Predator: South China Sea [Paperback]

Jeff VanderMeer (Author)

Book Description

Series: Predator | Publication Date: October 15, 2008

On a remote South China Sea island, a deadly hunt is underway... but not the kind of expedition the participants expected. In this remote, jungle-covered island somewhere between Thailand and Indonesia some of the most exotic animals in the world have been gathered as the prizes in a challenge of human against nature. The hunters come from all walks of life. Each has come to the island for personal reasons, some secret, some deadly. But when the encampment's owner, ex-Khmer Rouge Colonel Rath Preap, finds the fences cut and his security men missing, it's clear that the game has turned. And as the hunters battle for survival, they discover there is another creature out for blood... an adversary that has faced death on a thousand worlds - a Predator with an unstoppable lust for conquest!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595821406
• ISBN-13: 978-1595821409
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Publishers > Dark Horse

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Predator Book Yet, August 22, 2009

By 

JCU10 "Jason" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Predator: South China Sea (Paperback)

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I just finished reading this entry to the series, and cannot say too many good things about this book. The characters, setting, mood, and the Predator are all top notch.

To begin with, the book has a variety of characters, all with different motivations, loyalties, and personalities. I don't want to spoil anything concerning the motivations, but several characters have a very good idea of what they are facing, and this plays out very well at the start of the novel.

The setting, which at first I thought might be cheesy, works very well in the story. The variety of settings: the hunting lodge, swamp, grasslands, valleys, and the abandoned temple prevents the action from getting boring and lets the hunt play out with differing tactics.

The mood of this story is very dark, gritty, and brutal: just what the franchise is about. There are decapitations, mutilations, and every other type of death that can be thought of. There is also a fatalistic sense, with the characters believing that they are not going to survive their encounter with the Predator. This feeling was absent in Turnabout, and I personally felt it hurt that novel. As to which movie this book 'feels' like, I would say the 1st film without a doubt.

I can't conclude this review without mentioning the Predator. He is by far the most BA, toughest, and experienced that has been featured in either the films or books. He is an absolutely brutal character; as examples (don't read for spoilers) he paints his helmet with human blood, throws the severed heads of soldiers back to their comrades, plays the recording of him killing a character's sister back to her, and racks up the highest body count of any predator by leaps and bounds.

To conclude, if you are a fan of either the films or books, read this novel

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very satisfying for big Predator fan, August 22, 2009

By 

Zepp SuperFreak (Syracuse, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Predator: South China Sea (Paperback)

I've been a big Predator fan since the 1st movie came out. I really enjoyed watching them square off against the Aliens, another franchise I've enjoyed over the last few decades. When I was looking for another AVP book, which are very few and far between, I read the reviews about Predator South China Sea.
I was attracted by the reviewers' descriptions of the human characters. I was intrigued by the variety of their personalities and what they brought into the conflict vs. the Predator.

This played out very well. These humans, for the most part, when realizing they were being hunted, actually had some nice surpirses for this ultimate killer. Of course he had some surprises for them, too. The only problem I had with this story was the unclear explanation of what exactly became of the Russian guy. I don't want to spoil it by offering my theories. But if you like a good Predator book, get this one. I think it would make a very good movie adaptation, too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, January 31, 2011

By 

Horia Ursu - See all my reviews

This review is from: Predator: South China Sea (Paperback)

I loved it all the way from start to finish! It is the perfect proof that a real writer can write in any genre.