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30 Days of Night novels #5
30 Days of Night: Fear of the Dark
30 Days of Night novel #5
Marty Volk has a guardian angel. For the past five years, since he was twelve years old, it has saved Marty whenever he's been in danger. And from a single darkened glimpse one night on the streets of London, he thinks it's his long-lost sister Rose - ten years older than him, beautiful, intelligent . . . and deceased. For Rose has become a creature of legend that thrives, along with her undead companions, in the shadows of the human world . . . one who tenaciously holds on to her new existence, and who will do anything to survive. . . .
Marty Volk has a guardian angel. For the past five years, since he was twelve years old, it has saved Marty whenever he's been in danger. And from a single darkened glimpse one night on the streets of London, he thinks it's his long-lost sister Rose - ten years older than him, beautiful, intelligent . . . and deceased. For Rose has become a creature of legend that thrives, along with her undead companions, in the shadows of the human world . . . one who tenaciously holds on to her new existence, and who will do anything to survive. . . .
325 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 6, 2010
7 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Tim Lebbon
295 books1,537 followersI love writing, reading, triathlon, real ale, chocolate, good movies, occasional bad movies, and cake.
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 28, 2015
An entertaining read all round, I don't think you need to know much about the whole 30 Days of Night franchise to enjoy this book. A young teenager in London is saved from a vampire attack by his sister, who herself became a vampire five years previously. She belongs to a group called the Humains, who don't feed off humans and who want to live peacefully with them. The other vampires though, are not so pleasant. Added to this is the mystery of an object called the Bane which is said to either confer great power on a vampire - or provide the means to destroy them utterly. The race is on between the two groups to gain access to the power of the Bane, a chase that leads through the underground spaces of London and to a final confrontation in the British Museum.
If I have a criticism of the story, it's that it could be any old vampire story, because the connections with 30 Days of Night is fairly marginal - a few mentions of the events in Barrow, a quick phone call with Stella Olemaun (from the original comic and film adaptation) for information, the general description of the vampires, which are more like the quick zombies from 28 Days Later than more traditional vampires. None of that matters really, because it's just a good story. The characters of Rose and her brother Marty are engaging and you really want them to win out against the nasty vampires. There's a good supporting cast on both sides to root for or against. There is a good deal of well described gore and body horror, and the author does a good job of describing how it feels to be a vampire fighting against the constant hunger for blood. The Bane itself turns out to be a bit of a McGuffin as it
This seems to be the last story written in this universe (there are four previous novels as well as about a dozen graphic novels). This is a shame because the universe described here could be expanded quite considerably. I shall have to track down the other stories and read them as well.
3 1/2 stars
If I have a criticism of the story, it's that it could be any old vampire story, because the connections with 30 Days of Night is fairly marginal - a few mentions of the events in Barrow, a quick phone call with Stella Olemaun (from the original comic and film adaptation) for information, the general description of the vampires, which are more like the quick zombies from 28 Days Later than more traditional vampires. None of that matters really, because it's just a good story. The characters of Rose and her brother Marty are engaging and you really want them to win out against the nasty vampires. There's a good supporting cast on both sides to root for or against. There is a good deal of well described gore and body horror, and the author does a good job of describing how it feels to be a vampire fighting against the constant hunger for blood. The Bane itself turns out to be a bit of a McGuffin as it
This seems to be the last story written in this universe (there are four previous novels as well as about a dozen graphic novels). This is a shame because the universe described here could be expanded quite considerably. I shall have to track down the other stories and read them as well.
3 1/2 stars
April 5, 2019
This was good, although I really would have preferred it follow the continuity of the past novels rather than basically telling a new story with very little to do with novels preceding it. That being said, it was still a good read as we have an evil group of vampires battling a more benign group known as the "humains." They are both after the Bane, supposedly an ultimate weapon that can either make vampires the rulers of all, or destroy them entirely. Plenty of action and horror, and a very cohesive story that flows along and never drags. I really wish there had been more novels in this series, as I really enjoyed all of them.
April 17, 2011
Highly entertaining tale of not-so-bad vamps versus very nasty naughty vamps who want to take over the world and dominate humanity, but are defeated thanks to the efforts of a young lad, his vampire sister and her crew of 'Humains'.
Lots of fun.
Lots of fun.
July 9, 2024
Full review on Happy Goat Horror:
https://happygoathorror.com/2024/05/2...
