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The War in the Dark #1
The War in the Dark
A genre-defying page turner that fuses thriller and speculative fiction with dark fantasy in a hidden world in the heart of Cold War Europe.
Europe. 1963. And the true Cold War is fought on the borders of this world, at the edges of the light.
When the assassination of a traitor trading with the enemy goes terribly wrong, British Intelligence agent Christopher Winter must flee London. In a tense alliance with a lethal, mysterious woman named Karina Lazarov, he's caught in a quest for hidden knowledge from centuries before, an occult secret written in the language of fire. A secret that will give supremacy to the nation that possesses it.
Racing against the Russians, the chase takes them from the demon-haunted Hungarian border to treasure-laden tunnels beneath Berlin, from an impossible house in Vienna to a bomb-blasted ruin in Bavaria where something unholy waits, born of the power of white fire and black glass . . .
It's a world of treachery, bloo
Europe. 1963. And the true Cold War is fought on the borders of this world, at the edges of the light.
When the assassination of a traitor trading with the enemy goes terribly wrong, British Intelligence agent Christopher Winter must flee London. In a tense alliance with a lethal, mysterious woman named Karina Lazarov, he's caught in a quest for hidden knowledge from centuries before, an occult secret written in the language of fire. A secret that will give supremacy to the nation that possesses it.
Racing against the Russians, the chase takes them from the demon-haunted Hungarian border to treasure-laden tunnels beneath Berlin, from an impossible house in Vienna to a bomb-blasted ruin in Bavaria where something unholy waits, born of the power of white fire and black glass . . .
It's a world of treachery, bloo
432 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2018
75 people are currently reading
1264 people want to read
About the author
Nick Setchfield
3 books38 followersNick Setchfield is a writer, editor and entertainment journalist whose work has appeared in SFX and Total Film. He's also been a film reviewer for the BBC and a scriptwriter for ITV's Spitting Image. Over a 20 year career he's interviewed untold actors, writers and directors, along with assorted Jedi, superheroes, starship captains, diabolical masterminds and the occasional quotable Dalek.
The War in the Dark is his first novel. Combining a lifelong love of spy thrillers, international adventure and occult weirdness, it begins the adventures of Christopher Winter, a British Intelligence agent battling demonic forces in the Cold War of the 1960s. The Spider Dance is set to continue Winter's story.
The War in the Dark made the preliminary ballot of the 2018 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel.
Nick Setchfield was born in Cardiff, lives in Bath and lets his mind wander.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
May 20, 2020
Nick Setchfield's debut novel has all the ingredients you'd expect in a spy story: a 1963 Cold War setting, a heroic secret agent, deadly villains & creatures with faces that disappear. Okay, the last one is a bit of a stretch but this is a fantasy story too.
Setchfield gives just enough period atmosphere & some reasonably interesting characetrs, but for me the ingredients didn't make for a good novel. His writing style is fine & the set pieces are good, but the excitement is lacking.
I"m sure this book will entertain many people, but for me it just didn't deliver.
Setchfield gives just enough period atmosphere & some reasonably interesting characetrs, but for me the ingredients didn't make for a good novel. His writing style is fine & the set pieces are good, but the excitement is lacking.
I"m sure this book will entertain many people, but for me it just didn't deliver.
November 25, 2018
If you love India jones and James Bond you’ll be delighted by this. If you loved rivers of London or if you found it a little underwhelming... you will LOVE this book.
You’re thrown right into the story by the first page, Chris Winters is assassinating a priest who is selling secrets to other governments. But something unsettlingly happened and Chris is propelled into a world of demons, monsters and lies.
This book just doesn’t slow down, you’re really in with all these twists and turns. I can’t tell you how much I’d love to see this as a tv show or movie.
I hope one day we get more Chris Winters, though this is one of the best stand alones I’ve read with this sort of genre and premise.
5 stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
August 29, 2018
Think James Bond meets The Da Vinci Code meets Urban Fantasy and then you have this book. It actually sounds pretty cool but I did not find the execution matched the ideas. I had no sympathy for the character, perhaps that was intentional as he's a British secret services assassin with a complicated background as we learn, but honestly characterisation was as mild at best. We meet Christopher Winter as he's about to kill somebody, the person being assassinated turns out not what he expected and then he finds himself surrounded by magic, angels and demons. He picks up a partner, a woman of course, who despite having no emotional attachment of any sort through her whole life somehow lets him tag along and explains things piecemeal.
As an avid SFF reader I'm used to fantastical plots and major co-incidences but this took everything too far. It was an enjoyable enough read, probably would make a better movie than a book, and it seems to have been written with a cinematographer in mind. Winter (he's always referred to as Winter or Christopher Winter) is bland to the point of boring as are pretty much everybody else. The story moves well and there are puzzles and clues that take us through cold war era Europe and some of the action scenes are alright. I had high expectations for this book, I thought it was going to be dark and deep for some reason but it just turned out to be Bond/Bourne with demons. Now this could be what you're looking for but it was not really for me. A 2.5 rounded up.
As an avid SFF reader I'm used to fantastical plots and major co-incidences but this took everything too far. It was an enjoyable enough read, probably would make a better movie than a book, and it seems to have been written with a cinematographer in mind. Winter (he's always referred to as Winter or Christopher Winter) is bland to the point of boring as are pretty much everybody else. The story moves well and there are puzzles and clues that take us through cold war era Europe and some of the action scenes are alright. I had high expectations for this book, I thought it was going to be dark and deep for some reason but it just turned out to be Bond/Bourne with demons. Now this could be what you're looking for but it was not really for me. A 2.5 rounded up.
April 22, 2018
The War in the Dark was a fun read. It was good to see a book that combined some of my favorite genres together, I enjoy spy novels and modern fantasy books. This books really scratched the itch that I have for a new Dresden Files book along with adding in the additional fun of it taking place during the Cold War. I would say give it a shot if you are interested in a modern fantasy setting as well as Cold War spy fiction.
July 27, 2018
Really enjoyable debut where the spies of the 1960’s discover that magic and demons are real and plotting too!
full review - The War in the Dark by @NickSetchfield @TitanBooks (thanks to @lydiagittins )
full review - The War in the Dark by @NickSetchfield @TitanBooks (thanks to @lydiagittins )
September 5, 2018
I wanted to love this book. Spy thriller crossed with dark fantasy? Sign me up! But it was plot-by-numbers, with boring characters and reworking of scenes from Bond films without adding anything interesting to them. The motivation of the main character didn’t add up, and the female character was the kind of non-character that made it clear it wasn’t a book written with me as a target reader.
December 13, 2025
4 ⭐
Honestly this book got me hooked from the beginning and the plot twist was crazy. But I feel like I didn't really understand what was Hart trying to do in his early years ?? And this book felt kinda confusing. Maybe I'll consider reading the next book??
Honestly this book got me hooked from the beginning and the plot twist was crazy. But I feel like I didn't really understand what was Hart trying to do in his early years ?? And this book felt kinda confusing. Maybe I'll consider reading the next book??
November 6, 2019
Christopher Winter is a British intelligence agent sent on a killing mission that takes a supernatural turn. The story takes place during the Sixties, and it seems that the Cold War factions also dabble in the occult. The people surrounding agent Winter have a series of unfortunate events, and he is also seems changed since the fateful encounter. He finds an unexpected female ally with whom he will try to unravel the mystery of operation Magus. However, as one character in the book mentions it's all about connection and consequences, and unfortunately I had no emotional connection to any of the characters and the outcome of the adventure seemed of no consequence, or at least didn't seem like a real and imminent threat. To sum things up, a great concept that has failed to rise to it's full potential by lack of characterization.
June 16, 2019
It is a rare treat in this day and age for a piece of fiction to so engross, so thrill you from cover to cover, that you feel as if the writer delved into your mind and plucked a novel straight out of your interests, but that is exactly what happened to me with The War in the Dark, the debut novel from writer Nick Setchfield.
To suggest this novel was lurking around my brain space waiting to be removed by a skilled scribe is giving me way too much credit and Setchfield not enough, but The War in the Dark appealed to me with the rip-roaring fervour I felt the first time I set eyes on Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. This is appropriate given how Indiana Jones is one of the author’s key influences, alongside James Bond, in a supernatural action thriller which fuses the gritty espionage theatrics of 50’s/60’s Ian Fleming, a level of mystical derring-do akin to Spielberg’s big-budget take on 30’s adventure serials, and not a little spooky or even Lovecraftian horror in places. If that sounds like a tantalising cocktail, make no mistake that the narrative delivers on the promise.
Read the full review + author interview here: https://setthetape.com/2018/08/28/the...
To suggest this novel was lurking around my brain space waiting to be removed by a skilled scribe is giving me way too much credit and Setchfield not enough, but The War in the Dark appealed to me with the rip-roaring fervour I felt the first time I set eyes on Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. This is appropriate given how Indiana Jones is one of the author’s key influences, alongside James Bond, in a supernatural action thriller which fuses the gritty espionage theatrics of 50’s/60’s Ian Fleming, a level of mystical derring-do akin to Spielberg’s big-budget take on 30’s adventure serials, and not a little spooky or even Lovecraftian horror in places. If that sounds like a tantalising cocktail, make no mistake that the narrative delivers on the promise.
