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Infinite #7
The Dark
From New York Times and number one Audible best-selling duo Jeremy Robinson and R.C. Bray comes a horrifying revelation about the centuries-old Three Days of Darkness prophecy, during which the legions of Hell will be unleashed on Earth....
There shall come over the whole Earth, an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights.
Miah Gray is a 27-year-old former army soldier living in rural New Hampshire with his sister, mother, and her boyfriend. He is plagued by PTSD, finding solace, but not redemption, with the aid of prescribed cannabis. All he wants to do is get high, relax with a good sandwich, and watch a meteor shower with his neighborhood crush, Jen.
He who opens his window or door out of curiosity, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot.
When the sun's light is blotted out the following morning and the world is plunged into darkness, Miah finds himself locked down with his family, covering windows with trash bags, lighting candles, and following the arcane rules of an ancient prophecy. But there is no escaping what comes next.
The air will be infected by demons, appearing in all sorts of hideous forms.
A brilliant flash of light fills the sky, leaving Miah changed and an Old Norse death rune etched onto his forehead. He fears he has been marked for death until the neighborhood's parents start disappearing and he's left behind. Leading Jen and a ragtag group of parentless kids, Miah hunts for answers and for their parents while trying to keep his sister safe. He charges headlong down a path that will take him to the gates of Hell...and then straight through.
All of Hell will be let loose.
The Dark is a mind-bending, character-driven sci-fi-infused horror novel like no other.
There shall come over the whole Earth, an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights.
Miah Gray is a 27-year-old former army soldier living in rural New Hampshire with his sister, mother, and her boyfriend. He is plagued by PTSD, finding solace, but not redemption, with the aid of prescribed cannabis. All he wants to do is get high, relax with a good sandwich, and watch a meteor shower with his neighborhood crush, Jen.
He who opens his window or door out of curiosity, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot.
When the sun's light is blotted out the following morning and the world is plunged into darkness, Miah finds himself locked down with his family, covering windows with trash bags, lighting candles, and following the arcane rules of an ancient prophecy. But there is no escaping what comes next.
The air will be infected by demons, appearing in all sorts of hideous forms.
A brilliant flash of light fills the sky, leaving Miah changed and an Old Norse death rune etched onto his forehead. He fears he has been marked for death until the neighborhood's parents start disappearing and he's left behind. Leading Jen and a ragtag group of parentless kids, Miah hunts for answers and for their parents while trying to keep his sister safe. He charges headlong down a path that will take him to the gates of Hell...and then straight through.
All of Hell will be let loose.
The Dark is a mind-bending, character-driven sci-fi-infused horror novel like no other.
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published July 13, 2021
363 people are currently reading
1317 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Robinson
163 books2,604 followersJeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas, including Apocalypse Machine, Island 731, and SecondWorld, as well as the Jack Sigler thriller series and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author. Many of his novels have been adapted into comic books, optioned for film and TV, and translated into thirteen languages. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children. Visit him at www.bewareofmonsters.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
March 4, 2022
Jeremy Robinson's 'The Dark' is a high-intensity, character-driven sci-fi audiobook. This is actually my first book by Robinson, and I found him to be an extremely detailed and entertaining writer. The plot was both horrifying and humorous. This is no easy task, but somehow Mr. Robinson managed to find the perfect balance between the two. Micah Gray, a 27-year-old ex-army soldier, - who suffers from extreme PTSD - is the main protagonist. He is fighting an unknown entity which seems to be taking human beings and either changing or killing them. Micah is trying to protect his sister - after his parents were both taken - along with a few others who have banded together with them. This is quite an exciting tale with a satisfying and memorable conclusion.
R.C. Bray is amazing as the solo narrative voice. I must say my favorite part of his narration (a first for me over the course of listening to many, many of audiobooks he has narrated) was listening to his outtakes at the very end. Hearing him make fun of some of the writing and himself when he made a blunder was riotous. What a much appreciated and unexpected surprise. I laughed so hard it hurt. Thank you.
R.C. Bray is amazing as the solo narrative voice. I must say my favorite part of his narration (a first for me over the course of listening to many, many of audiobooks he has narrated) was listening to his outtakes at the very end. Hearing him make fun of some of the writing and himself when he made a blunder was riotous. What a much appreciated and unexpected surprise. I laughed so hard it hurt. Thank you.
July 17, 2021
It is a sign of great skill when a writer can make you laugh while reading some of the most horrific things you’ve ever read. A tale of redemption and realising who you are, the protagonist of this story encompasses the title of “hero” in so many senses of the word, as unlikely as that seems from the start. The Dark is sci-fi horror at its creepiest and cleverest and will stand as one of Jeremy Robinson’s best works. The cameos at the end were awesome and, while not a cliffhanger (the story has a satisfying ending - read into that what you will), I look forward to where these characters may be taking us.
July 12, 2021
The Master Turns To Horror. With this book, Jeremy Robinson – The Modern Day Master of Science Fiction – again attempts a horror book… before bringing it back to the scifi action that is his bread and butter. He first establishes a loveable galoof of an anti-hero: an Army veteran who has PTSD from his experiences in Afghanistan who can’t quite fit in with his suburban civilian “normal” life. Then, he begins building in the mystery and the horror, slowly ramping it up to truly horrific levels across several different types of horror, finally culminating in a truly utterly horrific sequence that, arguably, hard core fans of Mass Effect who are familiar with Mass Effect 2 in particular may be at least somewhat jaded to. And then, the actual scifi action conclusion – almost as though Robinson has made us see hell, and now wants to leave us on a more interesting/ happier note. Long time fans of Robinson may see at least a few similarities to his 2010 “Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God” retelling, TORMENT, though for me that particular book was so horrific *because* it was essentially a modern day version of that famous sermon (which was, in itself, essentially a then-modern retelling of Dante’s Inferno). For those like me who literally had nightmares for *years* after reading that book, I can tell you that this one isn’t anywhere near that bad – at least not in the same ways. It truly is utterly horrific in a couple of sequences in particular, and these new horrors may indeed haunt your nightmares for quite some time. But dammit, that is what makes Robinson the Master. 😉 Very much recommended.
July 16, 2021
As a fan of what Robinson used to to write, I really wish I could say I liked The Dark. And as someone who wants to support Robinson as an indie author, I really wish I could give this one at least a 3 star review, but in all honesty, I just can’t do it.
The Dark could have been a return to Robinson form. It started out dark and kept the tension going. It had the hallmarks of Robinson with some interesting creature designs and some moments that felt like a better Birdbox or Keene’s Darkness On the Edge of Town. The plot had potential to be like Koontz’s The Taking, but without the typical Koontz grandstanding BS or even a retelling/retooling of Robinson’s own Torment (a novel I also didn’t like). Basically Robinson could have made this really good.
But alas, The Dark does the new Robinson thing of starting out great only to crash and burn about halfway through.
Yes, the first half of this book is actually good. Robinson creates a truly creepy setting and shows that, sticking strictly with horror, he can tell a good story.
Unfortunately, once things start to be explained and the plot races towards its apex, things get weird and just…dumb. I can’t give too much away here without ruining things, so let’s just say the entire story does a weird about face, going in a truly weird direction, totally nullifying everything good this story had going for it.
There’s also the ridiculously annoying Robinson penchant for trying to add humor as levity. This is supposed to be a horror novel (well, 75% of it anyways), so I honestly don’t understand the constant use of bad one-liners or terrible jokes. A few jokes or light hearted banter is 100% ok by me, but hearing the main character make some awful dad joke observation about the horrific event surrounding them, just brought me out of the story way too many times. While there is something to be said about an author not taking themselves super seriously, there’s also something to be said about writing a “horror” story that isn’t full of lame attempts at puns and modern “slang”.
I could go on and on about how good Robinson was a few years back, how almost everything he wrote was an easy 5 star, best of the year story. However, that’d be just reminiscing about the past and making the present hurt that much more. After 4 or 5 straight novels that just failed to grab me, I wonder if this is the time I cut ties with him because I just can’t take the constant disappointment. Robinson is way better than the author he’s become the last couple of years.
The Dark could have been a return to Robinson form. It started out dark and kept the tension going. It had the hallmarks of Robinson with some interesting creature designs and some moments that felt like a better Birdbox or Keene’s Darkness On the Edge of Town. The plot had potential to be like Koontz’s The Taking, but without the typical Koontz grandstanding BS or even a retelling/retooling of Robinson’s own Torment (a novel I also didn’t like). Basically Robinson could have made this really good.
But alas, The Dark does the new Robinson thing of starting out great only to crash and burn about halfway through.
Yes, the first half of this book is actually good. Robinson creates a truly creepy setting and shows that, sticking strictly with horror, he can tell a good story.
Unfortunately, once things start to be explained and the plot races towards its apex, things get weird and just…dumb. I can’t give too much away here without ruining things, so let’s just say the entire story does a weird about face, going in a truly weird direction, totally nullifying everything good this story had going for it.
There’s also the ridiculously annoying Robinson penchant for trying to add humor as levity. This is supposed to be a horror novel (well, 75% of it anyways), so I honestly don’t understand the constant use of bad one-liners or terrible jokes. A few jokes or light hearted banter is 100% ok by me, but hearing the main character make some awful dad joke observation about the horrific event surrounding them, just brought me out of the story way too many times. While there is something to be said about an author not taking themselves super seriously, there’s also something to be said about writing a “horror” story that isn’t full of lame attempts at puns and modern “slang”.
I could go on and on about how good Robinson was a few years back, how almost everything he wrote was an easy 5 star, best of the year story. However, that’d be just reminiscing about the past and making the present hurt that much more. After 4 or 5 straight novels that just failed to grab me, I wonder if this is the time I cut ties with him because I just can’t take the constant disappointment. Robinson is way better than the author he’s become the last couple of years.
November 20, 2021
Another terrific and fun, sci-fi/horror cross by Jeremy Robinson. I'm really loving his books. They are action packed, filled with great characters, have my sense of humor included and are stories I just find interesting. And, R. C. Bray is just an awesome narrator for the audiobook! Will definitely be reading more of his books. 4.25/5.0 stars for this one.
July 25, 2021
This was a dark, well written masterpiece. R.C. Bray is the perfect addition to this story and makes it truly epic. Some stories are just made to be listened to. I absolutely loved all of the characters and enjoyed their crazy and sometimes abhorrent journey. Robinson creates the perfect picture and all I kept imagining was a mix up between Doom and Dantes Inferno. Truly awesome, you won't be disappointed. The only way I'll be disappointed is if there isn't another book in the future!
Here's to another book added to my favorites shelf!
Here's to another book added to my favorites shelf!
July 28, 2021
That was a seriously fun, interesting book, and profoundly original book. I'm sure it would be a good read, but the audiobook was an experience not to be missed. Robinson is a great author. This book shows he continues to up his game. The Dark was something special.
December 19, 2021
Words Fail Me.
This is the kind of book I promised myself never to read again. A faux fantasy gradually morphing into a slipshod SF novel, and not succeeding in either genre. The writing is juvenile, the plot a mishmash. The characters neither realistic or particularly interesting. Why did I finish this? Not sure, but it did have a kind of frenzied momentum if you totally ignored the other problems.
This is the kind of book I promised myself never to read again. A faux fantasy gradually morphing into a slipshod SF novel, and not succeeding in either genre. The writing is juvenile, the plot a mishmash. The characters neither realistic or particularly interesting. Why did I finish this? Not sure, but it did have a kind of frenzied momentum if you totally ignored the other problems.
August 30, 2021
Fun, entertaining, gory. A good story to pass the time with.
July 17, 2021
The Dark
I can hardly believe it can be possible to write so many fantastic books - but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak! Another great read by Jeremy Robinson!
I can hardly believe it can be possible to write so many fantastic books - but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak! Another great read by Jeremy Robinson!
December 20, 2022
This use to be one of my favorite authors and I’m just not getting into his newer stuff. His stuff would be non stop action pack from the first chapter on and now it’s a slow simmer into a faster simmer. Not my favorite by this author.
September 6, 2023
God forgets to pay the galactic power bill, so the Sun turns off for a while along with just about everything else. Then the baddies come out to play.
This was hella good! It's the second book I've read with this title, the other being by the late, great James Herbert. This was at least as good, if not a wee bit better.
The chapters are in nice bite-sized chunks, just right for a short train ride, or waiting to board your plane. I'm happy to report there were few typos or grammos, but after the characters entered a room, remarking how cold it was and "the AC is cranked" seemed silly when the power was out!!
The author's black sense of humour had me chuckling a few times. He also manage to raise awareness of war-related PTSD; something that the main protagonist, Miah suffered from. Good job, mate.
The story starts out all biblical-end-of-days like, then morphs into something I was not expecting at all. Clever! Then finally, it becomes pretty gruesome, to the point where you might yodel up last night's dinner...or at least feel like a baby Alien is about to burst forth from your gut. The ending is tied up nicely and quite satisfying...like a good hot dog. (Note: Hot Dogs should come with a medical warning inscribed on them.)
All-in-all, this beat the heck out of watching the galahs eat my grass seed I just spread. In fact, it was a bit of fun and I'll be reading another JR book soon.
This was hella good! It's the second book I've read with this title, the other being by the late, great James Herbert. This was at least as good, if not a wee bit better.
The chapters are in nice bite-sized chunks, just right for a short train ride, or waiting to board your plane. I'm happy to report there were few typos or grammos, but after the characters entered a room, remarking how cold it was and "the AC is cranked" seemed silly when the power was out!!
The author's black sense of humour had me chuckling a few times. He also manage to raise awareness of war-related PTSD; something that the main protagonist, Miah suffered from. Good job, mate.
The story starts out all biblical-end-of-days like, then morphs into something I was not expecting at all. Clever! Then finally, it becomes pretty gruesome, to the point where you might yodel up last night's dinner...or at least feel like a baby Alien is about to burst forth from your gut. The ending is tied up nicely and quite satisfying...like a good hot dog. (Note: Hot Dogs should come with a medical warning inscribed on them.)
All-in-all, this beat the heck out of watching the galahs eat my grass seed I just spread. In fact, it was a bit of fun and I'll be reading another JR book soon.
July 21, 2021
Completely bat-shit crazy, this unique war of good and evil is a home run by Jeremy Robinson. He's really come into his own.
5 Stars *****
5 Stars *****
August 19, 2021
Absolutely loved it, kept me engrossed from start to finished. Brilliantly read by Mr Bray as well.
