THE DARKENING DREAM

by

ANDY GAVIN

available now at amazon.com

FIRST OF ALL,

I must apologize to Mr. Gavin.  I received this book back in February to review.  I read the book, wrote the review and somehow forgot to post it.  

Now, for the story

synopsis  (Amazon)

The Darkening Dream is the chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.

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, a 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.

Received from author for honest review.

This is a very dark story.  A bit too dark and frightening for my tastes, but very well written.  The vampires of Andy Gavin's stories aren't cute, funny, handsome, or happy.  No Barnabas Collins or Twilight characters here- these vampires are dark, brooding and more like Stoker's vampire.  A blood sucking unapologetic abomination.

The story takes place in Salem, Ma...A city that invokes images of witches and witch hunts.  Well, no witches now. It's the year 1913.  I love the locale of this story.  I live in New England and find I wish to revisit Salem each time I read a book that takes place there.  This story is no exception.

There is a strong religious undertone to this story.  All religions, Judaism, Christianity, Greek Orthodox and Ancient Egyptian...a  multitude of themes very skillfully weaved together.

Two characters stand out in this novel.  Sarah and Alex.  Of course, they come from different religious/cultural upbringing.  Sarah is Jewish and Alex is a Greek Orthodox.

I think this book was a bit too gruesome for me...I'm not a fan of vampires, especially Stoker's kind, but I appreciate the talent and writing style of Mr. Gavin and his attention to detail.

I give this book 4 stars.

now, about the author

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 Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises, selling over 40 million units worldwide. He sleeps little, reads novels and histories, watches media obsessively, travels, and of course, writes.

Find him at: http://andy-gavin-author.com

This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

(obtained from Amazon website)