Nightbringer [Hardcover]

HUGGINS JAS BYRON (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2004

An ancient evil has darkened the halls of Saint Gregory's Abbey in the Italian Alps. The monastery becomes a murderous battleground as a group of monks and tourists are forced to combat an unstoppable force. Cut off from rescue by a snowstorm, the defenders must fight for survival and their very souls.But from among the defenders arises an ageless holy warrior who alone wields the power to stem the tide of evil. The warrior must not only struggle against a foe of mythic might but also rediscover the faith and love that have carried him through a thousand battles.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The ancient walls of St. Gregory's the greatest abbey to rise upon the alpine crest joining Italy and France, hold secrets and a darkness that no man or woman should explore. Throughout its great hall and innumerable chambers, corridors, and catacombs lay a great repository of weapons born in all the wars ever fought for, and against God--and one weapon of immeasurable worth.An ancient evil has darkened the abbey halls and turned the once-peaceful monastery into a murderous battleground. The abbey monks and a group of visiting tourists find themselves locked in a hopeless battle with an unstoppable force. Cut off from the outside world by a sinister snowstorm, the abbey's defenders must fight for their survival and for their very souls.But from among the defenders arises an ageless holy warrior who alone wields the skill and power to stem the bloody tide of evil. In the epic battle that will decide the fate of all involved, the warrior must not only struggle against a familiar foe of mythic might but also rediscover the faith and love that have carried him through a thousand battles.

About the Author

A veteran novelist, James Byron Huggins' life story reads more like fiction than fact. After working as a newspaper reporter, Huggins left journalism to help persecuted Christians in eastern Europe. From Texas, he worked with the Christian underground in the Iron Curtain, spending his life savings and becoming homeless. Huggins left America to offer assistance to Romanian Christians. He often remained hidden for days at a time in order to survive. After returning home, Huggins again worked as a journalist before becoming a policeman. Huggins then left law enforcement to pursue full-time writing.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Whitaker House; First Edition edition (September 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 088368876X
• ISBN-13: 978-0883688762
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric and Bone-Crunching, January 24, 2005

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Nightbringer (Hardcover)

Imagine: You are a woman with two children, traveling to Rome, with a stopover at an old abbey in the Italian Alps. What you do not know is that ancient evils--and an ancient hero--are about to clash in a cataclysmic way within the abbey's storm-battered walls.

Huggins knows how to tell a fast-paced tale. He's proven that in books such as "Cain" and "Leviathan." In his best book, "Rora," he mixed history, spirituality, and suspense seamlessly. Along the way, though, his increasingly gritty style has alienated some of his readers of faith.

"Nightbringer" is a return to Huggins' earlier, cleaner style, while bringing with it all the great storytelling he has honed. Although the childrens' personalities are never explored, and the mother's career is conveniently apropos and unexplained, the book is a wonderful thriller based on a spiritual battle. Huggins throws in his military tactics and knowledge. But he also leads up to a satisfying exploration of faith in the face of overwhelming odds.

If you like atmospheric stories and bone-crunching verbs, you'll love "Nightbringer." It's Huggins at his best.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great action thriller!, September 12, 2005

By 

Brian Reaves (Anniston, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nightbringer (Hardcover)

Ever been afraid of that sound you heard at night when you were alone? Have you ever been certain someone was watching you from the shadows? Remember the way your gut feels at those moments? James Byron Huggins does, and he can capture those moments on paper to make them last forever.

If you like thriller-based fiction, you're going to be hard pressed to find someone more suited for it than James Byron Huggins. He's put out more consistently top-quality novels than any other Christian fiction author in recent years. As a matter of fact, his short trip into mainstream fiction with the novels Cain and Hunter found their movie rights purchased by Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone respectively.

After a two-year hiatus, Huggins is back with Nightbringer, and the story is worth the wait. A group of tourists are visiting a monastery in Europe inhabited by a small number of rather suspicious-looking monks. While there, a snow storm sets in, trapping them for several days. Then something goes terribly wrong, and they realize that they are not alone. Something is stalking them...something evil patiently waiting to kill them all. As the story progresses, we find that even the monastery itself hides a terrible secret.

Borrowing heavily from his earlier novels Cain and Hunter, Huggins works beautifully in creating a no-win scenario for his characters by pitting them against an apparently unstoppable foe in a hostile environment. This time around it's one of the Nephilim mentioned briefly in Genesis, having survived for centuries with a thirst for blood and death. There are several characters in the monastery, all with their own secrets and hidden pasts. One of the monks mentions the story of Cassius, the centurion who according to legend found grace at the foot of the cross and protected Christ's body until it could be taken down. Because of that, he was given by God the task of protecting His children until Christ returns, becoming the Wandering Jew of legend-and a warrior at heart who stalks the surviving Nephilim through the centuries. When a mysterious member of the group named Michael fearlessly takes on the creature and puts it on the run, the others are faced with a new question: Is this Cassius himself?

I love the way James can take an intriguing creature mentioned in the Bible (as he did so beautifully in his novel, Leviathan) and weave an entire story around it by creating a seemingly valid explanation for its existence. I have to admit I thought at the beginning of this story that James was beginning to lose his touch by telegraphing something a little too much and seeming to drag out an obvious fact. I should have known better. The "I know where you're going with this" mindset will do you no good here, as James pulls a great plot twist out of this one (and I'm not going to explain any further about that...I don't want to spoil anything for you). Stories like this are the reason he remains my favorite Christian author. There is no slow point in this tale, and once the creature reaches the monastery, just go ahead and clear your schedule as there's no place to put the book down.

My only complaint is the story's length. It's the shortest book he's written in years (easily less than half the size of his previous book, Rora). I wasn't robbed of anything in the story because of it; I was just having so much fun reading it I hated to see it end! Maybe this means he'll start cranking out more stories now since they're shorter (which is fine by me!).

All in all, this novel stands easily beside anything out there today. Huggins has a gift for storytelling, and this book has a permanent place on my bookshelf beside his other novels. I rank this as the best novel I've read this year and can't wait for his next.

Please write faster, James!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YES, the best can get even better!, October 7, 2004

By 

John David Kudrick "Editor/Writer" (Level Green, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nightbringer (Hardcover)

An awesome epic from a master of mythic storytelling! This story has it all...heroism, action, mystery, faith, love, courage, and even a little horror. I've read all of Huggins' other books (with several readings of many of them), and this is BY FAR HIS BEST. I can't wait for him to come out with his next release, but, for now, I'm happy to recommend this title to anyone who wants to read one heck of a book.