Dave Hooper has the hangover from hell, a demonic ex-wife and the claws of the tax office sinking into him. So the last thing he needs is an explosion at the off-shore oil rig where he works.
But this is no ordinary industrial accident, and despite the news reports, Dave knows that terrorists aren't to blame for the disaster. He knows because he kills one of the things responsible.
When he wakes up in a hospital bed guarded by Navy SEALs, he realises this is more than just a bad acid trip. Yet his shock and anger are cut short by a startling self-discovery; his contact with the creature has transformed the overweight, balding safety manager into something else entirely. A goddamned superhero.
Then he learns the attack on the rig is only the first.
Emergence
I was truly looking forward to reading this book. As a fan of hard-luck heroes, I went into it hoping to find myself a new favourite. Sadly, while the plot is sufficiently action-packed, there are a few holes and a LOT of phallic symbolism.
I am planning on reading #2 in the hopes that Dave grows up and realises that his problems are tiny in comparison to the world-dooming monster apocalypse- but i'm not holding out much hope.
Shannon, 04/03/2015
Emergence
When Dave Hooper boarded the chopper out to the Longreach rig, he was feeling pretty sorry for himself. Hungover, he was feeling the pressure from his bosses and the squeeze from his soon-to-be ex-wife. Still, he was good at his job, and his men had just finished drilling the deepest hole in history. Celebrations were in order (and boy, did he celebrate).
On their approach Dave was shocked to see flames from the rig. Concerned for his people, he made the fastest landing possible. But that was not the worst of it. Far from it. A humongous orc-like monster was snacking on one of his best friends. That's right. Monster.
In that moment, Dave's rage at every lousy deal that life had handed him took over. Grabbing his dead friend's splitting maul and letting out what might resemble a war cry he attacked. He wanted to hurt it. Badly.
For once luck was on Dave's side. The vile creature was dead.
What he didn't anticipate was what would happen next. No longer was he the pudgy, bald, beaten down safety inspector- he was Super Dave- hero of the Longreach. And things were only about to get weirder...
'Emergence' reads like an action movie. Personally, every time I imagine Dave Hooper I see Bruce Willis from Die Hard in my head. (Go ahead. Try it. It totally fits).
A little bit fantasy, a little bit action-adventure, this novel is one monster of a good read.
-Shannon (Blog Team)
QBD, 04/03/2015
