What do you think?
Rate this book
Nightmareland Chronicles #1-6
Nightmareland: Volumes 1-6
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26"The Nightmareland Chronicles honestly transcends genre, it is just raw human storytelling at its very best." -Grimdark Magazine
ILLUSTRATED OMNIBUS EDITION.
AVAILABLE ON NETGALLEY.
"I need you. My son needs you. Oh ... but I'm tired, Daddy. Come and wake me."
Tomorrow died on the last morning of May, but the dark was only the beginning. For countless millions, thrust into a sunless world plagued by madness and monsters, the end was already near. Some chose the comfort of their screens. Others shut the blinds and squeezed their families, oblivious to the unspeakable fate that soon awaited them.
For a few, though, the night meant something new, something unknown.
For thirty-going-on-forgotten Mariah Nowak, burdened by an unwanted pregnancy and a lifetime of tiny, accumulating regrets, it is a chance to cast off the shackles of her small mountain community and the rustic dive bar where she has toiled for too little and too long.
For deaf thirteen-year-old Marcos Walker, caretaker to a forsakened Nevadan town, it is a horrifying responsibility and a pair of unanswerable questions: what became of his mother when the sun stopped shining, and what will he do next?
And for hard old John Hawthorne, holding secrets deeply buried, it is his daughter's beckoning voice on the answering machine and a debt waiting to be paid.
Together with Mariah, his onetime lover, and the orphaned but resilient Marcos, John will embark on a journey spanning a profoundly transformed America; across the haunted, firelit expanse of Death Valley, through towns full of the sleeping and the dead, down lonely country backroads and dark magic city streets flowing with blood, toward his brother's secluded cabin in the Wyoming Range and far beyond, he will go to his daughter in her blue house by the Atlantic Ocean.
He will knock on her door.
He will answer her call.
More than a thrilling horror-fantasy epic, Daniel Barnett's Nightmareland Chronicles is an odyssey of startling beauty and hope, a great and terrible adventure across the darkened continent of the human heart.
Includes 6 original black-and-white illustrations by Leslé Kieu and Vol. 1-6 Nightmareland cover artwork by British Fantasy Award-winning artist Daniele Serra.
ILLUSTRATED OMNIBUS EDITION.
AVAILABLE ON NETGALLEY.
"I need you. My son needs you. Oh ... but I'm tired, Daddy. Come and wake me."
Tomorrow died on the last morning of May, but the dark was only the beginning. For countless millions, thrust into a sunless world plagued by madness and monsters, the end was already near. Some chose the comfort of their screens. Others shut the blinds and squeezed their families, oblivious to the unspeakable fate that soon awaited them.
For a few, though, the night meant something new, something unknown.
For thirty-going-on-forgotten Mariah Nowak, burdened by an unwanted pregnancy and a lifetime of tiny, accumulating regrets, it is a chance to cast off the shackles of her small mountain community and the rustic dive bar where she has toiled for too little and too long.
For deaf thirteen-year-old Marcos Walker, caretaker to a forsakened Nevadan town, it is a horrifying responsibility and a pair of unanswerable questions: what became of his mother when the sun stopped shining, and what will he do next?
And for hard old John Hawthorne, holding secrets deeply buried, it is his daughter's beckoning voice on the answering machine and a debt waiting to be paid.
Together with Mariah, his onetime lover, and the orphaned but resilient Marcos, John will embark on a journey spanning a profoundly transformed America; across the haunted, firelit expanse of Death Valley, through towns full of the sleeping and the dead, down lonely country backroads and dark magic city streets flowing with blood, toward his brother's secluded cabin in the Wyoming Range and far beyond, he will go to his daughter in her blue house by the Atlantic Ocean.
He will knock on her door.
He will answer her call.
More than a thrilling horror-fantasy epic, Daniel Barnett's Nightmareland Chronicles is an odyssey of startling beauty and hope, a great and terrible adventure across the darkened continent of the human heart.
Includes 6 original black-and-white illustrations by Leslé Kieu and Vol. 1-6 Nightmareland cover artwork by British Fantasy Award-winning artist Daniele Serra.
