What do you think?
Rate this book
The Strange Side of Midnight
“Smart, scary and beautifully written - a dark fantasy filled with well-crafted characters, lots of action, skilled world building, and above all, real heart. I absolutely loved it.”
For 100 years the portal to the human world has been closed to them.
It is now open.
They are free.
They are evil.
They are Fae.
Warning: This is not a fairy tale. It is a tale about faeries.
At the edge of an ancient forest steeped in legends, stands a 400-year-old manor House occupied by the mysterious Sinister family since it was built. An accusation of witchcraft against the Sinisters in the past, saw seven of them burnt at the stake. Within a week of their deaths, a deadly blight swept through the village. Those that survived fled never to return.
As time passed, the abandoned village was reoccupied and steadily grew into a town. Unaware of the evil that dwelt in the forest overlooking them, the townsfolk went about their daily lives. With the death of the last Sinister descendant, that is about to change.
When a caretaker is sought to look after Hagsdell Manor, a down on his luck an author of supernatural thrillers, takes the position. He is searching for something to kickstart his writing mojo and hopes living in the old manor will provide that. When he discovers a macabre casket in the attic and opens it, the strange contents embroil him in a set of life-threatening events, not even his writer's imagination could have dreamed up.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2019
29 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 29, 2021
The magical fairy world fence is broken and fairies can now enter into the human realm. All bell is about to break loose unless it is repaired and the fairy king is dethroned. I love Hammott books… they are fast action fantasy reads.
November 2, 2019
An incredibly interesting book that is very captivating, wonderfully written and has a cast of wonderful characters. A bit spooky overall, the story is overwhelmingly engaging and contains so many wonderful and scary creatures. This book is definitely worth a try.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 22, 2021
The Strange Side of Midnight sees Ben Hammott straying from his horror roots. The story focuses on Kallisto Crowe, an author down on his luck and struggling to write another hit, who takes a job as a caretaker at an old, abandoned mansion in the hopes that it will spark his flagging genius. The ancient building is a treasure trove of old curios, including what seem to be surprisingly lifelike models of faeries. It isn’t long until Crowe stumbles upon a faerie ring on the mansion’s grounds and, breaking the seal, he unleashes the monstrous faeries upon the human realm. Teaming up with a local witch and a cursed human, it’s up to him to enter the faerie realm and do the one thing that will undo the damage: cutting off the faerie king’s head.
Hammott makes the bold choice of switching tone early on in the book, almost changing genre at that point. At the start, it’s a classic haunted house horror as Crowe, isolated in the remote building, finds the disturbing ‘models’ of the faeries and the paraphernalia to trap and kill them, and notices that a figure in the background of a painting is creeping inexorably nearer every time the clock strikes midnight. This whole section is creepy and ominous, with that sense of enduring dread, the knowledge that something unpleasant is closing in.
Then Crowe tumbles into the faerie realm and everything changes, the entire tone shifting to match that he’s now in another place entirely. He has allies with him for whom this is all known and normal, taking away the mysterious horror and the isolation. They joke and banter, softening the danger and turning it to a fun adventure. The faeries, rather than the creepy little monsters hinted at early on, become pure comic relief, bumbling fools prone to in-fighting and idiocy.
The dramatic shift in tone will put off some readers, but those who embrace the transition will find Hammott’s imagination - chiefly, his ability to conjure up inventive new creatures - works just as well in fantasy as it does in horror. Indeed, it’s essentially an inversion, throwing humans into an alien setting instead of dropping something otherworldly into ours. It all leads into a satisfying conclusion, while also leaving paths open for a variety of sequels.
Both parts of the story work. The supernatural horror at the beginning is suitably ominous and creepy, and the fantasy adventure is light-hearted and fun. There are a few weaker chapters in the middle during the transition from one to the other, where Hammott employs his signature creativity to throw a range of gruesome monsters at the heroes but, thanks to the shift in tone, there’s no sense of peril. It feels almost like these chapters exist just to give them something to do while making the journey between the two key locations. Once they close in on their destination, the story leaves every last bit of horror behind and embraces its fantasy stylings, and it’s better for it, offering a fun adventure in a strange new world.
Hammott makes the bold choice of switching tone early on in the book, almost changing genre at that point. At the start, it’s a classic haunted house horror as Crowe, isolated in the remote building, finds the disturbing ‘models’ of the faeries and the paraphernalia to trap and kill them, and notices that a figure in the background of a painting is creeping inexorably nearer every time the clock strikes midnight. This whole section is creepy and ominous, with that sense of enduring dread, the knowledge that something unpleasant is closing in.
Then Crowe tumbles into the faerie realm and everything changes, the entire tone shifting to match that he’s now in another place entirely. He has allies with him for whom this is all known and normal, taking away the mysterious horror and the isolation. They joke and banter, softening the danger and turning it to a fun adventure. The faeries, rather than the creepy little monsters hinted at early on, become pure comic relief, bumbling fools prone to in-fighting and idiocy.
The dramatic shift in tone will put off some readers, but those who embrace the transition will find Hammott’s imagination - chiefly, his ability to conjure up inventive new creatures - works just as well in fantasy as it does in horror. Indeed, it’s essentially an inversion, throwing humans into an alien setting instead of dropping something otherworldly into ours. It all leads into a satisfying conclusion, while also leaving paths open for a variety of sequels.
