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Donald G. Firesmith
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Hell Holes: What Lurks Below Kindle Edition

by Donald Firesmith (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 243
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Embark on a Chilling Expedition in Hell Holes: What Lurks Below – A Terrifying Tale of Survival Against Demonic Aliens

As summer wanes in the rugged wilderness of Alaska’s North Slope, geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the Fall semester. But then, hundreds of enormous holes suddenly appear in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle. Summoned by an oil company’s urgent call to investigate, Jack assembles a diverse team: his climatologist wife, two of their eager graduate students, and a stunningly beautiful photojournalist, Aileen O’Shannon, whose strangely persuasive skills land her a spot on their expedition.

Set against the backdrop of the remote oil fields south of Deadhorse, their mission is clear: evaluate the potential threat posed by these mysterious holes to the vital Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the oil fields that fuel it. Accompanied by an oil company executive and a wildlife expert tasked with safeguarding them from Arctic predators, the group begins researching one such monstrous pit in the rock-hard permafrost.

Yet, what starts as a straightforward scientific study turns into a nightmarish confrontation with an invading army of demonic aliens, intent on the total conquest of Earth as its new feeding grounds.

Hell Holes: What Lurks Below is not just a science fiction thriller; it’s a gripping saga of survival that blurs the line between science and superstition. Each masterfully crafted page thrusts readers into a relentless fight for survival, and the stakes are nothing less than the survival of humanity itself.

Perfect for fans of realistic, action-packed, alien invasion science fiction and tales of demonic horror, Hell Holes: What Lurks Below will transport you on a heart-thumping journey of survival in the face of overwhelming odds. Can Jack and his team stay ahead of the advancing army or will they fall victim to the ravenous invaders?

Discover the answer in Hell Holes: What Lurks Below – your ticket to an adventure where the chilling expanse of the Alaskan wilderness meets the infernal terror of an alien onslaught. Pick up your copy today!
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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Book 1 of 2
    Hell Holes
  3. Print length
    168 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Publication date
    5 August 2015
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. See all details
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Books In This Series (2 Books)
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Hell Holes
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  1. Hell Holes: Demons on the Dalton
  2. Hell Holes: To Hell and Back
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Product description

Review

"A big surprise. Even though the premise is spelled out during the Prologue, what followed was consistently surprising, and constantly gripping. Furthermore, the underlying science that is described here is very well presented. Not overly didactic, but adding an interesting and useful dimension which helps add credibility to the story as a whole. The book is short, which is probably my only gripe. I got 'into' it quickly, and I enjoyed my time in Firesmith's world. I did not want to leave. Given that there appears to be more to follow, I have something to look forward to and will certainly keep an eye out for a sequel. Urban Fantasy? Science Fantasy? I'm not sure how to label it. But whatever it is, I really got a kick out of it, and would happily come back for more. Recommended." MJ Kobernus, Author of The Guardian: Blood in the Sand

About the Author

A geek by day, Donald Firesmith works as a system and software engineer helping the US Government acquire large, complex software-intensive systems. In this guise, he has authored seven technical books, written numerous software- and system-related articles and papers, and spoken at more conferences than he can possibly remember. He's also proud to have been named a Distinguished Engineer by the Association of Computing Machinery, although his pride is tempered somewhat by his fear that the term "distinguished" makes him sound like a graybeard academic rather than an active engineer whose beard is still slightly more red than gray. By night and on weekends, his alter ego writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from various magical woods and mystical gemstones. His first foray into fiction is the book Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore written under the pen name Wolfrick Ignatius Feuerschmied. He lives in Crafton, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, and his son Dane, and varying numbers of dogs, cats, and birds.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B012IUE14U
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Magic Wand Press; 4th edition (5 August 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2880 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 243

About the author

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Donald G. Firesmith

Donald G. Firesmith

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Donald Firesmith is a multi-award-winning author of speculative fiction including science fiction (alien invasion), fantasy (magical wands), and modern urban paranormal novels.

Prior to retiring to devote himself full-time to his novels, Donald Firesmith earned an international reputation as a distinguished engineer, authoring seven system and software engineering books based on his 40+ years spent developing large, complex software-intensive systems.

He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, and varying numbers of dogs and cats.

Author Website: https://donaldfiresmith.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=1955172

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Firesmith

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/don.firesmith

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonFiresmith

Firesmith's Wand Shoppe: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FiresmithWandShop

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
243 global ratings

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Top reviews from Australia

Marie Seltenrych
5.0 out of 5 stars Demons, hell hounds, bats, craters and more ...
Reviewed in Australia on 13 February 2018
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Demons, hell hounds, bats, craters and more are obstacles the Team must confront to get to the bottom of the mysterious hole. Can these be simple Pingo holes (previously covered in ice) or has a meteor caused this phenomenon? Can Latin idioms help or hinder the mission? From the sky to the deepest earth... who will survive at 200 feet down....
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HazelM
4.0 out of 5 stars Not just for teenagers
Reviewed in Australia on 2 September 2022
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As an adult I found this an intriguing read. It's not just for teens. It's engaging enough that I subscribed to the author's newsletter and I'll read the rest of the series. I simply MUST know what happens next. It has me being wary of sink-hole now as I wait to see if anything appears from them, even though I'm far from Alaska lol
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in Australia on 24 February 2018
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Great Characters
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Robski
5.0 out of 5 stars Alien wars
Reviewed in Australia on 6 January 2021
Excellent beginning to a story of a mysterious and dangerous alien attack as they force entry into the world from hell below
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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Top reviews from other countries

VG
5.0 out of 5 stars Good horror
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2023
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Stuff of nightmares - great horror book first in a series
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Walter Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars A team of scientists check out mysterious holes in Alaska and find themselves battling hellhounds, imps, and even more deadly su
Reviewed in Canada on 20 February 2018
Verified Purchase
When I read Hell Holes #1 (What Lurks Below) I had mixed feeling about posting a review. I figured, “So far, so good”, but questioned whether the next one in the series would continue just as good (or even raise the bar), or fizzle.
So I purchased Hell Holes #2 (Demons on the Dalton), was fully engaged in it from the first sentence and read it all in one day. Thus a five-star review for this one.
Read the books in order. This one was free on Amazon. The second one is $1.24 Canadian on Amazon. A third one is on the way. Win – Win any way you look at it.
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Nancy Allen (The Avid Reader)
5.0 out of 5 stars What Lurks Below is filled with so much action adrenaline pumping and horror that it will have you sweating way before its over.
Reviewed in the United States on 28 January 2018
Verified Purchase
When I first started reading What Lurks Below started out slow like and it was kind hard to get into. It starts out reading like a textbook and I was like I didn't sign up for this. But I kept reading telling myself to come on give it a chance you just got started. So I kept reading and then the next thing I knew the words were exploding off the pages at me and I was racing through it.

Dr. Oswald a professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks gets a phone call from a Mr. Kowalski asking for his help up on the North Slope near the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. There are these big wholes opening up all over the place which could spell disaster for the oil companies if they don't figure out real quick like what is going on and try to put a stop to it.

Dr. Oswald gathers up his team which includes his wife Dr. Menendez two students, Mark Starr and his wife Jill Starr and head out for the oil fields. They get themselves a new crew member along the way one photographer Aileen O'Shannon a very attractive young woman who finagles her way into their expedition that has the wives of the two men keep close eyes on this one so she don't forget that their husbands are off limits.

As I said What Lurks Below did take off on slow start but once they reached the first gigantic hole it was on then. More holes started popping up all around them taking all their vehicles and campsite and things coming out of it like you wouldn't believe. They all took off like the demons from hell were coming up out of those holes. The characters adrenaline was pumping but so was mine. The words started popping off the page hitting me in the face the moment the explosions started and I could just feel the heat coming off them. It was as if I was right there with all the characters running for my life with the demons and heat from the explosions on my heel wondering if we were going to make it out alive.

The summary for What Lurks Below does not in any way do this book justice at all. What Lurks Below is filled with so much action adrenaline pumping and horror that it will have you sweating way before it is over.

I would recommend What Lurks Below to anyone who loves to see the words of a book exploding off the pages at you.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Holy whatever!!
Reviewed in Canada on 13 July 2017
Verified Purchase
Now THIS is a story!!
Witnessing the birth of an author with as much imagination as Stephen King and J. K. Rowling combined!
I swore off buying any more books, but I'll admit that oath just got demolished. Without remorse.
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Rowena Hoseason
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid science meets the supernatural
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 May 2018
Verified Purchase
This is the first episode in an ‘intelligent adventure’ series (‘Hell Holes’), which mixes the heft of heavyweight geology and climate science with the demons of the underworld unbound, in all their slavering ferocity.

It’s a genre-bending bonanza of science, speculative fiction and supernatural action, a nifty idea which would make a perfect movie pitch. Think Jurassic Park but with wolven hellhounds taking the place of the velociraptors, and a sky full of giant flying demonic bat-monsters. As you might expect, much running and shouting ensues…
What Lurks Below is a short novel which fair stomps along, from the initial alarm when giant sinkholes start appearing in the Alaskan wilderness and threaten billion-dollar oilfields, to its pell-mell scramble for survival in the later chapters.
This feels like an indie author’s early work, and it shows in the writing. In the early chapter it leans heavily on big lumps of background information, where the serious-sounding science is delivered in meaty lectures. Then the tone changes dramatically as the supernatural angle kicks in, and the more unfortunate members of the team fall as sacrificial red shirts to various voracious beasts.
What Lurks Below is almost two short books in one, as if someone grafted together Jodie Foster’s Contact and Vin Diesel’s Pitch Black. Readers who are looking for the rampant action of the latter might not enjoy the scholarly pace of the former.

A rapid read; ideal if you’re looking for bite-size entertainment.
7/10

There's more reviews of thrillers and crime fiction over at murdermayhemandmore.net
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