Member Reviews
Great page turner. Finished in one sitting. This book delivers horror and drama to the very end. The folklore and back story added great overall touches. Really good stuff all around. I definitely recommend this book as an addition on your to-be-read list.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.
My thanks to Flame Tree Press, Brian Moreland and Netgalley.
I have been a fan of Morelands for FOREVER!
Far as I'm concerned, the man can fuck with my head as much as he wants!
If the flamers want to sell all his stuff, then I'm there too! That's Flame Tree Press.
Yet....,
Yeah, I know!
Moreland is very underrated as far as I'm concerned,.and unfortunately this review is on the positive side of negative. What?
My big issue was the big bad. Loved the story, but the big bad was exactly what I thought it was..until it wasn't.
Give me a Windigo. Then give me an author who won't mess up a windigo tale.
Simple really.
Windigo is truly horrifying. No additives required. Unfortunately, Moreland upped the additives. Honestly, a true windigo would have done stuff that didn't happen here.
This is the only Moreland book that I haven't been gung-ho about.
That's only because I'm a purist.when it comes to Windigo stories.
Good book, but boy howdy..I can't lie and say that I was a fan of the supernatural bits.
Still...anyone who comes across and reads a Moreland book is most likely to enjoy it.
This book was an ok read, it seemed to drag out quite a bit. I was hoping for more of a horror story, this was more of a thriller.
“The blood seeping from her tiny wounds seemed to drive the creature into a heightened frenzy. Its bear-trap jaws chomped as far as its mouth would reach. A long tongue flicked the air.”
Brian Moreland brings readers another stellar story, full of monsters, folklore and Norse mysticism.
This story kept me on the edge of my seat; excellent writing, characters, and descriptive imagery fill the pages. I even had nightmares about the creature stalking and eating people!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Flame Tree Press for a copy!
They Stalk the Night is an amazing 4 star horror book and I am so glad I have found this author. I had never read a book by this author but he does a great job with the suspense, characters in the book and the world building with this was so amazing. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and you will want to keep reading this till you finish this. It was an suspenseful action packed book that you will not regret picking up. A great horror book that was a great read. Highly recommend this book to horror fans and everyone else. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.
This is always the kind of book that I love, ancient evils lurking in untamed wilderness and the townspeople that surround it. There are so many subplots that you can't help but be completely sucked in! And all the subplots are actually interesting as each characters individually story progresses. I would have liked a bit more terror and tension but it was still a really good read and the perfect book to curl up with in these dark nights
Huge thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Brian Moreland for the digital ARC of this one!
Have you read Brian Moreland yet? I feel like he’s a name I don’t see shared enough on social media, nor his books. I’ve read a half dozen of his releases and have found I’ve enjoyed them all and loved a few of them. I was on the fence about grabbing this one, but his novel Tomb of Gods was SOOOOO good, and knowing how much I love cold-weather, folklore, creature features, I simply couldn’t pass this one up and OHHHHH BABY am I glad I snagged this!
What I liked: Fade in… to a small town with a riddled past. Where a demonic beast has been kept at bay through the elders of the village ensuring spells are cast and hungers are fed.
Fast forward… to a company blasting to build a pipeline and KABLOOOOUUUEEEEYYYY!!! The sacred hut and land where the beast lives is blown sky high and with that, carnage is unleashed.
Honestly, I could simply leave it at that and you’re either gonna race to order this or think ‘meh, not for me.’ And that’s fair. But you’d be missing out on so much more.
Moreland LAYERS this novel and I mean layers it. We get a mother of two young kids trying to keep her head up while she deals with a husband who is checking out and his best friend who assaults her. This best friend also happens to be the son of the local sheriff. We get a poaching subplot, a ‘this is our land’ subplot and we get a ‘I’ll do what’s right for me and my own’ subplot. But throughout, the guiding narrative of the book is this massive beast, loosed on the land and filled with nothing but vengeance.
It was a really refreshing take on cold-weather terror and throughout, Moreland has infused the novel with characters that have real depth. Even the ones we hate we get to know, understand and it helps us to root for or against them, especially in the final quarter when all bets are off and chaos consumes everything.
The ending was really well done, tons of action and Moreland wrapped it up in a way that had me completely satisfied. It felt like he spent time actively ensuring all loose ends were tied off, which made for a completely unambiguous ending.