December 3, 2021
What a blast of a book this one was!
I won't do any spoilers here. I'll just say that, as you read it, everything you think you've figured out will be WRONG.
I loved all of our characters - especially one particular 7 year old that would scare the hell out of me if I ever met her in real life.
Pure entertainment in the very best way!
I won't do any spoilers here. I'll just say that, as you read it, everything you think you've figured out will be WRONG.
I loved all of our characters - especially one particular 7 year old that would scare the hell out of me if I ever met her in real life.
Pure entertainment in the very best way!
December 19, 2021
3.5/5 The Dark is my first outing with Jeremy Robinson it’s quite a bizarre one. Our hero Miah is a vet with PTSD. He’s struggling through it when the apocalypse kicks in. Demons rise from hell and begin culling humanity. Miah’s experience puts him in the leadership role trying to keep his family and friends live.
I enjoyed the book more towards the beginning when it was a little more subtle. About a quarter of the way through it goes pretty balls out and while it’s exciting and quick paced it didn’t hold my interest as much as I would like. I don’t think it was poor writing or characters I just didn’t care for the direction the plot was going as much as I’d hoped.
Still it was an entertaining little apocalypse survival story with a lot of weird science fiction/fantasy aspects to it. Weird powers and crazy circumstances. It is also a little gruesome in parts but I like that sort of thing so no problem there.
I’ll read more by Mr. Robinson many of his titles sound super intriguing. Hopefully they just resonate with me a little better personally.
I enjoyed the book more towards the beginning when it was a little more subtle. About a quarter of the way through it goes pretty balls out and while it’s exciting and quick paced it didn’t hold my interest as much as I would like. I don’t think it was poor writing or characters I just didn’t care for the direction the plot was going as much as I’d hoped.
Still it was an entertaining little apocalypse survival story with a lot of weird science fiction/fantasy aspects to it. Weird powers and crazy circumstances. It is also a little gruesome in parts but I like that sort of thing so no problem there.
I’ll read more by Mr. Robinson many of his titles sound super intriguing. Hopefully they just resonate with me a little better personally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2021
Is this book YA?
Is it a comedy?
Was it supposed to be scary? I just don't understand.
Why are the reviews so high and what am I missing?
The book didn't resonate with me at all. I did have a couple laughs here and there. So that was good.
The book just wasn't what I expected and I couldn't wait til it was over (listened on Audible)
Is it a comedy?
Was it supposed to be scary? I just don't understand.
Why are the reviews so high and what am I missing?
The book didn't resonate with me at all. I did have a couple laughs here and there. So that was good.
The book just wasn't what I expected and I couldn't wait til it was over (listened on Audible)
July 14, 2021
Fantastic!
This is a fun horror novel by Jeremy Robinson. It is a great read and another one knocked out of the park by this efficient machine of an author. Don’t miss it! I strongly suggest the audiobook as well, narrated by R.C. Bray.
This is a fun horror novel by Jeremy Robinson. It is a great read and another one knocked out of the park by this efficient machine of an author. Don’t miss it! I strongly suggest the audiobook as well, narrated by R.C. Bray.
August 6, 2021
Really really enjoyed this book! Loved the characters especially Miah and Bree. Loved it!
June 18, 2022
On the Book cover
Miah Gray is a twenty-seven-year-old, former Army soldier living in rural New Hampshire with his sister, mother, and her boyfriend. He is plagued by PTSD, finding solace, but not redemption, with the aid of prescribed cannabis. All he wants to do is get high, relax with a good sandwich, and watch a meteor shower with his neighborhood crush--Jen.
A brilliant flash of light fills the sky, leaving Miah changed, and an Old Norse death rune etched onto his forehead. He fears he has been marked for death until the neighborhood's parents start disappearing, and he's left behind. Leading Jen and a ragtag group of parentless kids, Miah hunts for answers and for their parents, while trying to keep his sister safe. He charges headlong down a path that will take him to the gates of Hell--and then straight through.
THERE SHALL COME OVER THE WHOLE EARTH, AN INTENSE DARKNESS LASTING THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.
ALL OF HELL WILL BE LET LOOSE
The last line above seemed a great reason to pick up this book although I read most of Jeremy's books out of interest and am more often than not satisfied with the story.
My bookshelf has been overflowing as has been my kindle...
And I keep adding to them.
Morbidly, I have been starting books of all types, experimenting with different authors, reading over 50 books parallelly which has been taking a toll. With C19 easing and work almost back to normal, books have gone back to being a hobby and not being able to dedicate many hours per day put me a lot behind. So from last month, I have been reading books with a zeal, targeting completing a book within a targeted timeline.
The Dark has been one such casualty and somehow Jeremy Robinson has been on the receiving end of my malady. His recent books are partially to blame especially Infinite2 which after what was for me a blockbuster Infinite is a sleeper, puts me on snooze mode. Very slow pacing and my eternal problem of not quitting even when the book *****. pardon my French as they say.
This book isn't but is not a great one either. I have had some great times with Jeremy's books and what with his recent ailment (we are seeing a lot of that reflected in his writings as he himself has mentioned in discussions and book blurbs) and books which are all over the spectrum and his massive 12 book Infinite timeline crossover, expectations are space high, sky is just the baseline.
What is great is that Jeremy has not been struck to just the subject of Kaiju of which he is the foremost master and has always pushed his boundaries from the technothrillers in the Jack Sigler thriller series or the space exploration stories like Exo-Hunter, the Infinite books, this one or the AI and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) like again Infinite and books like NPC, and stories of the forbidden like Forbidden Island, contemporary stories featuring numerous arcs.
About this book, The Dark.
How much is this book different from what I read recently - The Distance and Flux, post apocalyptic vs Marvel multiverse style portal backed into alien territories, hell on earth, invasion seemed so very Chitauri as in Avengers.
Not very much I say, despite the fact that the book is entertaining like most of Jeremy's books, slow for most part with meandering being a descriptive word.
Miah Gray the star of the show, a twenty-seven-year-old, former Army soldier with PTSD seemed an ideal foil for Jeremy's histrionics in this book and with his leanings for certain plant materials herbal extracts to tone down his histrionics and relax onsets of panic attacks. There was enough material on Miah to elevate him into bookish super stardom and we see in the initial pages of the book how it progresses and the fact that despite his history he is straight laced and does not have any deep rooted addictions or characteristics for violence.
But why in this Dark hell is he wearing a skirt? The description is about the meds being potent but when telling us that he is not addicted earlier, this is like la la land for Miah with Mary Jane. If he gets so into his fix then episodes later in this book how does he stay sane without his fix. All rational decisions coming to him are powers suddenly gifted by Jeremy to his star but is not in sync with the earlier images of him.
Did love cause the change....Love can do that ....
Did the dire situation???
I don't know.
Would have loved to see Jeremy exploring PTSD in the book, it is a serious issue and affects lots of people with serious side effects and lifestyle issues depending on the degree of their exposure.
The information about this malady to the character here in this book just acts as filler, unfortunately.
The book has its moments with the subtle romance between Miah and Jen, the acceptance of family by Miah when the shoe drops. The way he bromances his mother's lover Rich after the crisis and his genuine distress when he goes to his mothers room to sit in what he considered his chair. Sisterly affection, protective towards his family and dependents as they add up are an extension of his soldier background.
The harbinger of the crisis is an advert in the papers about the centuries old Three Days of Darkness prophecy, during which the legions of Hell will be unleashed on the Earth and the world will go dark. We are in a super store where we find out that the stores have been emptied by people wary of this prophecy.
No explanation for this event or WHY and HOW and WHO has brought this information to the public domain. It seems everybody except our star's family and acquaintances know about the event.
This leaves a big question...
But the moment changes when the sky goes dark, animals frenzy and flee and Miah sees the paper in his kitchen table and rereads the info he puts his family into fast forward mode to cover all external windows.
The book leaves a lot of portions unfulfilled and its pace and action are the only things that keep it going.
The first half of the book is slow and unhurried and the second half flees through.
The villains in this case demons are described well but somehow the book does not give the feeling of doomsday, maybe because we see the main characters all together and in not much distress.
The side story of the character they meet in one of the neighboring houses, is an unwelcome detour that brings almost nothing to the main story except fill some additional pages and give opportunities for the team to play amongst themselves - a sort of a dress rehearsal for the main show.
The neighbor has issues and we actually see someone who is troubled severely by PTSD and other psychological stuff in his character. He could have been a welcome participator in the final countdown, adding to the terseness of the story but Jeremy sees fit to end his tenure with a shortcut.
Humor is the one thing that is all pervading in this book and we see all sorts of banter between characters and it helps take this book forward though what is lost is the terror/horror/chill that a Apocalyptical or near apocalyptical story should have. Instead of giving one the heebie-jeebies, the book provides feel good vibes and this seems to happen even when people are being mowed down or ground into Steak tartare.
This is how I felt when in a race to complete the book.
The epilogue helps link this book into Jeremy's Infinite timeline crossover book. We already know because we are reading the books as it comes.
I will recommend this book to Jeremy's committed fan folk and those like me who are doing the Infinite timeline.
For everyone else this book is a standalone book that you can read without any back or forward stories. My rating reflects the gap between where I have put him (pedestal) and what this book achieves (mid level).
Adios.
Miah Gray is a twenty-seven-year-old, former Army soldier living in rural New Hampshire with his sister, mother, and her boyfriend. He is plagued by PTSD, finding solace, but not redemption, with the aid of prescribed cannabis. All he wants to do is get high, relax with a good sandwich, and watch a meteor shower with his neighborhood crush--Jen.
A brilliant flash of light fills the sky, leaving Miah changed, and an Old Norse death rune etched onto his forehead. He fears he has been marked for death until the neighborhood's parents start disappearing, and he's left behind. Leading Jen and a ragtag group of parentless kids, Miah hunts for answers and for their parents, while trying to keep his sister safe. He charges headlong down a path that will take him to the gates of Hell--and then straight through.
THERE SHALL COME OVER THE WHOLE EARTH, AN INTENSE DARKNESS LASTING THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.
ALL OF HELL WILL BE LET LOOSE
The last line above seemed a great reason to pick up this book although I read most of Jeremy's books out of interest and am more often than not satisfied with the story.
My bookshelf has been overflowing as has been my kindle...
And I keep adding to them.
Morbidly, I have been starting books of all types, experimenting with different authors, reading over 50 books parallelly which has been taking a toll. With C19 easing and work almost back to normal, books have gone back to being a hobby and not being able to dedicate many hours per day put me a lot behind. So from last month, I have been reading books with a zeal, targeting completing a book within a targeted timeline.
The Dark has been one such casualty and somehow Jeremy Robinson has been on the receiving end of my malady. His recent books are partially to blame especially Infinite2 which after what was for me a blockbuster Infinite is a sleeper, puts me on snooze mode. Very slow pacing and my eternal problem of not quitting even when the book *****. pardon my French as they say.
This book isn't but is not a great one either. I have had some great times with Jeremy's books and what with his recent ailment (we are seeing a lot of that reflected in his writings as he himself has mentioned in discussions and book blurbs) and books which are all over the spectrum and his massive 12 book Infinite timeline crossover, expectations are space high, sky is just the baseline.
What is great is that Jeremy has not been struck to just the subject of Kaiju of which he is the foremost master and has always pushed his boundaries from the technothrillers in the Jack Sigler thriller series or the space exploration stories like Exo-Hunter, the Infinite books, this one or the AI and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) like again Infinite and books like NPC, and stories of the forbidden like Forbidden Island, contemporary stories featuring numerous arcs.
About this book, The Dark.
How much is this book different from what I read recently - The Distance and Flux, post apocalyptic vs Marvel multiverse style portal backed into alien territories, hell on earth, invasion seemed so very Chitauri as in Avengers.
Not very much I say, despite the fact that the book is entertaining like most of Jeremy's books, slow for most part with meandering being a descriptive word.
Miah Gray the star of the show, a twenty-seven-year-old, former Army soldier with PTSD seemed an ideal foil for Jeremy's histrionics in this book and with his leanings for certain plant materials herbal extracts to tone down his histrionics and relax onsets of panic attacks. There was enough material on Miah to elevate him into bookish super stardom and we see in the initial pages of the book how it progresses and the fact that despite his history he is straight laced and does not have any deep rooted addictions or characteristics for violence.
But why in this Dark hell is he wearing a skirt? The description is about the meds being potent but when telling us that he is not addicted earlier, this is like la la land for Miah with Mary Jane. If he gets so into his fix then episodes later in this book how does he stay sane without his fix. All rational decisions coming to him are powers suddenly gifted by Jeremy to his star but is not in sync with the earlier images of him.
Did love cause the change....Love can do that ....
Did the dire situation???
I don't know.
Would have loved to see Jeremy exploring PTSD in the book, it is a serious issue and affects lots of people with serious side effects and lifestyle issues depending on the degree of their exposure.
The information about this malady to the character here in this book just acts as filler, unfortunately.
The book has its moments with the subtle romance between Miah and Jen, the acceptance of family by Miah when the shoe drops. The way he bromances his mother's lover Rich after the crisis and his genuine distress when he goes to his mothers room to sit in what he considered his chair. Sisterly affection, protective towards his family and dependents as they add up are an extension of his soldier background.
The harbinger of the crisis is an advert in the papers about the centuries old Three Days of Darkness prophecy, during which the legions of Hell will be unleashed on the Earth and the world will go dark. We are in a super store where we find out that the stores have been emptied by people wary of this prophecy.
No explanation for this event or WHY and HOW and WHO has brought this information to the public domain. It seems everybody except our star's family and acquaintances know about the event.
This leaves a big question...
But the moment changes when the sky goes dark, animals frenzy and flee and Miah sees the paper in his kitchen table and rereads the info he puts his family into fast forward mode to cover all external windows.
The book leaves a lot of portions unfulfilled and its pace and action are the only things that keep it going.
The first half of the book is slow and unhurried and the second half flees through.
The villains in this case demons are described well but somehow the book does not give the feeling of doomsday, maybe because we see the main characters all together and in not much distress.
The side story of the character they meet in one of the neighboring houses, is an unwelcome detour that brings almost nothing to the main story except fill some additional pages and give opportunities for the team to play amongst themselves - a sort of a dress rehearsal for the main show.
The neighbor has issues and we actually see someone who is troubled severely by PTSD and other psychological stuff in his character. He could have been a welcome participator in the final countdown, adding to the terseness of the story but Jeremy sees fit to end his tenure with a shortcut.
Humor is the one thing that is all pervading in this book and we see all sorts of banter between characters and it helps take this book forward though what is lost is the terror/horror/chill that a Apocalyptical or near apocalyptical story should have. Instead of giving one the heebie-jeebies, the book provides feel good vibes and this seems to happen even when people are being mowed down or ground into Steak tartare.
This is how I felt when in a race to complete the book.
The epilogue helps link this book into Jeremy's Infinite timeline crossover book. We already know because we are reading the books as it comes.
I will recommend this book to Jeremy's committed fan folk and those like me who are doing the Infinite timeline.
For everyone else this book is a standalone book that you can read without any back or forward stories. My rating reflects the gap between where I have put him (pedestal) and what this book achieves (mid level).
Adios.
August 31, 2021
That was surprisingly fun. I'll admit, I mostly picked this up due to the high rating and genre combination, but my expectations were rather low given the pulpy blurb. Nevertheless, my repressed teenage self was curious to see how a story about three days of hell on earth would play out and while it had its issues, I was pretty impressed by the overall execution.
The narrator of the audiobook was amazing, perfectly bringing to life a funny and complex protagonist. I had a good few laughs along the way and while the humour became quite forced in the second half, I couldn't blame the author for trying. The writing was generally pretty good with a great, quick pace and snappy dialogue, interspersed with a nice mix of action sequences. I saw a few of the twists coming, but once again, the execution made for an engaging read for the most part. The secondary characters were distinct and played their roles well, even if a few fell into cliche territory.
On the downside, the last act wasn't for me, being pretty much a non-stop action sequence with comic escalations and no real sense of danger or uncertainty about the outcome. There were, however, a couple of good twists thrown in, but they were offset by the cheesy plotting which ended up feeling more like deus ex machina. I was also a bit disappointed by most of the themes it set up, but never really explored as it seemed to promise. For example, the whole first act was dedicated to showing what a person with PTSD goes through daily, but once the shit hit the fan, he was a walking badass doing what needs to be done, PTSD mostly forgotten about. It's somewhat explained away over the course of the story, but it's just one of the examples of how the themes weren't well realised.
If the last third had been like the first two, this would be getting a 4 from me. This was by far the best action-themed book I've read in ages and even while adult me scoffed at the silly action and some really stupid character interactions, child me was having a blast. Definitely worth a read if you like strong, voicy protagonists, a great mix of action and humour, and want something quick and fun.
The narrator of the audiobook was amazing, perfectly bringing to life a funny and complex protagonist. I had a good few laughs along the way and while the humour became quite forced in the second half, I couldn't blame the author for trying. The writing was generally pretty good with a great, quick pace and snappy dialogue, interspersed with a nice mix of action sequences. I saw a few of the twists coming, but once again, the execution made for an engaging read for the most part. The secondary characters were distinct and played their roles well, even if a few fell into cliche territory.
On the downside, the last act wasn't for me, being pretty much a non-stop action sequence with comic escalations and no real sense of danger or uncertainty about the outcome. There were, however, a couple of good twists thrown in, but they were offset by the cheesy plotting which ended up feeling more like deus ex machina. I was also a bit disappointed by most of the themes it set up, but never really explored as it seemed to promise. For example, the whole first act was dedicated to showing what a person with PTSD goes through daily, but once the shit hit the fan, he was a walking badass doing what needs to be done, PTSD mostly forgotten about. It's somewhat explained away over the course of the story, but it's just one of the examples of how the themes weren't well realised.
If the last third had been like the first two, this would be getting a 4 from me. This was by far the best action-themed book I've read in ages and even while adult me scoffed at the silly action and some really stupid character interactions, child me was having a blast. Definitely worth a read if you like strong, voicy protagonists, a great mix of action and humour, and want something quick and fun.
October 7, 2021
A fabulous read. Everything you could possibly want. Loved every word.
July 14, 2021
Demons or Aliens
A great fast paced read by Jeremy Robinson. Are demons real or are they really aliens? Follow Miah and his small band of survivors as they try to find out who or what has attacked their part of the world. I hope there is a sequel!
A great fast paced read by Jeremy Robinson. Are demons real or are they really aliens? Follow Miah and his small band of survivors as they try to find out who or what has attacked their part of the world. I hope there is a sequel!
July 28, 2021
The Dark
Best book I've read in a long time...I always said Mr. Robinson's books throw you head first into his story lines, this book is no exception... Loved all the characters and story...
Best book I've read in a long time...I always said Mr. Robinson's books throw you head first into his story lines, this book is no exception... Loved all the characters and story...
October 16, 2025
4.6*
Novel·la que ens llança a un abisme on la realitat s'esquerda i la ment esdevé un camp de batalla entre allò que creiem veure i allò que amaga la foscor. El protagonista s’enfronta a una amenaça que qüestiona tota lògica i el porta al límit de la bogeria. Robinson construeix una narració de ritme incansable, plena de tensió creixent, misteri profund i acció que no dona respir. Cada cop de efecte ens empeny cap a un horror que és tant físic com filosòfic, en un descens que ens arrastra sense retorn.
Amb un estil directe i visualment potent, l’autor barreja amb mestria la ciència-ficció més especulativa, el thriller psicològic i el terror més visceral. El resultat és una atmosfera claustrofòbica i absorbent, que no et deixa desconnectar ni un moment. En definitiva, una novel·la fosca, electritzant i plena de girs inesperats, que explora tant les ombres que ens envolten com les que portem dins. És un viatge que no et dóna treva i que et fa qüestionar-ho tot i que m'ha deixat amb ganes de continuar amb la sèrie Infinite.
Novel·la que ens llança a un abisme on la realitat s'esquerda i la ment esdevé un camp de batalla entre allò que creiem veure i allò que amaga la foscor. El protagonista s’enfronta a una amenaça que qüestiona tota lògica i el porta al límit de la bogeria. Robinson construeix una narració de ritme incansable, plena de tensió creixent, misteri profund i acció que no dona respir. Cada cop de efecte ens empeny cap a un horror que és tant físic com filosòfic, en un descens que ens arrastra sense retorn.
Amb un estil directe i visualment potent, l’autor barreja amb mestria la ciència-ficció més especulativa, el thriller psicològic i el terror més visceral. El resultat és una atmosfera claustrofòbica i absorbent, que no et deixa desconnectar ni un moment. En definitiva, una novel·la fosca, electritzant i plena de girs inesperats, que explora tant les ombres que ens envolten com les que portem dins. És un viatge que no et dóna treva i que et fa qüestionar-ho tot i que m'ha deixat amb ganes de continuar amb la sèrie Infinite.
August 18, 2021
Notes:
The book has been labeled as horror/sci-fi/fantasy. It's more like a quirky UF with dapples of horror/etc. Not sci-fi though.
I like the characters a lot. Fun concepts but odd plot that kept bashing along to the end.
The book has been labeled as horror/sci-fi/fantasy. It's more like a quirky UF with dapples of horror/etc. Not sci-fi though.
I like the characters a lot. Fun concepts but odd plot that kept bashing along to the end.
March 23, 2022
Interesting twist on the survival world-gone-to-hell genre, something I haven't read before.
But what made this stand out was the all-to-real struggles that Miah endures with PTSD.
This author created a character you could hope and pray for, and dropped him into an action-packed sometimes truly gory story.
I liked all of the heroes in this book.
Just be warned, it does get mega gross during the battle scenes.
But what made this stand out was the all-to-real struggles that Miah endures with PTSD.
This author created a character you could hope and pray for, and dropped him into an action-packed sometimes truly gory story.
I liked all of the heroes in this book.
Just be warned, it does get mega gross during the battle scenes.
January 31, 2022
5 dark stars
The Dark is a sci-fi, horror, full with suspense and humor.
Really amazing read. Enjoyed every page.
The Dark is a sci-fi, horror, full with suspense and humor.
Really amazing read. Enjoyed every page.
October 20, 2021
Now that was an incredible ride! The humor was great and balanced well with the horror nature of the novel.
July 27, 2021
Welp, not what I was expecting
This book took me places I was not expecting at all and that was okay. I was expecting dark horror and I got humor and horror with some sci fi tossed in for good measure. Oh, and lots of blood and guts.
Miah (Nehemiah) is not your typical protagonist. He is 27 years old, former Army fairly crippled with PTSD that medicates with measures of cannabis gummies, lives with his mom, her boyfriend, and his sister in a McMansion suburb in rural New Hampshire and is NOT prepared at all when the sky goes dark, people start disappearing, and monsters start appearing.
I loved Miah's character and I loved that I did not see the direction this story was going and it surprised me quite a few times.
This is the most unique story I've read for quite a long time and I highly recommend it.
I'm now off to read THE DISTANCE by this same author along with his wife Hilaree Robinson, which I've had for a while and decided it just might be time to read.
This book took me places I was not expecting at all and that was okay. I was expecting dark horror and I got humor and horror with some sci fi tossed in for good measure. Oh, and lots of blood and guts.
Miah (Nehemiah) is not your typical protagonist. He is 27 years old, former Army fairly crippled with PTSD that medicates with measures of cannabis gummies, lives with his mom, her boyfriend, and his sister in a McMansion suburb in rural New Hampshire and is NOT prepared at all when the sky goes dark, people start disappearing, and monsters start appearing.
I loved Miah's character and I loved that I did not see the direction this story was going and it surprised me quite a few times.
This is the most unique story I've read for quite a long time and I highly recommend it.
I'm now off to read THE DISTANCE by this same author along with his wife Hilaree Robinson, which I've had for a while and decided it just might be time to read.
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