Review: The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin

TITLE: The Darkening Dream     AUTHOR: Andy Gavin PUB: Mascherato Pub.                   PUB DATE: 12/25/11 FORMAT: paperback, 379 pgs SOURCE: from author in exchange for honest review

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs. 1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand. With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal? No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be herself.

 THREE WORDS: Captivating, Provocative, Delightfully-Dark 


MY REVIEW: Andy Gavin’s The Darkening Dream is not your cookie cutter vampire novel, and thank [insert your deity of choice here] for that! A wonderfully refreshing and enticingly twisted read, The Darkening Dream certainly does have bite (and claws!) and a delightfully dark allure.


MY BRIEF SUMMARY

In 1913 Salem, Massachusetts, Sarah Engelmann leads a pretty ordinary life with her mother and rabbi father…until she has a frightening vision that becomes reality and she finds herself immersed in a dark and dangerous battle between an eclectic mix of supernatural beings-a vampire, warlock, Egyptian gods, angels, oh my!-all out to find Archangel Gabriel’s holy horn. Along with her friends, twins Anne and Sam, and Alex, a hunky Greek immigrant, Sarah sets out to stop the end of days, and along the way she discovers unexpected secrets, an even more unexpected romance, and finds herself in some unexpected places.

          STORY

Andy Gavin has taken a bevy of supernatural elements, compelling characters, and an intricate and superbly developed storyline, and expertly weaved them together to create an original and enthralling book. Full of the unexpected, thrilling action, a wicked dose of creepy, and with a Dare-To-Be-Bold-And-Provocative Attitude, The Darkening Dream takes readers on one helluva ride!

The story starts off a bit slow in the first few chapters, but quickly finds its flow and becomes fast paced, but this quick pacing never feels rushed and reflects the content perfectly. Gavin’s story development and world building is excellent and realistic; both 1913 Salem and the dark supernatural world Sarah and her friends uncover easily come alive.

The supernatural elements are awesome! Gavin takes well known supernatural/paranormal beings and ideas (vampires, demons, warlocks, gods, etc) and infuses them with an intriguing mix of religious imagery, creating a unique and innovative story…a story that reminds me of the ingenious show Supernatural (which, if you know me, is a BIG compliment).

I really love how bold, provocative and unafraid to Go There (and beyond) this story is. This isn’t a lighthearted read, nor should it be. Its intense, and at times relentless (in the best way), darkness is absolutely addicting and riveting. And I love that Gavin’s monsters are blood-thirsty, depraved, spine-tingling, won’t think twice about ripping your heart out or eating your face kind of monsters. Gavin’s vampires aren’t sparkly or swoon-worthy, but they are devilishly enthralling and impossible to ignore.

 

The story takes readers on an edge-of-your seat, gasp-worthy, didn’t-see-that-coming, thrill ride right up until the very last sentence! And the ending leaves room for a sequel, which would be awesome *wink wink nudge nudge*

          CHARACTERS

Sarah is an awesome heroine. She’s intelligent, brave and witty, but incredibly relatable and realistic as a young, lustful, sometimes reckless teenage girl. Alex has oodles of charm and makes for a swoon-worthy male lead. Sam and Anne add a good deal of humor and gung-ho attitude. Together, the four friends make an eclectic and entertaining group.

The baddies and monsters are all compelling as well. Al-Nasir, the 900 year old vampire, is captivatingly repulsive (how often do you see that description?!).

          ROMANCE

Yes, even badass vampire hunters need a little romance, and Sarah and Alex offer readers a fun, steamy, full of teenage angst and hormones romance. I really enjoyed these two characters together; they have a lot of chemistry and a tangible spark. But I also liked the fact that the romance wasn’t an overwhelming or dominate element in the story.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: This book kept me up late at night, eagerly turning pages and excited to see just what would happen next…and something unexpected would always happen next. Full of mystery, twists and turns, awesome supernatural elements, a hot romance, and intelligent writing, The Darkening Dream is a spellbinding read and impressive debut.

                                                          MY RATING

4.5 / 5 Cupcakes

Learn more: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook
Purchase: Amazon

Andy Gavin is an unstoppable storyteller who studied for his Ph.D. at M.I.T. and founded video game developer Naughty Dog, Inc. at the age of fifteen, serving as co-president for two decades. There he created, produced, and directed over a dozen video games, including the award winning and best selling Crash Bandicootand Jak & Daxter franchises, selling over 40 million units worldwide. He sleeps little, reads novels and histories, watches media obsessively, travels, and of course, writes.