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carina_shephard's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars // read September 2021 (my 200th review!
silverbardsings's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic Dark Fantasy shoot-em-up
So, I started this book yesterday, and finished it TODAY. I haven’t done that with a book since my early twenties!!! But seriously, it was just THAT good. And to make matters even more interesting, I read it on my phone... which, if anyone knows anything about me, is a feat in itself. I’m usually a pretty hard stickler for physical copies, but I simply couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book.
So... we’ll start with the Pros.
(Warning! There will be spoilers... so if you don’t like spoilers, don’t read further!!)
I MEAN THAT!! You’ve been warned!!!!
*****
This book was fast paced and compelling right from the beginning. We start out in a dark, creepy atmosphere with an obvious criptid hunter and a werewolf attack. So far so good. Then injured criptid hunter gets found and brought to a relatively isolated small town, and ends up housing with a sarcastic vampire. Get ready for an INTERESTING sort of relationship to occur.
I mean, in my opinion, the relationship between Skata (hunter) and Angel (vampire) would be worth the read in and of itself. But the little town of Salvation is definitely not all it’s cracked up to be, what with a secret hunting organization being run by the town’s founding families, a preacher who seemingly CAN’T be turned and knows FAR too much about the criptids of Salvation, a set of noble vampire brothers, a bar run by a mob-boss werewolf, and several blasts from Skata’s past. And THEN there are the sudden murders with EVERYONE convinced that Skata is the killer!
The mystery in itself is worth the read, IMO, but the rest is just delicious icing on the cake, and there is A LOT of delicious icing. And it ends well, too, with a perfect lead into the upcoming sequel.
From the beginning to the end I was absolutely hooked. They don’t write ‘em like this anymore!
***
And now for the Cons...
There were FAR fewer cons than pros, JSYK. Most of the things I had issues with were earlier on in the book. Mainly, there was a bit of jumping around from one scene to the next, and I felt that the transitions probably could have been handled better... imo they were just a little choppy, though I’ll be completely truthful and say that I’m not sure how I would have handled them differently, and also that they didn’t continue farther into the book. There were also a very few places (three, to my count) that I found slightly confusing and that drew me out of the story for the minute or two it took me to figure out what the author meant.
But honestly, that’s IT.
***
All in all, I definitely recommend this book. I will say that it’s YA, so don’t let your little kids read it, but the author herself makes no pretenses that this book is entirely kid friendly. The book does not pretend to be something it isn’t. It is gory... it has a few hard words (nothing too serious, so don’t worry about that), it deals with some difficult battles, both internal and external. There are guns, and there is violence. But it’s WELL WRITTEN, it’s engaging, it’s FUN, and it’s serious too. Personally, I think it has everything I look for in a good dark fantasy read. I will DEFINITELY be returning to the little town of Salvation for book two!
So, I started this book yesterday, and finished it TODAY. I haven’t done that with a book since my early twenties!!! But seriously, it was just THAT good. And to make matters even more interesting, I read it on my phone... which, if anyone knows anything about me, is a feat in itself. I’m usually a pretty hard stickler for physical copies, but I simply couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book.
So... we’ll start with the Pros.
(Warning! There will be spoilers... so if you don’t like spoilers, don’t read further!!)
I MEAN THAT!! You’ve been warned!!!!
*****
This book was fast paced and compelling right from the beginning. We start out in a dark, creepy atmosphere with an obvious criptid hunter and a werewolf attack. So far so good. Then injured criptid hunter gets found and brought to a relatively isolated small town, and ends up housing with a sarcastic vampire. Get ready for an INTERESTING sort of relationship to occur.
I mean, in my opinion, the relationship between Skata (hunter) and Angel (vampire) would be worth the read in and of itself. But the little town of Salvation is definitely not all it’s cracked up to be, what with a secret hunting organization being run by the town’s founding families, a preacher who seemingly CAN’T be turned and knows FAR too much about the criptids of Salvation, a set of noble vampire brothers, a bar run by a mob-boss werewolf, and several blasts from Skata’s past. And THEN there are the sudden murders with EVERYONE convinced that Skata is the killer!
