By the Light of the Moon

by Dean Koontz

On the road, on a hot Arizona night, Dylan O'Conner is overpowered by a stranger who injects him with an unknown substance.

All he's told is that he's the "carrier," not of a disease, but of something wondrous that will transform his life in remarkable ways - if it doesn't kill him in the next twenty-four hours.

Now Dylan, his autistic brother, Shep, and another "carrier," a young woman, are swept into a desperate search for the shattering truth of what they are and what they might become.

But first they must elude those sent to destroy them.

Their only chance to survive is to discover the meaning of the messages that Shep, with precious time running out, begins to repeat, about a man who does his work...

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction

460 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book might be Koontz's love letter to Stephen King. Not only does he mention Stephen King's works and movies several times, many of the plot points are very similar to ones used by King (I keep thinking Firestarter, but I liked this book better than Firestarter). But, at the same time it is a very Koontz book as it seems like many of his works focus on dark agencies doing dark experiments and the innocent people who get caught up in the middle (i.e. Dark Rivers of the Heart, the Jane Hawk series, etc.)

Also, this is what the movie Rain Man would have been if it was a horror/technological conspiracy movie instead.

I really enjoyed this book and was captivated throughout. While it did remind me of some of Koontz's other works, it was not rehashed repetition. He was able to write something with a similar spirit and add new and interesting twists to it. I highly recommend this if you are a Koontz fan. And, as I have seen others have a similar experience as I have had with Koontz duds from time to time, I like to think I can say with confidence that this is not one of them.

So, looking for your next Koontz book? Or, are you a King fan looking to try some Koontz? This one is worth giving your time and attention to.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can usually rely on Koontz to be entertaining, especially when he wanders off into fantasy land, and this book ticked all the boxes for me.

The story tells of three characters who are deliberately injected by some kind of mad scientist and then are obliged to go on the run. As they travel they start to discover the effects of their injections and they all react in different but equally amazing ways.

The characters are all likeable, especially Shep, the younger autistic brother. Koontz uses him to build up stress and tension when he refuses to move on even when their pursuers are right outside the door. He had me sitting on the edge of my seat several times. Interestingly he also has the superhero ability they all need to get them places - it is just difficult to make him use it appropriately.

I thought this was a great story, fast paced and entertaining. The dialogue was often funny, especially when Shep went off into making one of his endless and uninterruptible lists. Definitely one of the author's better books.

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cryptic read! fascinating,intriguing and an amazing storyline with some well defined and well developed cast of characters...it was a non-stop roller coaster ride of virtually thrill action..recommended to everyone (paperback!)

[Clarice · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was my first Dean Koontz novel and a thorough disappointment, especially bearing in mind how critically acclaimed a writer he is supposed to be.

The plot is wanting and slow - paced. Koontz is spending far too much time on the thorough and often dragging description of his protagonists' visions, thereby neglecting the advancement of his plot.

Logically speaking, I was unable to understand why "nanobot - implants" would enable anyone to gain the ability to physically fold from one place to another.

Koontz's characters remain utterly on the surface. Jilly's annoying attributes and Koontz's forced humour at times render this book unbearable, and at some point I considered myself unable to finish the story.

The most pathetic part of the book remains the (thankfully) rushed ending, when - over a nice glass of wine - our protagonists announce their aim to become something akin to superheroes and vow to fight evil whenever they are faced by it, thus enabling Mr Koontz to produce a sequel. Please spare us!

