The “Eek!” shall inherit the Earth.
In 400 years’ time your great-great-great-grandkids are going to have to live to a world where ants are the size of cars and centipedes are as long as train carriages. Science has messed things up for mankind by fiddling with insect genes and now the insects are crushing humans. Literally. And science has got to fix it. Cue: hybrid humans. Half beast, half person. Kids only discover at puberty which animal their genes have been blended with, a bit like a student-do at Hogwarts when the Sorting Hat puts them into houses. If you’re a big lad you might develop into a buffalo hybrid (Buffalo-Brid), if you’re nimble you could be destined to become a Leopard-Brid. But the scientists aren’t finished with you yet. They also kit you out in the latest battle gear, beast you like SAS recruits, then send you out to battle the Sectz. Despite all this, humankind is clinging on, hiding under 25th Century ‘rocks’ made of reinforced steel and glass. The Sectz are winning. But the world has a secret weapon. A boy called Xavier Wish. They only thing is he doesn’t know it yet.
Fight or Flight is book one of BRID. My elevator pitch for it would be it’s like Percy Jackson meets Starship Troopers with an extra helping of science. It’s a rollocking read. The science is all based on real science, not crazy unrealistic inventions. The main characters are all teenagers, each with their quirks and personal issues. There’s loads of action and white-knuckle rides along the way but also plenty of time to immerse yourself in the world these kids find themselves in. And like all great sci-fi books, the science isn’t the star of the show, it’s there to enrich the story and take you on a wild old ride.
I really enjoyed it. And I’m 54! If I was 14, I’d be hunting David Alan Woods down like a two-ton assassin bug to get writing book two. Or else!
Tristan Hyatt-Williams, Founder of Big Potato Games
A really entertaining and cleverly crafted read
This novel is a gripping, imaginative read with a cast of engaging characters you can’t help but root for. Each one is written with such clarity and depth that they leap off the page, drawing you deeper into the story with every chapter.
The tech elements are genuinely enthralling…detailed enough to feel immersive, but never overwhelming. You find yourself marvelling at the wizarding-world-size world the author has built, where science and fiction are super intertwined.
What really sticks with you though is the horror factor. The oversized insects are the stuff of nightmares, made all the more terrifying through vivid, visceral writing. It's the kind of imagery that sticks with you long after you’ve put the pages away. Adding a layer of charm to the tension are the fun, almost whimsical names of the characters. Reminiscent of Martin Amis…quirky, memorable, and just enough of a hint at each character’s character.
And just when you think you're safe, the book ends on a killer cliffhanger that leaves you desperate for the next. A really entertaining and cleverly crafted read that left me with laughs, terror and a large knowledge of all the ways an insect could kill you.
Ryan Wooding, London
...the wasp packing unconscious bodies
Brid is a highly entertaining and fast-paced science fiction novel. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic worlds (of which I’m a big fan) then this novel will certainly resonate with you. The images of a giant dragonfly, flying over the destroyed London skyline or the wasp packing unconscious bodies into the London Eye carriages are particularly haunting.
The characters are endearing and sympathetically drawn. I always enjoy more complicated relationships between characters. The epilogue left an excellent hanger at the end and leaves the story wide open for development and expansion. Even though it’s over 500 pages, it feels like the story has only just got started!
Jamie Jolley, London