The mystery in itself is worth the read, IMO, but the rest is just delicious icing on the cake, and there is A LOT of delicious icing. And it ends well, too, with a perfect lead into the upcoming sequel.
From the beginning to the end I was absolutely hooked. They don’t write ‘em like this anymore!
***
And now for the Cons...
There were FAR fewer cons than pros, JSYK. Most of the things I had issues with were earlier on in the book. Mainly, there was a bit of jumping around from one scene to the next, and I felt that the transitions probably could have been handled better... imo they were just a little choppy, though I’ll be completely truthful and say that I’m not sure how I would have handled them differently, and also that they didn’t continue farther into the book. There were also a very few places (three, to my count) that I found slightly confusing and that drew me out of the story for the minute or two it took me to figure out what the author meant.
But honestly, that’s IT.
***
All in all, I definitely recommend this book. I will say that it’s YA, so don’t let your little kids read it, but the author herself makes no pretenses that this book is entirely kid friendly. The book does not pretend to be something it isn’t. It is gory... it has a few hard words (nothing too serious, so don’t worry about that), it deals with some difficult battles, both internal and external. There are guns, and there is violence. But it’s WELL WRITTEN, it’s engaging, it’s FUN, and it’s serious too. Personally, I think it has everything I look for in a good dark fantasy read. I will DEFINITELY be returning to the little town of Salvation for book two!
merieshenanigans's review against another edition
5.0
That was... too epic for words. Crazy & intense & hilarious & awesome & also kinda super bloody in some parts but I NEED book two. Now.
Full rtc
Full rtc
kat_the_bookcat's review against another edition
5.0
Warning: This review is basically me going to be fangirling about a certain sassy vampire. Okay? You’ve been warned.
I have to admit, I was a bit nervous going into this book. I knew very little about it and had just been told it had vampires, so I’d love it. Very scary. What if I hated it?
Well, the good news is, I didn’t hate it.
I freaking loved it.
This story follows Skata (not Mr. Skata, just Skata) on his quest to end an evil vampire for very specific reasons that I’m not going to tell for spoiler reasons. Along the way, he ends up in this small town and gets help from a ragtag band of...vigilantes? Misfits? People.
This book started out kind of slow. Skata is a very...stoic person. He’s gruff and angsty, and sometimes, like Angel, I wonder if he even has a sense of humor. I wasn’t his biggest fan at the beginning of the book. Then, Angel came on the scene, the story really picked up, and I fell in love. With Angel. And the book. But mostly Angel.
Skata and Angel are a perfect duo. Skata, ridiculously uptight and serious, Angel, unable to take a single thing seriously. I can’t say too much, but basically, partway through the book, I was calling it “Angel’s book.” Because I’m madly in love.
All of Mirriam’s characters were so well done (especially my vamp boy), and I loved getting to know all their different quirks. The storyline, while long, didn’t drag, and as I got closer and closer to the climax, I could feel myself wishing it would never end.
I don’t think I’ve written a review that does this book justice, but let me just sum it up for you in one statement:
Angel is a darling and deserves everything.
I have to admit, I was a bit nervous going into this book. I knew very little about it and had just been told it had vampires, so I’d love it. Very scary. What if I hated it?
Well, the good news is, I didn’t hate it.
I freaking loved it.
This story follows Skata (not Mr. Skata, just Skata) on his quest to end an evil vampire for very specific reasons that I’m not going to tell for spoiler reasons. Along the way, he ends up in this small town and gets help from a ragtag band of...vigilantes? Misfits? People.
This book started out kind of slow. Skata is a very...stoic person. He’s gruff and angsty, and sometimes, like Angel, I wonder if he even has a sense of humor. I wasn’t his biggest fan at the beginning of the book. Then, Angel came on the scene, the story really picked up, and I fell in love. With Angel. And the book. But mostly Angel.
