Goodreads
Published on: June 16th, 2016
Genre: Fantasy (Dark Fantasy)/Horror
Pages: 216 pages
Alright, bear with me as this is my first review. I actually submitted this on Goodreads first, and am mainly expanding on it.
Summary Blurb from Goodreads:
"Lohan is an outcast, accused of letting the monsters that stalk the night into the homes of his fellow villagers. Now he will not rest until he wins back the heart of his childhood love and reclaims the life that was stolen from him. However locked safely in his cellar at night, in his dreams Lonan finds himself looking through the eyes of a young prince....
Adahy has a destiny, and it terrifies him. How can he hope to live up to his legend of the Magpie King, to become the supernatural protector of the forest and defender of his people? But when the forest is invaded by an inhuman force, Adahy must rise to this challenge or let the Wolves destroy his people.
Watching these events unfold in his sleep, Lonan must do what he can to protect his village from this new threat. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to earn back their trust or watch the monsters kill everyone that he holds dear.
They Mostly Come Out at Night is a Dark Fantasy novel from Benedict Patrick's Yarnsworld series. If you like Neil Gaimon and Patrick Rothfuss then you will love this captivating dangerous world in which ordinary people struggle to find their place in a land ruled by stories.
Start reading today to discover this epic tale of dreams, fables and monsters!"
What I liked:
I'm a huge fan of folklore, ever since I was a kid. I currently obsessively listen to Lore to get my fix. This book perfectly put folklore on play, mixed with darkness through. Patrick used lesser known folklore (Indigenous) and mixed it with Brother's Grimm inspired tales to give background knowledge of the rich history of the world. The folklore was full of things that go bump in the night. One tale was about a farmer with 3 daughters and a man who was traveling, came to visit the farm one night. He was the spend the night at the farm, and was to sleep in the barn, in order to preserve the 3 daughters virtue. That night the farmer kisses 3 pigs good night and the daughters are in the barn. The traveler is gone the next morning. Another interesting one was about a mouse evading a spider. Simple tales that we may have heard, but with a new spin.
Bare with me as I sound like an English class cliche, but the setting was it's own character within the book. I may even argue it was the most interesting character.
It starts off with talking about how all the townsfolk barricade themselves at night into the basement/cellars to avoid the monsters. It gives vibes to movies like The Village and other classic terrors, where you are wondering who they are hiding from? I also liked the idea of the Magpie King.
What I Didn't Like:The characters, as i didn't feel anything from them. Lonan is an outcast and likeable enough, but I still didn't feel much for them.This is Patrick's debut novel (and independently published) so any issues with writing/structure I feel is forgivable as he is only going to get better.
Overall:
I really liked it. It was a good mix of creepy folklore and interesting plot. I am interested in seeing what else he puts out over the years!
If you are looking for a dark fantasy for an autumn night, with rich setting this is perfect. But if you are looking for a character driven book, this wouldn't be a good choice for you.
Rating:
3.5 Wine Glasses out of 5.
Cheers,
Jen.