What I didn’t like: There’s a few characters that will really get under your skin in this one, but that works well for the story. What did slightly annoy me was that some of these characters begin to be teased out as having bigger roles, only to either fade away or meet a swift ending.
Why you should buy this: Fans of Moreland will know what to expect. This has all his classic notes he hits – solid creatures, great characters and propulsive writing. For those new to him, this would be a great diving in point, especially if you’re a fan of snowy mayhem.
Well holy sh#.
I should probably sit on this a while before I write a review rather than incessant fan girling. Too late.
Sometimes a horror reader just wants an action packed story- no need to think deep, no mystery to uncover, no slow burn build ups, just pulse pounding, shrieking monster terror. Moreland delivers exactly that with They Stalk The Night.
Everything I love is wrapped up in a story perfect for a dark wintry night. The tension heaps on with threats from all angles; we've got monsters, we've got freak weather blizzards, we've got unmapped wilderness, ancient evils, isolated communities, heaps of body horror and of course the worst threats of all.. bad bad people.
The pacing is perfection with a snappy gore filled prologue before slowing down just long enough to introduce us to our main characters. Whilst the story is told from multiple third person accounts it's old timer Sam and young mother Shelby that we care about.
I often find in multiple perspectives I want more of one character and might rush through chapters with another. Not the case here. At it's core this is very much a good vs evil tale and I enjoyed switching between the heroes of the story and the spectacularly dark villains.
There's also great development of character in the slightly smaller players as we explore their motives and beliefs, turning the tide on my initial assumptions. Moreland snuck in a bonus reveal late in the game that I hadn't even thought to look for which tipped the scales even further for me.
As always my strongest reaction was to the human horrors, after all you can't blame a creature for it's need to feed. I had a visceral reaction to Kujak from the start, in fact he may be the best antagonist I've read this year.
All the stars, I absolutely loved They Stalk The Night. This is my first read of Moreland too so I'm stoked to know there's plenty more to discover.
FlameTreePress win me over every time.
Set in two remote snowbound towns in Minnesota, Brian Moreland’s They Stalk the Night is the perfect winter read. A pipeline is being built through the forest and the workers blow up a ceremonial hut, thinking nothing of it. But they’ve just destroyed the barrier that keeps a ravenous creature at bay.
From there the thrilling story drips with blood and gore. The monsters that fill the pages are both human and supernatural. There’s a background of Norse mythology, evocative snowy descriptions, and an absolute wild final act. This is a must-read for fans of creature features!
(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
There’s something strange going on in the towns of Hellum and Deer Haven. Something is lurking in the mountains, something old and monstrous.
For me, the strangest thing is that some of the characters know about this evil, already fought this evil, so the readers sometimes feel in the middle of a sequel. When referring to stuff that happened in the past, I simply had to check: Should I be meeting some of these characters for the same time? Was I missing something vital? But no, there is no first part. Or I could not find it, at least.
The readers will meet several different characters in this book: there’s Sam, whose story made me look for a prequel /first part. There’s Shelby, one of the main characters, wife to Josh, who you will learn to dislike. Josh is friends with Kujak, who you will hate. Apart from them, you have workers, the sheriff, some young people…. Not all the characters are as interesting, and some just feel like the cliché, horror movie type, which leads to cliché, horror movie scenes.
The best part about this novel is the Norse myths that lurk behind the snowy landscape, how the author describes their beliefs, their way of solving this. There are some truly terrifying scenes and a good rhythm, although I felt like it kind of dragged towards the end.
To sum up, this novel will appeal to those looking for a thriller with supernatural issues, readers looking for monsters in the dark, and those who enjoy character driven stories. I just expected more.
In Northern Minnesota, close to the Canadian Border, a demolition engineer sets his charges. The pipeline will cross land held special by settlers, with mysterious rock formations and a cabin marked with symbolic drawings. The company refuses to listened to eco protesters and proceeds with demolition. This will be the last action taken by the hapless engineer and will unleash a power long held prisoner. The older residents of neighboring towns of Deer Haven and Hellum have an idea what is in store for them. They try to keep residents save but the horror that waits for them seems to be unstoppable.
Norse mythology, environmental concerns, traditions, greed and ambition combine to make They Stalk the Night an unputdownable thriller. Brian Moreland puts vivid characters (whether likable or not) into an impossible situation. Small town life with grocery shopping at the Sack and Save, Santa at the Winter Fest and evenings curled up in front of the TV come alive making the monsters so much more believable! Don’t read this one alone in the dark! 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and Brian Moreland for this ARC.