Skata and Angel are a perfect duo. Skata, ridiculously uptight and serious, Angel, unable to take a single thing seriously. I can’t say too much, but basically, partway through the book, I was calling it “Angel’s book.” Because I’m madly in love.
All of Mirriam’s characters were so well done (especially my vamp boy), and I loved getting to know all their different quirks. The storyline, while long, didn’t drag, and as I got closer and closer to the climax, I could feel myself wishing it would never end.
I don’t think I’ve written a review that does this book justice, but let me just sum it up for you in one statement:
Angel is a darling and deserves everything.
brianmcbride's review
5.0
As someone who has found indie fiction to be hit or miss as far as quality of the book itself, I have pretty high expectations - higher than I might, even, for traditionally published novels. Needless to say, DISN blew my expectations out of the water. I should expect no less from the height of raw talent that is Mirriam Neal.
Dark Is the Night boasts an extraordinary cast of characters - human and non-human alike - that could rival its supernatural counterparts on television, like The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, or Shadowhunters. Despite all the “head-hopping,” Mirriam Neal gave each character such a distinct voice and such a unique way at perceiving the situation that it was not hard to recognize whose perspective you were reading from. Rather, you simply get to enjoy reading the story from a new perspective and getting to know another new - and amazing - character.
While the characters themselves are Dark Is the Night’s true glory, the plot more than earns an honorable mention. At first glance, it seems like a fairly rudimentary plot line: man seeking revenge for the brutal murder of his wife. Throw in a few vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters who keep getting in the way, and that might make the story. No, what fascinated me most about the plot was not even the core storyline. Rather, it was all the little sub-plots and how they weaves their own way through the story, eventually being spun together at the end to create one grand story, and, ultimately, an even grander story world. There was Angel’s secret. Easton’s boyfriend. The council killings. Rukiel’s job for Skata. And much more. And while at first they seemed to be distinct moments in the story, you realize by the end that all of these moments are the elements of one larger, grand, supernatural collision.
And the dialogue - I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book with such L I F E in the dialogue. Every single character had a distinct voice. Every single character’s personality shone vibrantly throughout the page. And the S N A R K was real.
Lastly, I want to applaud Mirriam for the way she wove themes of redemption into the storyline. She was not preachy about it. No, it felt very raw and real and... human, if you’ll forgive the irony. The story does not hit you over the head with Scripture. Instead it portrays the image of a small town pastor whose faith is even stronger than his fist. A grieving vampire hunter whose grief drove him away from the man of faith he used to be. A self-loathing vampire ashamed of himself and who he knows he can never be, struggling with the idea that he’s worth saving.
I’m sure I have more thoughts on this story, but for now I’ll leave it at this DISN is the perfect spooky supernatural read for the season if you want more than just fangs and blood. Salvation, South Carolina has my heart.
Dark Is the Night boasts an extraordinary cast of characters - human and non-human alike - that could rival its supernatural counterparts on television, like The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, or Shadowhunters. Despite all the “head-hopping,” Mirriam Neal gave each character such a distinct voice and such a unique way at perceiving the situation that it was not hard to recognize whose perspective you were reading from. Rather, you simply get to enjoy reading the story from a new perspective and getting to know another new - and amazing - character.
While the characters themselves are Dark Is the Night’s true glory, the plot more than earns an honorable mention. At first glance, it seems like a fairly rudimentary plot line: man seeking revenge for the brutal murder of his wife. Throw in a few vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters who keep getting in the way, and that might make the story. No, what fascinated me most about the plot was not even the core storyline. Rather, it was all the little sub-plots and how they weaves their own way through the story, eventually being spun together at the end to create one grand story, and, ultimately, an even grander story world. There was Angel’s secret. Easton’s boyfriend. The council killings. Rukiel’s job for Skata. And much more. And while at first they seemed to be distinct moments in the story, you realize by the end that all of these moments are the elements of one larger, grand, supernatural collision.