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Koontz novels tend to get wordy. (Not a complaint normally, just a fact that is quite irksome in this work.) By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz falls into that category. Usually, his verbiage elucidates character quirks and amplifies personality for the players in his thrillers. Although I love his work, sometimes he repeats tropes that make me sigh when I come to them. This one does not have a golden retriever, but it has an autistic little brother, and a female protagonist that is pretty, not gorgeous, just this side of adorable. Immediately I thought, here we go again, but I was wrong. This one is a superhero origin story. Like a lot of Koontz’ stuff, there are a good number of cheesy elements reminiscent of many origin stories, but it also has heart which is one of the reasons I keep going back to Koontz. I liked it but found myself sighing a great deal and wishing he would have used fewer words. Exposition is not always a friend and here the mansplaining becomes almost too much pedantic.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now take my hand and hold it tight.
I will not fail you here tonight,
For failing you, I fail myself
And place my soul upon a shelf
In Hell's library without light.
I will not fail you here tonight.
- The Book of Counted Sorrows

I love reading this book. I've read By The Light of the Moon six times now and the effect is without exception interesting, frequently astonishing and always positive. It's a beautiful book with a great title - so great that I have the phrase "BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON" tattooed on my right arm. I enjoy the power of positivity which radiates from this volume of literature. The idea that we create our own reality by our thoughts and the difference for good that individuals can make in the world is elaborated on in this amazing story.

Related Film: The Fly, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Related Works: From the Corner of His Eye, Cold Fire, Relentless, The Bad Place, False Memory, Brother Odd, Prodigal Son, The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft, The Secret, The Power, The Silence of the Lambs, Great Expectations, The Wind in the Willows, Firestarter

Favorite Passages:
Nevertheless, once torture opened a door and walked into his mind, it pulled up a chair and sat down and wouldn't leave.
______

"I'm injecting you with my life's work."
______

"The effect is without exception interesting, frequently astonishing, and sometimes positive."
______

"But debt payment isn't perfume," Doc said, reappearing with a Band-Aid from which he stripped the wrapper as he talked. "It won't mask the stink of treachery, will it? Will anything?"
______

"Siss my kass." . . . "Pupid srick.". . . "Cupid strick.". . . "Hickdead."
______

As his eyes clarified behind waning tears, the boy said, "Moon, orb of night, lunar lamp, green cheese, heavenly lantern, ghostly galleon, bright wanderer -"
______

"Light, illumination, radiance, ray, brightness, brilliance, beam, gleam, God's eldest daughter -"
______

She became conscious of a universe within herself, galaxy after galaxy of scintillant neurons, and suddenly she felt as though she were spiraling into a cold vastness of stars, as though she were an astronaut who, on an extravehicular walk, had snapped the tether that linked her safely to her spacecraft. Eternity yawned before her, a great swallowing maw, and she drifted fast, faster, faster still, into this internal immensity, toward oblivion.
______

"The shape of things to come."
______

". . . maybe if we think positive, the worst will be behind us. And for sure, there's nothing to be gained by negative thinking."
______

The psychic trace left by his quarry wriggled like a centipede against his palm, squirmed, writhed, and he knew that beyond this door lay a colony of Hell established on the wrong side of death.
______

"Both Becky and Kenny need medical attention - "
"And a prison cell until their social security kicks in," Jilly added.
"- but give us two or three minutes before you call nine-one-one," Dylan finished.
This instruction baffled Marj. "But you are nine-one-one."
Jilly fielded that peculiar question: "We're one of the ones, Marj, but we're not the other one or the nine."
______

Not only weren't they in Kansas anymore, Toto, they weren't in predictable Oz, either, but adrift in a land where there were sure to be greater wonders than yellow-brick roads and emerald cities, more to fear than wicked witches and flying monkeys.
A moth snapped against the windshield, leaving a gray dusty substance on the glass, a little kiss of Death.
______

"We can better figure where we're goin' if we know where we come from."
______

. . . Dylan wondered if this one thing he knew about Jilly might be all he needed to know: She deserved his trust. Perhaps everything else that mattered in a relationship grew from trust - from a tranquil faith in the courage, integrity, and kindness of the other person.
He decided that he was losing his mind. The psychotropic stuff had affected his brain in more ways than he yet knew. Here he was thinking about committing his life to a woman who already thought he was a Disney comic book, all sugar and talking chipmunks.
______

"Do you feel it?" he asked.
"Feel what?"
"Feel how it works, the round and round of all that is."
______

"These colonies of nanomachines might be able to create new connections between various lobes of the brain, new neural pathways - "
______

