Customer Reviews

Speaks the Nightbird

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Robert McCammon is back, with one of his best novels ever. "Speaks the Nightbird" is the kind of book that really deserves a grass-roots, word-of-mouth campaign. If you read "Boy's Life" and it meant something to you, you owe it to yourself to pick up "Speaks the Nightbird."

The story concerns an aging legal magistrate and his young clerk who come to the small Carolina village of Fount Royal at the close of the 17th century to decide the facts in a case of reputed witchcraft.

Matthew Corbett, the magistrate's sharp-minded young clerk, is not sure he believes in witches, despite the accepted wisdom of the day. Corbett is a young man determined to see the world with his own set of eyes. This is good news for Rachel Howarth, the alleged witch, but not such good news for the young clerk himself. Matthew's determination to make up his own mind about the case runs him afoul of many of Fount Royal's most prominent residents. The villagers, who have come to blame recent deaths and failing crops on the accused witch, would like nothing more than a speedy, fiery solution to their troubles.

What Matthew wants is the truth, no matter how slippery and elusive it proves to be. A boy on the cusp of adulthood, Matthew suspects that the decisions he makes in Fount Royal will ultimately be the proof of the man he is to become. What Matthew soon discovers, however, is that the road to truth and decency is bound to be a hard and lonely one. Even the magistrate, a normally fair and level-headed man who has often served as a father figure for the boy, is so mired in the "facts" of the case that he is unable to lend Matthew a helping hand.

On the surface, "Speaks the Nightbird" is a neatly contstructed, involved mystery that will draw you in with its many beguiling twists and turns of plot. But at its heart, "Nightbird" is--like "Boy's Life" before it--really a moving coming-of-age tale. McCammon concerns himself here with the thorny interior struggles waged for the prize of personal integrity; he imbues his characters and prose with a poignant decency that is sorely missing from much of today's popular fiction.

"Speaks the Nightbird" is an elegantly written, often riveting historical drama that also operates as a clever whodunit and an intriguing character study. It's also one of McCammon's best.

Robert McCammon is so clearly at the top of his form in "Speaks the Nightbird" that it would be a shame if he never fully came out of retirement. But the decision to write or not to write is always a personal one. All that McCammon's fans can do is savor the words he's already written, and of course hope for more.

McCammon fans will be surprised and entertained by his latest novel about a witch trial set in North Carolina in 1699. The characters are developed, it is rich in detail and the pace is quick. All the qualities that earned him such a loyal fan base are here. His use of dialog has never been used for effectively. Prepare yourself for some late night reading. Those worried that this is not a scary book, be at ease. McCammon creates some wonderfully intense and macabre scenes and proves that some aspects of humanity are more frightening than anything supernatural. In retrospect, it's similar aspects and the attention to relationships in his stories that made "Mystery Walk", "Wolf's Hour" and others that much better. After reading this, I looked on his website where he states that he "got bored" with writing horror. This latest entry is a great way to cross over into historical fiction. I just hope his publisher and fans allow him to do so. Great reading and I look forward to his next, whatever the genre.

I've been waiting for this book for awhile now and man, was it worth the wait. McCammon draws you into his world from the beginning and you spend several days and nights immersed in the story. I read the whole book in one long weekend, as I couldn't stop myself. As usual, he does a great job with descriptions of the characters. The plot is so intricately woven together, and the ending is fantastic. He's definately become my favorite writer of today. This book is my 3rd favorite of all time, behind Boy's Life and The Stand. Can't wait till his next book, hope the time interval isn't so long next time. I may have to re-read this one.

