Customer Reviews

Darker Than Night

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is the second Horror novel from Owl Goingback and the man is proving to be a master of suspense! Nobody writes a suspenseful passage quite the same way as he does. He really does have a style all his own. He is very light on gore, but he makes up for it with fear. That is right, good old fear. Remember, horror is meant to scare you, not disgust you. This is a great book with great characters. It moves a bit slow, but you still care to find out what happens, and when it does happen, it is great stuff! Keep up the great work Owl!

Owl Goingback makes THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT look like a stroll in the park. His use of authentic Native American lore is a plus. Sacred Kachina dolls that turn their backs to you when you're not looking, things looking at you that you can feel but can't see, on and on, this is the kind of book that renews my faith in the horror genre. There isn't a pretentious bone in its ghostly body! Read it today!

This is the first book that I have read by Owl Goingback. I fully intend to read others. The novel is very well written and the prose very evokative at times. For example, the opening paragraph of the novel describes the darkness as moving "over the land like a hungry beast...scurrying up the driveway to press its cold black nose against the windows of an old farmhouse."
The novel is about a horror novelist who moves his family from New York to Missouri into the house that he grew up in after his grandmother dies. After they move into the house, they find ample evidence of what they believe to be her "eccentricities." But after a while, they discover that maybe she knew what she was doing after all.
The book had several creepy moments, but also had a lot of predictable ones. Overall though, it was an enjoyable read.

The only thing creepy about this book was the Author's Note at the end. I couldn't really enjoy the book because I thought the protagonist (not a word I think accurately describes the father of the family by the way) was an absolute jerk. I thought the book would have been better if more time had been spent on the EVIL rather than on characters who were annoyingly pompous, selfish and prejudiced. I wouldn't suggest that readers should avoid DARKER THAN NIGHT at all costs BUT, I am just glad I borrowed this book from the library and didn't waste my money. I wish I could really make this book DARKER THAN NIGHT and give it 0 stars.

"Darker Than Night", the second novel by Bram Stoker Award winner, Owl Goingback, has a pretty average plot and is just lukewarm in the area of chills and thrills. That being said, this is still a pretty good read.

The plot revolves around the boyhood home of horror writer Michael Anthony who leaves New York to reclaim the home when his grandmother passes away. The townfolk of the rural Missouri community refuse to open their arms to their newest resident because they fear his motives for reclaiming the property. Many of the residents ridiculed Anthony's grandmother as a lunatic who "saw things in the night". Most are suspicious of his motivation and don't want their community to be used as the site for one of his novels. All Anthony wants is to relocate his family away from the hustle and bustle of New York City.

It takes his children a while to warm up to the house and it's surroundings. And, it's not long until the strange sounds and shapes that Anthony's grandmother spoke of seeing begin to appear to the house's new residents. As Anthony and his family begin to question their sanity they soon find themselves in a fight for survival against Indian spirits from an underworld world who are using the old home as a portal into this world.

Goingback gives the reader great insight on Indian lore and superstitions. He obviously has done his research in this area and he writes from the heart. It's just that there's not enough action to really drive the plot and the spirits from the underworld ("boogers" - and isn't that an unfortunate name) don't have enough "character" to really put the reader into the plot.

Owl Goingback IS a promising young author who will write many good books during his career. Here's hoping that his later novels will have more suspense plus a deeper plot than he gives us in "Darker Than Night".

My list of Goingback novels in order of appeal are:
1) Crota
2) Evil Whispers
3) Breed
4) Darker Than Night

This book is by far my favorite from Goingback. Finally a book that delivers chills down your spine! Great for reading at night but beware don't read it alone!!!

Michael Anthony inherits his childhood home from his eccentric grandmother. He decides to move his family from the unsafe New York streets to the farmhouse of his youth in a small Missouri town. Michael who cannot recall much of his childhood due to painful past memories is in for some real problems. Upon arrival they find hundreds of kachina dolls, lots of local hostility and an insane local man who knows more than they think and maybe isn't so crazy. As in any great horror novel things degenerate rapidly. The family cat is mutilated and shadows with claws start stalking Michael's kids and wife. Horrible faces appear on the floors and walls, faces of ancient evil spirits who are trying to come up from below to our world. This book is complete with Indian legends and edge of your seat suspense. Goingback, with his unique voice and tight writing did it again! He is also the author of the Bram Stoker winning Crota which is another find and well worth your time.

I read this book based on the other reviews here, and I was sadly disappointed. The Characters lacked emotion, they did not react accordingly to any of the onslaught of these little otherworldly creatures...... no buildup, no climax per se. The best part about this book was the Photo of Owl on the inside back cover. Lacks bite.

I really enjoyed Goingback's "Crota" and the Indian history in both books is interesting and different from a lot in the genre. But the the basic storyline in "Darker than Night" is pretty much formula horror. The prose is simple, but I think what bothers me about this book is that I hear the author and his opinions much clearer than I hear the characters in the story. The author slips into these digressions about several social issues, for example gun control, and I lost the sense that it really had anything to do with the character. In fact, I really didn't like the main character much - I thought he was kind of dopey trying to find all these rational explanations for such weird "goings on". Oh, and BTW, New York City actually has some of the best drinking water in the country. They get it from upstate...

This novel is as good as mr. Goingback's first horror novel Crota. A novelist, a haunted house and lots of Indian lore. Fun! Fun! Fun!