Read the full review + author interview here: https://setthetape.com/2018/08/28/the...
January 24, 2022
The War in the Dark is Nick Setchfield's first novel. It has been described as James Bond meets Indiana Jones. Instead, I would describe it as James Bond meets The Da Vinci Code set in an Urban Fantasy/Occult Horror world. The War in the Dark weaves Cold War intrigue and the occult with dark fantasy, mystery, history, and the best parts of a contemporary thriller.
In this one, it is 1963 and the Cold War is at its height. Christopher Winter is an agent/assassin for the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). He obeys orders and doesn't ask questions. When he is sent to kill a priest who has been passing information to the Russians he encounters something that changes his view of the world. He comes face to face with a demon and the darkest of magic. From there on, he will be in a race not only to save the world but possibly his own soul.
In this one, it is 1963 and the Cold War is at its height. Christopher Winter is an agent/assassin for the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). He obeys orders and doesn't ask questions. When he is sent to kill a priest who has been passing information to the Russians he encounters something that changes his view of the world. He comes face to face with a demon and the darkest of magic. From there on, he will be in a race not only to save the world but possibly his own soul.
November 22, 2020
A fantastic blend of 007 and Indiana Jones. The plot was tight and punchy, action-packed to the last. It was exactly what I wanted from a book of its kind! I was initially unsure about certain revelations of the main character towards the end - a 'plot-twist' that I had predicted from one of the earliest chapters - but have been pleasantly surprised as its come to fruition in the sequel story in the series. I hope that Setchfield continues rolling out this series and diving deeper into the occult world of Christopher Winter.
May 21, 2021
There are a lot of good ideas in this book and much is going on - too much!
One needs to mention that plot alone makes no good story.
So whilst we have a torrent of twists, scenery changes and every single action/spy movie detail you can imagine - from people shooting out of helicopters and trains derailing to good agents turning bad in the face of world power immeasurable - there is next to no character work at all.
The main protagonist stays as blank as the "Bond" girl sidekick or cliched brutal Soviet secret service agents, and you do not know whether you should care about anyone in particular.
Although the set up with occultism meeting spy story in a fantastic cold war-gripped Europe sounds promising and original, it ends up being rather generic and dull because we are thrown into one problematic situation after the other with only the most simple explanations or none at all.
The author could have used only half of the things going on in the book and build a more compelling tale that connects us with the main character Christopher Winter who apparently goes on a mission in the criminal and secret service underworld, just to realize that all is even darker than he expects to be.
The only reason why I gave 3 stars is - surprise - the plot, even if nothing is overly special the reader still wants to unravel the mystery, especially because the characters have no arch at all. The end was ok, but I would still not consider it worth my time in hindsight, at least not for reading. This story might have been a better movie than it was a book.
If you don't mind characters and just want simple entertainment with a fast paced adventure, you might enjoy this.
One needs to mention that plot alone makes no good story.
So whilst we have a torrent of twists, scenery changes and every single action/spy movie detail you can imagine - from people shooting out of helicopters and trains derailing to good agents turning bad in the face of world power immeasurable - there is next to no character work at all.
The main protagonist stays as blank as the "Bond" girl sidekick or cliched brutal Soviet secret service agents, and you do not know whether you should care about anyone in particular.
Although the set up with occultism meeting spy story in a fantastic cold war-gripped Europe sounds promising and original, it ends up being rather generic and dull because we are thrown into one problematic situation after the other with only the most simple explanations or none at all.
The author could have used only half of the things going on in the book and build a more compelling tale that connects us with the main character Christopher Winter who apparently goes on a mission in the criminal and secret service underworld, just to realize that all is even darker than he expects to be.
The only reason why I gave 3 stars is - surprise - the plot, even if nothing is overly special the reader still wants to unravel the mystery, especially because the characters have no arch at all. The end was ok, but I would still not consider it worth my time in hindsight, at least not for reading. This story might have been a better movie than it was a book.
If you don't mind characters and just want simple entertainment with a fast paced adventure, you might enjoy this.
September 26, 2019
An interesting mash up of different genres. Spy thriller, urban fantasy, historical aspect, gothic horror feel as well as a Robert Langdon does spy thriller ( yes theres alot here). The writing flows very well. I enjoyed the world building but the plot just seemed a little too flimsy for my liking. It had some great action scenes which kept you on edge . I also felt like the characters were a little cliched, especially Winters.
January 15, 2020
This was an enjoyable sci-fi, spy adventure. It kept you intrigued and guessing what would happen next. My only gripe is that you don’t know the end goal until over halfway through the story. Some people may enjoy that, but I thought I was a little late.
December 24, 2021
Interesting but not very gripping.
June 13, 2018
So the plot for this book was good and overall it wasn't a bad read. I didn't really feel a strong emotional attachment to the main the characters however which leads me to think there's work for improvement there so that as a reader I care more what happens to them. The Widow of fill in the blank/demon was better written even though she was a lesser character but you get a better sense of her than the other characters. Overall a decent reading experience.
July 17, 2018
I cannot get over how stunning that cover is.
Anyway! This is a really cool mash-up of old school James Bond and what I feel is best described as Lovecraftian horror, with demons and cultists and sorcerers galore. It is 1963, and British Intelligence agent Christopher Winter is set to complete the assassination of a traitor, a priest named Father Costigan. Winter feels a bit badly about going after a man of the cloth, then doesn't know how to feel when the priest turns into a flesh bag of murderous insects. Winter's echo man (which is a term I'd never heard before for cleaner -- I learn a new thing every day) goes missing and the next thing he knows, Winter is being hauled in for a debriefing that seems to involve a lot of drugs. Winter's life very rapidly goes to shit, and he's soon run away to Vienna, pursuing the only lead he has to the nightmare his life has become: the name of a broker in the occult, as well as a national secret that is his only currency in his search for answers.
In Vienna he meets the deadly and self-contained Karina Lazarova, whom he discovers is more than just a double agent. They wind up going on the run together, evading capture by both sides as they strive to collect all the pieces of a book written in a language of fire that could hold the key to not only ending the Cold War but, if they're not careful, all life as they know it.
So here's the thing with both the works of Fleming and Lovecraft: the characterization isn't the greatest. Nick Setchfield stays true to his predecessors in putting together a thrilling, macabre tale of espionage, reliquaries and demonology, but I couldn't help feeling as if our characters had only the barest traces of personality, and then usually in relation to a loved one (e.g. Winter with Joyce, Malcolm with Tobias.) Defining a character by their external relationships is fine, but I really wanted more interior life. Why, for example, had Tobias and Karina become the persons they were? Oh, sure, we had a brief sketch of Karina's background, but why was she so willing to let Winter go with her? It's a little weird when the most understandable characters on the page are a near-cadaver (Kelly) and a soulless killing machine (the Widow.) I literally had no idea what drove Malcolm or Karina to do the things they did. That said, I was pleasantly surprised at Malykh's reasoning: even if it was wrong/flawed, it was still very consistent for that character.
This was a really fun concept novel that fell short -- perhaps deliberately given its source material -- on characterization. It had as many cool occult twists as it did spy thrills, and it's pretty great to go along with Winter as he slowly unravels the web of deceit that's been spun around him. I'd love to read more novels set in this world and am honestly rather surprised that I've never encountered anything like this before.
Interview with the author to come on TheFrumiousConsortium.net on the 25th!
Anyway! This is a really cool mash-up of old school James Bond and what I feel is best described as Lovecraftian horror, with demons and cultists and sorcerers galore. It is 1963, and British Intelligence agent Christopher Winter is set to complete the assassination of a traitor, a priest named Father Costigan. Winter feels a bit badly about going after a man of the cloth, then doesn't know how to feel when the priest turns into a flesh bag of murderous insects. Winter's echo man (which is a term I'd never heard before for cleaner -- I learn a new thing every day) goes missing and the next thing he knows, Winter is being hauled in for a debriefing that seems to involve a lot of drugs. Winter's life very rapidly goes to shit, and he's soon run away to Vienna, pursuing the only lead he has to the nightmare his life has become: the name of a broker in the occult, as well as a national secret that is his only currency in his search for answers.
In Vienna he meets the deadly and self-contained Karina Lazarova, whom he discovers is more than just a double agent. They wind up going on the run together, evading capture by both sides as they strive to collect all the pieces of a book written in a language of fire that could hold the key to not only ending the Cold War but, if they're not careful, all life as they know it.
So here's the thing with both the works of Fleming and Lovecraft: the characterization isn't the greatest. Nick Setchfield stays true to his predecessors in putting together a thrilling, macabre tale of espionage, reliquaries and demonology, but I couldn't help feeling as if our characters had only the barest traces of personality, and then usually in relation to a loved one (e.g. Winter with Joyce, Malcolm with Tobias.) Defining a character by their external relationships is fine, but I really wanted more interior life. Why, for example, had Tobias and Karina become the persons they were? Oh, sure, we had a brief sketch of Karina's background, but why was she so willing to let Winter go with her? It's a little weird when the most understandable characters on the page are a near-cadaver (Kelly) and a soulless killing machine (the Widow.) I literally had no idea what drove Malcolm or Karina to do the things they did. That said, I was pleasantly surprised at Malykh's reasoning: even if it was wrong/flawed, it was still very consistent for that character.
This was a really fun concept novel that fell short -- perhaps deliberately given its source material -- on characterization. It had as many cool occult twists as it did spy thrills, and it's pretty great to go along with Winter as he slowly unravels the web of deceit that's been spun around him. I'd love to read more novels set in this world and am honestly rather surprised that I've never encountered anything like this before.
Interview with the author to come on TheFrumiousConsortium.net on the 25th!
August 29, 2018
THE WAR IN THE DARK by Nick Setchfield certainly lives up to the hype as it blends dark fantasy, mystery, history, and the best parts of a contemporary thriller, all together into one clever package that will keep your eyes hooked on the page from beginning to end.
It is 1963 and British Intelligence Agent Christopher Winter has just witnessed something unbelievable during his latest job, assassinating a traitor. Fleeing London, Winter is determined to uncover the truth behind the horror he has glimpsed and this will lead him down many dark and twisted roads with secrets, curses, and betrayals around every corner, But he is not the only one on the hunt and we cannot help but wonder who will survive this cat and mouse game of magic and treachery that thrives in the shadows?
THE WAR IN THE DARK by Nick Setchfield is truly unlike anything I have read so far and in my mind creates a new genre all of its own - a genre that mixes all the best elements of fantasy, historical, mystery, and thriller. There is a lot going on throughout this story but never once is it overwhelming or confusing, but exciting as another piece of the puzzle becomes visible. This is the kind of story that gets your heart pumping and your imagination hopping as you journey along the pages trying to get one step ahead (and failing most of the time in my case!).
THE WAR IN THE DARK by Nick Setchfield is a must for so many readers so even if you are a little uncertain if this is for you, take a chance. It will be worth it.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
It is 1963 and British Intelligence Agent Christopher Winter has just witnessed something unbelievable during his latest job, assassinating a traitor. Fleeing London, Winter is determined to uncover the truth behind the horror he has glimpsed and this will lead him down many dark and twisted roads with secrets, curses, and betrayals around every corner, But he is not the only one on the hunt and we cannot help but wonder who will survive this cat and mouse game of magic and treachery that thrives in the shadows?
THE WAR IN THE DARK by Nick Setchfield is truly unlike anything I have read so far and in my mind creates a new genre all of its own - a genre that mixes all the best elements of fantasy, historical, mystery, and thriller. There is a lot going on throughout this story but never once is it overwhelming or confusing, but exciting as another piece of the puzzle becomes visible. This is the kind of story that gets your heart pumping and your imagination hopping as you journey along the pages trying to get one step ahead (and failing most of the time in my case!).
THE WAR IN THE DARK by Nick Setchfield is a must for so many readers so even if you are a little uncertain if this is for you, take a chance. It will be worth it.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
February 8, 2020
I found The War In The Dark during a random search of the science fiction/fantasy section at Barnes & Noble. I spotted it along with the sequel. The books both intrigued me not only because of the enticing “mix of Indiana Jones & James Bond” description, but because they were, to my surprise, both written in third-person, past-tense, which seems to be hard to find in that department lately. Another surprise was that they were both published in 2019. However, I left them on the shelf for a week and came back and picked them up the following week just because they kept dwelling on my consciousness.
So far, I read this one and despite the back cover blurb being a bit misleading, it wasn’t a bad story. I wish I could’ve picked up the trade paperback instead of the mass market version, because the font size was too tiny, and it was a bit hard to read. However, I still was able to mostly enjoy this supernatural adventure/thriller.
While the back cover description and endorsements were sort of true, the action wasn’t quite as fast as I prefer. The story tended to bog down a bit with literary exposition. That made things drag at times. On the other hand, I still enjoyed it for the most part.
The writing was solid third-person, past-tense, but there was some head-hopping, which is a pet peeve of mine. It didn’t jerk me out of the story, but I did notice it.
Overall, I had a pretty good time and am saving the sequel after taking a break to read a few other books. At least the sequel is the trade paperback, so the type face is larger.
Recommended.
