Scan barcode
A review by brianmcbride
Dark Is the Night by Mirriam Elin Neal
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.