way, I will repeat myself and say that “The Cold” is an enjoyable read. All the familiar elements present in Hawkins’ previous efforts are here to one degree or another; the sparse and lean prose, apocalyptic Lovecraftian horror, a bleak and nihilistic tone, cultish behaviour and a menagerie of twisted and tormented flesh. He does have this knack for transforming the mundaneness of reality into something ominous and threatening in the blink of an eye yet here, as the story progresses, those recognizable elements pop up and it does start to feel rather like a repetitive tick box exercise. It’s not a feeling assuaged by the sense that what you are reading is ostensibly an English version of The Mist as the UK is blanketed by snow and fog that hides all manner of monstrosities hungry for flesh. Unfortunately, that sense of “I’ve read this before” only intensified as Seth and other survivors start to traverse the ravaged landscape in search of respite. There were several moments where I couldn’t quite shake the notion that what I was reading was effectively a re-tread of Hawkins’ own Plague series of books. However, unlike those previous excursions into the apocalypse, the existential battle between the humanity of his characters and the overbearing otherness of their new reality feels somewhat muted. The emphasis here is much more on monstrous set pieces and meat rending action which does contribute to a narrative that rips along at breakneck speed. The unfortunate casualty of this are the interchangeable characters who feel less like distinctive personalities and more like the next meal to be served up. I can’t say that “The Cold” is a bad reading experience. It is an enjoyable slice of monstrosities and mayhem and perhaps should be viewed as such. However, much like its title would suggest, “The Cold” left me feeling rather numb and worn out by its conclusion. Disappointing is perhaps the best way to describe it. 3.5/5  THE COLD BY RICH HAWKINS REVIEW BY TONY JONESPut on your winter-warmers and take a frozen trip into hell…. Or Somerset….  If you’re a fan of monster stories and by ‘monsters’ I mean terrifying killer beings ranging from the size of small dogs to beasts which dwarf football pitches then look no further than The Cold. In the hands of a less versatile writer these descriptions would become repetitive very quickly, but this never happens in this gruesome novel. There are monstrosities which are reminiscent of giant moths, others which are similar to biped boars and further examples which are so dangerous they’ll rip your head off in two seconds flat. And don’t get me started on the giant worms which could devour a bus whole without a burp. This was also an incredibly bleak novel, but I loved every second of the chills radiating from the 245 pages, which I read in two sittings. Actually, I thought it was much shorter and Hawkins did very well in keeping which was a very minimal story on point without it overstaying its welcome or becoming samey. This author sets many of his stories in the south west of England, Somerset, and so regular readers of his beguiling brand of cosmic horror are going to feel right at home as this latest offering is no different. The action opens directly after a train crash and main character Seth waking up after surviving the horrific accident. Bizarrely, it is also snowing incredibly hard, and since it is July and the middle of summer freaky occurrences are obviously afoot. Worryingly, the emergency services do not appear and Seth and a couple of other survivors strike out for the nearest train station for help whilst the majority shelter in the train carriages. Upon arrival they find the waiting room and ticket offices to be deserted, discovering blood stains everywhere. As the temperature continues to drop, after checking the station video surveillance, they realise inhuman creatures are hiding in the snow. Something bestial, vicious and very, very hungry. After some broken sleep another survivor from the train crash, Ruby, arrives and claims everybody from the train crash is dead; creatures swooped from the skies and devoured them. There is not much more I can say about the plot except that readers should expect an exceptionally well-paced survival novel which is incredibly gory, blood-thirsty and so vividly described you’ll be wanting to put on your hat, gloves and winter-warmers. You’ll feel the cold along with the poor suffering and shivering characters. Throughout the story the adverse weather plays a critical part in proceedings, ramping up the helplessness the survivors feel as they’re stalked by the monsters in the snow. This only adds to the overall bleakness of proceedings. Everything kicks off incredibly quickly and not a page is wasted before the creatures arrive on the scene. One moment, Seth is mulling over a disappointing job interview and a few seconds later he clocks weird shapes through the frosted train window and The Cold is off the ground running. The problem with the snow being so heavy, and half-blinding the survivors, makes them even easier pickings for the beasts. Along the perilous journey to any kind of sanctuary there are outstanding descriptions of destroyed homes, villages and landscapes dominated by beings so big their very movement can leave a vast trail of destruction. Hawkins keeps the story very local and gives the occasional hint about what else is happening in the rest of the country or abroad. Harking back to Day of the Triffids the survivors try to head for military bases or follow SOS signals they pick-up on short-wave radios, but the reality is nowhere is safe. This feeling of threat and hopelessness permeates right to the core of The Cold and it becomes obvious the chances of survival are minimal. Many shell-shocked characters are threaded through the story, most are despatched quickly adding to an impressive body count. The story is told in the third person via Seth, this guy is not a hero and would be the first to admit it, but he is a survivor and whilst everyone else is picked off Seth battles on, through a combination of luck and grit. Others have their brains eaten, are dropped from great heights, or simply disappear in the middle of the night. He is an easy character to root for, simply wanting to get home to find his elderly parents alive. There are touching moments, such as when he discovers a week-old newspaper and scans the football results realising this very mundane act is a thing of the past. Or wanders around a deserted fast-food restaurant that would have been a hub of activity a couple of days earlier. Whilst other authors might tell a multi character or story with many different strands Hawkins keeps it lean and very localised; with the level of destruction over the space of the first 48 hours breath-takingly savage, even if most of it happens off-screen. Whilst Seth and his friends trudge in the snow the country is quickly being devoured. The survivors have very quickly become helpless prey and the reader can feel it. The creatures themselves are wild and truly gruesome creations, that is until an even bigger monstrosity rumbles along and devours the smaller one. Yes, we live in a monster eat monster world! They may remind you of the creatures which lurked in the shadows of Maniac Gods (2018) Hawkins previous excellent novella. They also vaguely reminded me of the beasts from the film version of Stephen King’s The Mist. As it develops a cosmic horror element does evolve, which is predominant in much of this author’s work. Ultimately The Cold was a monster novel which pulled no punches and once it got going was a sleigh ride into hell. It had a minimal story which was skilfully driven home in a violent and pulsating manner which bullied the survivors, hustling them from one terrifying situation to another. It was not deep (unless you’re talking about the snow), was a very easy read, and must rank amongst the bleakest novels I have read this year. If you’re after a quick apocalyptic terror trip this is a fine example. However, Rich Hawkins really needs to lighten up on poor old Somerset as whenever I read one of his books he’s wiping out small towns and villages. Anyone might think he does not actually like the place! And long may the destruction continue. Recommended. 4.5/5 Tony Jones  the cold by rich hawkins It was an English summers day like any other until the snow began to fall and kept falling. Within hours, the entire country was buried beneath a freezing white blanket. And hidden within the blizzard conditions things began to move and kill and feast. Seth is one of the few passengers to survive the train crash. Now he and his fellow survivors face a new world of snow, ice and freezing fog, where they will be hunted like prey in the ruins of Great Britain. They must run. They must hide. They must survive THE COLD.   Comments are closed.
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