So far, I read this one and despite the back cover blurb being a bit misleading, it wasn’t a bad story. I wish I could’ve picked up the trade paperback instead of the mass market version, because the font size was too tiny, and it was a bit hard to read. However, I still was able to mostly enjoy this supernatural adventure/thriller.
While the back cover description and endorsements were sort of true, the action wasn’t quite as fast as I prefer. The story tended to bog down a bit with literary exposition. That made things drag at times. On the other hand, I still enjoyed it for the most part.
The writing was solid third-person, past-tense, but there was some head-hopping, which is a pet peeve of mine. It didn’t jerk me out of the story, but I did notice it.
Overall, I had a pretty good time and am saving the sequel after taking a break to read a few other books. At least the sequel is the trade paperback, so the type face is larger.
Recommended.
August 19, 2018
This exciting book has something for everyone, although I must admit it does feel like it was written for me!
Any movie buff, TV addict, comic book fan and bookworm will find something to love in Nick Setchfield's The War in the Dark.
A fast paced, action packed, and breathless page turner; to read it is like watching a Flash Gordon serial, with a neat cliffhanger ending or exciting reveal to every chapter that leaves you wanting more!
But don’t let its ‘quick read’ nature fool you, behind the easy-to-read prose lies a detailed and beautifully written plot. It’s clear Mr Setchfield has done his research, weaving in enough period detail to make you feel that 'terribly British' 60s vibe.
Like a map travel scene in an Indiana Jones movie it takes us on a wild ride across cold war Europe. We meet spooks of the supernatural and spy kind along the way as the author mixes espionage and the occult to great effect.
Setchfield's hero Christopher Winter is a different kind of spy, as much Brooke Bond as he is Bond, showing a vulnerability and ordinariness that makes him appealing and sympathetic.
With twists, turns and surprises galore you will be truly entertained by this exhilarating debut.
Any movie buff, TV addict, comic book fan and bookworm will find something to love in Nick Setchfield's The War in the Dark.
A fast paced, action packed, and breathless page turner; to read it is like watching a Flash Gordon serial, with a neat cliffhanger ending or exciting reveal to every chapter that leaves you wanting more!
But don’t let its ‘quick read’ nature fool you, behind the easy-to-read prose lies a detailed and beautifully written plot. It’s clear Mr Setchfield has done his research, weaving in enough period detail to make you feel that 'terribly British' 60s vibe.
Like a map travel scene in an Indiana Jones movie it takes us on a wild ride across cold war Europe. We meet spooks of the supernatural and spy kind along the way as the author mixes espionage and the occult to great effect.
Setchfield's hero Christopher Winter is a different kind of spy, as much Brooke Bond as he is Bond, showing a vulnerability and ordinariness that makes him appealing and sympathetic.
With twists, turns and surprises galore you will be truly entertained by this exhilarating debut.
July 14, 2019
I can probably say with about 99% accuracy that I have never read a book quite like this one before. It has a great mix of history, suspense and the supernatural. I can sometimes find that picking up a book that is purely historical can be a bit dull but with this story adding in the suspense and a bit of the paranormal, it takes this story to a whole new level!
We follow Christopher Winter in this story. At the start, you don't really know that much about this character and, to be honest, I don't think he knew much about himself at that time. There are secrets to discover in this book and even more that Christopher has to find out both in the story and about himself. There is a very interesting twist nearer the end of this story that I really wasn't expecting but gave a whole new meaning to the story and the main character. This is the part that I liked the most about this story, secrets and history, and I get the feeling that there will be a lot more to come in the next book!
This was such a fun read, if you can call such a dark and suspenseful novel fun! I am very intrigued to pick up the next book.
For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
We follow Christopher Winter in this story. At the start, you don't really know that much about this character and, to be honest, I don't think he knew much about himself at that time. There are secrets to discover in this book and even more that Christopher has to find out both in the story and about himself. There is a very interesting twist nearer the end of this story that I really wasn't expecting but gave a whole new meaning to the story and the main character. This is the part that I liked the most about this story, secrets and history, and I get the feeling that there will be a lot more to come in the next book!
This was such a fun read, if you can call such a dark and suspenseful novel fun! I am very intrigued to pick up the next book.
For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
October 13, 2019
3.5 ish The War in the Dark is a lovely mashup between cold war spy thriller and dark fantasy/horror.
Christopher Winter is an assassin for her Majesty’s government. In the opening chapter he is sent to kill a priest giving away secrets to Russia. During the assassination the priest’s skin erupts and hordes of insects flow out and his head then bursts into flame. Nor can Winters find his wing man but thinks he sees a man who he thinks may be him. His friend and mentor, Malcolm Hands clues Christopher in that they are fighting something darker than mere communism. Shrtly thereafter Hands is killed but not before leaving a cryptic note for Christopher to go to Germany. Once there he witnesses a bizarre action for a certain artifact and makes a reluctant ally (at times) of a Russian agent, Karina. Winter and Karina are then alternatively dragged or pursue various individuals throughout Eastern Europe in pursuit of the artifacts secret.
There are some truly excellent scenes throughout, some of the side characters are really intriguing such as Sir Edward Kelly and The Widow, and I enjoyed the use of the cold war time period. My only quibble with the book is that Christopher Winter seems to have his bacon continually saved by Karina which does seem a bit odd due to his profession.
Christopher Winter is an assassin for her Majesty’s government. In the opening chapter he is sent to kill a priest giving away secrets to Russia. During the assassination the priest’s skin erupts and hordes of insects flow out and his head then bursts into flame. Nor can Winters find his wing man but thinks he sees a man who he thinks may be him. His friend and mentor, Malcolm Hands clues Christopher in that they are fighting something darker than mere communism. Shrtly thereafter Hands is killed but not before leaving a cryptic note for Christopher to go to Germany. Once there he witnesses a bizarre action for a certain artifact and makes a reluctant ally (at times) of a Russian agent, Karina. Winter and Karina are then alternatively dragged or pursue various individuals throughout Eastern Europe in pursuit of the artifacts secret.
There are some truly excellent scenes throughout, some of the side characters are really intriguing such as Sir Edward Kelly and The Widow, and I enjoyed the use of the cold war time period. My only quibble with the book is that Christopher Winter seems to have his bacon continually saved by Karina which does seem a bit odd due to his profession.
August 1, 2018
What a great thrill ride, a fantastic combination of dark thriller with brooding Cold War intrigue, a novel that feels both fully realized as a novel *and* as the setup for (hopefully) a movie or TV series. Christopher Winter is a British intelligence agent at the dawn of the Cold War who is drawn ever further into a world of intrigue that goes way beyond the normal cloak-and-dagger stuff. Nick Setchfield has created a rip-roaring adventure that barrels from one well-realized set piece to the next, a kind of dark and mysterious Indiana Jones-meets-Dan Brown story that gets darker and darker as it goes on, leading Winter into a fantastic and unexpected parallel world in which the Cold War is much more sinister and much more all-consuming than merely a political game between superpowers. "The War In the Dark" is a great blend of fantasy, magic, spy thriller and rollicking adventure, a mixing of genres that creates its own world ready for sequels and even further exploration, but also fulfilling on its own terms. A great debut, and a perfect novel to take along on vacation.
August 20, 2018
Fantasy and the cold war, a deadly combination.
Christopher Winter is an assassin during the cold war. In 1963, after an assassination goes wrong, he flees London. He meets a mysterious woman and they head into a world of magic he never thought existed, because the cold war is more than everybody thought. It is a fight between angels and demons, as well as earthly beings.
The adventure will have Christopher doubting everyone and everything including himself and his world.
The concept of this book is excellent, a mixture of espionage and fantasy, but, unfortunately, the author failed to deliver. I didn’t so much read as wade through this book Instead of fast action, it was bogged down with too many descriptions of things with very unusual wording, which gave the impression the author was trying too hard to fill the pages.
If the book was edited and all the flowery descriptions deleted the book would have received 5 stars.
A potentially good book in the making, but not quite yet.
Ellezig.
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
Christopher Winter is an assassin during the cold war. In 1963, after an assassination goes wrong, he flees London. He meets a mysterious woman and they head into a world of magic he never thought existed, because the cold war is more than everybody thought. It is a fight between angels and demons, as well as earthly beings.
The adventure will have Christopher doubting everyone and everything including himself and his world.
The concept of this book is excellent, a mixture of espionage and fantasy, but, unfortunately, the author failed to deliver. I didn’t so much read as wade through this book Instead of fast action, it was bogged down with too many descriptions of things with very unusual wording, which gave the impression the author was trying too hard to fill the pages.
If the book was edited and all the flowery descriptions deleted the book would have received 5 stars.
A potentially good book in the making, but not quite yet.
Ellezig.
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
November 13, 2018
I very much enjoyed this book.
It is a fast paced cold war style spy thriller with a very alpha male tough guy protagonist - all standard stuff and enjoyable enough. However, it warms up somewhat when he meets something spooky and more spooky things start happening, and before you know where you are demons aplenty walk the Earth and it gets a bit scary.
