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williemeikle's review against another edition
4.0
I'd forgotten how much fun Simon Clark's books are. DARKER is no exception, a joy from start to finish. You're straight into the action and it doesn't let up, as an invisible force stalks a family across the English countryside. There's a marvelous set piece in York Minster, some great suspense scenes, and a satisfying, if slightly Hollywood, ending. All in all, I loved it.
frostling's review against another edition
3.0
The Young family falls under the spell of pleasant-looking but ruthless Michael (which gives a weird atmosphere to this novel, as they follow him blindly, unable to see that they are being manipulated).
Graced with these docile subjects, Michael pursues his quest to dominate the invisible entity that has attached itself to him. This creature comes from Istanbul (formerly Constantinople and Byzantium). It is ancient and used to live alongside emperors from the ancient world, granting them the power they needed to rule and conquer.
Reading about its destructive powers, I was reminded of the creature from "Forbidden Planet" (the movie, not the shops) and the evil presence in "Casting the Runes" (M.R. James story, adapted in movie format as "Night of the Demon - 1957).
In "Darker", the creature doesn't seem to have a mind of its own and pursues Michael (plus everyone associated with him) as if its life depended on it. This gives a strong supernatural element to the story, in front of which everyone needs to flee, or be smashed.
The downside to this is that the mad run of the Young family can feel a bit tedious at times, but overall, like the creature itself, "Darker" possesses an energy of its own that makes for a pleasant read. I certainly enjoyed it, despite a rather rushed ending. It suffers from what I call "quick exit syndrome": lengthy descriptions throughout the book, and then suddenly the show is over. The word quota has been reached, time to move on ladies and gentlemen.
What I have learned from this book:
* Energy and determination can be transmitted to the reader.
* Too many point of view changes feel like watching TV with someone who zaps channels every 5 minutes.
Graced with these docile subjects, Michael pursues his quest to dominate the invisible entity that has attached itself to him. This creature comes from Istanbul (formerly Constantinople and Byzantium). It is ancient and used to live alongside emperors from the ancient world, granting them the power they needed to rule and conquer.
Reading about its destructive powers, I was reminded of the creature from "Forbidden Planet" (the movie, not the shops) and the evil presence in "Casting the Runes" (M.R. James story, adapted in movie format as "Night of the Demon - 1957).
In "Darker", the creature doesn't seem to have a mind of its own and pursues Michael (plus everyone associated with him) as if its life depended on it. This gives a strong supernatural element to the story, in front of which everyone needs to flee, or be smashed.
The downside to this is that the mad run of the Young family can feel a bit tedious at times, but overall, like the creature itself, "Darker" possesses an energy of its own that makes for a pleasant read. I certainly enjoyed it, despite a rather rushed ending. It suffers from what I call "quick exit syndrome": lengthy descriptions throughout the book, and then suddenly the show is over. The word quota has been reached, time to move on ladies and gentlemen.
What I have learned from this book:
* Energy and determination can be transmitted to the reader.
* Too many point of view changes feel like watching TV with someone who zaps channels every 5 minutes.
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