Customer Reviews

Darkfall

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Dark Fall focuses on two main characters. The first is a man from Jamaica named Baba Lavelle. Lavelle has come to New York City to get revenge on a Mafia family who was responsible for the death of his brother. Lavelle is a bocor, which means that he specializes in voodoo involving the black arts.
Four corpses have been found and they are all high ranking officials in the Mafia family. This is where the second character of the story comes in. Jack Dawson is a cop who has been working the case. All four bodies appear to have been bitten to death, and they were all behind locked doors and most of the time under security. Jack and his partner Rebecca cannot figure out what is killing these men, or how it is being done.
A lot of people that have read Dark Fall have called it one of Koontz's weaker books. In my opinion, this book has gotten a bad rep and is extremely underrated. The book drags you in from the first page and keeps you there until the very end. The amount of terror and suspense this book brings is amazing.
Jack Dawson is a very likeable hero, and you will find yourself rooting for him form the very beginning. He not only has to deal with Lavelle, but also for growing feelings for his partner. Koontz does a great job developing the romance between Rebecca and Jack.
Over all this is one of the best books that Dena Koontz has written. Few of these books have brought the kind of terror and suspense that Dark Fall does. After I finished reading Dark Fall, I kept asking myself why people do not like this book. It packs a scary and suspenseful story with outstanding characters. Ignore this book's reputation and give it a shot.

I read this shortly after Phantoms, The Funhouse, and The House of Thunder. This book is so scary, I'm afraid to go in my own basement now! I was somewhat disappointed with the explanation for the silvery eyes and noises in the ventilation system, but then again, this was only the fault of whoever wrote the synopsis for it on the inside cover of the book. Otherwise, I absolutely loved this book. DO NOT TRUST ANY OF THE REVIEWERS BELOW ME WHO SAID IT WAS NOT GOOD--IT *was* DAMN GOOD! By the way, don't read it if you have a weak stomach, if you are afraid of the dark, and if you don't believe in the unknown. If you do, you'll probably begin seeing all these silvery eyes surrounding you when you're in your bedroom... Just staring, staring, staring...

After picking this book up, I couldn't put it down. I have never been soo scared in all my life. I didn't sleep for two days and had nightmares for a week. If you have a weak constitution or don't like horror at it's best, don't read this. On the other hand, if you're like me and enjoy sleepless nights, you simply must read this novel. I had real several Koontz novels before, but this one is the best I have ever read from him or anybody else. The writing makes your blood run wild. Do not read this book if you live alone. It will scare the daylights (and other things) out of you.

If I were only allowed to use one word to describe Darkfall ... well it simply could not be done. This has to be one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Dean Koontz not only keeps you captive while reading but he also writes a great chase scene at the end that has you going wild. The setting is just right, as the story takes place in the almost DEAD of winter. Four corpses found scattered around the town. The way Dean writes the murders is so realistic; you could almost feel when the victim breathes his final breath. The two cops in the story (a male and female just like in every other Dean Koontz book) can't figure it out. They have no idea who (or exactly what) is behind the murders. One thing I really enjoy about Dean Koontz' writing is the way he tells a few stories that all come together in the end. Another interesting twist I greatly enjoyed is how the male cop's daughter gets involved. Does she become a victim? I really can't tell you. To tell you the truth, I can not make the book as suspenseful as Dean Koontz writes it, so I'll leave it up to you to read and enjoy. If you like voodoo-related, psychopathic, weird and twisted novels, this one is your calling.

Tiny spoilers...but read on.

Ever since I read "Phantoms" as an eighth grader, I've been hooked on Koontz. He's an excellent writer and even at his worse, his books can be very entertaining, if not downright brilliant. A rather unknown novel of his, "Darkfall" follows two cops, Jack and Rebecca (who inevitably fall in love, as examplified in a rather startling and explicit sex scene near the end of the book) who are hot on the tail of a mysterious Hatian (sorry if I spelled that incorrectly) named Baba Lavelle, a black magician who uses disgusting hellish creatures to do his evil bidding. As Jack intrudes on Lavelle's opperations, his two children become the evil man's next target.

The first few chapters of this book are really good. The death of the Mafia crime lord is scary and throws us right into the story. The characters aren't unlikeable, but they feel very familiar (interestingly, the "tough-female-cop-and-nice-by-the-book-male-cop-partners" thing was later re-used in Koontz's "Dragon Tears", a book that was actually better than this one).

There are some moments were the book really picks up (there's a brilliant moment near the end involving a "giant finger"...if you've read the book, you know what part I mean and probably agree), and unlike many of Koontz's books, it reads like an action-horror film, with character development, while not exactly abscent, tending to take the back seat over thrills, chills, and monstery mayhem.

My real rating, by the way, is 3-and-a-half stars (take note Amazon!).

I just finished DarkFall and I loved it. This is one of those novels, that are short, sweet and to the point. No lag time in this novel, we are moving and a shaking.
In D.F. we are dealing with a Voodoo vendetta against a Mafia Drug family, by a Haitian drug dealer who wants revenge for the death of his brother. How he kills his victims is very interesting, sending out an army of goblin like creatures with large claws that are virtually indestructable.
The police officer assigned to the case gets involved and the Voodoo army turns thier sights on to his family. With that being said, the chase is on. The last 3rd of the novel is pure chase and breakneck speed, and it is fun to follow along.

I wasn't expecting much from Darkfall, seeing as nobody every talks about it. While it certainly isn't very well known, it can definetely hang with Koontz's best. Believe me, if this book is unpopular, it certainly has nothing to do with a lack of quality.

Darkfall was my 13th Dean Koontz book (I've reviewed every single one I've finished), and like I said, I wasn't expecting much. It's about a pair of police officers, Jack and Rebecca, (naturally, one is tough as nails with a difficult past, the other is gentle, and both are sexually attracted to each other) who are trying to stop a man named Baba Lavelle who uses voodoo to send demons after his victims. Baba's motive is to slaughter an entire mafia family responsible for the death of his brother. He didn't particularly like his brother, but he must avenge his death in order to keep the respect of his dark voodoo gods. When Jack gets in the way, Lavelle targets his two young children, Penny and Davey. But what is so special about Jack Dawson that Lavelle's evil magic can't touch him? Why must he go after his kids?

The front cover credits Darkfall as having "one of the scariest chase scenes ever", and rightfully so. The scenes where the characters are hideing and running from the demons squeezing through the air ducts and clinging to their cars are fantastic.

My only question is: what will stop another guy like Lavelle, experienced in voodoo, from wreaking the same sort of havoc on the earth? Koontz doesn't say.

Anyway, Darkfall is disgustingly underrated. I enjoyed it more than the popular Lightning, which I gave four stars. If you liked Dragon Tears and Phantoms, you should definetely check out Darkfall.

Darkfall focuses on two main characters. The first is a man from Jamaica named Baba Lavelle. Lavelle has come to New York city to gain revenge on a mafia family who was responsible for the death of his brother. Lavelle is a Bocur, which means that he specializes in Voodo involving the black arts. He uses his powers to call upon Gremlin type mosters that travel through the ventilation systems. They travel in packs, and can get into rooms hidden behind lock doors. Four corpses have popped up and they are all high ranking officials in the mafia family. This is where the second character of the story enters. Jack Dawson is a cop who has been working the case. All four bodies appear to have been bitten to death, and they were all behind locked doors. Jack and his partner Amy can not figure out what is killing these men, or how it is being done. Just when things couldn't get any worse, Jack gets a threatening phone call from Lavelle telling him to back off the case. When Jack refuses, Lavelle threatens Jack's children. Now it is up to Jack to find Lavelle and stop him before anyone else winds up dead.

I have been a fan of Dean Koontz for years, and have read the majority of his books. However, Darkfall was always one that I held off on due to the reputation that it has gotten. A lot of people that have read Darkfall have called it one of Koontz's weaker books. In my opinion, this book has gotten a bad rap and is extremely underrated. The book drags you in from page one and keeps you there until the very end. The amount of terror and suspense this book brings is unreal. Koontz's character development is at the top of its game in this book. Jack Dawson is a very likeable hero, and you will find yourself rooting from him from the very beginning. He not only has to deal with Lavelle, but also his growing feelings for his partner Amy and the complicated relationship that is developing between them. Koontz does a great job developing the romance between Amy and Jack because nothing is cut and dry in their relationship. Lavelle is an amazing villan, and he will give you the creeps. Voodo has always been a terrifying subject, and Koontz creatively weaves it into the story. Watching Lavelle wreak havock on the city is scary and suspenseful. The scariest part of the story is the monsters themselves. Imagine Gremlins going evil.

Overall, this is one of the best books that Dean Koontz has ever written. Few of his books have brought the kind of terror and suspense that Darkfall does. After I finished reading Darkfall, I kept asking myself why people do not like this book. It packs a scary and suspenseful story with outstanding characters. Ignore this book's reputation and give it a shot.

Everybody who knows Dean Konntz knows he can do a lot better. I have read nearly every novel he wrote, and some were real masterpieces. But this one is not: the characters are not really credible, their behavior is unmotivated and the love affair described altogether unrealistic in its motivation and execution. The horror displayed is that of cheap movies and lacks the refined ideas of Koontz other stories. The plot sometimes makes the impression as if the author was asked to fill in some more words. The ending is not an organic one that reflects the main plot, but one that suggests that the author had run out of fantasy when he wrote it. The idea could have been good, but the performance is really bad. I grant two stars, because I know that Dean is much better. everybody is allowed to fail once in a while.

The title of this review seems a little odd from a fan. If I could meet Mr. Koontz I would thank him for providing me with so many hours of thought provoking entertainment.

Darkfall seems to have gotten several bad reviews. This puzzles me greatly. This is a very entertaining book. No, it is not his greatest work. If I had to name his greatest book, I couldn't do it. They are all unique and special in their own way. It is a shame he did not continue a series with these two cops. I think they would make a great continuing story.

What I hate about Dean Koontz is the fact that when I start reading one of his books at bed time I usually lose a night's sleep. This book starts slow but once it gets rolling, you can't put it down. Darkfall cost me a whole night of sleep and the following day to recover.

If you haven't read a Koontz novel, be prepared for an extrodinary experience.