Maybe absurdity was the quality of any experience that proved you were alive, that you weren't dreaming or dead, because dreams were filled with enigma or terror, not with Abbott and Costello absurdity, and the afterlife wouldn't be as chockful of incongruity and absurdity as life, either, because if it were, there wouldn't be any reason to have an afterlife.
______

She heard ghost voices in her head . . .
______

"- travelers, voyagers, riders - "
Listening with one ear to the good Shepherd's cascade of words, Jilly dared to think about their future, about destiny and free will, about mythology and truth, about dependency and responsibility, about the certainty of death and the desperate need to live with purpose, about love and duty, and hope.
The sky is deep. The stars lie far away. The moon is nearer than Mars but still distant. The lake is a lustrous black, enlivened by the mercurial light of the parish lantern.

[Elle_bow 🩷 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really connect with this book at all. I thought it was well written, I just didn’t really care about the premise or became super invested.

[Maciek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Koontz can be described as the Slim Jim of popular fiction. Each one tastes exactly like your last Slim Jim, so you know precisely what you're getting. They aren't really very good for you and when you think about it you might come to a realization that they're mostly crap..but that doesn't stop you from getting another Slim Jim.

"By The Light of The Moon" was written in 2002 and is a classic Koontz chase novel. The story is bananas; Dylan O'Connor and his autistic brother, Shepherd, check into a hotel on their way to one of Dylan's art shows. There they are assaulted by a mad scientist who injects Dylan with "stuff" and escapes, fearing people who are chasing him to destroy his "life's work". Another hotel guest, Jillian Jackson, a travelling comedian is assaulted by the same doctor and injected with the same stuff. Shortly after, Jillian meets with the O' Connor brothers, they all witness the mad doctor exploding in his suv, and from that moment on they're on the run from the guys who were chasing the doctor and at the same time began to experience the effect of their injections.

The best thing about this novel is the fact that it moves along at a breakneck pace. Opening with Dylan's assault, the action never slows - instead it picks up, as the "stuff" begins to play its part. I've seen an interview with Koontz where he states that he wanted to write a book where the heroes would always be on the run, and this is it. Koontz makes you turn the page to see what happens next - and that's what we all expect from him, don't we?

The characters are pretty much standard Koontz, though they're nowhere as irritating as some of his creations - I'd even say they're sympathetic. The standard strong male figure (Dylan), accompanied by a witty female (Jillian) and are accompanied by Dylan's autistic brother, Shep. Koontz took a risk by writing an autistic character; however Shep doesn't slow down the story, instead only adds to the suspense. How do you run from evil killers when your autistic brother doesn't want to go from one place to another? Read and find out.

Another pleasant factor is that the narration follows only Dylan and Jilly exclusively. Koontz likes to switch the narration by moving frequently between a large cast of characters, some of whom are completely uninteresting. Not so in this case; Dylan and Jilly are on the run from the same evil and it's an interesting perspective to see how the same events look through the eyes of both characters.

The biggest flaw of the book is, traditionally, the ending. Koontz loves to write himself into a paper bag and then come out with some retarded solution to get his characters out of trouble( look, it's a bi-WHAM!). However, the ride preceeding it is really interesting and captivating enough, and at some points even touching so let's forgive old Dean this one time. We wanted a thrill ride; we got it.

"By The Light of The Moon" is not one of Dean Koontz's most popular novels, but it's certainly one of the most fast-paced. If you're in for a long drive/flight and you have this book you might consider packing it with you, as I think it will make your journey much more pleasant. It's one tasty Slim Jim.

PS. The Bantam edition has a beautiful cover. Even if you don't like the story you have to admit that the cover is gorgeous.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. Two strangers, Jilly and Dylan, become linked when a mad scientist knocks them out and injects them with a strange serum while mumbling about the fact that they'll either go mad or be very much improved by his "stuff". He warns them that sinister killers will soon be after them if they don't hit the road asap. When Jilly discovers that her car, stolen by "Frankenstein" (as they dub him), has been torched with "Frankenstein" still inside she begins to take the dire warnings seriously. Dylan, an artist traveling around the country with his autistic brother Shephard, advises Jilly to join them on a mad ride away from the ominous, as yet unseen, baddies. And thus begins their life altering road trip.