It's been ten long years since Robert McCammon's last published book, but I'm happy to say that the author is finally back in full form with SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD, a novel that tackles the injustice of the witchcraft trials in Colonial America and how one young man dares to resist the mob mentality in order to save the woman he loves. It begins in 1699 when Magistrate Isaac Woodward and his clerk, Matthew Corbett, are called to the small town of Fount Royal, which is on the coast of the Carolinas, to investigate the accusations of witchcraft and murder against the beautiful Rachel Howarth. She has been accursed of killing her own husband, Daniel, and the Reverend Grove, as well as having sexual intercourse with the Devil, and causing the slow demise of the community. The town's people are ready to lynch Rachel, but Magistrate Woodward uses the power of his position to insist that a fair trail takes place before anything is done to the woman. As the witnesses are called forth during the days ahead, each one describes in explicit detail how they saw Mrs. Howarth in the throes of passion with her supposedly dark Master. Woodward firmly believes that the witnesses are telling the truth, but young Matthew begins to suspect that there's someone else behind the scenes-someone who's pulling the strings of the local town's people, intent of destroying Fount Royal and making Rachel the scapegoat to divert attention from his evil plans. When Rachel is sentenced to burn at the stake, Matthew's left with only a few days to prove her innocence and to find out the identity of the real murderer. SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD clearly surpasses any of Robert McCammon's earlier novels in sheer scope and craftsmanship. In fact, I consider it to be his crowning achievement in the field of fiction. Unlike his previous work in the horror genre, this is a historical novel of grand proportions (729 pages of small print) that delves into the hardships of day-to-day living during Colonial times, along with the fears and superstitions that caused many people to behave in the most hideous manner toward their fellow brothers. Mr. McCammon takes us into this desolate world, creating a murder mystery of such complexity that the reader is kept on his toes in a futile effort to guess who the killer really is. One can't help but be delighted in the multitude of characters that come alive within this story, each with their own uniqueness, perversity, and hidden agendas. It isn't long before you realize that almost everyone living in the town has something to hide and a strong reason for wanting Rachel to be convicted. Of course, it's Matthew Corbett who's the real star of the story as he quickly makes the journey into manhood, trusting his own instincts for discovering the truth and refusing to give up when faced with the impossible, believing in the power of justice and love. But, is he strong enough to take on the whole town and risk being burned at the stake with Rachel? SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD is a true masterpiece of literary fiction that's filled with nail-biting suspense and hard-hitting intrigue. This is the kind of novel that's sure to keep you up till the wee hours of the night, turning the pages in a hurried frenzy to find out what happens next. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

First off, SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD, is a wonderful piece of writing. The characters and setting will stay with long after you have put the book down. I'm a little suprised that when it was published last year it didn't get more notice. Although, A READER, couldn't understand how people might think Vol. 2 was a sequel, understand that it is not. For those of us that read the book when it came out it can be a little confusing. I recieved an email saying a sequel was coming out. I went to a book store and asked and was handed vol. 2. I didn't examine it very closely. It seemed odd that there would be a sequel but.....I thought he was going to quit writing. I'll take what I can get. It wasn't until I got home that I realized what I'd paid 8 bucks for. If you haven't read any of SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD, rush out and buy it. But if you read the hardback when it came out, know that Vol. 2 is merely the second half of the original novel.

I have just completed a welcome reunion with Robert McCammon. In SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD he has created a novel of epic status that engages the reader immediately and doesn't let go. Despite the length of the book, it is no chore to read. Though I am not a great fan of period novels, I found difficulty letting the people of Fount Royal rest.

McCammon's use of language and historic, scientific, religious and psychological detail is without parallel in anything I have read in years. The words are lyrical even when describing the most disturbing circumstances. It is, however, the depth of his characters that supercedes the average author's abilities. The reader lives within them.

As a published author, I cannot imagine the awesome task Mr. McCammon undertook when beginning this book. It is truly a masterpiece!

Carl T. Smith
Fripp Island, SC

Having read "Swan Song", a fantastic novel by this author in the horror genre, I was surprised to see that he had turned his hand to historical fiction. Since it is one of my favorite genres, I decided to take a chance and read it. Well, I was not disappointed. This is a well-executed work of historical fiction. It is clear that the author did his research, as the book is steeped in period detail. Moreover, the dialogue rings true, and the characters are well-developed. The author vividly depicts the setting about which he is writing, weaving a tapestry of events that rivets the reader to the pages of this book until the last one is turned.

The setting for the story is colonial America, at the very end of the seventeenth century. It appears that the swampy town of Fount Royal in the Carolinas is having its share of troubles, which range from crop failures to murder. The citizens have decided that witchcraft is afoot, and they believe that Rachel Howarth, the beautiful and exotic looking widow of one of the recently murdered men, is the witch that is causing all their troubles. They have thrown her into the town's jail to await trial by the territory's magistrate, Isaac Woodward.

Assisted by his very capable and highly intelligent clerk, Matthew Corbett, the Magistrate presides over the trial. Matthew, however, believes Rachel to be innocent, despite the mounting evidence against her. So, he decides to make some independent inquiries of his own in order to ascertain exactly what is afoot in Fount Royal. What he discovers is certainly evil, but it is a miasma of evil not of the kind derived from supernatural portents. There is more going on behind the scenes in Fount Royal than one would ever have bargained for. The only question is whether Matthew will be able to resolve the mystery in time to save Rachel from being burnt at the stake as a witch.

The reader should be aware that this is a two part opus. This book necessitates the reading of the second, "Speaks the Nightbird-Volume II: Evil Unveiled", in order to have all the pieces come together. They are not stand alone books. The reader should have the second book on hand, because after one finishes the first, one can hardly wait to read to the second book. While the second volume is not as good as the first, it is, by necessity, a must read, All in all, however, this two part opus is a well-written and highly enjoyable work of historical fiction by a master storyteller.

I always thought Robert McCammon's novels ranged from the ordinary (Wolf's Hour,Stinger) to the great(Swan Song,Boy's Life) but this book,his first novel in years,may be his best yet.Set in the 1600's concerning a magistrate and his young assistant investigating a woman charged with witchcraft I expected just another typical witchcraft trial tale.Thankfully I was so wrong.Without giving anything away I will say the mystery elements will keep you guessing but also that it works as a coming of age tale as well and has an emotional impact most mysteries lack.The dialogue is simply brillant and often very funny,the prose is vivid and there are plenty of great surprises.Despite the novel's length it never feels too long.I've been reading a book a week since 2003 and this is still my personal favorite.Mesmerizing and very entertaining if you get this book you will not be disappointed!

I first discovered Robert R. McCammon in the pages of a 1980 Avon book called Bethany's Sin. Though that book paled beside Dean Koontz's Whispers and Peter Straub's Shadow Land of the same year, I was hooked enough to buy all of McCammon's books until he seemingly vanished after writing Boy's Life in 1991. Before McCammon disappeared, he had become my favorite writer.

Now, McCammon releases Speaks the Nightbird amid interviews in which he says he is through with writing. I put off reading what could unfortunately be McCammon's last published work under the principle of saving the best for last. I waded through King's opus about a Buick and Koontz's reworking of Frankenstein while eyeing Speaks the Nightbird as it hung around the unread portion of my bookshelves. For extra good measure, I read everything Elizabeth Haydon had written to 2003.

Only two unread books remained to me: Robert Jordan and Robert McCammon. Which did I think would be the most disappointing? One that fires a seemingly endless epic that appears to have become mired in capitalistic greed, or what could be my favorite writer's swan song? As Jordan collected dust, I opened Speaks the Nightbird and stepped into 1699 when Carolina was still a fledgling British colony. I stepped into murder most foul, mystery walking rampant, and fiction at its best.

What most writers aspire to be, McCammon seems to master whimsically. His characters, plot, machinations, and setting erupt into a blissfully wondrous reader's heaven. Under dark rain clouds, the reader enters the life of a magistrate's clerk-Matthew-as he rides the road from old Charles Towne to one of the Carolina colonies that is faced with a macabre legal issue. Murder most foul apparently has been committed by a witch. The colony's own existence seems threatened until the issue of witchcraft can be legally settled by the magistrate.

Waves of mystery upon mystery roll ever relentlessly over the reader as the clerk finds a witch whose beauty is bewitching and whose guilt is inarguable. All witnesses tell the truth...of that fact there can be no doubt. Yet, Matthew finds himself charmed by the lass's apparent innocence.

Speaks the Nightbird is a wondrous voyage through McCammon's blue world. No matter what type of fiction a reader enjoys, this book will find its way into that reader's heart. Despite his protestations that he will no longer write, McCammon may find that his readers have a unique problem. They thirst for more.

McCammon's latest effort after a ten year hiatus was well worth the wait. Set back in the age of the Salem Witch Trials, this story might just be McCammon's best story ever, which is a strong statement considering his epic novel Swan Song.

For the most part, I would have to qualify this as a mystery because there are two stories going on at once. The first is the main story about a magistrate and his relationship with his clerk and the witch in question, but underlying is a complex mystery in regards to the townspeople.

In Speaks the Nightbird, McCammon gets totally into character with the setting, the year 1699. Even during the narrative paragraphs he uses an old english flavor while most of the characters are speaking in heavily accented and Shakespearean patterns. I'm not really a fan of the old classics, but reading this book was fun. I almost felt like I was propelled back in time into one of my junior high Dungeons and Dragons games...that's how I talked for my characters back then!