Another excellent horror novel from Tim Lebbon, set in the 30 Days of Night universe (but this time in London!).
https://happygoathorror.com/2024/05/2...
Another excellent horror novel from Tim Lebbon, set in the 30 Days of Night universe (but this time in London!).
August 15, 2013
You can find the original review here: http://descentintoslushland.wordpress...
It’s safe to assume I’ll read any horror book where vampires are biting someone’s throat out. That’s why I wanted to read 30 Days of Night: Fear of the Dark. It also didn’t hurt that Tim Lebbon, the author who wrote the movie tie in book, wrote this completely new story set in the 30 Days of Night world. If you’ve read the graphic novels or watched the movie, you know these vampires have rows of sharp teeth and think of humans as little more than cattle, food. Awesome, right?
From the publisher:
Marty Volk has a guardian angel. For the past five years, since he was twelve years old, it has saved Marty whenever he’s been in danger. And from a single darkened glimpse one night on the streets of London, he thinks it’s his long-lost sister Rose—ten years older than him, beautiful, intelligent . . . and deceased. For Rose has become a creature of legend that thrives, along with her undead companions, in the shadows of the human world . . . one who tenaciously holds on to her new existence, and who will do anything to survive. . . .
Fear of the Dark tells the story of Rose Volk, a vampire who chooses not to feed on live, human blood. She’s been missing for five years and her family, with the exception of her little brother, believe her to be dead. Turns out she’s been watching out for her little brother from the shadows and darkness. Mr. Lebbon creates some great characters in this story, Rose first and foremost. She constantly fights her inner bloodlust and her attachment to her previous life. Inner conflict only adds to the tension, yo. And boy, do we have loads of tension.
Rose’s younger brother Marty, on the other hand, is a whiny and overly emotional teenager. He’s never given up hope that his big sister would walk back through the door one day. I found Marty to be too much of a wuss. I mean, he pees his pants several times throughout this story. He complains, he does things he knows he shouldn’t, then complains that he did them, mouths off, and hopes his vampire sister will save him time and time again. Anyway, his weakness becomes Rose’s weakness too, which I did like. When she has to stop and think about helping her brother instead of doing the right thing, it adds to the tension, and stakes.
What Tim does so well is stay faithful to the original 30 Days of Night world. I could easily see this being made into a successful film. These vampires were cold blooded killers. They took what they wanted, when they wanted to take them. I also liked how he incorporated Stella Olemaun, from the graphic novels, into this story. She’s not a main player, but she does play a small role. All the little things make this story feel like it belongs in the 30 Days of Night universe. Kudos to Tim for his attention to detail.
The first quarter of this book starts out like a bat out of hell. The pace is blistering and readers are easily sucked into the story. I was surprised by how much action happens so soon. And I loved it. Unfortunately, the bar is set so high that when things calm down for too long, you begin to wonder when more carnage will happen. Eventually more action is sprinkled throughout the middle, but never quite like the beginning of the book. This is the rare case where I think so much good action, so soon, actually works against the rest of the book because you come to expect all the action to be as good. You want more. It’s a good thing that when more action happens, the quality stays high. I guess Tim likes spinning an intelligent, and gory tale. I do too.
What I liked:
1.Rose Volk. She’s a great character to build a story around. I even wanted to know more of her backstory because she’s so interesting. I wondered how she felt toward the vampire who turned her. Her life was changed and all because he was lonely. Healthy questions about a character’s backstory are a good thing. She’s definitely interesting and easy to root for. She’s making the most out of her new situation, the best way she can. I’d like to see more of her in future books.
2.The Vampires. If you want your vampires to be hungry, throat ripping, blood slurping monsters, you picked the right book. Mr. Lebbon even shows us another side of these vampires as some choose not to feed on live, human blood. He even differentiates between popular vampire myths like fear of crosses, no mirror reflections, and adverse reactions to garlic, and the 30 Days of Night vampires. These vampires have their own lore, and rightfully so, and readers are treated to how they work.
3.The family dynamic between Rose and Marty. Rose is strong. Marty is not. Having Rose constantly worrying about her brother adds a whole new layer to the story.
4.The authenticity. Mr. Lebbon’s attention to detail make this story feel like it belongs in the 30 Days of Night universe.
5.No character is safe. I love how Tim isn’t afraid to kill off his characters. When the story calls for blood, he gives you blood…in buckets.
6.The first quarter of the book. Man, the pace and action of the first quarter of this book makes it reading just for that. The rest is gravy.
7.The London setting. I like how Tim presented London after dark. It’s gritty and feels like an authentic big city. He includes everything from junkies, crowded tubes, and even the smell of piss in doorways.
What I didn’t like:
1.Marty Volk. He’s a bit too whiny and emotional to want to root for. Halfway through the book I was hoping the bad guys would catch and eat him so he would stop whining. Seriously. Maybe they do…you’ll have to read to find out.
2.The middle lags. The beginning is awesome. The end is also awesome. The middle, unfortunately, isn’t.
3.The rapid fire POV’s at the end. While I like the ending, Mr. Lebbon switches character POVs sometimes after a single page so readers are following four different characters in a single chapter.
4.The “bad vampires” motivation. I won’t get into specifics, but I will say the logic behind them seeking out Rose is thin at best.
Overview: I’m giving 30 Days of Night: Fear of the Dark a solid 3 and a half stars out of five. While this book won’t be up for any awards, it will satisfy any vampire lover’s fix. These aren’t your traditional vampires either. If you like your vampires predatory and your horror bloody, you should definitely give this book a try. I enjoyed my time with Tim Lebbon’s take on the 30 Days of Night vampires. I hope he continues with another story starring Rose. I’d slap my money down for another go. I’ll definitely keep my eye out for what Tim writes next and search out some of his earlier works.
It’s safe to assume I’ll read any horror book where vampires are biting someone’s throat out. That’s why I wanted to read 30 Days of Night: Fear of the Dark. It also didn’t hurt that Tim Lebbon, the author who wrote the movie tie in book, wrote this completely new story set in the 30 Days of Night world. If you’ve read the graphic novels or watched the movie, you know these vampires have rows of sharp teeth and think of humans as little more than cattle, food. Awesome, right?
From the publisher:
Marty Volk has a guardian angel. For the past five years, since he was twelve years old, it has saved Marty whenever he’s been in danger. And from a single darkened glimpse one night on the streets of London, he thinks it’s his long-lost sister Rose—ten years older than him, beautiful, intelligent . . . and deceased. For Rose has become a creature of legend that thrives, along with her undead companions, in the shadows of the human world . . . one who tenaciously holds on to her new existence, and who will do anything to survive. . . .
Fear of the Dark tells the story of Rose Volk, a vampire who chooses not to feed on live, human blood. She’s been missing for five years and her family, with the exception of her little brother, believe her to be dead. Turns out she’s been watching out for her little brother from the shadows and darkness. Mr. Lebbon creates some great characters in this story, Rose first and foremost. She constantly fights her inner bloodlust and her attachment to her previous life. Inner conflict only adds to the tension, yo. And boy, do we have loads of tension.
Rose’s younger brother Marty, on the other hand, is a whiny and overly emotional teenager. He’s never given up hope that his big sister would walk back through the door one day. I found Marty to be too much of a wuss. I mean, he pees his pants several times throughout this story. He complains, he does things he knows he shouldn’t, then complains that he did them, mouths off, and hopes his vampire sister will save him time and time again. Anyway, his weakness becomes Rose’s weakness too, which I did like. When she has to stop and think about helping her brother instead of doing the right thing, it adds to the tension, and stakes.
What Tim does so well is stay faithful to the original 30 Days of Night world. I could easily see this being made into a successful film. These vampires were cold blooded killers. They took what they wanted, when they wanted to take them. I also liked how he incorporated Stella Olemaun, from the graphic novels, into this story. She’s not a main player, but she does play a small role. All the little things make this story feel like it belongs in the 30 Days of Night universe. Kudos to Tim for his attention to detail.
The first quarter of this book starts out like a bat out of hell. The pace is blistering and readers are easily sucked into the story. I was surprised by how much action happens so soon. And I loved it. Unfortunately, the bar is set so high that when things calm down for too long, you begin to wonder when more carnage will happen. Eventually more action is sprinkled throughout the middle, but never quite like the beginning of the book. This is the rare case where I think so much good action, so soon, actually works against the rest of the book because you come to expect all the action to be as good. You want more. It’s a good thing that when more action happens, the quality stays high. I guess Tim likes spinning an intelligent, and gory tale. I do too.