This reads very much like a Call Of Cthulhu adventure - you can almost hear the Sanity checks being made and the dice rolls fudging as the lead avoids near death time after time. It is a good mix of genres and would be very cinematic as the action is near constant and a number of set pieces happen all over Europe.
The writing is sometime a little flowery, attempting to sound like Chandler is hard in any form of "noir" is always tough and it could have had less descriptive prose initially, however the plot is great if prone to "saved by the McGuffin" escapes , the characters interesting and the bad guys horrific and intriguing in equal measure.
I shall certainly look forward to further books in this series
It is a fast paced cold war style spy thriller with a very alpha male tough guy protagonist - all standard stuff and enjoyable enough. However, it warms up somewhat when he meets something spooky and more spooky things start happening, and before you know where you are demons aplenty walk the Earth and it gets a bit scary.
This reads very much like a Call Of Cthulhu adventure - you can almost hear the Sanity checks being made and the dice rolls fudging as the lead avoids near death time after time. It is a good mix of genres and would be very cinematic as the action is near constant and a number of set pieces happen all over Europe.
The writing is sometime a little flowery, attempting to sound like Chandler is hard in any form of "noir" is always tough and it could have had less descriptive prose initially, however the plot is great if prone to "saved by the McGuffin" escapes , the characters interesting and the bad guys horrific and intriguing in equal measure.
I shall certainly look forward to further books in this series
November 19, 2018
The War in the Dark is a cracking debut by SFX alum Nick Setchfield. Think John Le Carre mashed with Clive Barker and you've got the right idea. Christopher Winter is an assassin for the SIS, one of the clandestine units assigned to protect Her Majesty's empire from threats unknown. After a job goes horribly wrong, Christopher finds himself on the run with a mysterious woman named Karina and chased by forces both of this world and not.
The writing is crisp and clear, the prose very cinematic, and the plot propels you forward. There's some great action and cool bursts of horror and the twists are well placed. This is clearly set up to be a series and I for one am really looking forward to the next installment. If you're a fan of spy novels and horror novels than you can't miss this one. Highly recommended!
The writing is crisp and clear, the prose very cinematic, and the plot propels you forward. There's some great action and cool bursts of horror and the twists are well placed. This is clearly set up to be a series and I for one am really looking forward to the next installment. If you're a fan of spy novels and horror novels than you can't miss this one. Highly recommended!
February 24, 2019
I knew from the opening sentence, I was going to enjoy The War in The Dark. The main hero, Christopher Winter, is a very likeable character, despite his flaws and his rapport with Karina keeps you intrigued throughout. The setting takes place during the Cold War and I loved all the action taking place throughout Eastern Europe. There are quite a few satisfying plot twists, which makes the book difficult difficult to put down, so probably best not to read it before you intend to go to bed as it’ll be unlikely that you’ll sleep. I’m hoping there will be a sequel as I feel there is still a lot to learn from the main characters.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys; the Cold War, spy novels and fantasy, as it has a bit of all three to please everyone. Looking forward to Setchfield’s next book.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys; the Cold War, spy novels and fantasy, as it has a bit of all three to please everyone. Looking forward to Setchfield’s next book.
September 14, 2018
This a fast paced spy novel - with magic! It's impressive how well Setchfield merges the two genres. The imagery throughout the book reminds me of gothic horror. He's very good at creating tension, and uses this creepy imagery to his advantage. The Cold War setting is also utilised expertly. At some points the main character seems a passenger on the trip and not an active participant - the story focuses on other characters for parts and I like that.
Setchfield is also very clever in that the knowledge of the world he puts you in creeps up on you, there is very little exposition and it works well with the tension building. You have to put together the backstory from the snippets of conversation. All in all a very impressive debut novel and I look forward to the next book he writes!
Setchfield is also very clever in that the knowledge of the world he puts you in creeps up on you, there is very little exposition and it works well with the tension building. You have to put together the backstory from the snippets of conversation. All in all a very impressive debut novel and I look forward to the next book he writes!
February 13, 2019
I am utterly obsessed with this book! A Cold War spy thriller with demons and a hidden supernatural war?!? What's not to love? Perfectly written with wonderful ambience and great action sequences. The pacing was so tight, my attention never flagged once. I never wanted to put this book down, I was captivated entirely. The characters were so rich as was the mythology in this world. I was so thrilled to discover there is a second book coming!
July 3, 2020
the war in the dark was a fun read and kept me interested with every chapter. it didn't make me sit back and question anything deeper but there is no problem with that cause thats not what the book is for. if you want a fun and easy read for a little, while with some chuckles in there and the idea of a British spy during the cold war battling things in the dark interest you i recommend you give this book a chance.
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