And the dialogue - I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book with such L I F E in the dialogue. Every single character had a distinct voice. Every single character’s personality shone vibrantly throughout the page. And the S N A R K was real.
Lastly, I want to applaud Mirriam for the way she wove themes of redemption into the storyline. She was not preachy about it. No, it felt very raw and real and... human, if you’ll forgive the irony. The story does not hit you over the head with Scripture. Instead it portrays the image of a small town pastor whose faith is even stronger than his fist. A grieving vampire hunter whose grief drove him away from the man of faith he used to be. A self-loathing vampire ashamed of himself and who he knows he can never be, struggling with the idea that he’s worth saving.
I’m sure I have more thoughts on this story, but for now I’ll leave it at this DISN is the perfect spooky supernatural read for the season if you want more than just fangs and blood. Salvation, South Carolina has my heart.
kyladenae94's review
5.0
i don't read christian fiction. just gonna throw that out there at first because i feel it's relevant. so much christian fiction is trite sermonizing with something that parades as a ~deep theme~ thrown in. this book isn't like that, and it also has vampires. i love me some vampires. i love me some moral exploration. i love me some well-handled nods toward grace & forgiveness & goodness.
also, angel very specifically.
i love angel, specifically.
if you read this book for nothing else, read it for zakaria "angel" travallis.
thank me later.
also, angel very specifically.
i love angel, specifically.
if you read this book for nothing else, read it for zakaria "angel" travallis.
thank me later.
kat_the_bookcat's review
5.0
Warning: This review is basically me going to be fangirling about a certain sassy vampire. Okay? You’ve been warned.
I have to admit, I was a bit nervous going into this book. I knew very little about it and had just been told it had vampires, so I’d love it. Very scary. What if I hated it?
Well, the good news is, I didn’t hate it.
I freaking loved it.
This story follows Skata (not Mr. Skata, just Skata) on his quest to end an evil vampire for very specific reasons that I’m not going to tell for spoiler reasons. Along the way, he ends up in this small town and gets help from a ragtag band of...vigilantes? Misfits? People.
This book started out kind of slow. Skata is a very...stoic person. He’s gruff and angsty, and sometimes, like Angel, I wonder if he even has a sense of humor. I wasn’t his biggest fan at the beginning of the book. Then, Angel came on the scene, the story really picked up, and I fell in love. With Angel. And the book. But mostly Angel.
Skata and Angel are a perfect duo. Skata, ridiculously uptight and serious, Angel, unable to take a single thing seriously. I can’t say too much, but basically, partway through the book, I was calling it “Angel’s book.” Because I’m madly in love.
All of Mirriam’s characters were so well done (especially my vamp boy), and I loved getting to know all their different quirks. The storyline, while long, didn’t drag, and as I got closer and closer to the climax, I could feel myself wishing it would never end.
I don’t think I’ve written a review that does this book justice, but let me just sum it up for you in one statement:
Angel is a darling and deserves everything.
I have to admit, I was a bit nervous going into this book. I knew very little about it and had just been told it had vampires, so I’d love it. Very scary. What if I hated it?
Well, the good news is, I didn’t hate it.
I freaking loved it.
This story follows Skata (not Mr. Skata, just Skata) on his quest to end an evil vampire for very specific reasons that I’m not going to tell for spoiler reasons. Along the way, he ends up in this small town and gets help from a ragtag band of...vigilantes? Misfits? People.
This book started out kind of slow. Skata is a very...stoic person. He’s gruff and angsty, and sometimes, like Angel, I wonder if he even has a sense of humor. I wasn’t his biggest fan at the beginning of the book. Then, Angel came on the scene, the story really picked up, and I fell in love. With Angel. And the book. But mostly Angel.
Skata and Angel are a perfect duo. Skata, ridiculously uptight and serious, Angel, unable to take a single thing seriously. I can’t say too much, but basically, partway through the book, I was calling it “Angel’s book.” Because I’m madly in love.
All of Mirriam’s characters were so well done (especially my vamp boy), and I loved getting to know all their different quirks. The storyline, while long, didn’t drag, and as I got closer and closer to the climax, I could feel myself wishing it would never end.
I don’t think I’ve written a review that does this book justice, but let me just sum it up for you in one statement:
Angel is a darling and deserves everything.
angelarwatts's review
4.0
I'm quite torn on the actual *rating* of this so... Probably 3.5, rounding to 4 stars. **REVIEW UPDATED 10/30/19!**
STORY
Absolutely adored the writing style and the story telling aspect of this novel. I read it in a day (and it’s A THICK BOOK I was so happy). Every author can learn a thing or two from Mirriam as far as how a story should be told… Intriguing and well paced, it was easy to gobble up. I liked the aspect of vampire and werewolf hunting a great deal, and with a Christian perspective, it was refreshing.
THEMES
The hardest part of the review, haha, and it will be a bit more “personal” than I usually go. I’ll start with the basics....
The themes of loyalty, love, brotherhood, redemption, forgiveness… gosh, guys, I loved it. That’s why I struggle so much, because the book gave great insight. It gave a new twist. It showed God’s forgiveness, God’s glory, God’s love--something that NOTHING can replace. The themes were great!
And now… This novel has been described as "a vampire novel for people who don't like vampire novels". Many readers have already said it was a refreshing take and well done, and people who don't like vampires said they loved it. So this review? Purely my opinion!
The topic of vampires is one God's put on my heart lately. I've struggled with being very careful with what fiction I put in front of my eyes. I've loved books previously that I thought were harmless, but upon research and conviction from God, I'm really not sure I can keep them in my house anymore (due to magic/monster content).
However, the topics of vampires/werewolves/etc isn't something I want to shy away from! I think supernatural beings and mythology can be amazing tools in fiction to show God's Love and Power! I especially loved Dracula for showing vampires as the enemy and God’s children pushing forward to victory… I like that fantasy/supernatural can tackle unlikely situations and show God’s glory anyway.
So, my struggle was handled in this novel: Can vampires be saved? Can they be good? Etc. In a simple response, the novel handled a very tough topic. I give Mirriam HUGE kudos to writing a novel with boldness and a heart focused on God. It showed! It was very cool! However, this is one thing in the novel I can’t say I entirely agree with. My convictions aren’t the same and I can’t agree with a vampire being saved. Simply put, I don’t think evil can be made good. Of course, this is a personal conviction and honestly, I’m shocked such a huge part of the story not resonating with me DID NOT take away ANY enjoyment from the story!
In the end, it is supernatural, I’m not trying to say that this genre should be one way or the other. I’m not saying any book, any character, etc has to be perfect to tell a story that can glorify God--far from it. Even if I’m not exactly in 100% agreement with the themes, the heart behind the characters (most of ‘em, haha) is… good. I think in the end, it was good.
CHARACTERS
Absolutely amazing to find a fellow author who writes snark and banter so OBVIOUSLY I LOVED THE SNARK. Mirriam did an EPIC job of making each character well rounded, intriguing, and just AMAZING.
I loved Colton the most, though… JUST GAHHH what a MOOD. YOU CAN PRY COLTON FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS.
Skata was interesting, Angel was funny, and the baddies were all well motivated. Easton was inspiring, too… I didn’t really relate to anyone as much as Colton, I s’pose… Don’t even ask.
The growth of the characters was spot on, and I’m really hoping for a second novel, haha!
CONTENT
Swearing. Mentions of drinking/getting drunk. Brief sensual scenes, nothing too graphic (aka, hand holding/kisses between married couple, some sexual innuendos, no big deal). Mentions and brief descriptions of torture, wounds, blood, violence. PG 13.
OVERALL
A solid novel and bold questions, I enjoyed it.
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