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Dark: And the Boy in the Hole: Special Dark Edition
Having been imprisoned in a deep stone pit by the tyrannical King Baltus for as long as he can remember, the Boy With No Name is unexpectedly set free by the last living minotaur, the albino Grim. Together, they escape into Myrr Wood to join the few remaining monsters of the Old World – a ragtag bunch of goblins, trolls, bendith, harpies, a wendigo, and the only lykkan left in the realm – all hunted by humanity to the brink of extinction. When the Nightlings discover the boy can mimic anything he sees, including their own fantastic abilities, they are ready to follow him in an uprising against the world's greatest evil: mankind. However, there is a traitor among the Nightlings, traps have been set, and the King has a deadly new weapon that could wipe out the creatures of the night once and for all. War is coming. But first the boy must decide if he is human, or monster.
- GenresFantasy
302 pages, Hardcover
Published April 10, 2024
About the author
M.A. Batten
6 books17 followersAfter winning over 150 creative awards in his 25-year career in advertising, M.A.Batten returned to his childhood dream of telling stories but without brands or their ridiculous reasons to buy shit you don't need and can't afford.
His debut novel 'DARK: And the Boy in the Hole' was awarded Best Fantasy Novel 2025 at the international Page Turner Awards, and its sequel 'DARK: And the Girl with the Knives' was simultaneously a finalist for the same award, making him the only author with both novels in a single series to make the list.
He is also the only author in the world to have two Shortlists for the Hammond House International Literary Prize. And his screenplays have won awards and official selections at film festivals around the world under the moniker Mr Chicken whose work has garnered interest from Rupert Grint (Harry Potter series), Kunal Nayar (Big Bang Theory), Greg Davies (Taskmaster), and Nitin Sawney (Mowgli).
As M.A.Batten writes, a hedgehog sits on his desk. Its name is Camden.
His debut novel 'DARK: And the Boy in the Hole' was awarded Best Fantasy Novel 2025 at the international Page Turner Awards, and its sequel 'DARK: And the Girl with the Knives' was simultaneously a finalist for the same award, making him the only author with both novels in a single series to make the list.
He is also the only author in the world to have two Shortlists for the Hammond House International Literary Prize. And his screenplays have won awards and official selections at film festivals around the world under the moniker Mr Chicken whose work has garnered interest from Rupert Grint (Harry Potter series), Kunal Nayar (Big Bang Theory), Greg Davies (Taskmaster), and Nitin Sawney (Mowgli).
As M.A.Batten writes, a hedgehog sits on his desk. Its name is Camden.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 30, 2024
Wow! This was a spectacular read. I met M.A. Batten at the Australian Book Fair this year and bought his book off his pitch alone. I expected it to be good, but I was blown away by this story. This will definitely be big one day! I cannot wait for book 2.
We follow Dark, a boy who starts life in a hole with no human interaction. We follow his escape and his discovery of the world - which is a fascinating world full of so much magic.
I secretly hope we get a spin off book about The Good Doctor and her antics - it would be dark, but my god would it be fascinating.
We follow Dark, a boy who starts life in a hole with no human interaction. We follow his escape and his discovery of the world - which is a fascinating world full of so much magic.
I secretly hope we get a spin off book about The Good Doctor and her antics - it would be dark, but my god would it be fascinating.
June 21, 2024
A solid and inventive fantasy tale, and a very enjoyable read. I was drawn in by the back cover blurb and overall the narrative doesn’t disappoint. I did think it was stalling a bit in the middle, but everything made sense in the end. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
April 9, 2024
“DARK and the Boy in the Hole” tells the story of a boy thrust into imprisonment for unknown reasons by an evil monarch whose cruelty is fast understood by the reader. Their struggle against one another gave me the sense of man vs. nature, where man is represented by progress and the king’s malevolence, while nature is embodied by a plethora of mythological creatures who are not always good, but always seem to favor balance.
I found the bestiary a fresh take on many human myths, and the magical powers of these creatures are woven into the plot in imaginative and fascinating ways. The main character has some kick-ass powers and you almost feel sorry for his enemies.
This was a really fun read and the book’s artwork and design are beautiful. Pick this up if you’re looking for a dark fairy tale set in a world with many more stories to tell.
April 9, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. It’s a wonderful coming of age tale of a boy who finds family among the Nightlings, a group of mythical monsters and cryptids. He’s no ordinary boy though, and has the ability to learn the special talents of others. Together with his new family, he sets out to stop the evil king who had formerly imprisoned him.
It’s humorous, vividly descriptive, and wholly entertaining. I cannot wait for the sequel!
It’s humorous, vividly descriptive, and wholly entertaining. I cannot wait for the sequel!
November 6, 2024
Have you ever wanted a book to be just a little bit longer? I wished this was.
Dark has a mixture of mythological & fairytale creatures with a spin. This is what drew me to read Dark. The story itself has a new unconventional way of utilising these creatures, which was quite interesting. I enjoyed the process of getting to know the types of creatures & what they contributed to the story, but I feel as though a lot of characters were introduced with a brief background too quickly.
I found myself wanting to know more about them & wanting to experience their personalities more.
The plot to Darkwas quiet endearing, but again, I found myself wanting more. Because of this, I didn't find myself attaching to any characters, especially in parts of the story where I knew the shock factor should have hit me harder. I initially thought I was hooked on Grim himself, but I wanted more from Grim.
Overall, I enjoyed the read. It was easy to consume & I look forward to seeing how the sequel turns out. I did meet the Author in person & he was very enthusiastic & delightful to talk to. I look forward to his future work.
Dark has a mixture of mythological & fairytale creatures with a spin. This is what drew me to read Dark. The story itself has a new unconventional way of utilising these creatures, which was quite interesting. I enjoyed the process of getting to know the types of creatures & what they contributed to the story, but I feel as though a lot of characters were introduced with a brief background too quickly.
I found myself wanting to know more about them & wanting to experience their personalities more.
The plot to Darkwas quiet endearing, but again, I found myself wanting more. Because of this, I didn't find myself attaching to any characters, especially in parts of the story where I knew the shock factor should have hit me harder. I initially thought I was hooked on Grim himself, but I wanted more from Grim.
Overall, I enjoyed the read. It was easy to consume & I look forward to seeing how the sequel turns out. I did meet the Author in person & he was very enthusiastic & delightful to talk to. I look forward to his future work.
August 5, 2024
My son read this book and loved it, so I set it aside to read myself. I wish I hadn't let this sit at the top of my TBR pile for so long! The story starts off strong and just keeps building momentum from there. I was so sad when I reached the end, but I'm excited to know there's another book coming.
October 20, 2024
Dark: and the Boy in the Hole by M. A. Batten is a tale that plunges readers into an eerie, gripping narrative right from the start. Batten captures the atmospheric tension, telling a story that is both haunting and emotionally resonant. It is a good read for fans of dark fantasy.
March 7, 2025
Gripping adventure with fantastic characters - literally! Strongly recommend if you like fantasy with strong child character.
March 24, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
As a lover of folklore I was initially gripped by this story. I appreciate that the author has gone down a slightly unconventional route of encompassing all nations folklore in one "world" but for me it didn't really work. Throwing the "prodigy" into an existing set of characters is interesting and a clever idea but it didn't quite live up to expectations.
There's a lot to like. The way the boy develops his abilities is well written and there's a decent sense of place and atmosphere most of the time. However there are gaping holes in the logic which I can understand would probably be tedious to fully explain/expand on but which I still found a little irritating. The mix of UK and US English is distracting and there are minor editorial errors which is understandable in an advance copy. (Note….it should be "tussled" rather than "tousled"). At times the narrative gets very long winded which lost my interest. The ending isn't a cliff hanger but could indicate follow ups to come. I feel with the input of a good editor this could be a very good beginning to a promising prospective series, it's just not quite there in its current form.
As a lover of folklore I was initially gripped by this story. I appreciate that the author has gone down a slightly unconventional route of encompassing all nations folklore in one "world" but for me it didn't really work. Throwing the "prodigy" into an existing set of characters is interesting and a clever idea but it didn't quite live up to expectations.
There's a lot to like. The way the boy develops his abilities is well written and there's a decent sense of place and atmosphere most of the time. However there are gaping holes in the logic which I can understand would probably be tedious to fully explain/expand on but which I still found a little irritating. The mix of UK and US English is distracting and there are minor editorial errors which is understandable in an advance copy. (Note….it should be "tussled" rather than "tousled"). At times the narrative gets very long winded which lost my interest. The ending isn't a cliff hanger but could indicate follow ups to come. I feel with the input of a good editor this could be a very good beginning to a promising prospective series, it's just not quite there in its current form.
February 18, 2025
This is a difficult review to write, as I can't really put my finger on what it was about this book that didn't work. I don't have specific complaints, except that everything just felt a little silly. For a book with such dark themes, the writing felt a little . . childish? I want to say? Juvenile? The story was fairly predictable, I pretty much knew where it was going from the get go and nothing really surprised me. Baltus felt like an extremely Disney style villain (not in a good way, but in an over wrought and pointlessly evil sort of way). I didn't really feel anything for any of the characters. Dark was insanely overpowered and him being able to do literally everything and anything just took away any sense of stakes or excitement. Overall I just feel as if this book maybe needed another few drafts before publication.
April 10, 2024
It's not often my heart's in my mouth from the very first page of a book, but I loved the character of the Boy immediately. Hidden and outcast in a well his whole life for reasons unbeknownst to him, he's finally freed by an unexpected ally. The Boy finds community among other outcasts, fantastical creatures - the Nightlings - who are hunted by humans. Together, the creatures and the Boy seek redress and vengeance, but intrigue and treachery follow their every step. Meanwhile, the humans plot to kill all Nightlings.
An incredible novel, with action, twists and surprises on every page. If you love fantasy, this book is a must-read. A superb read, thoroughly enjoyed it.
An incredible novel, with action, twists and surprises on every page. If you love fantasy, this book is a must-read. A superb read, thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 9, 2026
I saw that this won an award for best fantasy so I had to read it... and I couldn't put it down!! This is quite simply the best fantasy book I've read in a while. It centres on a mysterious MC with a remarkable power but the real story is in everything else happening to him and around him, especially to the incredible cast of characters alongside him. A truly original and brilliant story.
June 9, 2026
I saw that this won an award for best fantasy so I had to read it... and I couldn't put it down!! This is quite simply the best fantasy book I've read in a while. It centres on a mysterious MC with a remarkable power but the real story is in everything else happening to him and around him, especially to the incredible cast of characters alongside him. A truly original and brilliant story.
June 9, 2026
A fresh and compelling fantasy that flips the traditional monster tale on its head. The MC is an unforgettable protagonist, and the story blends adventure, heart, humour, and tragedy into a powerful exploration of what truly makes a monster.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews