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Shadow Watch #1
Night Terrors
It's Men In Black meets The Sandman.
Meet the fine men and women of the NightWatch: a supernatural agency dedicated to hunting down rogue nightmares that escape from other realms when people dream about them, while ensuring that other dream-folk are allowed to live among the regular, human population… as long as they play by the rules.
Meet the fine men and women of the NightWatch: a supernatural agency dedicated to hunting down rogue nightmares that escape from other realms when people dream about them, while ensuring that other dream-folk are allowed to live among the regular, human population… as long as they play by the rules.
Paperback
First published May 27, 2014
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1319 people want to read
About the author
Tim Waggoner
282 books757 followersTim Waggoner's first novel came out in 2001, and since then, he's published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He's written tie-in fiction based on Supernatural, The X-Files, Alien, Doctor Who, Conan the Barbarian, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Grimm, and Transformers, among others, and he's written novelizations for films such as Ti West’s X-Trilogy, Halloween Kills, Terrifier 2 and 3, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. He’s also the author of the award-winning guide to horror Writing in the Dark. He’s a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a one-time winner of the Scribe Award, and he’s been a two-time finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and a one-time finalist for the Splatterpunk Award. He’s also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
April 5, 2014
When Shadow Watch officers Audra Hawthorne and Mr. Jinx botch an arrest, they're taken off the case. But how can a psychotic nightmare clown and his creator stay away from a case that has both Earth and Nod hanging in the balance?
I got this from Netgalley and the chaps at Angry Robot.
The thing I've always disliked about the fantasy genre, both urban and epic, is that very few books attempt to break new ground. This one leaves the ground behind and heads into the Twilight Zone.
Night Terrors is the same old story about a burned out cop and her partner working on a case that they've been booted off of. Only the cop works for an organization called the Shadow Watch that keeps rogue nightmares from escaping Nod to the real world. And Jinx is a psychotic nightmare clown she created that is now her partner.
The concept reminds me of the Jack Kirby version of the Sandman, the red and yellow superhero who operated primarily in dreams, the precursor to Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Maybe you've heard of it?
There's very little infodumping so I had to piece things together as I went. I liked the idea of Ideators, people capable of making dreams real, and the Maelstrom and the people and gadgets that used it's power, like the M-gineers and M-blades and things.
The book reminded me of Simon Green's Nightside book at first, although with much less annoying lead characters. Audra is burned out from not being able to sleep due to being an Ideator, someone capable of bringing nightmares to life, and Jinx is a combination of Beetlejuice, The Mask, the Joker, and a great white shark.
The relationship between Audra and Jinx is one of my favorite parts of the book. Night Jinx is her loose cannon partner. Day Jinx is like a mother hen and makes Audra look like the loose cannon. It makes Night Terrors one of the most dysfunctional buddy cop stories in history.
Lots of crazy stuff happens in this one. When one of the protagonists is a demonic clown, you know the bad guys have to be pretty formidable, which they are. The ending is satisfying and also leaves the door open for further adventures of the Shadow Watch.
Four out of five stars.
I got this from Netgalley and the chaps at Angry Robot.
The thing I've always disliked about the fantasy genre, both urban and epic, is that very few books attempt to break new ground. This one leaves the ground behind and heads into the Twilight Zone.
Night Terrors is the same old story about a burned out cop and her partner working on a case that they've been booted off of. Only the cop works for an organization called the Shadow Watch that keeps rogue nightmares from escaping Nod to the real world. And Jinx is a psychotic nightmare clown she created that is now her partner.
The concept reminds me of the Jack Kirby version of the Sandman, the red and yellow superhero who operated primarily in dreams, the precursor to Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Maybe you've heard of it?
There's very little infodumping so I had to piece things together as I went. I liked the idea of Ideators, people capable of making dreams real, and the Maelstrom and the people and gadgets that used it's power, like the M-gineers and M-blades and things.
The book reminded me of Simon Green's Nightside book at first, although with much less annoying lead characters. Audra is burned out from not being able to sleep due to being an Ideator, someone capable of bringing nightmares to life, and Jinx is a combination of Beetlejuice, The Mask, the Joker, and a great white shark.
The relationship between Audra and Jinx is one of my favorite parts of the book. Night Jinx is her loose cannon partner. Day Jinx is like a mother hen and makes Audra look like the loose cannon. It makes Night Terrors one of the most dysfunctional buddy cop stories in history.
Lots of crazy stuff happens in this one. When one of the protagonists is a demonic clown, you know the bad guys have to be pretty formidable, which they are. The ending is satisfying and also leaves the door open for further adventures of the Shadow Watch.
Four out of five stars.
May 11, 2014
I hope I do this book justice.
This book was probably the most fun I have had reading a book in over a year.
To explain the world that you are entering. You have Ideator's who have brought their nightmares to life. Incubus's are their nightmares. Hard to kill and pretty much out of control. You have Earth and the land of Nod. The author does such a great job without overdoing the info dumps explaining his worlds that it's just amazing. Once you start this book just buckle your seatbelt and enjoy the ride. A ride it is indeed.
Jinx-insane clown incubus at night. Loves nothing more than causing and creating havoc as he goes.
His day personality reminds me of this guy:
Audra is his Ideator. She brought him to life from her nightmares as a child. Now they are partnered in the firm called Shadow Watch (think Men in Black). Wiping out crime between Earth and Nod.
Many of these characters crack me up. You have Mr. Sanderson who may or may not be the famous "Sandman"
Phillip and his hell hound Bloodshedder. Aka initials BS.
and so many more that hopefully I get to see more of from this author.
I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Five very large stars to this book!
I recieved a ARC copy of this book from Netgalley and Angry Robot in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so very much.
This book was probably the most fun I have had reading a book in over a year.
To explain the world that you are entering. You have Ideator's who have brought their nightmares to life. Incubus's are their nightmares. Hard to kill and pretty much out of control. You have Earth and the land of Nod. The author does such a great job without overdoing the info dumps explaining his worlds that it's just amazing. Once you start this book just buckle your seatbelt and enjoy the ride. A ride it is indeed.
Jinx-insane clown incubus at night. Loves nothing more than causing and creating havoc as he goes.
His day personality reminds me of this guy:
Audra is his Ideator. She brought him to life from her nightmares as a child. Now they are partnered in the firm called Shadow Watch (think Men in Black). Wiping out crime between Earth and Nod.
Many of these characters crack me up. You have Mr. Sanderson who may or may not be the famous "Sandman"
Phillip and his hell hound Bloodshedder. Aka initials BS.
and so many more that hopefully I get to see more of from this author.
I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Five very large stars to this book!
I recieved a ARC copy of this book from Netgalley and Angry Robot in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so very much.
January 16, 2021
I struggled with this review - honestly, there's nothing glaringly wrong with this book, just a collection of small things that meant this read never got fully off the ground for me.
The premise itself is novel - some people can dream their nightmares to life, and become Ideators, partnered with the Incubi they brought into the world. Most incubi live in a world parallel to our own, the world of Nod, but our protagonist and her partner work for the Shadow Watch - the law enforcement of Nod.
The central storyline and mystery are interesting enough that despite the issues I had with the book I finished it. Nod and the society of the Incubi were also really well done, and outright horrifying in places (there's a circus later in the book that takes the lower level horror of most of the book to a couple of actually disturbing places, though it does later lead to one of the best puns I've seen ). I did have some questions re: the Incubi - most are humanoid, and live as autonomous beings, but there's a couple of others taking the form of a dog and a car. Despite being exactly the same as the humanoid Incubi, canonically, they're treated as you might expect a car and a dog to be treated, and it's just not addressed at all. I'm happy to suspend belief and have read some absolutely ridiculous books, which is fine as long as the internal logic makes sense.
Honestly, the other problems I had with the book are even pettier - it's really not a matter of thinking this is a bad book, it's just a book/reader mismatch. There were bits of this that were fun, but I won't continue the series.
The premise itself is novel - some people can dream their nightmares to life, and become Ideators, partnered with the Incubi they brought into the world. Most incubi live in a world parallel to our own, the world of Nod, but our protagonist and her partner work for the Shadow Watch - the law enforcement of Nod.
The central storyline and mystery are interesting enough that despite the issues I had with the book I finished it. Nod and the society of the Incubi were also really well done, and outright horrifying in places (there's a circus later in the book that takes the lower level horror of most of the book to a couple of actually disturbing places, though it does later lead to one of the best puns I've seen ). I did have some questions re: the Incubi - most are humanoid, and live as autonomous beings, but there's a couple of others taking the form of a dog and a car. Despite being exactly the same as the humanoid Incubi, canonically, they're treated as you might expect a car and a dog to be treated, and it's just not addressed at all. I'm happy to suspend belief and have read some absolutely ridiculous books, which is fine as long as the internal logic makes sense.
Honestly, the other problems I had with the book are even pettier - it's really not a matter of thinking this is a bad book, it's just a book/reader mismatch. There were bits of this that were fun, but I won't continue the series.
October 17, 2020
3.5 Stars
This is the kind of dark urban fantasy that will appeal to any reader who loves a creepy clown. The story was more fantastical than scary, yet it leaned into inherent creepy nature of clowns that has been popularized by horror fiction.
Jinx, the clown sidekick, was easily the best part of this novel. He was everything I would want and expect from a clown detective. Dressed in full makeup and garb, Jinx was goofy, sarcastic and bizarre. He brought a lot of levity and humour while still being a smart and effective sleuth. The actual detective work and monsters-chasing was solid, but rather predictable. The story probably won't surprise the reader, but it still made for a fun ride.
While not a horror novel, I would recommend this one to anyone looking for bizarre and imaginative take on the popular subgenre of creepy clown fiction.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Angry Robot Books.
This is the kind of dark urban fantasy that will appeal to any reader who loves a creepy clown. The story was more fantastical than scary, yet it leaned into inherent creepy nature of clowns that has been popularized by horror fiction.
Jinx, the clown sidekick, was easily the best part of this novel. He was everything I would want and expect from a clown detective. Dressed in full makeup and garb, Jinx was goofy, sarcastic and bizarre. He brought a lot of levity and humour while still being a smart and effective sleuth. The actual detective work and monsters-chasing was solid, but rather predictable. The story probably won't surprise the reader, but it still made for a fun ride.
While not a horror novel, I would recommend this one to anyone looking for bizarre and imaginative take on the popular subgenre of creepy clown fiction.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Angry Robot Books.
April 27, 2014
So, we have this book right, and it’s pretty good and then all of a sudden you realize that it would be so much better if it wasn’t trying so hard. There is a fantastic premise, and I think even not knowing the author’s bibliography it’s clear that the man knows how to write, but this could benefit from being pared down to cut out the redundancy. When I get excited about a book at first only to realize a bit later that I'm not going out of my way to read it... that's when I see I've got a problem.
The story is about Audra and Jinx, her nightmare come literally to life, but he’s not all bad because the two of them are police in the land of Nod. They’re investigating another Incubus- the nightmares, but the case becomes a mystery that goes all the way up to the head honcho. Can Jinx and Audra stop a possible magical apocalypse or are they too late, or will Earth and Nod pay the price for their mistakes?
I love everything I just wrote- that is my kind of book! But. But… well, redundancy. I didn’t need to be reminded a zillion times that there were different Aspects (the day version and the night version of the monsters), or how “if x had been human that would have x, but since he’s an Incubus he’s fine” (this was possibly the most used and by far the most annoying). Those weren’t the only aspects of the story I felt were superfluous for the record- it was constant throughout the book. This very huge annoyance coupled with the inability to both relate to (and/or imagine myself as) Audra, or care about her plight, make this book less than what I’d hoped based on that synopsis and premise. It was ok, but not the mind blowing experience I'd hoped nor the easy entertainment I always enjoy.
I think this could work really well for a person that isn’t as critical and is more forgiving because it really is an interesting idea. There are no issues with pacing in my opinion and the descriptions of the Incubi were good. The book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger (can I get a hallelujah! ) though it does provide a nice segue into the next book in the series. If any of this seems like something you wouldn’t get hung up on then you should definitely try it.
April 16, 2014
NIGHT TERRORS is a ridiculously fun book to read – a concoction of nightmares, detective drama, and the supernatural that stretches the fabric of reality and bleeds surreal through the seams.
Shadow Watch officers/agents Audra (an Ideator, maker of nightmares) and Jinx (an Incubus, Audra’s nightmare made real) are introduced to the reader following the unsuccessful collar of another Incubus causing havoc amongst the general populace. It is during this episode of violence that a Maelstrom opens up, dredging up monsters and supernatural horrors bringing the Shadow Watch partners out of the shadows and into full light of their superiors and many terrified onlookers. From here a tried and tested detective formula precedes the investigation – yet with a shade of the surreal.
I really like the dynamic of the unpredictable duo in Audra and Jinx, not only does the real life existence of Audra’s worst nightmare work with her day and night (Ideators don’t need sleep, often relying on illegal drugs to maintain alertness) but often saves her from other peoples tormented and ghastly creations. Jinx, being a murderous clown, packs a few big gloved punches (or mallets) to go along with his humour which lightens the mood and breaks-up the procedural nature of their investigation.
NIGHT TERRORS has a lot going for it and I’m pleased that it’s the first in a series focusing of the Shadow Watch as Jinx is one nightmare that I, as a reader, wouldn’t mind reoccurring.
Review first published on Just A Guy That Likes To Read: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Shadow Watch officers/agents Audra (an Ideator, maker of nightmares) and Jinx (an Incubus, Audra’s nightmare made real) are introduced to the reader following the unsuccessful collar of another Incubus causing havoc amongst the general populace. It is during this episode of violence that a Maelstrom opens up, dredging up monsters and supernatural horrors bringing the Shadow Watch partners out of the shadows and into full light of their superiors and many terrified onlookers. From here a tried and tested detective formula precedes the investigation – yet with a shade of the surreal.
I really like the dynamic of the unpredictable duo in Audra and Jinx, not only does the real life existence of Audra’s worst nightmare work with her day and night (Ideators don’t need sleep, often relying on illegal drugs to maintain alertness) but often saves her from other peoples tormented and ghastly creations. Jinx, being a murderous clown, packs a few big gloved punches (or mallets) to go along with his humour which lightens the mood and breaks-up the procedural nature of their investigation.
NIGHT TERRORS has a lot going for it and I’m pleased that it’s the first in a series focusing of the Shadow Watch as Jinx is one nightmare that I, as a reader, wouldn’t mind reoccurring.
Review first published on Just A Guy That Likes To Read: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
May 20, 2014
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
I think reading this book gave me a better insight into coulrophobia. I mean, clowns are kinda creepy I guess. But I’ve also always found it hard to look at them and not see beyond just some guy in colorful clothes and makeup. Supernatural clowns on the other hand, are a whole other matter. Especially when they are someone’s nightmare literally come to life.
But in spite of what the title and cover initially led me to believe, this is not a horror novel. Night Terrors would probably fit more comfortably in the urban fantasy and paranormal section. That said, it’s also darkly comedic and not just a little bit unhinged. Think buddy cop movie meets Tim Burton, quirky and fun but also a little macabre.
The book’s protagonist is Audra Hawthorne, an officer of the Shadow Watch, the supernatural agency dedicated to patrolling the border between our world and the dream realm. Their units are generally organized into pairs made up of an Ideator and their Incubus – in other words, the dreamer and the living manifestation of their worst nightmare. For Audra, dreams of the psychotic clown Jinx has terrorized her ever since she was a child, but now they are partners working together to keep both Earth and Nod safe from rogue Incubi.
Because they are essentially the products of our dreams, Incubi come in all shapes and sizes. You’ll see some pretty wild dream-folk in this book, like Candy, the Incubus made completely out of – you guessed it – chocolate and other yummy sweets (rumored to have been dreamt up by a dentist’s son) or the Deathmobile, a nightmare hearse. I really enjoyed the originality of these crazy manifestations and the idea that our mortal realm exists in parallel with the zany world of Nod.
And yet, I didn’t feel as excited about this book as I thought. The awesome premise aside, the plot was mediocre not to mention formulaic with all the usual elements of an urban fantasy thrown in. As a detective story it was rather predictable, which is disappointing especially given all the other cool ideas in here. And while I appreciated the contrast between the level-headed Audra versus the insane and unpredictable Jinx, I found a lot of the action to be over-the-top and mostly exaggerated slapstick. On the one hand, I loved the delightfully creepy way Jinx was portrayed. But personally, that kind of humor just isn’t my style.
I’ll also admit I might be just a bit picky with my urban fantasy. On the whole, Night Terrors is a pretty good book, if nothing else a quick and entertaining read with a few rather neat, never-seen-before ideas. The story itself didn’t take off for me, mostly because the style isn’t my cup of tea, but I actually think it could click with most people.
I think reading this book gave me a better insight into coulrophobia. I mean, clowns are kinda creepy I guess. But I’ve also always found it hard to look at them and not see beyond just some guy in colorful clothes and makeup. Supernatural clowns on the other hand, are a whole other matter. Especially when they are someone’s nightmare literally come to life.
But in spite of what the title and cover initially led me to believe, this is not a horror novel. Night Terrors would probably fit more comfortably in the urban fantasy and paranormal section. That said, it’s also darkly comedic and not just a little bit unhinged. Think buddy cop movie meets Tim Burton, quirky and fun but also a little macabre.
The book’s protagonist is Audra Hawthorne, an officer of the Shadow Watch, the supernatural agency dedicated to patrolling the border between our world and the dream realm. Their units are generally organized into pairs made up of an Ideator and their Incubus – in other words, the dreamer and the living manifestation of their worst nightmare. For Audra, dreams of the psychotic clown Jinx has terrorized her ever since she was a child, but now they are partners working together to keep both Earth and Nod safe from rogue Incubi.
Because they are essentially the products of our dreams, Incubi come in all shapes and sizes. You’ll see some pretty wild dream-folk in this book, like Candy, the Incubus made completely out of – you guessed it – chocolate and other yummy sweets (rumored to have been dreamt up by a dentist’s son) or the Deathmobile, a nightmare hearse. I really enjoyed the originality of these crazy manifestations and the idea that our mortal realm exists in parallel with the zany world of Nod.
And yet, I didn’t feel as excited about this book as I thought. The awesome premise aside, the plot was mediocre not to mention formulaic with all the usual elements of an urban fantasy thrown in. As a detective story it was rather predictable, which is disappointing especially given all the other cool ideas in here. And while I appreciated the contrast between the level-headed Audra versus the insane and unpredictable Jinx, I found a lot of the action to be over-the-top and mostly exaggerated slapstick. On the one hand, I loved the delightfully creepy way Jinx was portrayed. But personally, that kind of humor just isn’t my style.
I’ll also admit I might be just a bit picky with my urban fantasy. On the whole, Night Terrors is a pretty good book, if nothing else a quick and entertaining read with a few rather neat, never-seen-before ideas. The story itself didn’t take off for me, mostly because the style isn’t my cup of tea, but I actually think it could click with most people.
May 3, 2015
3.5
Night Terrors has all the crazy elements of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Monsters, Inc. It is like their crazy adolescent child.
You won't be surprised, then, that the book is full of over-the-top action and various silly comments mostly coming from one of the main characters - Jinx. He is, after all, a clown.
Don't let the title fool you though. This is not a horror story. It is more darkly cartoonish than anything. Darkly cartoonish in a good way because the clown is a dead give-away so nobody could say they expected something else. If you liked the two films I mentioned above, add a bit gore and mayhem and you'll get Night Terrors.
The author is not unfamiliar with the whole parallel worlds idea (Necropolis). Here, the characters can actually move from one to another. Audra Hawthorne is an Ideator - someone who can make her nightmare come alive. So you get Jinx, the main reason why I love this book. He is so exaggerated that you can't help but like him even at his worst. And I hate clowns. They both work for the Shadow Watch, a supernatural police force.
I didn't like Audra in the first part of the book. There were some moments there that came pretty close to be too stupid to live, but Jinx influenced her enough over the years that later she got better.
For the first book in what I am guessing will be series, this is good. There is a bit info-dumping along the way though. The author left just enough unresolved issues that I will definitely read the next book.
ARC provided by Angry Robot via NetGalley
Night Terrors has all the crazy elements of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Monsters, Inc. It is like their crazy adolescent child.
You won't be surprised, then, that the book is full of over-the-top action and various silly comments mostly coming from one of the main characters - Jinx. He is, after all, a clown.
Don't let the title fool you though. This is not a horror story. It is more darkly cartoonish than anything. Darkly cartoonish in a good way because the clown is a dead give-away so nobody could say they expected something else. If you liked the two films I mentioned above, add a bit gore and mayhem and you'll get Night Terrors.
The author is not unfamiliar with the whole parallel worlds idea (Necropolis). Here, the characters can actually move from one to another. Audra Hawthorne is an Ideator - someone who can make her nightmare come alive. So you get Jinx, the main reason why I love this book. He is so exaggerated that you can't help but like him even at his worst. And I hate clowns. They both work for the Shadow Watch, a supernatural police force.
I didn't like Audra in the first part of the book. There were some moments there that came pretty close to be too stupid to live, but Jinx influenced her enough over the years that later she got better.
For the first book in what I am guessing will be series, this is good. There is a bit info-dumping along the way though. The author left just enough unresolved issues that I will definitely read the next book.
ARC provided by Angry Robot via NetGalley
May 26, 2014
Review copy
Remember the old Dark Rides they used to have at Amusement Parks and traveling carnivals, with names like Spook-A-Rama, Whacky Shack, and Laff in the Dark? Where you would sit in a car that would roll along a track in the dark and there would be scenes that would pop up and try to scare you? Well, Night Terrors is a bit like that and just as much fun.
If you suffer from coulraphobia you may want to avoid reading this one. Don't know what coulraphobia is? Go ahead and look it up, I'll wait.
Tim Waggoner has gone off the deep end. Here's a story which starts out with a clown named Jinx on the trail of a rogue incubus going by the name Quietus; from there things get a little strange. OK, actually, they get quite a bit more than a little strange.
In Night Terrors, Waggoner has created an amazing new universe and he treats it as if it's a playground he's been going to all his life. He makes it easy to believe what he's made up is totally real. Why wouldn't the monster that haunts your nightmares become real and why wouldn't the two of you join forces for good or evil? Why can't there be a secret organization based in a parallel universe? Well, there are a lot of reasons why not, but it's much more fun to just go along for the ride.
Night Terrors is, by far, the most irrevernt book I've read this year. The more I read, the crazier the story became and the more I looked forward to whatever bizarre twist Tim Waggoner had for me next.
As you may surmise from the full title, Night Terrors - A Shadow Watch Novel, the book is the first in a new series, but there are no loose ends to leave you hanging, this one is fully self contained.
From Angry Robot books, Night Terrors will be available in a variety of formats on June 5th. If you're looking for some off the wall fun, I can strongly recommend this one.
Remember the old Dark Rides they used to have at Amusement Parks and traveling carnivals, with names like Spook-A-Rama, Whacky Shack, and Laff in the Dark? Where you would sit in a car that would roll along a track in the dark and there would be scenes that would pop up and try to scare you? Well, Night Terrors is a bit like that and just as much fun.
If you suffer from coulraphobia you may want to avoid reading this one. Don't know what coulraphobia is? Go ahead and look it up, I'll wait.
Tim Waggoner has gone off the deep end. Here's a story which starts out with a clown named Jinx on the trail of a rogue incubus going by the name Quietus; from there things get a little strange. OK, actually, they get quite a bit more than a little strange.
In Night Terrors, Waggoner has created an amazing new universe and he treats it as if it's a playground he's been going to all his life. He makes it easy to believe what he's made up is totally real. Why wouldn't the monster that haunts your nightmares become real and why wouldn't the two of you join forces for good or evil? Why can't there be a secret organization based in a parallel universe? Well, there are a lot of reasons why not, but it's much more fun to just go along for the ride.
Night Terrors is, by far, the most irrevernt book I've read this year. The more I read, the crazier the story became and the more I looked forward to whatever bizarre twist Tim Waggoner had for me next.
As you may surmise from the full title, Night Terrors - A Shadow Watch Novel, the book is the first in a new series, but there are no loose ends to leave you hanging, this one is fully self contained.
From Angry Robot books, Night Terrors will be available in a variety of formats on June 5th. If you're looking for some off the wall fun, I can strongly recommend this one.
October 20, 2020
Thank you so much to Angry Robot Books for the finished copy of Night Terrors in exchange for an honest review! This is a perfect Halloween time book.
I am usually not an urban fantasy reader at all, but Night Terrors was an absolutely perfect #Spooktober read. Certain humans are able to dream their nightmares into creation, and then become ideators. No longer needing sleep, the humans and their dreams – called incubus/incubi) – tend to stay together in the real world. With violent tastes at night time and a desire to live freely on Earth, an agency called the Shadow Watch has developed to keep the order in both Earth and Nod, the alternate realm.
This book kept me flying through the pages. There isn’t much info dumping so you get to learn the world while experiencing the action. Audra is a Shadow Watch agent and her partner is her incubus, a delightfully homicidal clown named Mr Jinx. During the day these creations take on normal aspects, and Jinx turns into an art loving papa bear. At night though he wreaks havoc on rogue Incubi with Audra and an arsenal of funny weapons.
Or they try anyway. They completely botch a case and end up going rogue to foil a plot against the two realms. Jinx and Audra are both funny and interesting characters, so are the other host of humans and Incubi in the book. A giant dog and pirate man, some terror being called The Darkness, and a living hearse are some of the other awesome characters. The banter is about as amazing as you’d expect from this group.
Add in some psycho villains, sci fi level weapons, and a Circus Psychosis complete with a group of insane clowns, and you have Night Terrors. It’s probably the most fun I’ve had reading a detective type novel since Men In Black, and oddly enough I was getting some Daughter of Smoke and Bone vibes, in the creation and alternate world aspects as well as ridiculous looking chimaera/Incubi.
I wish the end was a little less easily resolved, but I am 100% on board for book 2 to find out more.
Thank you again so much to Angry Robot Books for the review copy! As always, all opinions are my own
I am usually not an urban fantasy reader at all, but Night Terrors was an absolutely perfect #Spooktober read. Certain humans are able to dream their nightmares into creation, and then become ideators. No longer needing sleep, the humans and their dreams – called incubus/incubi) – tend to stay together in the real world. With violent tastes at night time and a desire to live freely on Earth, an agency called the Shadow Watch has developed to keep the order in both Earth and Nod, the alternate realm.
This book kept me flying through the pages. There isn’t much info dumping so you get to learn the world while experiencing the action. Audra is a Shadow Watch agent and her partner is her incubus, a delightfully homicidal clown named Mr Jinx. During the day these creations take on normal aspects, and Jinx turns into an art loving papa bear. At night though he wreaks havoc on rogue Incubi with Audra and an arsenal of funny weapons.
Or they try anyway. They completely botch a case and end up going rogue to foil a plot against the two realms. Jinx and Audra are both funny and interesting characters, so are the other host of humans and Incubi in the book. A giant dog and pirate man, some terror being called The Darkness, and a living hearse are some of the other awesome characters. The banter is about as amazing as you’d expect from this group.
Add in some psycho villains, sci fi level weapons, and a Circus Psychosis complete with a group of insane clowns, and you have Night Terrors. It’s probably the most fun I’ve had reading a detective type novel since Men In Black, and oddly enough I was getting some Daughter of Smoke and Bone vibes, in the creation and alternate world aspects as well as ridiculous looking chimaera/Incubi.
I wish the end was a little less easily resolved, but I am 100% on board for book 2 to find out more.
Thank you again so much to Angry Robot Books for the review copy! As always, all opinions are my own
August 26, 2016
[I got a free copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Well, what can I say... I really liked this one? I tend to naturally gravitate towards themes such as dreams and nightmares, and when I saw that Night Terrors dealt with exactly that—more specifically, nightmares made "flesh"—I just couldn't pass on it. Although I'm also a glutton for punishment, since clowns have always creeped me out, and guess what Jinx is? Yep. The cover kind of gave it away, after all.
Audra and Jinx are agents of the Shadow Watch, an organisation bent on regulating interactions between the human world and Nod, a place where dreams have attained a state of self-awareness. Audra is an Ideator, a human whose psyche created and fleshed out a nightmare (Jinx), until the latter became his own self. Since then, both have been working for that special agency.
Some aspects of this novel rest on well-known tropes, such as the two "cops" with a record of regularly causing havoc while on a mission, or the dashing potential love interest with mysterious goals and a mysterious employer. Or the shady bar with shady customers and a shady bartender who deals information. However, those being traditional fixtures of the detective novel/UF genre, I wasn't too surprised to see them here. What I appreciated was how they were, but didn't become too heavy.
I seriously dug the world-building here. The narrative, told in Audra's voice, is peppered with small doses of information here and there, which allowed me to qickly grasp what Nod and the Shadow Watch stood for, how things worked there, what an Ideator was, and so on. Audra has a tendency to address the reader, which can be annoying to a degree if you don't like that; personally, I thought it created some kind of complicity, as if I was allowed to get a glimpse of what dreams are really made of.
The characters weren't the most developed ever, but I found them fun and sympathetic nonetheless. The nightmares/dreamt creatures came in many flavours, ranging from relatively human-looking dreams to strange animals, fear-inducing shadows and even Deathmobiles beaming green aging lasers into their enemies. The concept of their having Night and Day Aspects added interesting possibilities in my opinion. Night Jinx was pretty funny (in his own frightening ways), while Day Jinx turned out to be quite the decent fellow. There's also a hint of a potential love interest, as said above. It never becomes overwhelming, which I was grateful for: the story's stakes are high enough, and I seldom root for making-out sessions in such cases. The novel paved the way for more in that regard... or not... and it doesn't really matter.
I admit I wasn't too keen on the Evil Gloating speech of the villain towards the end, but at least it wasn't the Bond Villain Stupidity kind.
As a whole, this book simply... clicked with me. I can't really explain in objective terms.
Well, what can I say... I really liked this one? I tend to naturally gravitate towards themes such as dreams and nightmares, and when I saw that Night Terrors dealt with exactly that—more specifically, nightmares made "flesh"—I just couldn't pass on it. Although I'm also a glutton for punishment, since clowns have always creeped me out, and guess what Jinx is? Yep. The cover kind of gave it away, after all.
Audra and Jinx are agents of the Shadow Watch, an organisation bent on regulating interactions between the human world and Nod, a place where dreams have attained a state of self-awareness. Audra is an Ideator, a human whose psyche created and fleshed out a nightmare (Jinx), until the latter became his own self. Since then, both have been working for that special agency.
Some aspects of this novel rest on well-known tropes, such as the two "cops" with a record of regularly causing havoc while on a mission, or the dashing potential love interest with mysterious goals and a mysterious employer. Or the shady bar with shady customers and a shady bartender who deals information. However, those being traditional fixtures of the detective novel/UF genre, I wasn't too surprised to see them here. What I appreciated was how they were, but didn't become too heavy.
I seriously dug the world-building here. The narrative, told in Audra's voice, is peppered with small doses of information here and there, which allowed me to qickly grasp what Nod and the Shadow Watch stood for, how things worked there, what an Ideator was, and so on. Audra has a tendency to address the reader, which can be annoying to a degree if you don't like that; personally, I thought it created some kind of complicity, as if I was allowed to get a glimpse of what dreams are really made of.
The characters weren't the most developed ever, but I found them fun and sympathetic nonetheless. The nightmares/dreamt creatures came in many flavours, ranging from relatively human-looking dreams to strange animals, fear-inducing shadows and even Deathmobiles beaming green aging lasers into their enemies. The concept of their having Night and Day Aspects added interesting possibilities in my opinion. Night Jinx was pretty funny (in his own frightening ways), while Day Jinx turned out to be quite the decent fellow. There's also a hint of a potential love interest, as said above. It never becomes overwhelming, which I was grateful for: the story's stakes are high enough, and I seldom root for making-out sessions in such cases. The novel paved the way for more in that regard... or not... and it doesn't really matter.
I admit I wasn't too keen on the Evil Gloating speech of the villain towards the end, but at least it wasn't the Bond Villain Stupidity kind.
As a whole, this book simply... clicked with me. I can't really explain in objective terms.
July 3, 2015
Totally took my chance with this one. I mean, the blurb is pretty vague and I am not exactly a fan of clowns in real life (all right, fine, I hate clowns!). But I read Tim Waggoner's before and I needed something different from all those romance. So I decided to buy this (55% discount code at Kobo, yay!) and plunged right in.
Well, I totally LOVED it.
I thought the idea was pretty cool. We have Ideators and Incubus (Ideator is a human who bring Incubus a.k.a. his/her nightmare to life). We have Nod vs. Earth (Nod is Earth's alternate reality). We have The Unwakened, First Dreamer, night vs. day version of Incubus, and so on. I honestly haven't read anything with similar idea -- I guess my urban fantasy experience pretty much play around the usual vampire, shifters, magic, or fae -- so I was immediately hooked.
The story opened with action, when Audra and her nightmare Incubus, Jinx, went to catch a murderer Incubus. For me, that brought up the pace early on. Waggoner didn't start the chapter by laying down the information. Instead he laid them down after the first chapter, and spreaded around afterwards. I saw several reviews that thought the infodump felt repetitive or it wasn't clear enough. However, it worked well for me. I didn't mind being informed as I went along.
One thing for sure, Jinx captured my attention. As a character, I thought he was really strong and engaging. Both his aspects!! The insane and rather homicidal Night Jinx versus the strictler for the rule Day Jinx. I also LOVE the various Incubus (Incubi?) here. They were pretty interesting! Both physically and what they could actually do.
I immediately purchased book #2. Because I am not ready to say goodbye to Audra and Jinx yet.
Well, I totally LOVED it.
I thought the idea was pretty cool. We have Ideators and Incubus (Ideator is a human who bring Incubus a.k.a. his/her nightmare to life). We have Nod vs. Earth (Nod is Earth's alternate reality). We have The Unwakened, First Dreamer, night vs. day version of Incubus, and so on. I honestly haven't read anything with similar idea -- I guess my urban fantasy experience pretty much play around the usual vampire, shifters, magic, or fae -- so I was immediately hooked.
The story opened with action, when Audra and her nightmare Incubus, Jinx, went to catch a murderer Incubus. For me, that brought up the pace early on. Waggoner didn't start the chapter by laying down the information. Instead he laid them down after the first chapter, and spreaded around afterwards. I saw several reviews that thought the infodump felt repetitive or it wasn't clear enough. However, it worked well for me. I didn't mind being informed as I went along.
One thing for sure, Jinx captured my attention. As a character, I thought he was really strong and engaging. Both his aspects!! The insane and rather homicidal Night Jinx versus the strictler for the rule Day Jinx. I also LOVE the various Incubus (Incubi?) here. They were pretty interesting! Both physically and what they could actually do.
I immediately purchased book #2. Because I am not ready to say goodbye to Audra and Jinx yet.
May 5, 2014
The story was gripping at first and the creativity of what Mr. Waggoner displayed on the page by the world-building, weapons, and characters, both human and created, was a real fantastical treat.
The story seemed to fizzle out for me as some reads do when new weapons, worlds, and other things need to be introduced and explained. I have to say that it was overdone in this particular book and it did take away from the pacing of the story.
With the main character, Audra, being human and fighting with the big dogs, she always seemed to be unprepared; no weapon, last shot, or knocked out. Very inconvenient.
While I enjoyed the idea behind this read, I found it hard to connect with Audra.
I will say that there was enough substance for me to want to read the next in the series.
*I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Check out wwww.HorrorAfterDark.com
The story seemed to fizzle out for me as some reads do when new weapons, worlds, and other things need to be introduced and explained. I have to say that it was overdone in this particular book and it did take away from the pacing of the story.
With the main character, Audra, being human and fighting with the big dogs, she always seemed to be unprepared; no weapon, last shot, or knocked out. Very inconvenient.
While I enjoyed the idea behind this read, I found it hard to connect with Audra.
I will say that there was enough substance for me to want to read the next in the series.
*I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Check out wwww.HorrorAfterDark.com
October 26, 2019
Supernatural meets Men in Black is right! That was awesome. I need to read more of this series.
September 21, 2019
So the backstory to this series is as follows - some people can have such vivid nightmares that they can make their nightmares real. They then get recruited into a shadowy organisation that then turns their nightmare into their partner, and encourages them to work closely together so that they almost become one person, in a weird super Stockholm syndrome way...
That's messed up, like, really messed up.
This was a good if superficial and at times glib story. It ticks all the boxes of what a paranormal/police procedural mash up shoul be. I enjoyed it but wasn't totally into it.
That's messed up, like, really messed up.
This was a good if superficial and at times glib story. It ticks all the boxes of what a paranormal/police procedural mash up shoul be. I enjoyed it but wasn't totally into it.
September 11, 2019
This was a strange book to read- the cover is certainly eye catching to an extreme and the manner in which the book start certainly is designed to catch the attention of a certainly type of reader - and I must admit I was wondering if this book was for me more than once.
However as you start to read further in to it, allowing both the story and the characters to develop along with the back story as to how this whole situation came about actually opens up some both interesting and fun ideas.
Without giving the story away - what if you could have nightmares so powerful that they were made real. And what if those nightmare creations where then recruited to help police both the waking world and that place where dreams come from.
As I said it presented an interesting ideas which at times was given full space to fly and others was played for quick laughs.
So in the end I will admit I did enjoy it and once I was able to envisage the world Tim Waggoner wanted to present I started to really get in to it - it just took a little longer than some
However as you start to read further in to it, allowing both the story and the characters to develop along with the back story as to how this whole situation came about actually opens up some both interesting and fun ideas.
Without giving the story away - what if you could have nightmares so powerful that they were made real. And what if those nightmare creations where then recruited to help police both the waking world and that place where dreams come from.
As I said it presented an interesting ideas which at times was given full space to fly and others was played for quick laughs.
So in the end I will admit I did enjoy it and once I was able to envisage the world Tim Waggoner wanted to present I started to really get in to it - it just took a little longer than some
September 3, 2014
Tim Waggoner’s new novel Night Terrors introduces Audra and Jinx, together maybe the oddest buddy cop duo I’ve ever seen. For one, they’re both agents of the Shadow Watch, a, well, shadowy supernatural organization tasked with patrolling the border between our world and the Nod, the realm of dreams and (most notably) nightmares.
Audra is a human agent who works for the Shadow Watch. Jinx is not human: actually, he’s an Incubus dreamed up by Audra. You see, Audra used to have terrifying nightmares about a scary clown sitting at the foot of her bed. Then those nightmares became real, in the form of Jinx: an insanely cheerful ultra-violent clown complete with huge flip-floppy shoes, make-up, and a flower in his lapel. (The flower can be used to spit acid at his enemies.)
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
Audra is a human agent who works for the Shadow Watch. Jinx is not human: actually, he’s an Incubus dreamed up by Audra. You see, Audra used to have terrifying nightmares about a scary clown sitting at the foot of her bed. Then those nightmares became real, in the form of Jinx: an insanely cheerful ultra-violent clown complete with huge flip-floppy shoes, make-up, and a flower in his lapel. (The flower can be used to spit acid at his enemies.)
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
June 25, 2014
The back cover of NIGHT TERRORS says "It's Supernatural meets Men in Black," and the Goodreads listing starts with "It's Men in Black meets The Sandman." Personally, I would have gone with R.I.P.D. and Nightmare on Elm Street, but what the heck. It's a fun and different romp, with a strong female lead and a creepy clown. (Yes, "creepy clown" is a redundancy.) I didn't enjoy it as much as Waggoner's Nekropolis books (I thought this one should have been cut about 15% shorter to improve the pace), but it was a fun, worthwhile read.
November 1, 2020
Waggoner really likes absolutely wild and whacky fight scenes. Like, the concept of the literal embodiments of people's nightmares hashing it out with various bizarre-o abilities just makes for a really fun time. But as a result, the book had very little actual substance. We get very few answers to the questions that are brought up (like the bond between Ideator and Incubus, how the various technology works, why certain Incubi have extra special powers and don't have to follow the rules) but the book had a narrow focus on our main character and this one event, and that worked well.
The tone is a little hard to get a handle on. Mostly because we don't get a baseline for how these characters normally interact with each other and other people - because we're told pretty much right away that things are extreme in this circumstance. There's a lot of kind of forced levity and joking. It works really well for Jinx because he's a clown and we get to see how others react to it, but when Audra is trying to give witty remarks, they often feel weird and out of place.
Still, I'd absolutely continue with the series when I'm looking for something fun and totally unique
{Thank you Angry Robot Books for the complementary copy; all thoughts are my own}
The tone is a little hard to get a handle on. Mostly because we don't get a baseline for how these characters normally interact with each other and other people - because we're told pretty much right away that things are extreme in this circumstance. There's a lot of kind of forced levity and joking. It works really well for Jinx because he's a clown and we get to see how others react to it, but when Audra is trying to give witty remarks, they often feel weird and out of place.
Still, I'd absolutely continue with the series when I'm looking for something fun and totally unique
{Thank you Angry Robot Books for the complementary copy; all thoughts are my own}
November 16, 2025
2.75⭐️ The writing was a little repetitive, but the story was unique. The way Audra was written annoyed me - the romance/flirtation was unnecessary. I loved Jinx and our other primary Incubi characters (the scene with Candyman was my favorite). I don’t see myself reading #2, but I had a pretty good time with this book.
June 4, 2014
This review was first posted on Notes of a Book Lover.
Once again, Angry Robot has not disappointed me and published a winner again!
I absolutely loved Night Terrors and devoured it in one sitting. At first, I was apprehensive about this book; the cover did not appeal to me what with its very cartoonish and scary-looking photo of a clown and the rather juvenile use of bloody characters for the title. But once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop and was eagerly flipping the pages to find out the answer to the mystery! This book started very strongly and right in the midst of the action by showing how Audra and Jinx were trying to capture Quietus. Initially, I thought that this was just an introduction to the readers about the dynamics of this pair. Little did I know that this scene is part of the mystery too!
Night Terrors was a winner for me because the plot was excellent. Every single event that happened led to the final showdown. There was no extraneous element. The pacing was tight, like a police procedural, throughout the novel. It was fun trying to piece all the clues (Quietus, Shocktooth, Russell, Mrs Kauffman…) together to solve the mystery. However, I must point out that Audra did not solve the mystery at all! In fact, it was all handed to her on a platter by Deacon (although I must admit that she had to threaten him to get the information)! Audra’s not too great a detective in this case! I hope she would be a better one in the next novel, Dream Stalkers, which would be published in November 2014.
The worldbuilding was excellent and there was no information dump. The readers slowly got introduced to more of the world. And what an interesting world it was! I loved that this book was not like other paranormal or urban fantasy books which are about vampires and werewolves. I understand the craze about them but it’s getting tiring! I was so glad to be able to read about something rarely written about. I loved the concept of the imagination giving birth to reality.
I liked the varied human and Incubi characters introduced in this novel. There was just so much diversity and possiilities! I loved that Audra was so passionate about and dedicated to her work. I loved that she had been confronted with shift in perception and understanding of the world throughout the book. I loved the confrontation and dilemma she faced. I think these added another dimension not just to her character but also to the depth of the book. I loved the dynamics between Audra and Jinx. I loved it when Audra did all she could and laid her life on the line in order to get Jinx back from the Bedlam Brothers. I absolutely loved it when they bonded! I do hope that Jinx and Audra would get together! I think that Jinx is a better person than Russell; at least he doesn’t have so many secrets to keep from Audra! The dynamics between Maggie and Darkness was interesting too. I’m hoping to see more of them in the sequel. I was so glad that Budgie returned to Abe. I hope that the sequel will tell us why Budgie left Abe and how Darkness knew that Budgie was real when others thought he was not and how Darkness knew that Budgie was close enough and would return to save Abe. I was surprised to know that Abe and Maggie were sweet on each other; I hope that there would be more development between them in the sequel! Did Lizzie and Jack survive the swallowing asphalt pavement? I hope they did! From the foreshadowing in the book, I guess that Fata Morgana most likely did not die in the explosion. What’s she and Sanderson? Why are they more special than other Incubi? Why does Sanderson appear to be able to predict the future? What role would she and the Lords play in subsequent books in the series? Who and what are Russell’s employers? Why do they whisper in the darkness?
In conclusion, I loved Night Terrors for its wonderful mystery, plot, pacing, worldbuilding and characters. I would highly recommend Night Terrors to any urban fantasy or horror fan. This book had set lots of mysteries and questions to be uncovered and answered in subsequent books in the series. I eagerly await Dream Stalkers, which would be released in November 2014.
Once again, Angry Robot has not disappointed me and published a winner again!
I absolutely loved Night Terrors and devoured it in one sitting. At first, I was apprehensive about this book; the cover did not appeal to me what with its very cartoonish and scary-looking photo of a clown and the rather juvenile use of bloody characters for the title. But once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop and was eagerly flipping the pages to find out the answer to the mystery! This book started very strongly and right in the midst of the action by showing how Audra and Jinx were trying to capture Quietus. Initially, I thought that this was just an introduction to the readers about the dynamics of this pair. Little did I know that this scene is part of the mystery too!
Night Terrors was a winner for me because the plot was excellent. Every single event that happened led to the final showdown. There was no extraneous element. The pacing was tight, like a police procedural, throughout the novel. It was fun trying to piece all the clues (Quietus, Shocktooth, Russell, Mrs Kauffman…) together to solve the mystery. However, I must point out that Audra did not solve the mystery at all! In fact, it was all handed to her on a platter by Deacon (although I must admit that she had to threaten him to get the information)! Audra’s not too great a detective in this case! I hope she would be a better one in the next novel, Dream Stalkers, which would be published in November 2014.
The worldbuilding was excellent and there was no information dump. The readers slowly got introduced to more of the world. And what an interesting world it was! I loved that this book was not like other paranormal or urban fantasy books which are about vampires and werewolves. I understand the craze about them but it’s getting tiring! I was so glad to be able to read about something rarely written about. I loved the concept of the imagination giving birth to reality.
I liked the varied human and Incubi characters introduced in this novel. There was just so much diversity and possiilities! I loved that Audra was so passionate about and dedicated to her work. I loved that she had been confronted with shift in perception and understanding of the world throughout the book. I loved the confrontation and dilemma she faced. I think these added another dimension not just to her character but also to the depth of the book. I loved the dynamics between Audra and Jinx. I loved it when Audra did all she could and laid her life on the line in order to get Jinx back from the Bedlam Brothers. I absolutely loved it when they bonded! I do hope that Jinx and Audra would get together! I think that Jinx is a better person than Russell; at least he doesn’t have so many secrets to keep from Audra! The dynamics between Maggie and Darkness was interesting too. I’m hoping to see more of them in the sequel. I was so glad that Budgie returned to Abe. I hope that the sequel will tell us why Budgie left Abe and how Darkness knew that Budgie was real when others thought he was not and how Darkness knew that Budgie was close enough and would return to save Abe. I was surprised to know that Abe and Maggie were sweet on each other; I hope that there would be more development between them in the sequel! Did Lizzie and Jack survive the swallowing asphalt pavement? I hope they did! From the foreshadowing in the book, I guess that Fata Morgana most likely did not die in the explosion. What’s she and Sanderson? Why are they more special than other Incubi? Why does Sanderson appear to be able to predict the future? What role would she and the Lords play in subsequent books in the series? Who and what are Russell’s employers? Why do they whisper in the darkness?
In conclusion, I loved Night Terrors for its wonderful mystery, plot, pacing, worldbuilding and characters. I would highly recommend Night Terrors to any urban fantasy or horror fan. This book had set lots of mysteries and questions to be uncovered and answered in subsequent books in the series. I eagerly await Dream Stalkers, which would be released in November 2014.
July 11, 2014
When Audra was a little girl she spent many a night terrified of a clown. As phobias go, coulrophobia isn't rare, let alone odd. What is odd is that one day, the clown who had been haunting Audra's dream for years, suddenly comes to life. You see in Audra's version of Chicago, some people have the ability to create living beings out of their nightmares. Audra as it turned out is not a troubled child but an Ideator. As an adult, Audra works with an agency tasked with policing earth and Nod - the land of the nightmares with Jinx, her nightmare come to life.
Audra and Jinx work well as a team but when Jinx gets kidnapped and a high profile incubus (read: living nightmare) manages to escape custody, Audra knows that despite being pulled off the case, the balance between Nod and Earth is out of balance. Can Audra find Jinx in time to stop a full incursion of the earth?
I was immediately put off by Night Terrors because it began with a big battle before we were given any idea about the world, or the characters involved. It's hard to root for the protagonist when you don't know anything about the players involved. It's always good to hit the ground running; however, since this is the first book in the Shadow Watch series, it felt completely disorienting. From the beginning of the novel the nightmares brought to life were referred to as incubi. Waggoner put a spin on the incubi mythos but he took quite a bit of time before he explained this leaving me feeling for quite some time that his story didn't make any sense.
Once the world of Night Terrors was explained, I did find it interesting. The very idea that one's dreams could come to life is actually quite fascinating. Equally so is the idea that the incubi would have one personality during the day and another at night when they became the living embodiment of the nightmare. I found Jinx to be a fascinating personality and he was certainly an interesting twist on the terrifying clown.
As fascinating as the concept of Night Terrors is, I found that I couldn't invest in the story let alone get lost in it. For me, at least part of the problem were the fight scenes. They seemed to drag on and on. Neither Audra or Jinx seemed to really investigate anything and sort of just lucked into clues and made assumptions that lead to a conclusion. There is also the issue of the Perry Mason like confession at the end of the novel. The story telling very much let down the concept.
In Audra, we once again have an isolated ass kicking protagonist. She is filed with spunky agency and never takes time to formulate a plan of action. Audra charges forward, even when it is detrimental to herself because that is what hard asses do. She is far more of a walking trope than she is a character. There are other female characters in this novel and so Night Terrors does pass the Bechdel test; however, while women do interact, I would be hard pressed to say that there are any real relationships.
Night Terrors is another in a long list of highly erased novels. The sole character of colour is Commander Sanderson and he is essentially promoted to obscurity. To make matters worse, Jinx and Audra expend quite a deal of time trying to save him. We also got a bit of appropriation with the following:
"Then again," Russell said, "these are Incubi we're talking about."
"Hey!" Jinx said. "That's racial profiling!" (pg189)
Really? First off, Incubi are imaginary creatures and cannot be racially profiled. Not only this statement outright appropriation, it belittles the damage done to people of colour who must deal with this on a daily basis.
Read More
Audra and Jinx work well as a team but when Jinx gets kidnapped and a high profile incubus (read: living nightmare) manages to escape custody, Audra knows that despite being pulled off the case, the balance between Nod and Earth is out of balance. Can Audra find Jinx in time to stop a full incursion of the earth?
I was immediately put off by Night Terrors because it began with a big battle before we were given any idea about the world, or the characters involved. It's hard to root for the protagonist when you don't know anything about the players involved. It's always good to hit the ground running; however, since this is the first book in the Shadow Watch series, it felt completely disorienting. From the beginning of the novel the nightmares brought to life were referred to as incubi. Waggoner put a spin on the incubi mythos but he took quite a bit of time before he explained this leaving me feeling for quite some time that his story didn't make any sense.
Once the world of Night Terrors was explained, I did find it interesting. The very idea that one's dreams could come to life is actually quite fascinating. Equally so is the idea that the incubi would have one personality during the day and another at night when they became the living embodiment of the nightmare. I found Jinx to be a fascinating personality and he was certainly an interesting twist on the terrifying clown.
As fascinating as the concept of Night Terrors is, I found that I couldn't invest in the story let alone get lost in it. For me, at least part of the problem were the fight scenes. They seemed to drag on and on. Neither Audra or Jinx seemed to really investigate anything and sort of just lucked into clues and made assumptions that lead to a conclusion. There is also the issue of the Perry Mason like confession at the end of the novel. The story telling very much let down the concept.
In Audra, we once again have an isolated ass kicking protagonist. She is filed with spunky agency and never takes time to formulate a plan of action. Audra charges forward, even when it is detrimental to herself because that is what hard asses do. She is far more of a walking trope than she is a character. There are other female characters in this novel and so Night Terrors does pass the Bechdel test; however, while women do interact, I would be hard pressed to say that there are any real relationships.
Night Terrors is another in a long list of highly erased novels. The sole character of colour is Commander Sanderson and he is essentially promoted to obscurity. To make matters worse, Jinx and Audra expend quite a deal of time trying to save him. We also got a bit of appropriation with the following:
"Then again," Russell said, "these are Incubi we're talking about."
"Hey!" Jinx said. "That's racial profiling!" (pg189)
Really? First off, Incubi are imaginary creatures and cannot be racially profiled. Not only this statement outright appropriation, it belittles the damage done to people of colour who must deal with this on a daily basis.
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May 22, 2014
Night Terrors is an awesome book! I loved getting to know this new world - made up of an alternate world called Nod that's connected to Earty by a series of ever moving doors, but that's the least interesting thing about this world. The world is based around the fact that there are some human dreamers that dream their nightmares into reality. Not just random nightmares though, a steady stream of the same nightmarish being that eventually comes to life because it becomes so real. People who bring their nightmare (called an Incubus) to life are called Ideators and after their incubus is made real most of them form a bond. Not a romantic bond usually, but a friendly bond. You see once the Incubus are made real they also have a a Day Aspect in which they don't look like their nightmarish self and usually behave much differently too. Their Night Asoect is when thry return to theur original nightmarish ways, although their intent is not usually to scare their Ideator any longer but to cause general mischief, mayhem, whatever darkness they can revel in. Their Ideators usually have to try to reign them in if thry can in their Night Aspect,
In Night Terrors, Audra was the Ideator who dreamed up a nightmarish, garish, mischievous, lunatic-laughing, homicidal clown. That's right, a clown. There's also something else - Incubi have powers that us mere humans don't have, they can connect to the Maelstrom energy that helped to create them and they're pretty much immortal, if they're wounded, they'll eventually heal. Jinx, Audra's partner in fighting crime, since they're partners working for the Shadow Watch that keeps watch and order on Earth and Nod from a Rogue and pesky (that's an understatement) Incubi. Jinx cracked me up, he was also pretty darn creepy too, especially while in his Night Aspect. He's got a flower that can shoot whatever liquid he wants it too - he prefers acid but Audra tries to keep a wrap on that and get him to use something milder. He's also got endless pockets with seemingly bottomless depths. You never know what he will pull out next but his favorite weapon of choice is a sledgehammer that he named Cuthbert.
Being a cop working for the Shadow Watch has it's perks too. Since Audra's human and yet has to go up against Incubi with inhuman strengths and various - let's call them superpowers - she needs special tech that the Shadow Watch provides to help her maintain control over an Incubi when trying to wrangle one in and keep control after the capture.
I could go on and on about all the different Incubi, I found myself as fascinated as I was creeped out! Waggoner definitely has one helluva imagination and I'm not quite sure I'd want to live in his head - even for a day, but especially not a night - but I can definitely say I'm glad he wrote Night Terrors and that he shares his creepy Incubi with us, I literally can't wait to get my hands on the next book to see what Jinx and Audra get into next - and most of all I'm SO hapoy and excited that this is a series! It's got a wickedly great kick off!
In Night Terrors, Audra was the Ideator who dreamed up a nightmarish, garish, mischievous, lunatic-laughing, homicidal clown. That's right, a clown. There's also something else - Incubi have powers that us mere humans don't have, they can connect to the Maelstrom energy that helped to create them and they're pretty much immortal, if they're wounded, they'll eventually heal. Jinx, Audra's partner in fighting crime, since they're partners working for the Shadow Watch that keeps watch and order on Earth and Nod from a Rogue and pesky (that's an understatement) Incubi. Jinx cracked me up, he was also pretty darn creepy too, especially while in his Night Aspect. He's got a flower that can shoot whatever liquid he wants it too - he prefers acid but Audra tries to keep a wrap on that and get him to use something milder. He's also got endless pockets with seemingly bottomless depths. You never know what he will pull out next but his favorite weapon of choice is a sledgehammer that he named Cuthbert.
Being a cop working for the Shadow Watch has it's perks too. Since Audra's human and yet has to go up against Incubi with inhuman strengths and various - let's call them superpowers - she needs special tech that the Shadow Watch provides to help her maintain control over an Incubi when trying to wrangle one in and keep control after the capture.
I could go on and on about all the different Incubi, I found myself as fascinated as I was creeped out! Waggoner definitely has one helluva imagination and I'm not quite sure I'd want to live in his head - even for a day, but especially not a night - but I can definitely say I'm glad he wrote Night Terrors and that he shares his creepy Incubi with us, I literally can't wait to get my hands on the next book to see what Jinx and Audra get into next - and most of all I'm SO hapoy and excited that this is a series! It's got a wickedly great kick off!
July 29, 2016
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.25
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the strangest show off Earth! ... We've got chills, we've got thrills, but most of all ... we've got madness!" So announces a ringmaster, who could very well be defining the book, Night Terrors, itself!
Tim Waggoner's first book in the Shadow Watch series is a highly imaginative, wholly original sci-fi/fantasy/mystery/dark fantasy mashup.
Audra Hawthorne is an "Ideator" -- someone who makes her nightmare come to life. The Incubus (the Ideator's nightmare) takes on two forms ... a day form, typically fairly mellow and ordinary, and a night form -- the opposite of the day appearance ... frightening and dangerous. Audra's incubus is a clown named jinx; a deadly, loose-cannon clown. Together, they are officers of the Shadow Watch, protecting both the earth and Nod, the night terror realm.
The plot is fairly basic -- there is an uprising in Nod, an uprising that is crossing over to earth, and despite being taken off the case, only Audra and Jinx have the wherewithal and moxy (and sledgehammers) to stop it.
The plot being simple (but effective),it is therefore the characters that hold this work together and drive the story. Not just Audra and Jinx, though their relationship is a wonderful narcissistic balance - they need each other -- and author Waggoner toys with this relationship in very effective ways. The symbiotic relationship between Ideator and Incubus (not just Audra and Jinx) is fun to read. Everyone's is slightly different (naturally), yet there are some constants in effect for all pairings. In addition to the Ideator/Incubus partnerings, there are the individual characters (human and Incubus alike) that are also unique and fun (who isn't going to like the Candyman?).
The noir mystery/cop aspect takes a back seat to the fantasy and humor, but it works. There are hints of romance which fortunately did not overwhelm this story. It was just enough to plant a seed for future books.
The writing moves along quickly -- almost too quickly at times. More than once I stopped and thought to myself, "We were just told that entire section, rather than have it shown to us." Usually this was in regards to Jinx's hijinks. But upon thinking about it, I realize that it was often the telling, rather than showing, that kept the pace moving frantically along.
This really was a fun read. I'm hooked, and will be looking forward to the next Shadow Watch book.
Looking for a good book? Night Terrors is a rollicking fun mystery in the creepiest sorts of ways!
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the strangest show off Earth! ... We've got chills, we've got thrills, but most of all ... we've got madness!" So announces a ringmaster, who could very well be defining the book, Night Terrors, itself!
Tim Waggoner's first book in the Shadow Watch series is a highly imaginative, wholly original sci-fi/fantasy/mystery/dark fantasy mashup.
Audra Hawthorne is an "Ideator" -- someone who makes her nightmare come to life. The Incubus (the Ideator's nightmare) takes on two forms ... a day form, typically fairly mellow and ordinary, and a night form -- the opposite of the day appearance ... frightening and dangerous. Audra's incubus is a clown named jinx; a deadly, loose-cannon clown. Together, they are officers of the Shadow Watch, protecting both the earth and Nod, the night terror realm.
The plot is fairly basic -- there is an uprising in Nod, an uprising that is crossing over to earth, and despite being taken off the case, only Audra and Jinx have the wherewithal and moxy (and sledgehammers) to stop it.
The plot being simple (but effective),it is therefore the characters that hold this work together and drive the story. Not just Audra and Jinx, though their relationship is a wonderful narcissistic balance - they need each other -- and author Waggoner toys with this relationship in very effective ways. The symbiotic relationship between Ideator and Incubus (not just Audra and Jinx) is fun to read. Everyone's is slightly different (naturally), yet there are some constants in effect for all pairings. In addition to the Ideator/Incubus partnerings, there are the individual characters (human and Incubus alike) that are also unique and fun (who isn't going to like the Candyman?).
The noir mystery/cop aspect takes a back seat to the fantasy and humor, but it works. There are hints of romance which fortunately did not overwhelm this story. It was just enough to plant a seed for future books.
The writing moves along quickly -- almost too quickly at times. More than once I stopped and thought to myself, "We were just told that entire section, rather than have it shown to us." Usually this was in regards to Jinx's hijinks. But upon thinking about it, I realize that it was often the telling, rather than showing, that kept the pace moving frantically along.
This really was a fun read. I'm hooked, and will be looking forward to the next Shadow Watch book.
Looking for a good book? Night Terrors is a rollicking fun mystery in the creepiest sorts of ways!
April 8, 2014
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Angry Robots for this opportunity.
Have you ever thought that an evil clown would ever be a good guy (well, sort of, I guess)? An evil clown with his not so evil but interesting partner out there saving the world in any form of fiction really seems like a great idea if done right. And "Tim Waggoner" does this with style. The interesting plot with a healthy does of violence, the lovable cast of characters and fast paced action is a very enjoyable read by any standards, not to mention the unique style of telling the story and giving the background.
Well, to be honest I am always a bit skeptical about urban fantasy, but I couldn't pass up the interest after reading the blurb in this case, and it was a wise decision. "Night Terrors" tells the story of a world where nightmares become real and these nightmarish monsters have another dimension to live on as they travel between this "Nod" and our world. As expected from living nightmares they are bound to cause mayhem and that's where Shadow Watch comes in as well as our protagonists to save the day.
An interesting premise can be flushed down the toilet if it lacks interesting and likable characters, but fortunately in this book's case the characters are even more intriguing than the premise. The evil clown Jinx is a fun character and reminds us of a much loved character (you know who I mean) but with a some fun new edge and you never really know what to expect from him, his partner/ideator Audra (the one who dreamed him up) has also got some issues as well as unpredictability like him. And obviously they get into lots of troubles if I might say without giving any spoilers. Other characters including mostly other incubus (living nightmares) were quite fun to read and the level of violence packed in these pages was a nice and unexpected touch as I had not read any previous novels from this author.
Although these title lacks any real mystery regarding the problem and the villains it does make it up with its over the top action and humorous dialogue. It was fun visiting this nightmarish alternate reality and hopefully there will be more releases on this series in the future, I for one is looking forward to more of Jinx and gang.
It gets 4 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
Have you ever thought that an evil clown would ever be a good guy (well, sort of, I guess)? An evil clown with his not so evil but interesting partner out there saving the world in any form of fiction really seems like a great idea if done right. And "Tim Waggoner" does this with style. The interesting plot with a healthy does of violence, the lovable cast of characters and fast paced action is a very enjoyable read by any standards, not to mention the unique style of telling the story and giving the background.
Well, to be honest I am always a bit skeptical about urban fantasy, but I couldn't pass up the interest after reading the blurb in this case, and it was a wise decision. "Night Terrors" tells the story of a world where nightmares become real and these nightmarish monsters have another dimension to live on as they travel between this "Nod" and our world. As expected from living nightmares they are bound to cause mayhem and that's where Shadow Watch comes in as well as our protagonists to save the day.
An interesting premise can be flushed down the toilet if it lacks interesting and likable characters, but fortunately in this book's case the characters are even more intriguing than the premise. The evil clown Jinx is a fun character and reminds us of a much loved character (you know who I mean) but with a some fun new edge and you never really know what to expect from him, his partner/ideator Audra (the one who dreamed him up) has also got some issues as well as unpredictability like him. And obviously they get into lots of troubles if I might say without giving any spoilers. Other characters including mostly other incubus (living nightmares) were quite fun to read and the level of violence packed in these pages was a nice and unexpected touch as I had not read any previous novels from this author.
Although these title lacks any real mystery regarding the problem and the villains it does make it up with its over the top action and humorous dialogue. It was fun visiting this nightmarish alternate reality and hopefully there will be more releases on this series in the future, I for one is looking forward to more of Jinx and gang.
It gets 4 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
August 9, 2016
Pros: interesting mystery, interesting mythology/world-building
Cons: climax involves antagonists explaining their plan
Audra Hawthorne works for the Shadow Watch, an organization that helps keep the living nightmares, or incubi, created by human ideators, in Nod, and away from regular humans. When the capture of an incubus assassin on Earth goes awry, in several ways, she and her partner are taken off the case. But Audra doesn’t take orders well, and neither does her partner, the homicidal clown, and incubus, Mr. Jinx.
This is an urban fantasy novel with a pretty neat premise, that some people can be terrorized by their nightmares to the point of making them real. And then sometimes partnering with them. There’s more to the world building than that, of course, and Nod, the incubus realm, has some pretty interesting goings on considering that the populace is stronger than humans, heals faster than humans and is significantly more insane then the human one. One thing I appreciated was that though there’s a lot of violence, a good portion of the blood and guts is left to the reader’s imagination, rather than graphically described (though, there are some creepy scenes).
I liked Audra and Jinx’s interactions, and while more explanation of how she got over her fear of him once he became real would have been nice, I did like that their relationship was complicated. And as this is the start of a series, there’s time for explanation later on.
Written in first person singular, there are periodic asides to the reader that make it feel like you’re reading Audra’s diary. There’s a dry humour to these that I loved.
The mystery was suitably complex and involved several subplots that were all pretty much resolved by the end of the book.
The book felt cartoony at times, due to Jinx’s hijinks and the high level of violence contained in certain scenes. This is most noticeable during the climax when the antagonists stop fighting in order to explain their plan to the protagonists. I can’t help but think this information could have been parcelled out in a more organic way, but it did fit the tone of the book.
Ultimately it was a fun, quick read, though if you’re scared of clowns this book won’t help you get over that.
Cons: climax involves antagonists explaining their plan
Audra Hawthorne works for the Shadow Watch, an organization that helps keep the living nightmares, or incubi, created by human ideators, in Nod, and away from regular humans. When the capture of an incubus assassin on Earth goes awry, in several ways, she and her partner are taken off the case. But Audra doesn’t take orders well, and neither does her partner, the homicidal clown, and incubus, Mr. Jinx.
This is an urban fantasy novel with a pretty neat premise, that some people can be terrorized by their nightmares to the point of making them real. And then sometimes partnering with them. There’s more to the world building than that, of course, and Nod, the incubus realm, has some pretty interesting goings on considering that the populace is stronger than humans, heals faster than humans and is significantly more insane then the human one. One thing I appreciated was that though there’s a lot of violence, a good portion of the blood and guts is left to the reader’s imagination, rather than graphically described (though, there are some creepy scenes).
I liked Audra and Jinx’s interactions, and while more explanation of how she got over her fear of him once he became real would have been nice, I did like that their relationship was complicated. And as this is the start of a series, there’s time for explanation later on.
Written in first person singular, there are periodic asides to the reader that make it feel like you’re reading Audra’s diary. There’s a dry humour to these that I loved.
The mystery was suitably complex and involved several subplots that were all pretty much resolved by the end of the book.
The book felt cartoony at times, due to Jinx’s hijinks and the high level of violence contained in certain scenes. This is most noticeable during the climax when the antagonists stop fighting in order to explain their plan to the protagonists. I can’t help but think this information could have been parcelled out in a more organic way, but it did fit the tone of the book.
Ultimately it was a fun, quick read, though if you’re scared of clowns this book won’t help you get over that.
June 8, 2014
Super fast paced but fun urban fantasy read.
Absolutely loved the world, with dreams and nightmares made real, a Shadow-y (Shadow Watch) enforcement bureau made of creators (Ideators) and their nightmare creations (Incubi). Visiting Nod was one of my favorite things in this book. When you are dealing with the creatures of dreams and nightmares, there is really no limit.
Audra is paired with Jinx, a homicidal clown. She kind of loves her job, but isn't 100% happy with working and living with her greatest nightmare. I can relate. I have a deep fear of clowns (thank you Tim Curry and your phenomenal Pennywise performance) and I don't know that I'd want to deal with Jinx 24/7 either.
At the same time, if you are going up against nightmare creations, having a killer clown on your side might not be a bad thing.
Jinx is a force to be reckoned with and I really liked seeing both sides of his personality, his day and his night aspects.
Audra and Jinx uncover a plot that threatens the dream world and the real world, find new friends, old enemies, and in general bring forth mayhem at every turn.
I could relate to Audra. She has issues to work through with her job and with her past. Things are not all resolved, of course, so I'm looking forward to what happens in future books.
This is very much a set the stage book. It did feel in parts that we zipped through areas where we could have spent more time developing characters, relationships and setting, but it wasn't enough to put me off. I still got a really good taste of the world and its denizens.
One thing this book is not is a romancing the clown book. Audra created Jinx, so while they don't really have a mother-child bond, it is close enough that any romance thoughts would be icky. There is a potential love interest but there really isn't time for that in this very quick-moving tale.
I found myself rooting for a freaking clown. And I want to go back.
[received a review copy]
Absolutely loved the world, with dreams and nightmares made real, a Shadow-y (Shadow Watch) enforcement bureau made of creators (Ideators) and their nightmare creations (Incubi). Visiting Nod was one of my favorite things in this book. When you are dealing with the creatures of dreams and nightmares, there is really no limit.
Audra is paired with Jinx, a homicidal clown. She kind of loves her job, but isn't 100% happy with working and living with her greatest nightmare. I can relate. I have a deep fear of clowns (thank you Tim Curry and your phenomenal Pennywise performance) and I don't know that I'd want to deal with Jinx 24/7 either.
At the same time, if you are going up against nightmare creations, having a killer clown on your side might not be a bad thing.
Jinx is a force to be reckoned with and I really liked seeing both sides of his personality, his day and his night aspects.
Audra and Jinx uncover a plot that threatens the dream world and the real world, find new friends, old enemies, and in general bring forth mayhem at every turn.
I could relate to Audra. She has issues to work through with her job and with her past. Things are not all resolved, of course, so I'm looking forward to what happens in future books.
This is very much a set the stage book. It did feel in parts that we zipped through areas where we could have spent more time developing characters, relationships and setting, but it wasn't enough to put me off. I still got a really good taste of the world and its denizens.
One thing this book is not is a romancing the clown book. Audra created Jinx, so while they don't really have a mother-child bond, it is close enough that any romance thoughts would be icky. There is a potential love interest but there really isn't time for that in this very quick-moving tale.
I found myself rooting for a freaking clown. And I want to go back.
[received a review copy]
October 14, 2015
Waggoner has gone back to what he does best with Night Terrors. You have two very interesting characters that play off each other extremely well in a world that gives him the sheer vastness he seems to enjoy writing. This love of that world shows through in his writing and helps to create a story that is both engaging and interesting.
The basic premise to this book is interesting, and Waggoner pulls it together with his usual flare. There are monsters galore and he writes them with all the love and excitement of someone released from all creative leashes. Though this works extremely well, more so for new readers, this echoes his previous works in The Nekropolis Archives. Now this is a good thing, as well as a bad one. On one hand, this is where Waggoner shines. You can tell he likes writing in such a vast world and does really well with the male/female pairings. However, this book resembles Nekropolis so closely in some regards that it almost becomes uninteresting to anyone who has read the other series. (which, I might add, was highly entertaining and worth picking up!)
The writing in this book is handled really well, and the story flows from one event to the other. The end surprise is a nice one, though kind of easy to figure out as the story progresses. The romance is handled well, and doesn't take the usual routes that paranormal genre fiction does when it comes to bringing two love interests together.
All in all, this was a good book. Not an amazing book, but still a good read and one that has me interested enough to get the second in the series, and most likely the third. There were some golden moments that make it worth reading, and if you haven't read Waggoner's other series, this will be a fantastic treat for you.
The basic premise to this book is interesting, and Waggoner pulls it together with his usual flare. There are monsters galore and he writes them with all the love and excitement of someone released from all creative leashes. Though this works extremely well, more so for new readers, this echoes his previous works in The Nekropolis Archives. Now this is a good thing, as well as a bad one. On one hand, this is where Waggoner shines. You can tell he likes writing in such a vast world and does really well with the male/female pairings. However, this book resembles Nekropolis so closely in some regards that it almost becomes uninteresting to anyone who has read the other series. (which, I might add, was highly entertaining and worth picking up!)
The writing in this book is handled really well, and the story flows from one event to the other. The end surprise is a nice one, though kind of easy to figure out as the story progresses. The romance is handled well, and doesn't take the usual routes that paranormal genre fiction does when it comes to bringing two love interests together.
All in all, this was a good book. Not an amazing book, but still a good read and one that has me interested enough to get the second in the series, and most likely the third. There were some golden moments that make it worth reading, and if you haven't read Waggoner's other series, this will be a fantastic treat for you.
April 23, 2014
This books has forever changed my image of "Insane Clowns" -- in a good way! I've seen it been called "Men In Black meets The Sandman", and I'd argue that there's a lot of Ralph Bakshi's Cool World in there, too. But regardless of all of these reference points, Waggoner has created an intense and unique Urban Fantasy world that I didn't want to leave. Though I'm not sure what that says about my psyche!
I would have liked to see slightly more philosophizing at times, but the book did subtly raise some social commentary in its own way. The writing was overall great; the characters, plotting, and pacing all great. I read this really fast, and actually forced myself to draw out the last few chapters so that the book would last longer.
It's a sorry state of affairs when male writers must get special shout-outs for writing awesome female protagonists, but since this is the state we all live in, Waggoner gets a ton of gold stars. Audra is indeed awesome, and written like a real person about whom her gender is merely one facet, and largely irrelevant. All of the characters, in fact, match that description -- the leads are multifaceted, and even some of the secondaries (when they're not terrifically horrifying)!
I loved this, and I look forward to more of the series. In the meantime, I will check out more of Waggoner's work.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.
I would have liked to see slightly more philosophizing at times, but the book did subtly raise some social commentary in its own way. The writing was overall great; the characters, plotting, and pacing all great. I read this really fast, and actually forced myself to draw out the last few chapters so that the book would last longer.
It's a sorry state of affairs when male writers must get special shout-outs for writing awesome female protagonists, but since this is the state we all live in, Waggoner gets a ton of gold stars. Audra is indeed awesome, and written like a real person about whom her gender is merely one facet, and largely irrelevant. All of the characters, in fact, match that description -- the leads are multifaceted, and even some of the secondaries (when they're not terrifically horrifying)!
I loved this, and I look forward to more of the series. In the meantime, I will check out more of Waggoner's work.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.
February 3, 2017
This book could have been awesome. I liked the world building, the land of Nod, Ideators, Incubi, this is unique. Especially the part where your worst nightmare comes to life and you're bonded to it for the rest of your life. The whiplash relationship between the lead character and her clown partner? Also good.
What's bad though, is really awful. I could have done with a little less repetition. Incubi are strong, so this particular action scene won't hurt them, blah blah. This particular energy will blow them up, la lala. And then the constant reassurance that the lead and the clown are really, really not attracted to each other. Enough already.
There's not enough development either for most characters, and the plot is so cartoonishly stereotypical for an idea this unique. Still, a good read for a long train or plane ride. This could make a good B-Movie, though. A nice popcorn movie for nights in.
What's bad though, is really awful. I could have done with a little less repetition. Incubi are strong, so this particular action scene won't hurt them, blah blah. This particular energy will blow them up, la lala. And then the constant reassurance that the lead and the clown are really, really not attracted to each other. Enough already.
There's not enough development either for most characters, and the plot is so cartoonishly stereotypical for an idea this unique. Still, a good read for a long train or plane ride. This could make a good B-Movie, though. A nice popcorn movie for nights in.
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