What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Hour
Greensboro has fallen.
Swayed by the demonic Strange Man, the townspeople have sacrificed their freedom for prosperity. Monsters lurk in every shadow and the few who oppose the new regime have been chased out of town, forced to wage their war in hiding. For ex-reverend Jeff Weldon and those under his care, it is a losing battle, but the tale begins to turn with the return of his brother Dras.
Dras arrives at his hometown to find it has descended into darkness - but the worst is yet to come. The Strange Man's final plan is falling into place and the Dark Hour is close at hand. Dras, Jeff, and the last of Greensboro's protectors work frantically to unlock the Strange Man's secrets and uncover the key to stopping the Dark Hour before all is lost. But when Dras discovers the fate of his best friend, Rosalyn Myers, he will realize that he has more to lose in this battle than he ever imagined.
Dark Hour is the explosive final act in The Coming Evil Trilogy. All bets are off as the remnant of light clash with the armies of darkness. The final fates of Jeff, Isabella, Dras, and Rosalyn, along with all of Greensboro, will be decided in a desperate last stand.
Swayed by the demonic Strange Man, the townspeople have sacrificed their freedom for prosperity. Monsters lurk in every shadow and the few who oppose the new regime have been chased out of town, forced to wage their war in hiding. For ex-reverend Jeff Weldon and those under his care, it is a losing battle, but the tale begins to turn with the return of his brother Dras.
Dras arrives at his hometown to find it has descended into darkness - but the worst is yet to come. The Strange Man's final plan is falling into place and the Dark Hour is close at hand. Dras, Jeff, and the last of Greensboro's protectors work frantically to unlock the Strange Man's secrets and uncover the key to stopping the Dark Hour before all is lost. But when Dras discovers the fate of his best friend, Rosalyn Myers, he will realize that he has more to lose in this battle than he ever imagined.
Dark Hour is the explosive final act in The Coming Evil Trilogy. All bets are off as the remnant of light clash with the armies of darkness. The final fates of Jeff, Isabella, Dras, and Rosalyn, along with all of Greensboro, will be decided in a desperate last stand.
404 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2013
148 people want to read
About the author
Greg Mitchell
38 books40 followersGreg Mitchell is a freelance screenwriter and novelist and is the author of "The Coming Evil Trilogy", beginning with his debut novel "The Strange Man". A lifelong fan of monster movies and stories, he writes novels for movie lovers, striving to capture cinematic storytelling in a literary format.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 27, 2013
('The Dark Hour' is the third and final installment of The Coming Evil Trilogy by Greg Mitchell. I strongly advise that you read the first two books, The Strange Man, and Enemies of the Cross, as well as the novella, Lengthening Shadows as they will help you understand the story. This is a lengthy review, but I believe it is necessary.)
In "The Strange Man", we read the background of the story. Dras Weldon, a 22 year old unemployed preacher's son, loved being the bad boy. He bucked his father's training and went his own way. Even though his brother, Jeff, followed in their father's footsteps becoming a pastor and serving the church his father pastored, it was Dras who uncovered a secret so evil that not even his brother nor his best friend, Rosalyn, believed him.
In "Enemies of the Cross", we find the theology of the story. Dras is sitting on death row for a crime he didn't commit. His brother, Jeff, is searching for the truth even though it costs him his job, his home, and possibly his family. Jeff realizes his true mission when the residents of Greensboro are forced to take sides between good and evil. Good and evil are not always what we think they are.
"Lengthening Shadows", a novella serving as a segue between books 2 and 3, describes a very different Greensboro than the one we left behind in the second book and gives a glimpse of what is coming in "The Dark Hour." Mitchell whets our appetite for the conclusion of his trilogy after he endangers all the people we have grown to love.
In the final installment of The Coming Evil Trilogy, Greg Mitchell paints a dark picture of the human soul. "The greatest evil is not the devil or his angels but the darkness that resides in the human heart." As I read the first line of the prologue, the first thing that came to mind was the first line of Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca", "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." Only in this story, it is Greensboro, a town that had become so evil, residents were afraid to stay and even more afraid to leave. A group of residents led by Jeff Weldon are determined to stay and fight the Strange Man and his evil gremlins and Shamblers.
