In Liddycoat’s SF thriller, Earth is overrun by giant, insectoid creatures from another planet.

It’s the year 2129, and much of the world is under the rule of a single authority called “the Governance.” Things are peaceful on Earth before an alien invasion occurs in October, involving human-sized, ant-like creatures called Emmets. However, the Emmets don’t immediately make their way to North America, although residents there do hear alarming news reports. Sheryl Monroe and her daughter, Anne, live in Los Angeles, under the credo “Obey the Governance… It’s for your own good.” When the city is endangered, Sheryl and Anne head out of town, following evacuation directions. On their way east to their family in Amarillo, Texas, there are signs of Governance rule breaking down. It’s up to a group called the North American Defense Alliance to keep control of the populace and to hold back the Emmets approaching from the south. After their last-ditch effort to keep the aliens from heading North fails, survivors must save themselves from the aliens—and from their own leaders. In this speculative novel with some dystopian elements, Liddycoat presents an intriguing look at what an alien attack might be like under a one-world government. The author’s use of clinical language to describe the world in which the characters live (“she programed the drive to her home to load their vacation and picnic bags and then drive to the Fontana Trade Academy to pick up Anne. Traffic was building, but the control was holding an efficient pattern”) fits in with the sterile environment. As the story progresses, the work offers an effective portrayal of the human fight-or-flight instinct. The character development over the course of the story is also impressive. However, the fact that Emmets don’t become a major part of the story until a third of the way into the book may disappoint some readers.

An unusual alien-invasion tale that focuses more on character development than SF elements.

A futuristic novel about a post–alien invasion world.

In 2131, the Old Man and the remaining 16 of his William’s Warriors made one of the last known stands against an alien threat, the antlike Emmets. The Warriors didn’t survive, and they were buried with their enemies. Centuries pass, and humankind has survived but barely. Histories have been lost, climate change has made life hard, and almost no one knows about the Emmets and the threat they once posed. In 2552, archaeologist/historian Jank Barnly hits gold when his expedition finds not only where the fabled William’s Warriors fell, but a trove of new information, including the Old Man’s journal and, surprisingly, the journal of the Emmets’ Prime Gyne, or queen (written in English). She provides her own account of the Emmets’ invasion of Earth, her mandate to propagate and populate, and her strange, almost sexual, obsession with the Old Man. Once the dust settles on his newfound fame, Jank starts feverishly writing a novel about the William’s Warriors, depicting their imagined origin story and alien battles. Liddycoat’s inventive take on an alien invasion of Earth mixes an epistolary narrative with a novel-within-the-novel structure to explore survival, instinct, and emotional bonding (with lots and lots of sex in the mix). The journal excerpts are fascinating, especially the Prime Gyne’s strong emotional arc. Jank’s novel excerpts are overlong; they’re the bulk of the narrative and present a problem. Liddycoat’s novel is meant to build a personal and emotional story about a horrible, terrifying alien invasion of human-eating insectoids and the soldiers who fight them, which it does. But Jank’s novel dilutes the reader’s connection with both storylines, and the overall result is intriguing but flawed.

A convoluted but inventive SF/horror tale.

In this dystopian sequel, the few survivors of an alien attack continue to face menaces on a desolate Earth.

Fourteen people have made their home at an Oregon motel. They call themselves “the Survivors,” having lived through various ordeals caused by an alien species’ attempt to wipe out humanity. The group, which includes married couple Joe and Jan Jones, has looked for but found no other humans alive. Around the time they’re settling in to their new normal, there’s a fresh threat. Wild beasts resembling coyotes but with unusually large heads and jaws charge the motel. The armed Survivors fight off the creatures, but the beasts keep returning in a pack that doesn’t seem to be dwindling. Not long after, the Survivors finally learn other humans have made it through the invasion, banding together in Washington, D.C., for the “resurgence” of the United States. That sounds like good news except that the apparent leaders are asking people to relocate to Washington—and forcing those who resist. Even as Joe states his group’s preference to be left alone, it’s clear the Survivors, as they did with the aliens, will have to go to battle. In this engrossing installment, Liddycoat once again delivers solid action. Scenes of the beasts’ assaults are particularly intense, and warnings from the Survivors’ resident dog amp up suspense for every new onslaught. Still, the story’s perils aren’t as fierce as in the preceding novel, The Edge of Extinction (2020); constant references to earlier catastrophic events (for example, a tsunami) are persistent reminders of this. The returning characters are formidable, each one a skilled shooter who shows little fear against vicious enemies. But they become somewhat interchangeable in the sequel; they’re either part of a couple or soon to be. While the ending offers a clear resolution, there is a time jump, making a third volume possible.

Despite a few flaws, an enthralling post-apocalyptic tale.

Survivors of an alien species’ devastating global strike fight back in this dystopian series opener.

Joe and Jan Jones’ Oregon vacation takes an unexpected turn when strange creatures begin killing people. These crab-legged, faceless black blobs, which Joe calls “Bugs,” seem innumerable. But the Joneses join a small group of humans, from a state trooper to newlyweds, who hole up in a relatively safe roadside market/motel. They manage to survive for a long while, hoping to outlast the Bugs. But as months turn into years, they discover there are many other things to worry about. Vicious marauders, for one, target the band, which also finds itself ill-equipped for natural disasters. As it happens, aliens, collectively known as the Community, see Earth as a refuge from their own dying planet. They sent the Bugs, whose mission was humanity’s extermination. Once the Community lands on Earth and realizes that some “savages” remain alive, it plans to eradicate the human survivors. But Joe, Jan, and the others, arming themselves as best they can, refuse to let the aliens steal their world. Liddycoat smartly zeroes in on a handful of striking characters. Though the Community’s attack is undoubtedly large-scale, the tale’s Oregon setting helps maintain the narrative focus. This moreover allows for tighter action sequences, particularly the Bugs’ initial assault and the swiftly paced final act. The engaging story distinguishes characters via their religions, which become their most frequent conversation topic. For example, Devon Martinez, a Roman Catholic, repeatedly clashes with Joe, who abhors “fundamental religion.” Meanwhile, a Muslim woman compares her beliefs with Devon’s. Though a bit heavy-handed, the theological aspect ties nicely to the apocalyptic plot, as some of the players question whether their near extinction is part of a divine plan. Not every survivor makes it to the end, but there are plenty of intriguing threads to explore in the sequel.

A diverting SF tale with a steady momentum and a remarkable cast.

In this thriller, a determined group of thugs targets an Oregon couple to prevent the woman from testifying in a murder trial.

Sandy MacFall is one of 12 witnesses to a hit-and-run accident that kills an older couple. Cops eventually pull over the car, though Carlos de Siva, whom people saw behind the wheel at the crime scene, is on the passenger side. He’s the son of Brazilian coffee baron Markos de Siva, but authorities have tied the family to drug distribution and homicide. To ensure Carlos’ impending murder trial goes away, the “coffee-slash-drug empire” attempts to bribe and/or intimidate witnesses. When Sandy resists, thugs resort to physical violence. She and her husband, William, who’s had martial arts training, fight back, ultimately resulting in the assailants’ deaths. The de Sivas’ next step is filing a lawsuit, claiming that the MacFalls’ self-defense action was actually an unprovoked, racist-fueled strike. Of course, if Sandy recants her testimony about the hit-and-run, the de Sivas will drop the suit. The legal skirmish is only one tactic from the de Sivas, who continue sending assassins after William, Sandy, and their friends. Luckily, the couple’s capable allies include Gladstone police officer Georgia Benton and their military-trained lawyer, James Olsen. Liddycoat’s story is filled with generally realistic action scenes. For example, the good guys ably face off against attackers but rarely walk away unscathed—even William and Sandy. The lawsuit sparks a prolonged trial sequence that considerably decelerates the narrative’s speedy pace. It does nevertheless reveal how desperate the de Sivas are becoming, which further amplifies the MacFalls’ peril. Notwithstanding myriad nameless criminals, characters are well developed, particularly the women, Sandy and Georgia, who prove just as formidable as the men. The author stamps the frenzied, exhilarating final act with an unexpected plot turn and a thorough resolution.

An action-packed tale with likable characters persistently in danger.

Debut author Liddycoat presents a shoot-’em-up cowboy tale, set in the lawless American West.

It’s 1885, and 17-year old Oregonian Jacob Scot, who recently received “a small fortune” as an inheritance from his grandparents, boards an eastbound train. He travels just 300 miles before the lush valley around Baker City catches his attention, and he steps off at the two-hour stopover to explore his surroundings. In his new city clothes, he appears “rich, young, and naïve—a prime target for the…predators in the booming town.” Criminal Hans Klause pushes him into an alley and Jess, Hans’ brother, stuns him with a blow to the head. But Jacob rallies, cracks Jess’s skull with an iron bar, and is about to hit Hans again when he hears the sheriff’s second warning: “Drop the bar or I will shoot you right here and now!” This is the first of many difficult situations that Jacob faces in this engaging, complex morality tale. The protagonist is repeatedly challenged to control his anger, which seems to consume him whenever he’s threatened. Soon “the Colonel,” a wealthy cattle rancher who observed the aforementioned fight, hires Jacob as a cowboy, and he’s placed under the tutelage of ranch hand Willem “Whitey” McKey, an experienced gunslinger. Jacob goes on to interact with numerous bad guys, and he meets a sex worker who wins his heart. Over the course of this book, Liddycoat creates extensive backstories for an assortment of characters, and he methodically explores how emotional pain and the desire for revenge can inspire men to make bad decisions. Straightforward, succinct prose (“Time froze. The needful something that rose in Jacob now wanted to kill….Jacob’s thumb reached to cock the gun”) and page-turning adventure will keep readers thoroughly engaged.

An entertaining and thought-provoking examination of Western vigilante justice.