Andy Gavin

The Darkening Dream is an old-school don’t-read-it-in-the-dark vampire story with nary a sparkle in sight. Sarah and her friends in 1913 Salem, Massachusetts, are fighting for their lives against enemies than don’t understand and can’t even always see.

The plot was well-developed and original. I can usually tell a little (or a lot) of what’s coming up through foreshadowing or just common sense (some stories are just too predictable), but not here. Things kept popping up and the end took me completely by surprise. (No peeking! It’ll ruin the whole storyline.) There was a little bit of a love triangle, but the romance wasn’t the focus of the book. The characters were well-done (actually, a vampire or two were extra-crispy), the dialogue was realistic, and the whole story over-all was a great read. I would definitely welcome a sequel. (Hint, hint.)

I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.… (mere)

I received an autographed copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. It captured my interest from the start. It is not what I have come to expect from vampire novels, which is a good thing. This vampire is more the traditional horrifying vampire. I tend not to like the novels with teen-aged, heart-throb vampires.

The novel is set in 1913, in Salem, Massachusetts, and includes details to give a feel for the time: One needs to turn on the boiler to have hot water. Boys can earn extra money working in the coal smoke-belching cotton mill where many workers show signs of former injuries and young boys lubricate the machines. Cars are new. The mass transit the characters use is a horse-drawn trolley, although some lines have been upgraded to electric.

The story combines several elements, including Judaism, Christianity, Egyptian mythology, vampires, and a succubi. The teen protagonists come from a variety of backgrounds: Sarah Engelmann, the scholarly daughter of a rabbi; her friends the twins Sam and Anne Williams who attend a church described as basically Puritan; and Alex Palaogos, a very recent Greek immigrant who moved to America with his grandfather. The primary antagonists are the vampire al-Nasir who serves The Painted Man and the pastor warlock whom al-Nasir initially bribes for assistance. Other characters with smaller but still significant roles include Emily, the younger sister of Sam and Anne; Constantine, Alex's antiquarian grandfather who has a passion for Greek history; and Joseph, Sarah's father who has switched from being a rabbi to being a college professor of religion and history. I appreciated how the author smoothly wove the various elements together, since I have seen it not work many times, so might have rounded up a star in relief that this was not one of those.

There was an interesting twist at the end. I knew one was coming, but I didn't know what. However, I did not expect Sarah's final choice which seemed a bit inconsistent with her character.… (mere)

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Wow! What an amazing time travel adventure! Charlie chases a "Tick Tock" down a hole, suddenly he's in the 1700s. What a way to learn you're a time traveler. He changes the future accidentally, and now, with the help of Yvaine, tries to undo what occurred and also get a crash course in time travel. This was a fun science fiction book for me, many times I was in awe of how one incident could affect the world. The adventure gets even crazier when he tries to figure out how to undo his mistake. This was a mix of Great Expectations meets The Time Machine, a fantastic combination if you ask me. The cast of characters are amazingly creative, I was drawn in immediately and thoroughly enjoyed this novel.… (mere)

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. I was immediately engrossed in this book! To begin with, I was surprised at the location of a vampire story. Salem, Massachusetts is known for witches and the Salem witch trials of the 1600s. Here we are once again in Salem, it’s now 1913 and has vampires, awesome! The vampires reminded me of that old vampire soap opera Dark Shadows, where they turn into bats and appear out of fog. I loved how this dark story had characters from multiple religious backgrounds join together to save Archangel Gabriel’s trumpet. This was a refreshing twist on the vampire genre, with a cast of interesting characters, action and adventure that will keep you wanting more.… (mere)