What I liked:
1.Rose Volk. She’s a great character to build a story around. I even wanted to know more of her backstory because she’s so interesting. I wondered how she felt toward the vampire who turned her. Her life was changed and all because he was lonely. Healthy questions about a character’s backstory are a good thing. She’s definitely interesting and easy to root for. She’s making the most out of her new situation, the best way she can. I’d like to see more of her in future books.
2.The Vampires. If you want your vampires to be hungry, throat ripping, blood slurping monsters, you picked the right book. Mr. Lebbon even shows us another side of these vampires as some choose not to feed on live, human blood. He even differentiates between popular vampire myths like fear of crosses, no mirror reflections, and adverse reactions to garlic, and the 30 Days of Night vampires. These vampires have their own lore, and rightfully so, and readers are treated to how they work.
3.The family dynamic between Rose and Marty. Rose is strong. Marty is not. Having Rose constantly worrying about her brother adds a whole new layer to the story.
4.The authenticity. Mr. Lebbon’s attention to detail make this story feel like it belongs in the 30 Days of Night universe.
5.No character is safe. I love how Tim isn’t afraid to kill off his characters. When the story calls for blood, he gives you blood…in buckets.
6.The first quarter of the book. Man, the pace and action of the first quarter of this book makes it reading just for that. The rest is gravy.
7.The London setting. I like how Tim presented London after dark. It’s gritty and feels like an authentic big city. He includes everything from junkies, crowded tubes, and even the smell of piss in doorways.
What I didn’t like:
1.Marty Volk. He’s a bit too whiny and emotional to want to root for. Halfway through the book I was hoping the bad guys would catch and eat him so he would stop whining. Seriously. Maybe they do…you’ll have to read to find out.
2.The middle lags. The beginning is awesome. The end is also awesome. The middle, unfortunately, isn’t.
3.The rapid fire POV’s at the end. While I like the ending, Mr. Lebbon switches character POVs sometimes after a single page so readers are following four different characters in a single chapter.
4.The “bad vampires” motivation. I won’t get into specifics, but I will say the logic behind them seeking out Rose is thin at best.
Overview: I’m giving 30 Days of Night: Fear of the Dark a solid 3 and a half stars out of five. While this book won’t be up for any awards, it will satisfy any vampire lover’s fix. These aren’t your traditional vampires either. If you like your vampires predatory and your horror bloody, you should definitely give this book a try. I enjoyed my time with Tim Lebbon’s take on the 30 Days of Night vampires. I hope he continues with another story starring Rose. I’d slap my money down for another go. I’ll definitely keep my eye out for what Tim writes next and search out some of his earlier works.
February 4, 2024
Oh look at this... another Tim Lebbon book that I absolutely love!
June 21, 2025
Ništa posebno. Knjiga nije bila ni preterano zanimljiva ni preterano dosadna. Bila bi mnogo bolja da nije bilo nepotrebnih seksualnih komentara.
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Naravno da je vampir koji je traumirao lika na 10 godina iz Jugoslavije. Kao da ne postoji neki drugi deo sveta.
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Naravno da je vampir koji je traumirao lika na 10 godina iz Jugoslavije. Kao da ne postoji neki drugi deo sveta.
January 9, 2015
So the night becomes sun
I gave this book a three because I struggled with it towards the end I liked the vampires I've always have in the 30 days of night series but I dislike how weak the are I understand vampires have to have weaknesses but come on a human killing a vampire is bullshit to me I'd would recommend this book to anyone who loved the 30 days of night movie
I gave this book a three because I struggled with it towards the end I liked the vampires I've always have in the 30 days of night series but I dislike how weak the are I understand vampires have to have weaknesses but come on a human killing a vampire is bullshit to me I'd would recommend this book to anyone who loved the 30 days of night movie
April 8, 2011
I finished this book quite fast. I was so interested to find out what the big deal was with the Bane, ummmmmmm ..... anticlimactic! Seriously, I was waiting for a huge revelation. I just really didn't enjoy this book much at all.
December 28, 2010
The plot was more exciting than some of the other books, the writing was better than almost all the other books. The characters were not really that memorable but the book was still entertaining.
July 11, 2011
Easy read but a little predictable. Will try to read other books in the series by other authors as well. So many vampire series out there now thanks to Twilight.
September 21, 2011
awesome
October 25, 2011
Decent vampire action story. It won't win any awards, but for the week before Halloween it's a fun read.
September 28, 2013
Another rare instance where the movie is so much better than the books series
October 4, 2010
Another great book in this series.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews