Lisa Camille Muñoz
Humebeasts
"I am an insect. Who dreamt he was a man and loved it. But now the dream is over. And the insect is awake." - The Fly by David Cronenberg.
Cover by Anthony Chinedu
A virus has mutated all over the world and has turned half the population into human/animal hybrids, causing civil wars between humans and chimera people, also known as Humebeasts.
Chimera teenager Ziggy Coils has left the orphanage, the only home he ever knew, to live with his alcoholic, convict father. Suffering from panic attacks, Ziggy dreams one day of becoming a professional singer, and longs for a place where he is loved and appreciated.
He meets Sam Clarke, a sound supervisor with connections to music labels and Dominic O’Riley, a guitarist with the same aspirations to make it big. But Ziggy’s determination to not end up like his father backfires and causes friction between himself and others.
Frankie Marino, a blue chimera man, is a bass player riddled with guilt and grief over his girlfriend’s senseless murder. He works as a bouncer at a club, and even though he enjoys intimidating troublemakers, he doesn’t like to abuse his power.
Although Ziggy and Frankie don’t agree on much, together with Dominic and Rick, a drummer, they form a band called The Humanoidz. As Ziggy struggles to control his anxiety and Frankie attempts to forget his violent past, an old frenemy of Frankie’s returns and forces him to join his gang, while threatening his life.
In a society where it is so easy to turn to violence to get what you want, Ziggy and Frankie must learn to resist the temptation before it destroys their whole lives, as well as their loved ones.
Frankie Marino
Ziggy Coils
Character designs by
Kierstin LaPatka
(@smogteeth)
Gion Glasford, Beta Reader
Humebeasts: Lizard Ambition, is an exciting tale set in a dystopian world due to a mysterious outbreak called the Chimera virus. Fights, protests, xenophobia run rampage but in the midst of all this chaos, there is hope. A struggling band known as The Humanoidz, is showing the world that humans and humebeasts can co-exist peacefully with their power of music.
Overall, I enjoyed it, pacing and everything else. I hope there is a sequel.
Patrick Sweet, Beta Reader
The story has an amazing sense of pace. The action and dialogue never feels like it falls short. It keeps the energy and action flowing the whole time, which helps keep the reader’s attention making this a real page turner.
The author did a great job tackling difficult subjects like domestic abuse, bullying at school and even gay bashing. That takes courage and the author did a good job addressing them.
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Teehanah, Beta Reader
The characters seemed like real people, with all the brilliance and spite that real people have. They are compelling and sympathetic and their goals are clear and propel the story forward. The plot gives a rise of tension at the peak and resolves it, jumping straight to action while leaving the readers intrigued and wanting to know more.