The book, although a suspenseful road trip into the darkest corners of hell, shines because of its characters. Thirty year old Dylan has been the sole caretaker of his younger autistic brother Shep ever since their mother died tragically ten years earlier. Dylan is a kind soul who is eternally patient with his sometimes difficult brother and loves him unconditionally. His life has been shaped around caring for Shep and initially he's almost too good, too patient, and too kind to be believed but as the book progresses he becomes less of a saint. His transformation will change him in ways that shock, appall and amaze him. I found his character the most emotionally compelling. Jilly is a quirky comedian whose good humor hides a dark past. She travels with a houseplant named Fred (I kid you not) in lieu of a man. She and Fred have many enjoyable one-sided conversations and Jilly prefers his company to that of a real man. And then Dylan, a panicked and very bossy Dylan, comes into her life and instantly gets on her last nerve. Their initial sparring adds a bit of lightness to the tense plot but once they realize they've been altered by the "serum" and that they're truly on the run for their lives they learn to get along (and begin to like and respect each other) and the plot takes on a much more somber tone.

The story takes place over the span of what I believe is little more than 24 hours. But in that short time span these three characters lives will forever be changed. The "serum" gives them strange, awe and fear inspiring abilities and forces Dylan and Shep to face a very dark moment in their past that they've done their best to put behind them. It's creepy, and moving and continually takes unexpected twists into dark corners. The pace is fast though Koontz has a tendency to be a little too long winded and overly descriptive but I've come to expect this when I pick up a Koontz novel and it's sort of comical and comforting all at the same time.

I read this as an unabridged audiobook and the actor did a fine job. He had a strong, compelling voice that didn't set me to snoozing and he didn't do any of those cringe-worthy falsetto female voice performances that grate on my nerves. I always knew when Jilly or Dylan or Shep were speaking. The only downer? There's no famous Koontz dog character here! Instead we get Fred the plant. And Fred has about as much personality as, well, a houseplant. About halfway thru the story he's stuffed in the trunk never to be heard from again. Poor Fred, we hardly knew ye.

By the Light of the Moon was interesting, suspenseful and filled with characters I enjoyed and it made my stressful ride to work something I *almost* looked forward to.

[Cody | CodysBookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jilly and Dylan are strangers who are both knocked unconscious and injected with a strange substance by a scientist they refer to as Doctor Frankenstein. This chance encounter brings the two together, and they (with Dylan’s autistic brother Shep in tow) are off for a high-stakes adventure as they discover the depths of the supernatural powers they have been granted, and just why this happened to them of all people.

Look, this book is cheesy as hell. It’s Dean Koontz in full-on goofy mode. The prose is as purple as a corpse in rigor; Jilly and Dylan are pious pissholes who spend most of the book bemoaning the fact that they are so pure, so moralistic, in a world gone to hell. And Jilly is a take-no-crap comedian: the reader is reminded of this on every other page.

So why the four stars? Well . . . I had fun. I had a lot of fun. The mystery at the core of this story is one of Koontz’s most intriguing — who is the strange man with the needle, what is it he created, and why does it alter its victims so drastically? The narrative takes place over twenty-four hours, and the pace never lets up. Koontz doesn’t ramble too much here, but when it does it isn’t as much of a chore to read as it is in some of his latter day releases. I didn’t want to put this book down once I’d begun, if that says anything.

This is a Koontz novel. You know what you’re getting. If you’re looking for a bit of brainless, cheesy fun with lots of gun action and wonky science, you could do much worse.

[Fred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Koontzland Group Read - January 2018

This was not the easiest read for me - as any other of Koontz books I've read.

Dylan O'Conner(artist-29) & his autistic brother Shepherd O'Connor(20) are traveling across Arizona to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to a art festival in his SUV.
They cross paths with Jilly Jackson (comedian). They are injected with a unknown drug from a strange Lincoln Proctor (alias Dr. Frankentein), the 3 meet to review what he did to them. Lincoln was chased & killed in Jilly's white Cadillac by 10+ men in black Subaru's.

Shep's "folding foresight" warnings from the "present to the past" allow them to escape constant chases from these men. Shep's crazy riddles (ultra ray, infra Ray, violet Ray, etc.) creates stress between Dylan & Jilly when meeting but they grow closer as she begins to accept Shep.

Shep's "folding foresight" allows him to see from the "present to the past" to avoid danger of their past lives. Present 2/12/2002 to past 2/12/1992 - 20 year-old Shep of the present can talk to 10 year-old Shep to see the horror of past.

Shep's riddles - "Ice, Ice, Ice" - continue to help escapes. "Rat, Mole, Mr. Toad" - "Shep is Brave" before assassins attack?

Once Shep takes Jilly's foresight of danger "up there" to stop 3 gunmen in a church from killing a bride & groom with their own assault rifle "butts", Jilliy miraculous stops the 3rd gunman "up there" & vanishes before anyone seeing her?

The end shows Shep has the supernatural "folding foresight" power - traveling to The Past that "exists" from his Present?

Lincoln Proctor role needs more description in my review?

*No first read description in my 2015 read*

Koontzland - Group Home

[Dale · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kinda boring with a really lame ending.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an elegantly written story with memorable and likable characters that starts with my favorite opening Koontz paragraph. It's one of his more successful attempts to incorporate elements of science fiction into a foundation of suspense and intrigue, and then he winds it all up by turning it into a superhero origin tale. I'm trying to avoid being spoilery, but... it reminded me of some of Stephen King's work from the same era, except much happier. I hope the Moonlight Club had a long exploration of the round and round of all that is, with cake and laughter to go with their serious intent.

[Jim C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

This one is a reread for me. The first time I read this book I liked it but it did not blow me away. This time I thought it was terrific. In this one, Dylan and Jillian are kidnapped by a mad scientist. They are injected with a foreign substance and strange things start happening to them. Also, Dylan is responsible for his autistic brother Shep.

For me, the aspect that drives this author's novels are his characters and this book has great characters. One cannot help but become attached to the autistic boy and his relationship with his brother. The banter between Dylan and Jillian provide laughs. Even scenes with Shep provide humor but also evoke sympathy as his condition takes center stage. It wouldn't be a Dean Koontz novel if we did not have the supernatural occurrence or the chase between evil and good. We have both and both contribute to a real fast pace throughout the whole novel. The chase is riveting but is also the reason why this book doesn't receive the full five stars. We have the villain but for the majority of the book the villain is never clearly defined. This might be the only flaw of this book.

This is a terrific book that has both action and well thought out characters and relationships. We have the the good versus evil concept while our heroes and heroines make sacrifices. Readers will definitely connect with the characters especially Shep who is memorable.

[Mrs. Shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

IMO, it was just too darn descriptive. I found myself skipping over whole pages of descriptions to get to the actual story (which wasn't too bad in and of itself). It is like the writer doesn't realize we have imaginations and can create most of the stuff he is writing about already in our head as we read the book. I want to try reading something else of his to see if this happens all the time or if it is just in this one.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me from somewhere in my past. Dean Koontz still intrigues and weaves magical tales. This has more magic than most - a kind of origin story. It was a bit slow and wordy at times but his work still causes me to stop and look up an occasional unknown word, which I love. I, of course, highly recommend this book.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story starts out great. 3 characters are brought together by chance and circumstance and injected with an evil substance of God knows what by a mad scientist type of man. They have to do research to find out what they've been injected with and also exactly what is at store in their future. They come to learn that each of them has developed some type of supernatural-like abilities which will come in handy later while dodging reckless gunmen. However, later on the story kind of fizzles out because every time the author develops a jam for the characters or a tough situation they just seem to solve it by the snap of their fingers..Kaput..Over. I don't have a problem suspending disbelief but I found the childish solutions and happy-sappy endings to be a little more than I could fathom. There is no doubt that Dean Koontz is a master of suspense and story-telling but I feel some of the scenes should have been condensed to avoid getting glazed-over eyes and that the intensity of the story faded later on in the book. The book would have been far better if the author had cut out some of the more frivolous parts and stuck to the compelling story that started at the beginning of the book.

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Средна хубост роман, в типичния за автора маниер – едни много, ама много добри хора попадат в екстремна ситуация, битието им става на пух и прах, и докато бягат от други много, ама много лоши хора, те не само успяват да съхранят доброто в себе си, но и а-ха да им поникнат ангелски крилца…

Все повече започват да ми втръсват тия Кунцови главни герои – чета и се чувствам изпил варел мед, замезил го с бала захарен памук. Диалозите също доста ме дразнеха – в опита си да ги направи свежи (почти копирайки непрестанните дърления на Ригс и Мърто от „Смъртоносните оръжия“) Кунц обикновено постигаше точно обратния ефект - досаждаше. Включванията на младия аутист – определени фрази се повтаряха по 15-20 и повече пъти – въобще не подобряваха ситуацията…

Сюжетът – таен научен експеримент, ориентиран към отключване на човешките свръхспособности, също е дъвкан и предъвкван, а „Подпалвачката“ на Стивън Кинг си остава образец, чиято класа трудно може да бъде достигната… Конкретно тук нямаше как да не направя паралел и с романа „Телепорт“ на Стивън Гулд.

Но, аз съм добро книжно прасе, пък и можеше да е много, ама много по-зле – 3,5/5

Поддръжниците на извънземната конспирация и стендъп комиците не се изключват взаимно

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful surprise this book turned out to be! It was so enjoyable. This was only my second Dean Koontz read. He did a sensational job with all the suspense and action. It was a lot of fun to read. Early on I did feel like the character development was somewhat lacking. Koontz just waited until the second half of the book to mix in the character development. I loved the characters of Dylan, Jilly, and Shep! The author did an admirable job of getting this reader to care deeply for those characters! The author's descriptions were impressive, graphic, and detailed. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more Koontz books in the near future. If they're half as good as this one I know it'll be fun reading them! I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a thrilling and suspenseful book.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my top three Dean Koontz Novels. I have the phrase "By The Light of the Moon" tattooed on my right arm.

I enjoy the dialogue and the mysteries of the unknown. By The Light of the Moon represents many of the ideas I believe including the power of positive thinking and our potential for good.

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tied with Lightning as my favorite Koontz novel of them all. A bit formulaic, but the ending is so satisfying! A Koontz best.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I really enjoyed. Koontz can run hot and cold. Some of his books are really great others are....well, not so great. This one is one of the ones I like a lot. My wife liked Koontz (many of the ones I don't care for she liked).

I avoid giving "synopsises" as in some books that in iteslf is a spoiler. So in this one it opens well, the relationship between the two main characters is well done (there are 3 main characters but I refer to the "romantic interest). The story unfolds well and I think you'll enjoy it. I did.

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little slow for me at a lot of points but I enjoyed the journey. This book was classic Dean Koontz. Action/bore/action/suspense/action/conclusion. The problem I have with the book, and some of Koontz other books, is the amount of imagery used that adds nothing to the book. There should not be whole chapters talking about how the hills in a California setting look. It's boring and annoying.

[Clinton Sweet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dreadful. About 50 pages of storyline and 300 pages of waffle. Koontz bases his told to death storyline around replaceable, generic characters and some dribbling maniac who repeats incongruous words like "ice" and "cake" in some feeble attempt to write a bestseller. How this formula still works, I don't know

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a ride! This book was fantastic.

Sadly, I could so relate to Jillie (main female character) as I am also a vortex of pessimism.

Ha ha. Will most definitely read again!

I will say it again, "What a great book!"

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been putting off reading (or listening to) this book because it's a rather large-ish book and the cover-blurb gave me the impression the themes of this Koontz novel were a bit more fantastical than I generally prefer. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I enjoyed this book from the start all the way to the finish. Part of that is tribute to the reader of the story. A wonderful performance. Of course, the rest lies with Koontz. He's created a number of characters that I feel I'd really like to meet and get to know. He's created at least 3 in this book. And that's one of the differences in this book from many of his others, in my opinion, typically you only get one character of tremendous value. Here there are 2 main characters, Dylan and Shep, and Jilly is practically a 3rd main character. You get to know all 3 very well. Dylan and Shep a tad moreso than Jilly. This book was so good, I'm seriously hoping Dean chooses to continue their story(ies) in some way. If you like quality characters you get to know, vividly sculpted scenes, and a bit of the fantasciencefiction of the type Koontz is known for, "By the Light of the Moon" will surely please.

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the best opening paragraph I have ever read! Intriguing, mysterious, and fast-paced, it fits the story well. Instantly, you, along with the main characters, are set into a state of confusion. You'll stay there for most of the book, but know that you are in capable hands.

Of all the characters, I loved Shepard the most. However, I was disappointed that we never got into Shepard's mind. Dean Koontz has such a talent for fleshing out marginal and unusual viewpoints (like the dog in Dragon Tears and Thomas in The Bad Place). I was practically salivating to read Koontz's take on the autistic Shepard's thoughts and impressions. Still waiting. *Sigh*

Still, this is one of the Koontz's best books. It has all his best trademarks. It is written with such love and grace towards the characters. It has the witty, flirty repartee between Dylan and Jillian. Its overall message is redemptive and life-affirming.

Highly recommended

[Margo Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally loved this book. It ranks as one of my favorite Koontz books. He uses these incredible metaphors to describe situations and scenes on one page and then on the next page he says something simple like "he was big time dead" - - it's great. Also, this book was supposed to be spooky - but I was laughing out loud at Koontz's humor and I even had to go and read halarious lines outloud to other people around me.

Plus, it a sign of a great author is when he has you laughing on one page, reading faster on the next page, and crying on yet another page.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanks Dean Koontz!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this roller coaster ride across New Mexico with Dylan, Jilly and autistic Shepherd trying to find answers to why a madman injected them with a mysterious substance that enhances their abilities. There is also an army of shadowy figures trying to kill them.

I liked how Kootnz brought everything together at the end in Lake Tahoe.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The men chasing them in the Black SUVs are revealed to be mercenaries. They were hired by the wealthy investors who funded Proctor's research. Because of the side effects the investors decide to eliminate him and anyone injected. They fear costly lawsuits from the nanotech injections.

Shep gets revenge for his mother's mother when he,
folds to the North Pole with Proctor and leaves him to freeze to death.

Shep, Dylan and Jill decide to stay with Lantern at his Lake Tahoe estate. There they can avoid public attention and decide how to use their newfound abilities to help people in need.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz is one of my favorite novels by this illustrious Author. It is about the same length as many of his other works, and is written in that oh-so familiar Koontz style. Driven by the dialogue of the characters, the story unfolds exactly as it is revealed to the characters, allowing the reader the chance to evolve with the protagonists as they explore their new world. About that new world-- yes, this is my SPOILER ALERT-- it is our world, with a few tweaks and fiddles thrown in. The main characters are a small-time female comedian, an autistic 20 year old, and his older brother/caretaker. In addition, the antagonist is a textbook psychopathic evil doctor, bent on world destruction and power and some such thing. He injects this ragtag cast with a golden serum, altering their physiological and psychological make-up in stunning ways. Essentially, they become man-made superhumans. The main character, Dylan O'Connor, faces a similar situation to another famous "gifted" member of our race: Peter Parker. Though the connection may seem dubious, allow me to explain: Both Peter and Dylan struggle initially with the morality of their decisions, and both of them overcome their initial moral conundrum through the help of a family member. Dylan sets himself apart through his actions, and survives not through his own cunning, but also through the help of his brother and newly found friend. Which, it is to be noted, is the true moral of this story: sometimes, it is necessary to rely on your friends to get things done that you can't do by yourself. Humility indeed is stronger than pride.