964 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 1, 2026
About the author
Daniel Barnett
16 books298 followersDaniel Barnett lives in Portland, Oregon and is a lover of stories--especially ones where things go bump in the night. His work has appeared in Crowded Magazine, and his short story The Sadie Hawkins placed in the top 6 for the 2015 Aeon Award. When he isn't writing or reading, he's discussing fiction with others. Whether they want to or not.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This series has to be my favorite horror books I have ever read. the prose is fluent and beautiful. its so well written it hooked me on page one and it didnt let go the entire time. some of the scariest and clever stuff ever. Daniel Barnett has cemented himself as a favorite author for me and I cant wait for the upcoming books in this series. I am waiting with bated breath.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I somehow missed the very obvious “Volumes 1–6” in the title and went into Nightmareland by Daniel Barnett expecting a single novel instead of a collection of interconnected novellas. Apparently this is only the first half of a planned 12-volume story, which definitely changed how I processed the pacing and ending once I realized what was going on. Also, “novella” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here considering Volume 6 alone is over 500 pages.
Overall, I enjoyed the story quite a bit and was consistently invested in finding out what happened next. The post-apocalyptic horror atmosphere is compelling, the scale feels massive, and Barnett clearly has an ambitious vision for this world and its characters. John, Mariah, and Marcos kept me engaged, and by the end I was genuinely eager to see where their story goes next.
That said, there were stretches where the descriptions and world building felt overly indulgent. It’s impossible not to compare a sprawling apocalypse story like this to something like The Stand, but where King often makes tangents and side details feel immersive and essential, some of the extra detail here started to feel repetitive or distracting. More than once I found myself thinking, “Okay, but what actually happens next?” I wanted the narrative momentum to move a little faster than it did.
The ending also frustrated me initially, mostly because it felt abrupt after spending so much time in this world. But after sitting with it, I do think it made sense for the story Barnett was trying to tell and probably was necessary for the larger arc he’s building toward.
Despite my pacing complaints, I was invested enough that I absolutely plan to continue with Volumes 7–12. I just hope the next installment tightens things up a bit and trusts the plot to carry some of the weight instead of lingering quite so long in the details.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Overall, I enjoyed the story quite a bit and was consistently invested in finding out what happened next. The post-apocalyptic horror atmosphere is compelling, the scale feels massive, and Barnett clearly has an ambitious vision for this world and its characters. John, Mariah, and Marcos kept me engaged, and by the end I was genuinely eager to see where their story goes next.
That said, there were stretches where the descriptions and world building felt overly indulgent. It’s impossible not to compare a sprawling apocalypse story like this to something like The Stand, but where King often makes tangents and side details feel immersive and essential, some of the extra detail here started to feel repetitive or distracting. More than once I found myself thinking, “Okay, but what actually happens next?” I wanted the narrative momentum to move a little faster than it did.
The ending also frustrated me initially, mostly because it felt abrupt after spending so much time in this world. But after sitting with it, I do think it made sense for the story Barnett was trying to tell and probably was necessary for the larger arc he’s building toward.
Despite my pacing complaints, I was invested enough that I absolutely plan to continue with Volumes 7–12. I just hope the next installment tightens things up a bit and trusts the plot to carry some of the weight instead of lingering quite so long in the details.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I watch horror movies like a rabid animal released from the asylum, but I'm not usually enticed into the genre when it relates to my reading appetite. However...I can confidently say that Daniel Barnett has changed that for me. Irrevocably.
The grit to this omnibus was slowly devoured. Savored in its splendor. I even ranted with my husband on several occasions because I needed him to understand the depth of it, its tangible nature, and how many instances relate to the humanity in us all - love, lust, survival, greed, honor.
Every page was turned with anticipation as I teetered on the edge of elation, desperation, fear, and curiosity. I would try to set it down, to leave the world for reality, but it tugged me back time and time again; unrelenting in its need to be honored.
I mean the first lines of the first chapter felt like the b*mb dropping in a post-apocalyptic world of tomorrow. It carried such chill-inducing prose that I begged to know what happened next. The writing style laid everything out bare, but deep. Brutal, but efficient in the blows.
"There are things the brain forgets, but the bl**d remembers. Oh, the bl**d remembers."
I don't think anyone reviewing this could do it justice. It's something that NEEDS to be experienced, felt, dissected, and devoured. Because, like every story, reading is subjective. And as a new subject to the horror class, I think this is going to be at the top for me for a very very long time. It might even be the standard for the genre, and I feel like that says a lot for how impactful it was for me.
Thank you to NetGalley/Daniel Barnett for the ARC! I'm honored to have read it and am so grateful for this eye-opening omnibus!
The grit to this omnibus was slowly devoured. Savored in its splendor. I even ranted with my husband on several occasions because I needed him to understand the depth of it, its tangible nature, and how many instances relate to the humanity in us all - love, lust, survival, greed, honor.
Every page was turned with anticipation as I teetered on the edge of elation, desperation, fear, and curiosity. I would try to set it down, to leave the world for reality, but it tugged me back time and time again; unrelenting in its need to be honored.
I mean the first lines of the first chapter felt like the b*mb dropping in a post-apocalyptic world of tomorrow. It carried such chill-inducing prose that I begged to know what happened next. The writing style laid everything out bare, but deep. Brutal, but efficient in the blows.
"There are things the brain forgets, but the bl**d remembers. Oh, the bl**d remembers."
I don't think anyone reviewing this could do it justice. It's something that NEEDS to be experienced, felt, dissected, and devoured. Because, like every story, reading is subjective. And as a new subject to the horror class, I think this is going to be at the top for me for a very very long time. It might even be the standard for the genre, and I feel like that says a lot for how impactful it was for me.
Thank you to NetGalley/Daniel Barnett for the ARC! I'm honored to have read it and am so grateful for this eye-opening omnibus!
Review of advance copy
Nightmareland rides the line between fantastical and realistic horror with remarkable precision, and Daniel Barnett never once loses his footing.
We follow a cast of characters as they traverse a nightmare-filled America that’s been cast in shadow. Surviving horrific scenarios and attempting to work with the remaining humanity, every new scenario is filled with nail-biting turns where we can only hope for a positive outcome.
Every line of dialogue and every decision the characters make feels earned and true. As you read, the story gradually transforms into something deeper: a portrait of familial grief, anger, and love wrapped in surreal scenarios that feel disturbingly plausible. There comes a point where our fear of the nightmares is quietly overshadowed by our fear for the characters’ survival. I found myself locked in. Not because I needed to know what horror came next, but because I genuinely cared what happened to these people.
I haven’t felt this strongly about horror since first reading Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary.” And I enjoyed every minute of the journey.
I have such high anticipation for the next installment, to see where we go next. I’m equally excited to see what Barnett does after he brings Nightmareland to a close. This is a writer worth following.
Special thanks to Daniel Barnett and BookSirens for the advance copy of Nightmareland. This review is voluntarily written.
We follow a cast of characters as they traverse a nightmare-filled America that’s been cast in shadow. Surviving horrific scenarios and attempting to work with the remaining humanity, every new scenario is filled with nail-biting turns where we can only hope for a positive outcome.
Every line of dialogue and every decision the characters make feels earned and true. As you read, the story gradually transforms into something deeper: a portrait of familial grief, anger, and love wrapped in surreal scenarios that feel disturbingly plausible. There comes a point where our fear of the nightmares is quietly overshadowed by our fear for the characters’ survival. I found myself locked in. Not because I needed to know what horror came next, but because I genuinely cared what happened to these people.
I haven’t felt this strongly about horror since first reading Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary.” And I enjoyed every minute of the journey.
I have such high anticipation for the next installment, to see where we go next. I’m equally excited to see what Barnett does after he brings Nightmareland to a close. This is a writer worth following.
Special thanks to Daniel Barnett and BookSirens for the advance copy of Nightmareland. This review is voluntarily written.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you like bleak, fast-paced horror with cliffhangers, a strong survival-drive, and a series that’s best devoured back-to-back, This Series is for you
I went into Nightmareland expecting a fairly standard “survive the apocalypse” horror ride, and ended up getting something that felt bigger and more addictive than I planned for. Across the six volumes, it reads like one long, escalating nightmare you can’t quite wake up from—each book pushing you forward with that “just one more chapter” momentum.
What hooked me most was the atmosphere: relentless darkness, constant unease, and that gritty sense that the world itself is hostile. But it’s not only monsters and mayhem—the series keeps circling back to something more human: loss, guilt, love, and the terrifying ways people change when there’s no safety left. I also loved how the scope expands over time; it starts personal and then steadily opens up into something far more sprawling without losing the emotional core.
I went into Nightmareland expecting a fairly standard “survive the apocalypse” horror ride, and ended up getting something that felt bigger and more addictive than I planned for. Across the six volumes, it reads like one long, escalating nightmare you can’t quite wake up from—each book pushing you forward with that “just one more chapter” momentum.
What hooked me most was the atmosphere: relentless darkness, constant unease, and that gritty sense that the world itself is hostile. But it’s not only monsters and mayhem—the series keeps circling back to something more human: loss, guilt, love, and the terrifying ways people change when there’s no safety left. I also loved how the scope expands over time; it starts personal and then steadily opens up into something far more sprawling without losing the emotional core.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved this book! Thank you to the publishers for letting me be engulfed into this bleak, dark tale!
Everyone will remember the day the light died. Some lost their minds, many lost their lives, and for the rest, they lost their sunny, bright futures. No one knows how day died, and why it is permanently night, but they don't have time to wonder why, not when they have to survive. For John, Mariah, and Marcos, the whys are irrevelvent. The found-family have to travel to find John's daughter on the other side of the US, and fight all their nightmares (and many not their own) along the way.
This was a beautifull, dark, bleak horror that sucks you in and makes you wonder if you would survive if this happened. And if you did, what nightmares would you have to face.
Everyone will remember the day the light died. Some lost their minds, many lost their lives, and for the rest, they lost their sunny, bright futures. No one knows how day died, and why it is permanently night, but they don't have time to wonder why, not when they have to survive. For John, Mariah, and Marcos, the whys are irrevelvent. The found-family have to travel to find John's daughter on the other side of the US, and fight all their nightmares (and many not their own) along the way.
This was a beautifull, dark, bleak horror that sucks you in and makes you wonder if you would survive if this happened. And if you did, what nightmares would you have to face.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book caught me completely off guard, and I am blown away by how much Barnett delivers in this publication. I don't spend as much time as I would like reading horror, though now that I have read 'Nightmareland,' I am anxious to find something that competes.
As someone who edits during the day and ARC-reads in his free time, almost every book I begin comes with a deadline, so the length initially gave me pause. And yet, the fluency throughout the book—smooth and effortless whenever it isn't gripping you by its teeth—had me drinking the pages to chase the characters.
Sheer, cold, complete. A must.
As someone who edits during the day and ARC-reads in his free time, almost every book I begin comes with a deadline, so the length initially gave me pause. And yet, the fluency throughout the book—smooth and effortless whenever it isn't gripping you by its teeth—had me drinking the pages to chase the characters.
Sheer, cold, complete. A must.
Review of advance copy
Oh my! The first six volumes are amazing and have left me hungry for so much more!
The main characters are complex, naive, innocent, lovely, scary, absolutely bonkers, but above all, believable.
You are taken on an amazing journey in these first six. A tale that is not yet ended, but, oh so worth the reading!
The great thing is that, despite its heft, it is really readable. Not boring, not rambling on (Led Zep reference being inserted here). This journey leads you on down some very difficult places.
Well worth the time to read, I bloomin enjoyed it!
Stonkingly good
The main characters are complex, naive, innocent, lovely, scary, absolutely bonkers, but above all, believable.
You are taken on an amazing journey in these first six. A tale that is not yet ended, but, oh so worth the reading!
The great thing is that, despite its heft, it is really readable. Not boring, not rambling on (Led Zep reference being inserted here). This journey leads you on down some very difficult places.
Well worth the time to read, I bloomin enjoyed it!
Stonkingly good
Review of advance copy received from Author
I read the series originally in their separate volumes, but you, lucky reader, can get them all at once in this stunning collection. Barnett is one of my favorite authors. Read this, and he'll be one of yours too.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC of this fantastic book. For now it is just 5 stars, i will be back around the publishing date to give my full review!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Everyone, take the time to read this book! I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, and the author personally signed and shipped it. I can't wait to dive into this book!!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews