I was lucky enough to win a copy of "The Living Night: Part One," by Jack Conner, via Goodreads Giveaways. I put my name in the hat to win a copy because I've seen an extensive number of titles relating to the supernatural/horror/monsters/etc., and I figured it was about time I dipped my toe in the literary lake. I have been pleasantly surprised with this my debut read into such material.
When I want a fun-filled easy book, I tend toward books in the Thriller genre; turns out, "The Living Night" happens to be one, albeit one with vampires, werewolves, zombies, voodoo gods, and a menagerie of other nocturnal creatures. The story spans the globe–several times–from Alaska to the Congo. The action never relents, leaving the reader immersed in one action scene after the next after the next, with hardly a respite; for, if characters aren't fighting, they're strategizing about fighting, and if not strategizing they're discussing fighting, and if not discussing fighting they're involving themselves in some sort of grotesquery...or having sex. Conner must have been ramped up on one stimulating substance or another, or possesses a rapid-fire mind, in order to write such narrative intensity. So unless you prefer the traditional rhythmic cycles of most other thriller or adventure stories, you'll be left panting and backpedaling rather quickly upon beginning this book. I didn't mind the adrenaline-rush, because it kept me on my toes and required my enthusiastic concentration to keep up with events.
One thing that makes for good reading involves a cohesive narrative involving a world of rules and believable characters. Science fiction and fantasy may rank as the most difficult to produce in this regard: the truest sense of world-building involves the irony of creating a complete world from scratch–history, civilizations, creatures, non-existent elements (whether magic, superpowers, technology, etc.)–while relating on some level to reality. In Conner's case, he's taken the tact of the real world and combined it with a whole secret level of mythologized horror creatures living amongst us unbeknownst to most of mankind: a dichotomous world of mortals and immortals co-habitating the globe. Conner does well in providing rules for a cohesive, logically fantastical world. One example involves set ways in how mortals (human-kind) and immortals (vampires, werewolves, etc.) interact with each other: mortals are sustenance and can be controlled by immortals' varying degrees of psychic mind-control powers, but mortals have the technological capacity to kill immortals. Another brief example considers the biological parameters of each species and how they rank hierarchically in a cultural sense in the immortal community, based upon power, both physical and political. Conner sets the rules and, like a good creator, doesn't break them.
Briefly, a third strength of the book involves dialogue. Dialogue can frustrate the most easy-going reader if it comes across as canned or droll. Conner creates exciting, flavorful conversation. Due to the requirement for background, a not insignificant amount of exchanges involve elementary knowledge among the characters, but needs to be spoken regardless for the reader's understanding. That aside, the dialogue isn't off-putting or canned, and enhances the narrative's rapidity.
A fourth aspect of "The Living Night" I enjoyed was its complexity. There are overarching macro plot-lines: world history revisionism, a covert world-wide conspiracy to kill powerful immortals, and an overt war between large factions among them. There are also the micro plot-lines: interactions among various small groups and individual characters, immortals hunting down other immortals, and the dynamics of personal relationships among immortal characters. Conner took on a heavy load with this book, and he handled it adeptly considering the scope and complexities involved with the narrative.
Which leads to an eventual weakness with "The Living Night." Because Conner has such a relentless pace and juggles so many characters and story lines, he has difficulty maintaining focus when imperatively jumping from one group to the next. Large intervals of many pages go by between a character's personal narrative's continuity, leaving the reader hanging and having to switch currents constantly between plot-lines. Due to the book's epic nature, this is a natural tendency and one difficult to overcome.
As explained before, Conner performs well in creating a world run within its set parameters, but one aspect of this topic that I didn't care for was the emphasis of drugs, booze, and sex, among immortals. By their dark nature, I understand them as unsavory creatures drawn to destructive habits and mindsets, partially symbolizing their evil embodiments, but it seemed unnecessary and over-the-top to me. The immortals' raison d'être seems to be fighting, raping, and substance bingeing, with fleeting passions of lust and constant singular struggles for sheer power.
In addition, perhaps because I am a stickler for it, I grew frustrated often with the considerable amount of typos found throughout the book.
As this is the only the beginning of a series, I consider "The Living Night" the opening scene in an epic supernatural tale. I look forward to reading the further adventures of the many characters involved, and I hope to find more depth in immortal character development–as individuals and as species–in upcoming installments. Let's keep the adrenaline flowing, Mr. Conner!