Predator: South China Sea (Paperback)

~ Jeff VanderMeer (Author)
Key Phrases: east tower, helmet display, northeast gate, John Gustat, Pol Pot, South Tower (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595821406
• ISBN-13: 978-1595821409
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #175,017 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Predator: South China Sea (Predator), November 17, 2008

By	John R. Dailey Jr. "jrd02" (Camden, AL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hello, I read this book and enjoyed reading it. The story is fairly compelling and interesting. The Predator is this story seemed to have his act together better than some in the other books. I would have to like to have seen PolPot play a bigger part, but it is not my book. I still do not think that the authors of the Predators books have a real grasp of these beings. As a hunter myself, I feel that the predator made some mistakes that he should not have made. If you are like me and get into these sort of books, I think you will enjoy this one. Thanks.

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

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

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

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

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

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.