Mitchell weaves his story with scriptural truth as he tells a story so outlandish that it's believable. We don't often think of what takes place in the supernatural but Mitchell has painted a picture in our imaginations of what happens when the devil, his angels, and his followers infiltrate our hearts, minds and souls. The battle for our soul doesn't take place in plain sight. It's a slow progression of how God's truth is manipulated by Satan and, if we become complacent, apathetic, or just plain lazy, our soul will be lost. It starts when we accept Satan's lies because we don't want to hear the truth. If we accept the truth, he tries to convince us he is too powerful for us and there is nothing we can do. Or, worse, he wants us to think God has forgotten about us and doesn't care.
My favorite quote from "The Dark Hour" was spoken by the Strange Man: "If you 'Christians' had an inkling of what it means to be in the will of God, things like me, wouldn't even be here. I guess I should say 'lucky for me' then, yes?"
I highly recommend these three books and novella. They aren't light reading. If you like Christian suspense or horror, you will love these books, but be careful. The people of Greensboro will grow on you.
In "The Strange Man", we read the background of the story. Dras Weldon, a 22 year old unemployed preacher's son, loved being the bad boy. He bucked his father's training and went his own way. Even though his brother, Jeff, followed in their father's footsteps becoming a pastor and serving the church his father pastored, it was Dras who uncovered a secret so evil that not even his brother nor his best friend, Rosalyn, believed him.
In "Enemies of the Cross", we find the theology of the story. Dras is sitting on death row for a crime he didn't commit. His brother, Jeff, is searching for the truth even though it costs him his job, his home, and possibly his family. Jeff realizes his true mission when the residents of Greensboro are forced to take sides between good and evil. Good and evil are not always what we think they are.
"Lengthening Shadows", a novella serving as a segue between books 2 and 3, describes a very different Greensboro than the one we left behind in the second book and gives a glimpse of what is coming in "The Dark Hour." Mitchell whets our appetite for the conclusion of his trilogy after he endangers all the people we have grown to love.
In the final installment of The Coming Evil Trilogy, Greg Mitchell paints a dark picture of the human soul. "The greatest evil is not the devil or his angels but the darkness that resides in the human heart." As I read the first line of the prologue, the first thing that came to mind was the first line of Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca", "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." Only in this story, it is Greensboro, a town that had become so evil, residents were afraid to stay and even more afraid to leave. A group of residents led by Jeff Weldon are determined to stay and fight the Strange Man and his evil gremlins and Shamblers.
Mitchell weaves his story with scriptural truth as he tells a story so outlandish that it's believable. We don't often think of what takes place in the supernatural but Mitchell has painted a picture in our imaginations of what happens when the devil, his angels, and his followers infiltrate our hearts, minds and souls. The battle for our soul doesn't take place in plain sight. It's a slow progression of how God's truth is manipulated by Satan and, if we become complacent, apathetic, or just plain lazy, our soul will be lost. It starts when we accept Satan's lies because we don't want to hear the truth. If we accept the truth, he tries to convince us he is too powerful for us and there is nothing we can do. Or, worse, he wants us to think God has forgotten about us and doesn't care.
My favorite quote from "The Dark Hour" was spoken by the Strange Man: "If you 'Christians' had an inkling of what it means to be in the will of God, things like me, wouldn't even be here. I guess I should say 'lucky for me' then, yes?"
I highly recommend these three books and novella. They aren't light reading. If you like Christian suspense or horror, you will love these books, but be careful. The people of Greensboro will grow on you.
June 1, 2013
This is one great finale to this brilliant trilogy. The pace revs up! The evil intensifies through The Strange Man aka John Graves. As you progress towards the end of this novel, it almost becomes a hopeless quest that you are engrossed in. On all fronts, John Graves' web of deceit and evil seems to have reached every aspect of the lives of the residents of Greensboro. Even the remnant of the town's Christians, hiding in the Haven, seem to loose faith and purpose and start to feel they are fighting a loosing battle. This is so well described by Mitchell, that even I started to believe this to be true too.
The spiritual warfare elements of this novel are portrayed well. I loved the involvement of the angels Christopher and Reid. They are very likable and provide balance to the evilness and deceit that has permeated all aspects of the community of Greensboro. Mitchell provides a very good account of spiritual warfare principles to Dras upon his escape from prison and also in Chris's interaction with The Strange Man later in the novel. Although not specifically outlined in the novel, there are some very good spiritual warfare principles outlined throughout the novel, namely using the Word of God in our spiritual defense against demonic forces, trusting God, living with a spirit of love, peace and a sound mind, and not of fear. Ones we all need to heed.
