Review: Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin

Author: Andy Gavin
Title: The Darkening Dream
Publication: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Mascherato Publishing
Rating: 4 out 5
Source: Author

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, 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.

Thoughts: Dark. The synopsis gives a good description of the book, so I will attempt to not rehash that but it's about vampires, religion and some witchcraft stuff goes on. I haven't read anything like this that I can recall and will say that this will be memorable for me. I will never forget reading this book. Gavin has done an amazing job of blending all these different aspects together to make for a compelling read. Some people may find this to be a bit gory in certain scenes. Let's just say my jaw dropped on several occasions from the grotesque nature of events that happened in this book. The writing is very detailed and gives a good visual idea of what in going on. The pace was a bit slow and it took me longer to read this than I would have liked...partly because I was freaked out (I'm a punk, you may like it). Okay, so the whole book is not scary but try it. The characters are interesting and the historical aspects are pretty cool. Sarah and her friends are brave to go chasing after a 900 year-old vampire or incredibly nuts. Overall, that ending was worth the read!

Cover: I love the cover! It's has a strange beauty to it.