Customer Reviews

The Darkening

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a bit of a hybrid when it comes to a horror novel. It reads more like a tom clancy with supernatural players in it not to mention some Lovecraft.The story centers around a man named Dylan that is plagued by awful dreams that he can't remember and he wake's up in a different part of his house not knowing how he got there.The other central character is Lucy who feel's as if she is missing something but doesn't know what.

The villains in this book are none other than lovecrafts old ones and the cult that worship them. Opposed is a group called rex deus who try to thwart them at every turn. Both groups want to get there hands on lucy and dylan. The old ones are trying to break through and only lucy and dylan can put a stop to them.

This novel is good but lacks genuine scares and relies more on action. Not that that is a bad thing but when i read a horror novel i want to be a little creeped out so that is my main complaint. Also the ending was abit of a let down when you consider where your being led throughout the book. I reccommend to most out there and i look forward to reading some more by this author.

With a name this corny, it has to be good! Right? Nah, not really. The book is an interesting psuedo-religious twist of the rapture theme (mass disappearances) with elements of secret society paranoia. The book starts out developing the two main characters that unknowingly are destined to save the world. There are some interesting religious themes developed here, but this is far from a christian book. While the characters are interesting and well thought out, the action scenes get bogged down and confusing and the thrills and spills become a bit mundane. It's worthwhile reading, and at times an interesting story, but don't expect great literature here.

I won't go into specifics here but I have to say I was particularly disappointed. McGrew is a talented writer and the Rapture take he utilized was very original but he just couldn't seem to get to the point. It takes half of the book for anything of real interest to start to happen, three quarters to get exciting, and then...nuthin', he didn't even do a good job developing the characters. All in all this would have made a gripping, intense short story or novella, McGrew ruined it by using boring plot points as filler.

I liked this book. However, I didn't LOVE this book. McGrew explores some well-trod ground here; it's tough to write a good Lovecraftian book. Almost all of the major horror writers have written a Lovecraftian book, not to mention Lovecraft himself!

The plot is that the world ends and the remnants of two super secret fraternal organizations dating from before recorded history are fighting for the fate of the world. One group wants to bring the "Old Ones" to our dimension to rule/destroy the world. The other group is fighting the first one. The fight centers around two individuals who have the power to either bring the old ones or seal them in their own dimension.

It's an "end of the world" book, but it fails to deliver the gut punch of the end of the world, in my opinion. There's no global perspective. If you're going to "end" the globe, then throw in some side stories. Also, when the world actually ends, it's with too much of a whimper. Where are the riots? Where are the plane crashes? I was waiting to see a side story of what happens to a regular non-plot-critical guy when the Darkening actually hits. The main characters are walking towards safety and it seems like, all of a sudden, no one's there. The explanation is that they were all sucked into the realm of the dark ones, only some weren't sucked in. Some turn to monsters which hunt the protagonists and some just survive for some reason...no explanation other than it makes a convenient plot device for describing how horrible the world becomes.

The denouement is also rather abrupt. There is very little indication as to what will happen. There is no reason given as to why some people survive and some don't. There is no account of the actual degree of damage that has happened to the world. There is very little "end of the world" stuff in this end of the world book.

I know that I sound that I hated it but that's not the case. The book gets the characters right. McGrew got me to care about the characters by describing them well and putting them into situations which develop their characters logically. Well developed characters with which the reader can invest real feelings makes at least 80% of this book for me.

If you're in an airport or on a relaxing beach vacation then this is a pleasant read for fans of the genre. If you're looking to be blown away by an end of the world page turner, then look elsewhere.

Chandler MeGrew's latest offering, "The Darkening" is a fast-paced, nail-biting tome filled with everything a true horror-book fan could possibly want. Twisting plots and subplots make this a true page-turner and the details are so well researched that it adds an angle of believability that is sure to curdle your blood. McGrew has outdone himself with "The Darkening" and it is a must-read on anyone's list. I was thoroughly entrenched and could not put it down. Stop reading this and order the book already!

The author's influences of the likes of Heinlein, Tolkein, Koontz and even a little Alfred Hitchcock are evident in this riveting tale. This is his best work to date and shows promise for grand tales to come.

I love reading end of the world novels, and The Darkening did not disappoint me one bit. It was extremely well written, and I found myself wrapped up in the characters. They were well developed and real.

The story was completely original, and very thought out. I love the twist that was put on the rapture. I found myself flying through the pages wondering what would happen next.

The only complaint I have is I felt it ended a little abruptly. I wish it would have been a little longer at the end than what it was. I feel like he could have made the last 6 pages at least 20. That is the only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars.

That aside I highly recommend The Darkening to anyone who loves a good End of the World story. It will not disappoint.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this book. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best. It was alright, so it gets an alright score. I think people give out 5 stars MUCH too easily.

Anyway, the good parts: It was CHEAP! And it was interesting. It wasn't too short or too long. This guy writes very well, and I'd honestly pick up another of his books. I read it to my boyfriend to make him fall asleep (not that it's boring, seeing as how I read him American Psycho for the same purpose), and he claims to have liked it too. So, don't get me wrong, i liked this book.

However, there were some big faults. I, personally, couldn't identify with any of the characters. Out of all of them, I preferred Dylan, but he was a little whiney. There's this dog in the book and I just DID NOT like that dog. I don't know why. It got on my nerves. Dogs are just not THAT smart. And the ending kind of let me down. This mysterious "old one" seemed quite easy to beat. It was just kind of...eh.

So, if the ending were more satisfying (being much harder to beat the thing, maybe more things to beat), and the absence of the conveniently smart dog, I think I would've enjoyed this book much more. It was good, though, don't get me wrong. I didn't waste my time reading it, and if you want to buy it, go for it.

This book was an excellent read, I could not put it down and read it in 3 days. I am looking forward to Mr. McGrew's new book coming out early next year. Will not hesitate to buy new book and would recommend to anyone to read The Darkening. I am an avid book reader and this book just held my attention to the end.

The first 50 or so pages had me very interested in the story, but it quickly fell flat. Then, 200 pages of characters running and hiding in town after town became tedious. The prose quickly became pedestrian and many times confusing, especially in the Keep's lower level battle with the enemy. I never got a real sense of atmosphere or terror, as the book's cover touts. Where was the passion in the writing? It felt like the author was just going through the motions to meet his annual book quota. I saw an ad for this novel in a writer's magazine and liked the premise and cover art and decided to give this author a try. Oh, well. You can't win them all. This is one very disappointed reader.