This is not the type of book I usually read but I loved the cover and thought I would take a chance ad equestrian it. Surprisingly, it held my interest from the start to the finish.
It is based on the idea that a “tribe” is charged with the protection of sacred land and punishment of for those that desecrate that land will death.
The book is full of scary creatures, both human, animal and “spirit. ”. The soul objective of these creatures is to feast on those that have offended them and destroyed that sacred space. They have an insatiable desire to feast consume living meat. . Any animal or human that is destroyed is inhabited with the spirit of this evil “god”. These evil spirits are also charged with eliminating the families of those that have destroyed their sacred ground. There are many graphic scenes of this destruction, so if you are squeamish, this might not be the book for you.
The human characters in this book are portrayed in a realistic way, some become heroes and some become monsters. They all fit into a pattern that eventually appears to send the evil spirit back to where he belongs, while leaving the idea that he can return if needed.
This is a true horror story, that I recommend to fans of that genre. I really enjoyed the book.
I have found a new author who writes horror the way I like it. This book grabbed me by the throat and continually shook me. Atmospheric, chilling at times bloody terrifying. With a storyline that just keeps giving with a heart breaking and gut wrenching ending. This book is so highly recommended. I am off to Amazon to search for more of this very talented author's work. Absolutely loved it!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc in return for an honest review.
This is a banger of a novel filled with terrifying creatures, Norse mythology, and action packed bloody sequences that wil get your heart pumping.
Set in the creepy woods, this novel begins by telling the story of a pipeline being built through what was once sacred land. There's a division in this small town between the descendants of Norwegian settlers and the town proper.
Against this backdrop are tales of horrific creatures in the woods that are in an unsteady truce with the villagers. But when the pipeline begins to destroy this land, all bets are off.
This book is relentless in the terror as these creatures break through in an orgy of viciousness and bloodshed that never lets up.
There are characters in here who are oblivious to things and others who do what they can to try and stop the carnage. Between these are a couple of really interesting side stories concerning various characters and this just adds to the tension this book creates.
It's a full throttled horror novel that I highly recommend.
Continuing their respective mediocre streaks, here’s another Flame Tree book and another Moreland book.
I don’t know about the author’s limitations. All I know is that I’ve read four books of his before this one, and only Tomb of the Gods was above average.
But I can speculate about Flame Tree, a press lead by a veteran editor, who previously headlined Leisure Pub and Samhain, before both expired. The man appears to have found his niche, a comfortable formula that works and sells, and he is sticking to it. The press seldom if ever publishes anything that might pass for original, and this book is no exception.
I love a Wendigo story, but this is as formulaic of a creature feature as they come—evil in the woods is stalking a small Minnesotan village full of Norwegian descendants. With ever cliché there is and a very American number of guns.
Tons of characters, none are interesting or likable enough, with the focus inexplicably leveled onto a young married couple of losers, who have no business being married, let alone breeding, which hasn’t stopped them from either.
Lots of action, lots of shooting, a good amount of gore. If you’re into that sort of thing, especially at the expense of originality or any sort of wow factor, go for it. This is by all means a perfectly serviceable book that works the formula well and reads easily, although at 304 pages it’s longer than most Flame Tree books with nothing to really justify the length.
For those, who like me, prefer their horror literary, psychological, unique, etc., this bland wintery ride does nothing, Wendigo or not.
Thanks Netgalley.
They Stalk the Night is an intense thriller that had me hooked from the very beginning. With a captivating storyline that combines elements of horror and suspense, this book offers a chilling and suspenseful reading experience.
The portrayal of loss and the grim consequences of the beast's actions are heart-wrenching, making it difficult to look away from the unfolding tragedy.
The book's only minor drawback is that, at times, the pacing can feel a bit uneven, with some chapters moving slower than others. However, this does not take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.
Also, I just want to add without any spoilers that Josh absolutely deserved the ending he got!! That’s all i'm going to say for that trashy husband
In conclusion, They Stalk the Night is a compelling thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Despite some minor pacing issues, the book's emotional depth, well-crafted characters, and intense storyline make it a highly enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a mix of horror, suspense, and well-developed characters. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for giving me an ARC to review honestly!