Mitchell has tied up all the loose ends very well. It comes to a rewarding ending without being too cheesy like in some other novels.
The last third of this novel will not let you put this down, even more so than the previous thirds. It is a very intense but very satisfying finale.
Mitchell is a master of plot and character development and applying biblical principles and the supernatural together in a well knitted story.
This author is one to follow. I recommend this trilogy to any one who likes supernatural, biblical spiritual warfare and wants to be entertained as well as informed about the devious and evil ways of fallen angels and demonic forces.
The spiritual warfare elements of this novel are portrayed well. I loved the involvement of the angels Christopher and Reid. They are very likable and provide balance to the evilness and deceit that has permeated all aspects of the community of Greensboro. Mitchell provides a very good account of spiritual warfare principles to Dras upon his escape from prison and also in Chris's interaction with The Strange Man later in the novel. Although not specifically outlined in the novel, there are some very good spiritual warfare principles outlined throughout the novel, namely using the Word of God in our spiritual defense against demonic forces, trusting God, living with a spirit of love, peace and a sound mind, and not of fear. Ones we all need to heed.
Mitchell has tied up all the loose ends very well. It comes to a rewarding ending without being too cheesy like in some other novels.
The last third of this novel will not let you put this down, even more so than the previous thirds. It is a very intense but very satisfying finale.
Mitchell is a master of plot and character development and applying biblical principles and the supernatural together in a well knitted story.
This author is one to follow. I recommend this trilogy to any one who likes supernatural, biblical spiritual warfare and wants to be entertained as well as informed about the devious and evil ways of fallen angels and demonic forces.
May 28, 2021
My confession: I would have gotten done with this book a few days ago if it weren't for two things:
1. I was reading a couple other books as well, which is inconsequential because...
2. I DIDN'T WANT THE SERIES TO END!!!!!!!!!!
Not since reading the Patrick Bowers Files from Steven James have I felt so intimately connected with the characters!
Yeah, that was the sole thing I didn't like about this book: that all the AWESOMENESS had to end at the end.
1. I was reading a couple other books as well, which is inconsequential because...
2. I DIDN'T WANT THE SERIES TO END!!!!!!!!!!
Not since reading the Patrick Bowers Files from Steven James have I felt so intimately connected with the characters!
Yeah, that was the sole thing I didn't like about this book: that all the AWESOMENESS had to end at the end.
December 24, 2024
A wonderful end to a unique story. I enjoyed this trilogy more than I thought I would, even though it was hard to get into. My favorite character was honestly Isabella, even with all of the struggles in her life, she still found a way to stay strong through it all and fight for those she loves.
Read
July 13, 2019Perfect end to an outstanding trilogy!
July 30, 2013
If you don't already know this about me, I love Supernatural Suspense Thriller and once again Greg Mitchell has managed to completely captivate me and keep me literally on the edge of my seat with the conclusion to his fantastic series The Coming Evil. In the final novel, The Dark Hour, things are about to come to an end, quite literally between the remnant of believers located in the town of Greensboro. They have had to resort to hiding in the abandoned church while evil quite literally is running unleashed among the residents in town that either have sided with the new mayor John Graves or have taken a passive approach to remain neutral and avoid either side.
John Graves is not all whom he seems to be, and quite literally is evil personified. He has convinced the town that he is their salvation and whatever their hearts desire is, he can make it happen, if they are willing to put their faith in him. I mean who wants to adhere to the same old strict dogma the church has been forcing people to deal with their whole lives. One in which you have to make sacrifices to give up those things which bring you the most desire, wealth, love and your ability to worship as you please. In fact, so many of the town's residents have bought into the lie, that there is virtually nothing left to redeem in this town. Only now, those who remain strong in their faith in Jesus, are considered evil now, and Mayor Graves has vowed to destroy the remnant that remains. Using all manner of creatures from the depths of hell along with the sin filled presence that inhabits the local lake, he vows to take back the town by the coming Dark Hour.
"The greatest evil is not the devil or his angels but the darkness that resides in the human heart. I'm only offering the people what they have always wanted since the Garden of Eden. Freedom without responsibility. Choice without consequence."
