Review - SNAFU: Hunters by James A. Moore, Patrick Freivald, and other selected authors.

I want to get something out of the way here from the get go. I came late to the SNAFU party. 

Terrible, I know. Stupid even. 

How could I claim to be worth my salt as a reader when I had missed out on what is arguably the premier military horror series in the world today?

But before you incite a mob and march on my house hear me out. I've been catching up... and I'm here now at the party... front and centre. And fuck me... it is some party! 

When SNAFU: Hunters landed on my doorstep I whooped like a pirate discovering treasure. I disregarded everything else I had planned for that day (except picking up my daughter from daycare, cuz you know, parenting) and sat down to read some mind bending and visceral military horror. And boy, was I not disappointed. 

SNAFU: Hunters continues in that time honoured of its predecessors by scaring the living shit out of you whilst also latching onto your cerebral cortex and refusing to let go. Each story in this anthology is masterfully constructed, and filled to the brim with bloody action, thrilling hunts, and insane mythology (vampires infesting modern day London for example, fuck yes). This book is literally wall to wall explosions, blood curdling screaming, and highly skilled hunters trying to stay alive and get their prey. 

And that's not all... this anthology also has a surprising depth to it. The characters were all layered and multidimensional, and I found myself drawn to their plights/missions in a way that is kind of unusual for a military horror anthology. The subtle nuances and philosophical musings scattered throughout the book also added a real sense of profoundness to the stories, which in turn ramped up the intensity of the action sequences to an eye bleeding level when they occurred. 

And each and every story held its own within the anthology (unlike some anthologies, where the entries are a mixed bag), from the Lovecraftian hostiles in 'The Bani Protocols' through to the Valducan Knights of 'Hungry Eyes'. I literally could not fault any of them, with each tale thrilling me in a way that was different to the other. 

The pacing was fast and scintillating, and before I knew it I had finished the anthology and was left wanting more. So what did I do... I went back to read it all over again! It is that good. 

From other dimensions through to the fallout sites of nuclear explosions, SNAFU: Hunters is the perfect example of just how good genre fiction can be (take that you snooty bastards who frown upon it). A perfect anthology for lovers of military horror, I cannot recommended SNAFU: Hunters enough.  

Do yourself a favour (yes I ripped that one from Molly) and get a copy of this cracker today! 

5 out of 5 stars.

For more information and purchase details, click on this link.