Both parts of the story work. The supernatural horror at the beginning is suitably ominous and creepy, and the fantasy adventure is light-hearted and fun. There are a few weaker chapters in the middle during the transition from one to the other, where Hammott employs his signature creativity to throw a range of gruesome monsters at the heroes but, thanks to the shift in tone, there’s no sense of peril. It feels almost like these chapters exist just to give them something to do while making the journey between the two key locations. Once they close in on their destination, the story leaves every last bit of horror behind and embraces its fantasy stylings, and it’s better for it, offering a fun adventure in a strange new world.
April 12, 2020
A real page turner, edge of your seat ride, but ...
Yes, there is a but, and that is the reason for 4 stars.
I really enjoyed this book, it was thrilling with a few scares, however it got to the point where I got a bit frustrated and groaned 'not again'!
Despite that, it was a really good book, kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages so that I could see what would befall our heroes at the next turn. Even though this was a positive element to the book, it was also a negative, as even though I realise what the book was all about, I think there could have been some changes that would have made the book even better. Unfortunately those would include spoilers, and I don't want to spoil the book for anything.
Suffice it to say ... if you like the thrill-a-minute-roller-coaster-ride type books, with scary creatures and looking over your shoulder, outside at the dark with trepidation, then there are definitely elements of that in this book.
To sum it ... it is well worth the read. The characters were easy to identify with, and root for - even some of the 'baddies' and I found myself rooting for them regardless of whether they were good or bad. The author managed to write is such a way as to make me connect with the characters, and for me that is important.
I received a complimentary copy from HiddenGems in exchange for my honest opinion.
Yes, there is a but, and that is the reason for 4 stars.
I really enjoyed this book, it was thrilling with a few scares, however it got to the point where I got a bit frustrated and groaned 'not again'!
Despite that, it was a really good book, kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages so that I could see what would befall our heroes at the next turn. Even though this was a positive element to the book, it was also a negative, as even though I realise what the book was all about, I think there could have been some changes that would have made the book even better. Unfortunately those would include spoilers, and I don't want to spoil the book for anything.
Suffice it to say ... if you like the thrill-a-minute-roller-coaster-ride type books, with scary creatures and looking over your shoulder, outside at the dark with trepidation, then there are definitely elements of that in this book.
To sum it ... it is well worth the read. The characters were easy to identify with, and root for - even some of the 'baddies' and I found myself rooting for them regardless of whether they were good or bad. The author managed to write is such a way as to make me connect with the characters, and for me that is important.
I received a complimentary copy from HiddenGems in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 27, 2020
Great story of pretty much everything that goes bump in the night. A fading horror writer desperately needs to revive his career. Luckily, he has a builder friend who purchases a property that includes some prime land (that he wants to develop into upscale houses) and an old mansion (that he does not want to get involved in restoring to Heritage Society particulars). So Crowe finds himself living in an old, spooky house with plenty of atmosphere to jump start his imagination.
The problem is the previous owners of the house were involved with some not-so-savory characters including fairies (the nasty type), witches, ghouls, and many more types of creepers from the author’s ripe imagination. Crowe finds himself with little time to write as he’s sucked into a war between species that threatens his life as well as the inhabitants of the local village.
The action is non-stop and there are plenty of evil creatures to keep a reader enthralled. The banter between Crowe and Griselda the Hag is fun and clever. I was swept up in the action from start to finish, and very sorry to come to the end.
A great read that I recommend to anyone who likes tales of the supernatural.
The problem is the previous owners of the house were involved with some not-so-savory characters including fairies (the nasty type), witches, ghouls, and many more types of creepers from the author’s ripe imagination. Crowe finds himself with little time to write as he’s sucked into a war between species that threatens his life as well as the inhabitants of the local village.
The action is non-stop and there are plenty of evil creatures to keep a reader enthralled. The banter between Crowe and Griselda the Hag is fun and clever. I was swept up in the action from start to finish, and very sorry to come to the end.
A great read that I recommend to anyone who likes tales of the supernatural.
April 11, 2020
When the main character is going to stay in an old manor house full of creepy things, you know something bad is going to happen. When the main character goes out of his way to look around at all of the creepy things, searching for keys and opening trunks, you know bad things are going to happen. And happen they did. Magic, portals to other realms, and threats to humanity all come together as Crowe works to undo what his curiosity started.
I reviewed this after receiving a free copy of the book.
I reviewed this after receiving a free copy of the book.
May 21, 2020
It was a really good book, I enjoyed reading it. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It's full of well-crafted characters and wonderfully written. I liked the dark humor, I laughed quite a bit. I have always loved tales about faeries, ghouls, and other paranormal creatures. This book has them all. If there's to be another book I'd definitely read it.
April 19, 2020
A good read overall. It is a bit tedious at parts and it took me a bit to get into it but I am glad I stuck with it because it defintely got better. I like the dark humor as well as the horror aspects. This is my first read by this author but not my last.
November 10, 2020
Ben has written another fun story with unexpected twists. Characters were likeable and the dialogue entertaining. I stumbled on Hammott's Ice Rift books which I really liked and have been on a reading his books since and they been great.
January 20, 2020
Very original and exciting! I was captivated through the whole story. It was a totally original take on the fairies and their realm. I loved it!
November 1, 2019
This book was scary. You need to read it with the lights on. At least I did.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 29, 2022
Very good read
If I could give 10 stars I would. This book was his funniest book so far! Thanks Ben I really like your writing style. Scary and funny.
If I could give 10 stars I would. This book was his funniest book so far! Thanks Ben I really like your writing style. Scary and funny.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews