Books4Tomorrow: REVIEW: "HIVE" (Species Intervention #6609, #4)

Title: “Hive”

Series: (Species Intervention #6609, #4)

Author: J.K. Accinni

Publisher: Skinny Leopard Media

Publication Date: December 15, 2012

Genres: Sci-fi, Adventure, Paranormal

Reviewed by: Books4Tomorrow

Source: Received from author

My star rating: 5/5

SUMMARY

In the rush to the Tampa Airport, Abby meets a small group of elephants from the famous Elizabeth Siggins Wildlife Foundation fleeing the political horrors of Africa. Putting them under her protection and that of the Hive, she meets Tobi, the elderly matriarch of the small herd who will sacrifice herself to save a human and in return is rewarded with the ultimate gift the Womb can bestow.

As the bedraggled group race to the Hive for protection, saving a few desperate souls as they go, the first bomb arrives. As the survivors and the wildlife struggle to adjust to the new pecking order in the Hive and the revelations of their own origins, a woman and her two grandchildren live through the hellish horror and complete breakdown of civilization above ground as they struggle to reach the Hive where her husband awaits.

Horror visits the struggling survivors as they learn the Earth will not support habitation for at least another one hundred years. But the biggest shock comes from the Womb as it extracts a huge penalty from the hapless people, tolling the demise of the human race.

REVIEW

I finished the third book in the Species Intervention series a week ago, and because of the way it ended with so many questions still left unanswered, I couldn’t wait to start on Hive – which picks up exactly where Armageddon Cometh left off. Again, this was another instalment in the series which ended with a whole batch of new questions and mysteries, which will hopefully be addressed in the fifth book, The One.

“Are you alright, Peter?”

“No, Abby, I’m not alright. My girlfriend is a professional whore, I abetted the murder of a psycho that held a gun on me for two days, I just finished watering some cats that weigh three times what I do and they know it, a camel spit in my face then shit on my feet, my boss that I cared for just turned out to be some kind of alien freak and we seem to be running for our lives with a boat full of hungry, dangerous, smelly creatures. And it’s hot.”

In Hive, Peter – one of the character’s I’m rooting for – still remains an enigma, and Kenya, past her baby’s due date, amuses the reader with more of her streetsmarts and wit. The reader finally get to know more about the Womb; home to Baby, Echo, Netty and Wil, but at the same time more questions are raised. Why are Baby and Echo sneaking off at night when everybody is asleep? Whose screams are coming through the walls in the hive? Who is lurking in the shadows?

If you’ve been following this series, you might’ve wondered along the way where Baby, Netty and Wil - characters from the first book, Baby - went and where they’ve been the past hundred or so years. Well, once the survivors and animals move into the hive, Netty, Wil and Baby is finally back in the picture and some of those questions are answered. The Womb is really a neat place to be, as the survivors discover once they get settled in. They soon realize though that in their new home, humans are now at the bottom of the food chain, and at the mercy of the Womb.

“She actually understood that humans as a species didn’t deserve this planet, but her heart bled with the thought of the uncorrupted babies and children that would perish.”

As civilization and the world fall apart on the outside of the Womb, new bonds and friendships are formed on the inside, and of course, as is typical from an author who likes to surprise and engage her readers, more secrets and mysteries come to the fore. One of the reveals is the significance of the numbers 6609; something I’ve been curious about since the start of the series. And maybe you think you’ve solved the mystery of who is going to be “the one”? Guess again!

“Their world now existed far beyond that of dog eat dog. Civilization now teetered on the insane edge of human eat human…”

By now I’ve grown accustomed to this author introducing new characters - a fair representation of persons from all walks of life - into each book to keep the story interesting, the anticipation building, and the plot lined with twists. I did find it difficult, however, to keep track of all the new and old characters. Because of the sheer volume of so many characters in the Womb, and the handful of new characters attempting to navigate their way through the destruction of America en route to the hive, I only managed to connect to some of the characters, but couldn’t relate to any of them.

“…is that all men can think of in a disaster, to revert to beasts? No-not beasts. Beasts don’t rape and murder. That’s what man does.”

Seth’s character, taking the place of Armoni, adds a lot to the suspense as newcomer Lorna flees with her grandchildren across a country falling into ruin, in hopes of finding her husband and safety in the hive. The character I felt the most heartbroken about is Suzie. I’m appalled at the implied horrors awaiting this poor little five-year-old.

Hive is disturbingly fraught with violence, cruelty and brutality, but as in the previous books, this is used as a necessary tool to realistically place the reader in the midst of thechaos and breakdown of civilization, and show - instead of tell - the reader how evil man can be and how this iniquity can extend man’s cruelty to his fellow human beings. Not surprisingly, this book gripped me from start to end, and once again I was deeply absorbed by the many topics the author so passionately write about. Overall, Hive was an amazing read which left me speechless long before its shocking finale. As I did with all the books in this splendid series so far, I have high expectations of The One, which will hopefully bring a satisfying conclusion to this remarkable series.