The remnant of believers headed up by Reverend Jeff Weldon believes that redemption is possible for anyone and he will stop at nothing to continue to preach the message of hope to the residents of Greensboro. Along with his wife Isabella and a handful of believers all they understand is that the town in on the verge of some ultimate choice. One that will either take back the town from Mayor Graves, who is known by the believers as the Strange Man or they will simply die trying. They know time is running out for the last opportunity to take a stand for God once and for all and with some divine supernatural help on both ends, the end may be a whole lot closer than most would like to believe.
I received The Dark Hour, the third and final novel in The Coming Evil series from author Greg Mitchell for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review. This one really brings to a close all the unanswered questions that the reader may have had in reading the first two novels in the series, The Strange Man and Enemies of the Cross. Here things are wrapped up in a culmination in the ultimate battle between good and evil as angels, demons and the prayers of believers go head to head for the salvation of the town of Greensboro. I believe the message of just what the true power of love and forgiveness is found within the pages of this unforgettable novel. It shows just what the Bible tells us that the greatest power on earth is simply love. Love ultimately triumphs over evil in the end. It gave me a new meaning to some of the scriptures I had read so many times, but found great power and faith in them. I rate this one hands down a perfect 5 out of 5 not so much for the overall content in this one, but also due to the fact that it never left me once I finished the novel. It stayed with me and continue to speak volumes to my spiritual heart. You will need to read the novels in order to understand where the story is going. This is not a stand alone novel.
"In the heavenlies, we're never removed from the presence of God. He's our light and our strength. But down here...down here, things are gray. Muddled. The Light is so much harder to see." ~ Christopher (Angel in Heaven)
John Graves is not all whom he seems to be, and quite literally is evil personified. He has convinced the town that he is their salvation and whatever their hearts desire is, he can make it happen, if they are willing to put their faith in him. I mean who wants to adhere to the same old strict dogma the church has been forcing people to deal with their whole lives. One in which you have to make sacrifices to give up those things which bring you the most desire, wealth, love and your ability to worship as you please. In fact, so many of the town's residents have bought into the lie, that there is virtually nothing left to redeem in this town. Only now, those who remain strong in their faith in Jesus, are considered evil now, and Mayor Graves has vowed to destroy the remnant that remains. Using all manner of creatures from the depths of hell along with the sin filled presence that inhabits the local lake, he vows to take back the town by the coming Dark Hour.
"The greatest evil is not the devil or his angels but the darkness that resides in the human heart. I'm only offering the people what they have always wanted since the Garden of Eden. Freedom without responsibility. Choice without consequence."
The remnant of believers headed up by Reverend Jeff Weldon believes that redemption is possible for anyone and he will stop at nothing to continue to preach the message of hope to the residents of Greensboro. Along with his wife Isabella and a handful of believers all they understand is that the town in on the verge of some ultimate choice. One that will either take back the town from Mayor Graves, who is known by the believers as the Strange Man or they will simply die trying. They know time is running out for the last opportunity to take a stand for God once and for all and with some divine supernatural help on both ends, the end may be a whole lot closer than most would like to believe.
I received The Dark Hour, the third and final novel in The Coming Evil series from author Greg Mitchell for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review. This one really brings to a close all the unanswered questions that the reader may have had in reading the first two novels in the series, The Strange Man and Enemies of the Cross. Here things are wrapped up in a culmination in the ultimate battle between good and evil as angels, demons and the prayers of believers go head to head for the salvation of the town of Greensboro. I believe the message of just what the true power of love and forgiveness is found within the pages of this unforgettable novel. It shows just what the Bible tells us that the greatest power on earth is simply love. Love ultimately triumphs over evil in the end. It gave me a new meaning to some of the scriptures I had read so many times, but found great power and faith in them. I rate this one hands down a perfect 5 out of 5 not so much for the overall content in this one, but also due to the fact that it never left me once I finished the novel. It stayed with me and continue to speak volumes to my spiritual heart. You will need to read the novels in order to understand where the story is going. This is not a stand alone novel.
"In the heavenlies, we're never removed from the presence of God. He's our light and our strength. But down here...down here, things are gray. Muddled. The Light is so much harder to see." ~ Christopher (Angel in Heaven)
Read
July 18, 2013The literary equivalent of Christian Black Metal, backwoods style.
April 24, 2015
No spoilers here. Let's just say that author Greg Mitchell really knocks it out of the park with the conclusion of The Coming Evil trilogy. Super-fantastic read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews