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Nightmarist
He did it – he knows it was him, just like he knows he isn’t crazy. Grimmond Scylent is haunted by the single act of what he did when he was just a little boy.
But try as the now sixteen-year-old Grimmond may to escape his past, his bloody Boston secret still follows him a decade later with lucid manifestations of nightmares. Tormenting him whether he’s asleep or awake, when Grimmond witnesses one of them take form beneath a bridge and rip his oldest bully limb from limb, he’s warned that he is next. With the help of something he had forced himself to believe was only his insanity, Grimmond escapes from city jail and is ushered to a place he didn’t know existed: Stanchions Hollow in the mountains of New England.
There, Grimmond must struggle to fight against the otherworldly horrors that only they – the Nightmarists – can see. But he doesn’t at first guess why he’s unable to wield the weapons of the Nightmarists-in-training, or why his memories of that unspeakable childhood night in the graveyard are no longer adding up. Grimmond never suspects that his own actions were subject to a greater conspiracy, and that he may have the very thing his nightmares require to release the oldest fear upon the world. By the time Grimmond comes to grips with his eldritch reality and uncovers the truth, it might be too late – for him, Stanchions Hollow, and the rest of humanity.
But try as the now sixteen-year-old Grimmond may to escape his past, his bloody Boston secret still follows him a decade later with lucid manifestations of nightmares. Tormenting him whether he’s asleep or awake, when Grimmond witnesses one of them take form beneath a bridge and rip his oldest bully limb from limb, he’s warned that he is next. With the help of something he had forced himself to believe was only his insanity, Grimmond escapes from city jail and is ushered to a place he didn’t know existed: Stanchions Hollow in the mountains of New England.
There, Grimmond must struggle to fight against the otherworldly horrors that only they – the Nightmarists – can see. But he doesn’t at first guess why he’s unable to wield the weapons of the Nightmarists-in-training, or why his memories of that unspeakable childhood night in the graveyard are no longer adding up. Grimmond never suspects that his own actions were subject to a greater conspiracy, and that he may have the very thing his nightmares require to release the oldest fear upon the world. By the time Grimmond comes to grips with his eldritch reality and uncovers the truth, it might be too late – for him, Stanchions Hollow, and the rest of humanity.
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2021
7 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
A.B. Davis
1 book8 followersAfter living across the United States and abroad, A.B. returned to the Midwest where he grew up and currently works as an engineer. He loves jogging at night, any-sized campfire, and a bright flashlight. Writing has always been his great passion, back to when he was quite young and wrote a delightfully horrible poem about confused ants on a picnic.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 3, 2021
"Nightmares never really die…"
The self-publishing track has launched the writing careers of literary gems like Andy Weir, Amy Harmon, Christopher Paolini, and Colleen Hoover. From sci-fi to literary fiction to fantasy to romance, self-publishing has uncovered the hidden gems of every genre, just waiting to be discovered and adored by fans.
"Think like a Nightmare. Dream like one, too."
And, through this self-published stunner, I think the niche genre of YA horror might have just inadvertently stumbled upon its newest gem of a writer: A.B. Davis has exceeded all of my expectations with his debut novel, Nightmarist, and I am absolutely hooked on his brand of thrills and chills.
"I cannot promise you that this ends happily."
If dark academia is your sweet spot, make room on your bookshelf for Nightmarist. Fans of Ninth House, A Deadly Education, and The Taking of Jake Livingston will find much to enjoy here. You may be wondering if, in a world already beholden to magical schools like Hogwarts, the Scholomance, Brakebills, and more, there remains uncharted territory in this exploding sub-genre. I assure you (and Davis’s writing will, too): there is.
"Nightmares are real. And I’m a Nightmarist—someone who’s trained to fight them."
This spooky, supernatural story introduces Grimmond Scylent, an orphaned, outcast teenager plagued by terrifying hallucinations. On his 16th birthday, he discovers that his horrifying visions aren’t just in his head—they’re real. They’re Nightmares, made manifest, and they’re not just a thing to haunt the sleeping hours anymore. Now, they’re preying on people who are awake.
"They haven’t just been attacking people who are asleep, but those who are awake. Soon, Nightmares won’t only be a thing of bad dreams—they will turn the whole world toward darkness."
Before he can even make sense of this unbelievable reality, Grimmond is ushered away to Stanchions Hollow, a magical academy that exists behind a shadowy veil, accessible only to people like Grimmond, who can see Nightmares for what they truly are. At the Hollow, Grimmond will train to become a “Nightmarist”—a skilled combatant who can defeat these embodied Nightmares, and protect the unaware Dreamers back home. That is, if the Nightmares don’t destroy him first…
"You may have a chance, if we hurry—or you may die this time. Are you ready for anything?"
Davis’s world-building is second to none. He creates a captivating atmosphere, filled with phantom cars chauffeured by ghostly severed heads, magical assault team scrimmages aided by flying gargoyles, and classes taught by the actual Boogey Man. The complexities of this magical realm have been well thought-out and thoroughly explained, leaving the reader feeling sufficiently equipped to navigate the storyline, and there’s a twist that I never saw coming!
"Nightmares didn’t just get through the mist. Someone let them in."
The “horror” aspect of Nightmarist plays out more as gory, otherworldly quirk, as opposed to intense psychological trauma (think Grady Hendrix, not Alex North), which feels appropriate, since it is YA fiction after all, and fun, if you can stomach all the peeled skin and dismemberment!
"His sweeping gaze stopped upon the lone girl. The dead girl, dancing grotesquely in the corner of the room… Her rotting face and dimly illuminated eye sockets narrowed back at him, unblinking. Now, he understood—it was going to be one of those nights."
And yet, underneath the entertaining fun and the atmospheric vibes, Davis’s writing subtly speaks to deeper themes: guilt, loss, self-sacrifice, survival, and the weight of responsibility. I already want to return to Stanchion’s Hollow for more!
"Dreamers don’t stand a chance against something they can’t see. We do what they can’t do for themselves—what nobody but a Nightmarist can do. We’re fighting for them."
The self-publishing track has launched the writing careers of literary gems like Andy Weir, Amy Harmon, Christopher Paolini, and Colleen Hoover. From sci-fi to literary fiction to fantasy to romance, self-publishing has uncovered the hidden gems of every genre, just waiting to be discovered and adored by fans.
"Think like a Nightmare. Dream like one, too."
And, through this self-published stunner, I think the niche genre of YA horror might have just inadvertently stumbled upon its newest gem of a writer: A.B. Davis has exceeded all of my expectations with his debut novel, Nightmarist, and I am absolutely hooked on his brand of thrills and chills.
"I cannot promise you that this ends happily."
If dark academia is your sweet spot, make room on your bookshelf for Nightmarist. Fans of Ninth House, A Deadly Education, and The Taking of Jake Livingston will find much to enjoy here. You may be wondering if, in a world already beholden to magical schools like Hogwarts, the Scholomance, Brakebills, and more, there remains uncharted territory in this exploding sub-genre. I assure you (and Davis’s writing will, too): there is.
"Nightmares are real. And I’m a Nightmarist—someone who’s trained to fight them."
This spooky, supernatural story introduces Grimmond Scylent, an orphaned, outcast teenager plagued by terrifying hallucinations. On his 16th birthday, he discovers that his horrifying visions aren’t just in his head—they’re real. They’re Nightmares, made manifest, and they’re not just a thing to haunt the sleeping hours anymore. Now, they’re preying on people who are awake.
"They haven’t just been attacking people who are asleep, but those who are awake. Soon, Nightmares won’t only be a thing of bad dreams—they will turn the whole world toward darkness."
Before he can even make sense of this unbelievable reality, Grimmond is ushered away to Stanchions Hollow, a magical academy that exists behind a shadowy veil, accessible only to people like Grimmond, who can see Nightmares for what they truly are. At the Hollow, Grimmond will train to become a “Nightmarist”—a skilled combatant who can defeat these embodied Nightmares, and protect the unaware Dreamers back home. That is, if the Nightmares don’t destroy him first…
"You may have a chance, if we hurry—or you may die this time. Are you ready for anything?"
Davis’s world-building is second to none. He creates a captivating atmosphere, filled with phantom cars chauffeured by ghostly severed heads, magical assault team scrimmages aided by flying gargoyles, and classes taught by the actual Boogey Man. The complexities of this magical realm have been well thought-out and thoroughly explained, leaving the reader feeling sufficiently equipped to navigate the storyline, and there’s a twist that I never saw coming!
"Nightmares didn’t just get through the mist. Someone let them in."
The “horror” aspect of Nightmarist plays out more as gory, otherworldly quirk, as opposed to intense psychological trauma (think Grady Hendrix, not Alex North), which feels appropriate, since it is YA fiction after all, and fun, if you can stomach all the peeled skin and dismemberment!
"His sweeping gaze stopped upon the lone girl. The dead girl, dancing grotesquely in the corner of the room… Her rotting face and dimly illuminated eye sockets narrowed back at him, unblinking. Now, he understood—it was going to be one of those nights."
And yet, underneath the entertaining fun and the atmospheric vibes, Davis’s writing subtly speaks to deeper themes: guilt, loss, self-sacrifice, survival, and the weight of responsibility. I already want to return to Stanchion’s Hollow for more!
"Dreamers don’t stand a chance against something they can’t see. We do what they can’t do for themselves—what nobody but a Nightmarist can do. We’re fighting for them."
October 3, 2021
Excellent story! A bit outside of my normal genre but it was a happy detour. If you like Harry Potter (and who doesn’t!?) I highly recommend this novel. I got lost in the world of Stanchions Hollow and Grimmond’s journey and read this whole book in two days. Imagery is great and the characters are likeable…a definite fall must-read.
February 27, 2023
{3.5 stars}
Grimmond is a high school student with issues. He struggles to fit in and is on anti-psychotic medicine to stop his revolting hallucinations. He’s lived for years with his godmother after his parents death and is trying to just survive. One night, his world is turned upside down and he learns the truth about what he is and why he has the hallucinations he does. I’m not going to go any farther than that as I think anything more would be a spoiler.
This one starts out mega confusing. It throws you right into a world with lots of terms and concepts that are quite overwhelming. Stick with it though, it does all come together. I definitely felt strong Harry Potter vibes with this one. Lots of parallels with those stories, especially the latter, darker years. The ending does give you a bit of a cliffhanger, so be prepared for that.
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.
Grimmond is a high school student with issues. He struggles to fit in and is on anti-psychotic medicine to stop his revolting hallucinations. He’s lived for years with his godmother after his parents death and is trying to just survive. One night, his world is turned upside down and he learns the truth about what he is and why he has the hallucinations he does. I’m not going to go any farther than that as I think anything more would be a spoiler.
This one starts out mega confusing. It throws you right into a world with lots of terms and concepts that are quite overwhelming. Stick with it though, it does all come together. I definitely felt strong Harry Potter vibes with this one. Lots of parallels with those stories, especially the latter, darker years. The ending does give you a bit of a cliffhanger, so be prepared for that.
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.
October 13, 2021
This was absolutely phenomenal. The imagery, the characters, the story.. wow!! Absolutely got lost in the world and flew through it near the ending. Fingers crossed for a series!
September 2, 2022
As someone who typically prefers realism to fantasy books, I was blown away by how captivated I was by this book. Even if fantasy isn't something you would typically read, I highly recommend giving this a read!! From the beginning, the book captured my attention and I found myself unable to stop reading. The author's imagery and imaginative detail immerse you in the world of Stanchions Hollow. Grimmond is a very likable character and I found myself feeling his emotions along with him. The storytelling immerses you into the world of Stanchions Hollow and I flew through the last ~20% of the book, dying to see how things would play out. And no spoilers, but the ending left me super excited for the possibility of more adventures for Grimmond and friends in the future.
October 15, 2021
This book is full of magic, adventure, mystery and has so many twists and turns in the plot. The main character, Grimmond, was truly fascinating and I felt concerned and sympathetic towards him. The way that his world is built and explained to us, especially how its surroundings are described are so vivid and horrifying. The end of the story left room for a sequel and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
The story is great for younger readers who would like to try reading a fantasy book as it is a great option to introduce the genre to the younger generation. There are so many magical/fantasy elements that will keep you entertained all the way through the book.
A great option for a spooky night time read.
The story is great for younger readers who would like to try reading a fantasy book as it is a great option to introduce the genre to the younger generation. There are so many magical/fantasy elements that will keep you entertained all the way through the book.
A great option for a spooky night time read.
October 29, 2021
I had a blast reading this book! It was like a combo of Harry Potter and H.P. Lovecraft, epic Horror/Fantasy set in the contemporary world. The world-building in this book is fantastic, with so many great creatures, and lore. I don't want to give anything away, but I look forward to the next book in the series by A.B. Davis!
November 27, 2021
This book is so captivating! The world is so imaginative and refreshing in how different it is from anything else. The story itself takes many twists that keep the book moving without mid novel sag. I highly recommend it!
December 28, 2021
I absolutely loved this! Action packed and page turning. Grim and Vi were amazing with their banter.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews