Witchcraft, human sacrifice and an approaching huge storm make are a heady mix

Since appearing on the scene in the mid-nineties Christopher Golden has been incredibly prolific with a wide range of fiction which naturally straddles genres. Although I have read a relatively small number of these, I was a fan of his Ben Walker trilogy, in particular Ararat (2017) and Red Hands (2020) and also thoroughly enjoyed Road of Bones (2022). If you have never sampled Golden then all the forementioned titles are terrific places to start, with his two most recently published novels also being high quality, All Hallows (2023) and The House of Last Resort, the latter an edgy supernatural thriller about an American couple who quickly deeply regret buying a house on the cheap in a small town in Sicily.

The Night Birds is a solid read which falls slightly short of some of the fiction mentioned above, however, it is still an addictive page-turner with Golden shining with yet another clever narrative. Down the years this talented author must have explored just about every area of the supernatural, with this latest takes a deep dive into witchcraft, sacrifice and in the case of the main character Charlie Book, most definitely being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Night Birds is a book of two halves, the first sets the scene with a backstory which goes on slightly too long and the second was a full explosion of horror, set over a single stormy night. I am not convinced they gelled together satisfactorily, as I grew weary of Ruby and Mae repeating the circumstances of how they ended up on Charlie’s doorstep desperate, with their lives in danger, caring for Ruby’s dead sister Bella’s tiny baby. Without going into details, it is a wild story of witch covens, human sacrifice, possession and ancient evil trying to enter our world. I felt this part of the story might have had more impact if it had been presented as a ‘before’ distinct narrative rather than the third hand manner it is presented to Charlie (who, not surprisingly, does not believe a word).

The second half holds little back and is set to the backdrop of an incredibly powerful storm being influenced by the witches, set in the Galveston area of Texas, Christopher Golden throws the kitchen sink at his battered characters as they try to defend the tiny baby from the circling dark forces. I did wonder how this book might have played out if it were spread out over a longer time period, it might have been difficult with the storm, but I would have liked to have found out more about how the witchcraft worked. As always, this author has a great eye for detail and I was fascinated by its Icelandic origins and what is revealed about the magic system presented in the novel is cleverly presented, even if not in a huge amount of detail.

The novel effortlessly moves from character to character and even if scientist Charlie Book has the most page time, his work colleagues were equally engaging and well-drawn with their support roles. At the centre of the story is the failed relationship of Charlie and Ruby and the hidden reason they broke up giving the narrative a strong non-horror element. When the desperate Ruby turns up at his doorstep Charlie obviously helps her, even if he finds her story incredible, until unnatural events start to manifest, beginning with the unnatural weather and weird behaviour of the wildlife and ‘Night Birds’ of the title.

If you look through Christopher Golden’s back catalogue you will quickly realise he is a master of delivering terrific settings and the Christabel, a deteriorated, half-sunken century old freighter ship off the coast of Galveston, is one of his finest. Having been there for so long, the ship has developed its own ecosystem which the scientists are monitoring, with Charlie also living on the boat. As the huge storm approaches the group soon find themselves under an intense attack from much more than natural elements. Some of these sequences were terrific, skilfully blending action, graphic horror, nature and the supernatural.

Golden effortlessly combines the atmospheric tension of a haunted setting with the suspense of a fast paced occult thriller. He weaves together elements of folklore, witchcraft, and horror making The Nightbirds an immersive reading experience. Even if the revealing of the backstory is slow, dread escalates as the reader understands the full strength of the adversary. Golden’s vivid descriptions of the decrepit and creaking ship, the vicious storm, and the increasingly ominous presence of the birds create a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere which will have you turning the pages as great speed as it hurtles towards the climax.

The Night Birds by New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden is a true testament to Golden's writing ability, drawing me into an atmospheric tale set against the haunting backdrop of a half-sunken 19th-century freighter off the coast of Texas. The Night Birds is a heart-pounding novel filled with suspense, romance, and supernatural horror.

Charlie Book and Ruby Cahill have history. After their love ended in heartbreak years ago, they never expected to see each other again.

Now, as part of his work for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Book lives aboard the Christabel, a 19th century freighter half-sunken off the shore of Galveston. Over many years, a massive forest of mangrove trees has grown up through the deck of the ship, creating a startlingly beautiful enigma Book calls the Floating Forest. As a powerful storm churns through the Gulf, he intends to sleep on board as usual.

But when he arrives at the dock, he’s stunned to find Ruby there waiting for him. And she’s not alone. With her are a mysterious woman and her infant child, asking Book to hide them safely aboard the Christabel while they're on the run. Only it isn’t the police who are after them, it’s a coven of witches the woman, Mae, has fled, stealing away the helpless infant for whom the coven had hideous plans…or so Mae claims.

It’s lunacy and Book wants nothing to do with it. But after the way he and Ruby ended things, and the unspoken pain between them, he can’t refuse. Yet even as he brings them out to the ruined ship and its floating forest, there are shadowed figures looming back in Galveston, waiting out the storm. And despite the worsening wind and rain, the night birds are flying, scouring the coastline for their prey.

After reading The House of Last Resort to start 2024, I was unsure how Christopher Golden would able to repeat my love for his writing. The Night Birds did just that with a sense of mystery and suspense that permeates every page. Golden wastes no time in enveloping us in an eerie ambiance with vivid imagery of this half-submerged freighter ship—a rusting hulk lying forgotten at sea with a mangrove forest bursting from the seams. While the ship frightening on its own, the horror of the ship during a storm is only the beginning. As I dove deeper into this maritime horror, I found myself aboard this precarious vessel alongside characters with secrets, mysteries and horrors of their own.

Central to The Night Birds is a visceral conflict between good and evil that transcends mere physical confrontation. This struggle shines with complex characters whose motives are revealed gradually throughout the story. This character development, in addition the Christabel–the ships is almost its own character as well, added depth to the narrative. The presence of an old flame complicates matters further, presenting questions about loyalty, trust, and how far one would go to help someone once cherished under such harrowing circumstances.

In addition the Christabel and the characters, the birds themselves are creepy and foreboding. Their appearances are insidious yet compelling; they provoke curiosity tinged with dread—much like watching a storm gather strength over open waters. The Night Birds with the eerie birds and the rats in The House of Last Resort equally gave me goosebumps with each read.

Golden's prose is nothing short of mesmerizing—evocative without being overwrought—and his ability to intertwine psychological suspense with elements of supernatural horror kept me perpetually on edge. The author's dialogue flows super naturally (see what I did there) even amidst chaos ensuing while the pacing is spot on.

The Night Birds by Christopher Golden meets, if not succeeds, my expectations of the author's ability to craft eerie and atmospheric horror tales. Each sentence, paragraph and chapter is flawlessly executed creating a comprehensively outstanding novel that is sure to end up on my favorite books of 2025. Golden has a knack for telling stories that stay with me long after the book is closed and The Night Birds is not different.

I loved this book, the idea of the whole living on the ship and scary witches is my favorite part of the book. How anyone could come up with such great ideas to write about blows my mind but Mr. Golden surprises me with each book again and again. Would you believe I have re-read some of them by book and then audio book. It's like new each time. This story centers around an old ship that has gone to seed sort of but turned into a science research vessel for a group of people. Then in comes the witches on the trail of a baby 2 women are trying to save by hiding out on the ship. It's amazing and wonderful. I didn't want it to end, it kept getting better and better as the story goes along. Trust me!

This will have SPOILERS.

I don’t understand the point or reason behind this book. I thought it would make interesting subject matter with a forest of trees growing on a sunken ship with scientists studying the ecosystems this created. I thought the supernatural part would naturally flow out of this premise. However in the beginning of the book we’re superficially introduced to four scientists who are usually on the boat, but because of an impending tropical storm decide to stay on shore. One of the scientists receives a visit from an old love whom he hasn’t seen in many years saying she, her friend and a baby are in life-threatening danger and could he hide them? He decides to take them to the ship in the middle of the storm, not realizing a coven of bad witches are after them, trying to capture and kill the baby. The rest of the book is nothing but violence against everyone on the boat, as well as the other scientists. There is nothing redeeming about these witches. There is no happy ending here. We’re briefly introduced to characters that don’t stay around long at all, which really doesn’t give you time to care what happens to them. This could have and should have been a different book completely. Why have the unusual forest growing on the boat If it’s going to be nothing but a backdrop in the story? The cover itself is beautiful. My suggestion is if you want to read a good book by this author, try his earlier ones.

A gory, supernaturally good time. I’ve never read anything of Christopher Golden’s before (although I see he’s on my TBR!), and after reading The Night Birds, I couldn’t be more excited to get to some of his other novels.

Charlie Book lives and works on a grounded freighter off the coast of Galveston. One stormy night, his ex, Ruby, shows up at his doorstep. Ruby’s sister, Bella, has been murdered and someone is after her new baby nephew, Aiden, and Bella’s ex Mae. Ruby asks Book to give them shelter for the night, promising that they’ll be gone in the morning. Things don't go exactly to plan.

There’s no gradual building to the horror here. Golden drops us right into the center of the action. The entire novel is fast-paced; I finished it in only a couple of days. Golden has a way of writing that propels the narrative forward at break-necked speed. This is a great novel for someone that wants a quick read and isn’t afraid of some blood and mutilation (or a lot of blood, really).

When it comes to magic, I know that there’s some people who want really clearly defined parameters for the magic rules. I will say, The Night Birds doesn’t have that. The focus is a lot less on the magic, how it’s possible, and how it works, and much more focused on the characters rolling with the punches and just trying to stay alive. This didn’t bother me at all, I actually preferred it this way. Instead of bogging down the narrative with exposition or backstory, we leaned as the characters did (and didn’t learn more). I’m completely here for that close-kept point-of-view.

That said, there are some rules that are given to us, and the narrative doesn't deviate from them which I can appreciate. There’s the trope of two estranged characters coming back together, falling back in love throughout the narrative, and then standing together, the only survivors on the hill as the sun rises. I feel like that’s in everything anymore, especially horror. I really appreciated Golden flipping that script (but let’s be honest, I’m mostly glad Gerald lived; he’s my favorite). The characters were constantly making difficult choices, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t always know what choices they were going to make, especially out of Mae.

At it's heart, this is a horror novel, and The Night Birds doesn't shy away from reminding the reader of this fact. The novel is full of gore and violence and death. As an avid horror reader, it didn't find any of it particularly shocking. The setting is interesting and a bit spooky but not particularly atmospheric. The horror primarily shines through the physical violence rather than the vibes. So something to keep in mind depending on what kind of horror you're into.

Golden really weaves a nice, tightly wound, tale. I’m looking forward to what else he has to offer.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book started slow and then the horror HIT HARD. I liked the small town vibes and the sense of dread that the beginning chapters lent to the story, and then end certainly didn’t pull punches. The way the story came full circle was both sad and satisfying. Part of me wonders if this was an allegory for certain political positions, but maybe I’m thinking too much into it.

Huge TW: Child-Loss - seriously, don’t read it if this is a concern for you.

This book, the cover originally caught my eye, because those colors are stunning, and it really pops off the screen.

But I stayed for the story inside, not what I expected going in, but it looked like isolation horror on some kind of boat, and I LOVE isolation horror.

The story starts with two people, who loved each other until their hearts broke and they parted ways.

You know how that story goes, sometimes love isn't enough and life just gives you the old heave ho.

But there life is again stirring the pot and Ruby shows back up in Charlies life, because Charlie is the one thing she can trust, despite their not so lovely break up.

Charlie finds all this out, in true surprise fashion, its not something you can just text, when he shows up at the dock to get on board the ship he's supposed to be studying wild life and doing science stuff on, which as soon as i knew "science " was happening, i just KNEW this shit was not going to go well, it never does.

So Ruby shows up, strange lady AND baby in hand needing safe passage and begging Charlie, who goes along with it because he cant say no to Ruby and their shared past, no matter how much it hurts, or how crazy the situation currently is.

And thats just the regular part of the book, can we talk about the "night birds" for just a brief second, what in the nightmare fuel are they ??

Supernatural, or is this some genetic engineering gone bad, because of the "pride of man" ?

There are witches or are they "witches" who knows, everything is going wrong for Charlie.

This gave me big Crichton vibes and I miss that mans writing so much, this, this got me close.

Its not Congo, but it gave me that same breakneck, I HAVE to finish this and cannot stop vibes, while also having crazy things happening, and I say "things" because no spoilers but who knows if its demons, ghosts, witches or experiments gone horribly wrong...

I have read a few of Golden's books, but this one took the cake for me, my favorite of what I've read.

I snagged this off of Netgalley and i high HIGHLY recommend checking this creepy boat trip a little read.

In The Night Birds by Christopher Golden, my latest early review book from Net Galley, a mysterious woman and a baby come to Ruby for help. And so she takes them to her ex-boyfriend Book and he hides them all on a half-sunken freighter. There are two problems though: the first is that a storm is raging and while they have a great hiding place, they are also cut off from everything. The second problem? A coven of witches want to kill the baby. Will they all survive the night?

Okay, let’s talk about that awesome setting first! The book is set on a half-sunken freighter during a storm! Sounds like a great setting right? Well, its just as cool as it sounds. Christopher Golden makes excellent use of the setting: its creepy, mysterious, and kind of beautiful. As the story progresses, the setting becomes more and more important. The setting is a character too.

We should also talk about the pace of the book. From the moment the characters set foot on the freighter, the book’s pace goes from five to one thousand. Much like A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper and The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks, The Night Birds is a rollercoaster ride and all you can do is buckle up. This story is super intense, with occasional gore and many absolutely devastating, heartbreaking moments. Christopher Golden does not hold back and delivers a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Also really impressive is the fact that the book also makes you care about each of the characters. Even as things are going downhill fast, the book takes time to introduce backstory quickly and make you care about these characters. You’ll feel it when one of them dies. And yes, a lot of people die in this book!

The Night Birds is an intense horror book that packs an emotional punch and will leave you flat out drained by the end. As horror fans know, those are the best horror books. You won’t want to put this book down and you won’t want to say goodbye. Christopher Golden is an excellent writer. This is the first book I’ve read by him and now I realize: I NEED TO READ MORE OF HIS BOOKS.

I highly recommend The Night Birds. This is going to be yet another can’t miss 2025 release.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an early digital copy of this book for review. The Night Birds by Christopher Golden releases on May 6th, 2025.

I loved this. Probably my favorite from this author that I’ve read so far. Evil witches, old ship, and the storm of the century. Altogether solid story that was absolutely insane. Is 2025 the year of the witches? I think so.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC. This will be out May of 2025!

Quite an interesting book with lot's of twists and turns! Definitely don't want to get on the wrong side of dark magic. And has the potential to get a series.

Wow, this might be Golden's wildest book yet! A forest on a hundred-year-old ship, a hurricane, a coven of 'don't call us witches,' a violent battle between good and evil, what more could you ask for?

The action ramps up almost immediately, and the tension never wavers. There are some truly unsettling scenes, wonderfully gruesome deaths, and plenty of creepy characters throughout - all elements that many recent horror novels have been lacking. The setting is truly unique, and the atmosphere consistently palpable.

There's a decently large cast of characters to keep track of, but most, including our protagonist Book are solidly created and easy to root for. My favorite was, surprisingly, Mae, our conflicted anti-hero.

Overall, I enjoyed the breakneck pacing of the book, but I would have liked a little more background on the 'not witches' and their mythology. The early conversations attempting to explain their existence were some of the weaker parts of the book, and a little bit awkward. There were also scenes later in the book where supernatural aspects were less effective than they could have been without more context.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Christopher Golden sure knows how to write a thriller that keeps me glued to the edge of my seat and losing sleep, 5 stars!

Charlie Book is a good man who is getting ready to weather a storm. He will ride it out on the Christabel, an abandoned ship used to conduct research for his job. But fate has other ideas, and his former girlfriend Ruby shows up. With her is another woman and a baby, Aiden, desperate for Charlie’s help. He cannot think of a safer place to take them then to the Christabel. But it is not the haven he imagines and soon saving this baby will become near impossible.
Book and Ruby believe they are safe, but something knows exactly where they are and will do whatever it takes to get Aiden back. A fantastic setting that just oozed creepy vibes. Was I sorry how it ended? Yes, but realistically, I knew that not everyone could survive the night.

The Night Birds was fantastic! Thank you for giving me an early copy of this one! I have read a few by this author and I have always had a great time reading his books!

Christopher Golden has crafted an extraordinary and chilling tale of horror, magic, and ancient forces in The Nightbirds.

Charlie Book is a dedicated scientist working for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. His current project is to document the Christabel, a 19th-century freighter that lies half-sunken off the coast of Galveston. Overgrown with mangroves and home to a variety of wildlife, the Christabel has become its own isolated ecosystem, a bizarre but intriguing mix of nature and history. Charlie, along with his team, is studying this unique site with hopes of turning it into a small park—an endeavor that could transform the ship into a vital piece of Galveston’s preservation efforts.

But as a massive storm approaches, threatening the coast, Charlie makes the fateful decision to ride out the tempest aboard the Christabel, while the rest of his team seeks shelter in the safety of local hotels. It’s a choice that will prove to be far more dangerous than he could ever have imagined. Before the storm hits, Charlie’s past reappears in the form of Ruby, his former love. Ruby, now with a baby and a friend in tow. Desperate, Ruby begs Charlie for help, claiming the child is her niece. Despite the strange circumstances, Charlie doesn’t hesitate to offer his assistance.

As the storm rages and the darkness draws closer, the black birds that are commonly seen at night begin to circle ominously. Charlie is faced with a terrifying choice: protect Ruby and the child from the growing evil, or escape before the ancient force consumes them all.

Golden’s writing is masterful in its ability to combine the atmospheric tension of a haunted setting with the suspense of a supernatural thriller. The way he weaves together elements of folklore, magic, and horror makes The Nightbirds a uniquely unsettling experience. The slow, creeping dread builds as you begin to understand the full extent of the evil they are up against, and Golden’s vivid descriptions of the ship, the storm, and the increasingly ominous presence of the birds create a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere that will have you holding your breath until the very end.
#stmartins #thenightbirds #christophergolden #horror #supernatural

Golden continues to impress fans of the horror genre by reinventing himself with every new book. There’s nothing formulaic about Golden and his latest, featuring a derelict ship with the forest growing through it, is full of surprises