Christopher Golden's The Night Birds plunges readers into a tense supernatural thriller set against the backdrop of a brewing Gulf storm. Charlie Book, working for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, makes his home on the Christabel, a 19th-century freighter off Galveston, now a "Floating Forest" thanks to a massive mangrove growth. He plans to weather the approaching storm aboard his unusual dwelling.

But his quiet vigil is shattered by the unexpected arrival of Ruby Cahill, his former love whose relationship ended in heartbreak. She's not alone; with her are a mysterious woman named Mae and her infant child. Mae claims she's fleeing a coven of witches who had "hideous plans" for the helpless infant, and she desperately asks Book to hide them on the Christabel.

Despite his disbelief and desire to avoid the "lunacy," Book can't refuse Ruby, given their unspoken pain and unresolved past. He brings them to the ruined ship, but even as the wind and rain worsen, shadowed figures lurk in Galveston. The "night birds are flying," relentlessly scouring the coastline for their prey, making it clear that Mae's claims, however wild, are terrifyingly real. The Night Birds delivers a gripping blend of supernatural suspense, rekindled emotions, and a desperate fight for survival against an ancient, malevolent force.

I just finished The Night Birds by Christopher Golden and here are my musings…

Ruby never expected her night to include a dead sister, a nephew she didn’t know she had, a frightened woman who claims to be a witch running from an ancient evil.. She definitely didn’t expect the one place she would run to would be to the man who broke her heart… But evil is lurking and they want the baby and they will stop at nothing to get him…

OK if you don’t know Christopher Golden… Are you really a horror reader? It is a horror thriller, I know it seems to be labeled as a thriller but it has some excellent horror tones to it and I said what I said.

First off the setting is dark dark dark!!! It was so ominous I loved it. Charlie took Ruby and her charges to a secret location.. A half sunk freighter… Genius right? Trouble is they are running from a cult with dark magic and it freaked me the heck OUT!

The witches need the baby to sacrifice him and the mother (Ruby’s sister) and the girlfriend are doing everything they can to protect him. It was a ride and a half. It was fast paced, it was mildly terrifying and I couldn’t put it down.

Now It isn’t character driven which I know can be an issue for some readers but it didn’t detract from the story because all the magic is in the ambience… It’s all in the details.. Imagine if a book was a dark misty moor… This would be it. It has all the elements you need for a really great horror thriller that keeps the story moving.

The ending was the bee's knees…. I highly recommend this book!

4.5 stars

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my gifted copy

I really enjoyed this gripping, atmospheric horror novel! Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
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.

When Ruby Cahill unexpectedly shows up at the dock with a frightened woman, an infant, and a desperate plea for help, Charlie Book—her former love and a researcher living aboard a half-sunken 19th-century freighter off Galveston—finds himself pulled into a dangerous mystery. Ruby begs him to hide them on the Christabel, a hauntingly beautiful ship overtaken by mangroves and wildlife, claiming they’re fleeing a coven of witches with sinister plans for the child. Though skeptical, Charlie can’t turn her away, especially with their painful past still lingering. As a storm brews and eerie figures stalk the coastline, the line between myth and reality begins to blur in this suspenseful tale of love, redemption, and supernatural danger.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect, and I was completely hooked. While I don’t usually gravitate toward horror or thrillers, this story grabbed my attention from the very first page. The supernatural elements added a chilling layer of suspense, and the looming hurricane, paired with the eerie coastal setting, created an atmosphere that was both haunting and immersive. The first half of the book was fast-paced and packed with tension, perfectly setting the stage for a gripping second half—I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

The characters were richly developed, though I found myself hesitant to get too attached (it is a horror novel, after all). Christopher Golden’s writing is vivid and cinematic, making every scene feel alive with dread. The use of multiple points of view added depth and momentum, enhancing both the plot and character arcs. If you're looking for a smart, atmospheric horror read that keeps you guessing, I highly recommend this one! Please be aware that this is a dark read as it is a horror novel. (TWs: Miscarriage, Animal harm, Mention of Suicide, Natural Disasters)

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice: 0.5/5

Tropes:
Possession
Sacrifice
Dark Setting
Secret Location
Supernatural Beings
Cults

Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Christopher Golden for this gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I just love Christopher Golden. One of my favorite things is the settings he chooses -- All Hallows is a Massachusetts family neighborhood in the 80s, Road of Bones is Siberia, and Night Birds is a half-sunken freighter in a storm. This was such a brilliant choice, and he used it well.
The story centers around a baby who will be sacrificed unless protected, and the suspense started from the beginning and stayed strong. There wasn't much character development, but I knew enough about them to care.
This was so dark and I loved it so much.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital copy of this book! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I always have a great time with Christopher Golden books. This was no different! A very unique and spooky setting - a ship left to rust off the coast of Texas with a mangrove forest grown into the very hull of the wreck, giving it a magical floating illusion. We follow Charlie Book, a researcher conducting studies on the ship with his crew of three others - Alan, Luisa, and Gerald. During an intense storm, Book's crew decides to hunker down in town rather than spend the night on the ship. Book decides to stay and it's there that he receives an unexpected visitor - an ex-girlfriend he still harbors feelings for and deep regret about the reason for their breakup. Ruby has come to him in need of dire help and she's not alone. Accompanying her are a woman, a baby, and a wild story of dangerous paranormal pursuit.

The depiction of witches in this novel was awesome. The creativity with the appearance of the witches, especially their leader, felt terrifyingly unholy. A bone crown topped with eerie candles?? Fascinating! The magic felt steeped in historical importance. The effect the witches had on the weather and the roles that birds play was a great characteristic.

I liked the inclusion of the other characters. Their points of view were relevant and interesting. The fact that this book took place in the course of one night was easily forgotten. The plot never lagged and the action was suspenseful and scary. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

4/5

I wish I could give feedback on this book. I requested this book when it was still possible to transfer on Kobo.

I'll update this review once I read this book on my own.

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Night Birds releases May 6, 2025

One night, out of the blue, Ruby is approached by her sister’s girlfriend and their baby, and is asked to help them find a place to hide away from the shapeshifting coven of witches hunting them down.

Ruby turns to the scientist she used to have a relationship with, the man who now lives on board a sunken freighter ship with a forest of mangrove trees at its core.

The isolated setting amid a raging storm was interesting at first, but I didn’t think any of the character relationships were strong enough.
Both the plot and characters were underdeveloped, and the pov’s of Book’s research team felt very detached from what was happening on the ship.

Ultimately, this read like a poor man’s novella.

cw: body horror, mention of miscarriage and suicide

Charlie Book is a scientist in Galveston, Texas, and his subject of interest is the Floating Forest, mangroves that have mysteriously taken root in a historic, half-submerged shipwreck sitting offshore. His team is quite intrigued cataloging the place and performing their experiments. Book has even converted one of the rooms into quarters for himself to give full access to the facility. There is little on shore to hold his interest these days.

However, as a hurricane blows into the Gulf and threatens to make landfall in Galveston while he’s in the city, Book weighs the benefits of staying in a hotel somewhere instead of braving the storm. All of that changes when his ex-wife Ruby shows up in his life accompanied by her sister Bella’s lover Mae and a newborn baby boy called Aidan.

Ruby needs a place to hide out. She and Mae are on the run from some bad people who want to take young Aidan for ill intent. The child is not hers, was actually her sister Bella’s. However, with his mother murdered by these bad people, young Aidan needs all the help he can get. The women are exhausted, freaked out, and in dire need of help, so although their split was a difficult one, Book knows when to put aside small matters in favor of the greater good. He volunteers his ship as a refuge. Few could make it out there in this steadily worsening weather, even if they somehow figured out that is where Ruby and Mae took the child.

That might be true in the case of some typical sorts of bad guys—bikers or street toughs or some multibillionaire who thinks himself above the law. However, the foes chasing Mae and the child are anything but typical bad people. Not merely armed with dangerous weapons, they wield a kind of magical power, granted to them by a wicked and ancient being> They need the child in order to return their mystical benefactor to this world. The sacrifice is a simple enough matter, and these so-called Weavers or Night Birds will stop at nothing to claim him. Mae is also more than she seems, using a Sharpie and some witchcraft to make the cabin relatively safe … but even she is uncertain how long her wards will last.

A terrible evil is coming, and it has as little respect for a man of science with no patience for superstition as it does for renegade members of its coven. Book, Ruby, and Mae are in dire trouble, and if they are to get out of it, they will have to rely on every ounce of courage and cleverness at their disposal … and maybe hope for a little help from Book’s crew on the mainland. Christopher Golden’s latest standalone novel, The Night Birds, weaves a yarn in which scientists battle witchcraft and butt heads with folk horror.

Christopher Golden is a talented purveyor of suspense and chills, with a lengthy backlist of titles to his credit that really stand out for their solid characterizations and clever weaving of unexpected horrors from around the world. He also excels at delivering a lived in feel to his often colorful and unique locations, which come from engaging research (if not personal experience). So, the New England of All Hallows is not the same as found in many a contemporary horror novel, the Siberian landscapes for The Road of Bones are harrowing and beautifully described, the Italy of The House of Last Resort feels wonderfully real and peopled with authentic characters instead of caricatures. That this latest book takes place essentially an hour away from where I write this article gives me a terrific sense of what things look like and how they work. Galveston is a fascinating mashup of New England touches with very Texan ones (I’ve lived in both areas long enough to know), which Golden exploits to great effect for his story. As well, hurricanes are a regular occurrence for that region as well as here in the greater Houston metropolitan area—our hurricane seasons usually begins in June and ends sometime in November. We get all manner of nasty tropical storms as well as full on big blow hurricanes every year. The massive ones like Harvey are not as common as news outlets might make them seem, but losing power for a week or more at a time in the height of summer heat is not a terribly surprising happenstance.

All of this is grist for Golden’s mill. He’s got a sense for the weather patterns. Best of all, he’s got a sense for the kinds of folks who call this area home. His characters live and breathe and elicit empathy. When evil rears its ugly head and the tension mounts, we get a good sense of worry for these characters. This is a horror novel, after all, and that means there is no guarantee that all the characters will make it out and there is also no guarantee that the ones who do escape will emerge unscathed, unscarred, or untraumatized.

That is where the author’s strength lies in this particular book. He gives us a compelling setup, a large ensemble of characters, and then turns on the tension as he builds the mystery and danger. It has all the elements of being a slam dunk of a supernatural thriller.

Unfortunately, The Night Birds loses its way during the middle stretch. While Golden excels at putting together the atmosphere and giving his readers a strange mystery, as the novel shifts from that build-up and into the realm of an action-heavy siege story on the wrecked ship, the scenes feel a tad too repetitious for my taste. The novel begins to overstay its welcome. The atmosphere is good, the floating forest is nice and spooky, the use of the old vessel’s iron hull as a means of reducing the enemy’s power and therefore giving our heroes a fighting chance is clever. However, the scenes themselves tend to run together. A lot of choke holds. A lot of push and pull, give and take, with little narrative forward momentum. Right around the one third mark, the book goes from a terrific page turner to something that’s a little too easy to put down.

Golden’s fans will likely power through this without hesitation. Even during the slower, meandering middle, the author’s trademark compassion and characterizations are both evident in spades. Readers who are not dyed in the wool fans may find The Night Birds a bit challenging to pick back up. However, when the book hits the final quarter, it finds its way once more. The tension returns, disparate character storylines weave together in seamless fashion, and the pages almost turn themselves.

What the novel is trying to do is to read like a John Carpenter flick for the mind’s eye, something that finds a small (and dwindling) group of normal but heroic sorts holed up and standing against an overwhelming evil. Shades of The Fog or Prince of Darkness are present in the structure and mood of the book. In some ways, it is a nod to the sorts of fiction that made Brian Keene a name among the horror fiction crowd in the ‘00s. It doesn’t work as well as it could here.

The Night Birds is not a bad book, but it’s not as good as the author’s previous works. It tries to pull off something a little different, but the author doesn’t quite pull off the high intensity action as seamlessly as he did in a book like The Road of Bones. When the book is working, it sings and soars as mysterious and lethal as its titular predators. I wished it had done so from start to finish, but alas it does not.

The book starts with Book, Alan, Luisa, and Gerald getting off a shift on a research vessel – the Christabel – before a storm. Book says he is going to head back out to the ship, where he stays, while the others are staying on land until the storm passes. Luisa and Gerald are trying to convince Book not to stay on the ship, to hole up at a hotel, and they try to lure Alan, the voice of reason, who is hesitant to involve himself in Book’s decision, but does mention the potential severity of the storm. Book waves them off, and they leave. Luisa and Gerald end up together, but are sneaky about it, not wanting Book nor Alan to know about their tryst. Alan, when he is on land, stays at a bed-and-breakfast type place where the older owner lady makes him breakfast in the morning, and tidies up his room while he is gone.

On his way to the Christabel, Book is approached by his ex-girlfriend, Ruby, who says she is in need of help. She has a strange woman with her, allegedly her dead sister's girlfriend, along with a baby she claims is her dead sister’s child. She convinces Book to take them to the Christabel to protect them from people who are trying to murder the child.

This book checks a lot of boxes for me. Ghost ship vibes (yes, I know there are no ghosts, this is not a ghost story, but have you seen the cover?), forest...floating forest to boot, ship on the water, Texas (takes place in Galveston, Texas), supernatural/magic. The character work was on point. The intense parts had my muscles siezed up and I had to consciously loosen up.

I have a number of Christopher Golden's books on my TBR, but this is the first one I've read, I believe. I am looking forward to reading more.

**3.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads**

I really enjoy Mr Golden’s books (that I have read so far), this one included. I like the way he writes his characters, kind of like they could be people you know. The settings as well feel like characters, this is true for the Christabel.

I loved the beginning and the buildup a lot: Meeting our characters, getting to the Christabel, etc. While the first 50% is action packed I did feel like once we get to the ship and meet our villains the action slowed way down. I didn’t love the ending but it did end well if that makes sense. I recommend this book if you like witch stories and the author’s other works though All Hallows is still my fav of his.

**Thanks to the author and St Martin’s Press for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

Dark, creepy and hella atmospheric, The Night Birds is a wildly-entertaining ride of nail-biting intensity. Christopher Golden does this type of Folk Horror so well, IMO. Maybe you're like me, and though you appreciate the majesty and beauty of birds, they also creep you the heck out? If so, you should read this. Picturing myself in the shoes of some of these characters gave me absolute chills.

This story is set in Galvaston, Texas, and mainly revolves around a group of characters researching the Christabel, a 19th century freighter that lies half-sunken in waters shadowed by eerie mangroves and other wildlife. With a vicious storm bearing down, most of the small crew abandon the Christabel, choosing to stay on dry land while they wait it out. Charlie Book, their leader, however, chooses to stay on board as usual. The ship has weathered many storms. It's not going anywhere.

When he arrives on the docks after dinner, preparing to head back out to the Christabel, he's shocked by the sudden appearance of his ex-girlfriend, Ruby. She's begging him for help and protection, and she's not alone. With her is a mysterious woman, Mae, as well as an infant. They're bedraggled and clearly on the run, but from what?

Even though he has big reservations about the situation, Book can't refuse Ruby. If she's in danger, he wants to help. Thus, he shuttles them all out to the Christabel. Meanwhile, with the coming storm, something else seems to be coming, lurking in the dark and stormy night. Using shadows as cover and hiding a ravenous evil. As forces close in on the Christabel, Book's team senses that something is amiss and they try desperately to get back to the ship to help their friend. Little do they know, the storm is the least of their problems now.

I became invested in this story so quickly. I love Christopher Golden in general, and feel really comfortable with his writing style. It has such a classic Horror feel for me, and I love how he takes care to set a scene and pulls the Reader into his character's lives. He creates characters you want to succeed; to be okay, to live. I was rooting for Book and Ruby, as well as the side characters, Luisa, Gerald and Alan, the entire way through.

This would honestly make a great movie; good versus evil battling it out amongst the mangroves. I was on the edge of my seat and horrified as it unfolded. It was non-stop punches the entire second-half. Some of it did get a little difficult to track as the action and intensity built up, but that could just be because of the speed at which I was reading it. I was so desperate to find out how this was going to conclude, I was flying through.

This is a witchy story, which is alluded to in the synopsis, as well as mentioned in the genre tags, but I just want to be clear, this is dark stuff; ancient stuff. The imagery involved, it's heavy and excellent to read if you love Horror. Overall, I had a great time with this. It's so fun and addictive. I couldn't put it down. I loved the atmosphere and characters, as well as the horror imagery throughout.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Golden releases next!!!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy of THE NIGHT BIRDS.

I've really enjoyed Christopher Golden's previous books but this one is not for me. I didn't appreciate the animal harm and I just had a hard time actually getting into this one. Maybe a little too slow of a burn for me.

The Night Birds was a good scary horror/thriller story. The characters were good but would have liked a little more background.. or maybe the background should've come earlier in the book? Either way it was a unique story line and had me spooked. I almost put it down late one night because it had me so freaked out. The ending seemed a bit rushed but overall I enjoyed this and would recommend.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my gifted ARC!

I was first introduced to Christopher Golden with The House of Last Resort. I fell so in love with that book, and its atmosphere, that I immediately inhaled a number of his backlog. True to form, most of his books have an element that is not human that adds to the atmospheric element. It’s one of my favorite things in literature: when a house or building is a character in and of itself.

In The Night Birds, our inhuman character is a half-sunken freighter ship, assaulted by night hawks. Birds, you say? It’s my two favorite worlds meeting. Birds and books. I’m there.

Needless to say, I loved this spooky book. I loved the haunting image of a half submerged ship surrounded by eerie mangrove trees, stalked overhead by night hawks. I loved the women with horns, worshiping and being one with the earth. Even if it meant sacrifice and murder lol.

This book has made me even more excited to read the rest of Golden’s work, and whatever he puts out next.

“Cruel of you, Mae. To let this poor thing put herself between you and your punishment,” said the bony woman. “We can smell that little baby. We’ve got his scent. Bring him out now. Our patience wanes.” p105

Final Review

The plot here is a little unruly but the character development is awesome and more than makes up for it. This one sort of defies characterization, but I consider it a supernatural suspense novel. It's not horrible or horrifying enough to be horror! At least not for the first half of the book.

As good as it was, the animal horror element of this one wasn't really my bag. I didn't find it that original and I really hate reading about harm to animals or animal death. Especially if it's not tightly connected to the plot or character work. This element seemed thrown in for creepiness factor, but it made me feel bad. Not scared.

My 3 Favorite Things:

✔️ This isn't quite what I expected (thriller) but the suspense is laid intricately and I'm invested despite a slow start. And despite being slow, the first halfm is creepy and just good reading.

✔️ Great villains; not-so-great harbingers.

✔️ The character development in this one is maybe my favorite thing. The mmc is very likeable to me and I really enjoyed his interactions with the other characters. Also, setting-as-character worked really well here, being a giant half-sunk cruise ship

trigger warning: cruelty to animals, animal horror

Thank you to the author Christopher Golden, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THE NIGHT BIRDS. All views are mine.

Christopher Golden is one of my favorite horror authors. The Night Birds was isolation horror mixed with some very scary witchcraft/shapeshifting.

Book is a scientist working on an abandoned freighter ship. The ship has a unique eco system because a Mangrove Forest is growing into the ship, home to all kinds of wild life. It’s isolated and peaceful. Just what Book wants. He’s moved in and decides to stay during a tropical storm. His ex, Ruby, shows up unexpectedly with another woman and a baby. Ruby needs an isolated place to hide out from a coven of murderous witches.

I loved both main characters, Book and Ruby. But the real show stopper was the shapeshifting coven of witches who want to commit ritual murder. They shape shift into all kind of birds. They worship a goddess who has the most disturbing set of horns on her head.

Really edge of your seat scares. I would have liked a bit more of the setting in the freighter, but it was fast action and kept me wanting to see what happened next.

Thank you NetGalley and Christopher Golden for this ARC.

What an interesting concept this was! I went into this book kind of blind and I am glad I did. I was getting vibes right away that something was off with the "birds". I did not see the twist coming and usually can pick up pretty quick what is going to happen. This will be a great book for book group to discuss. The description of the ship and the storm that were in this story really set a mood. I have not read any other books by Christopher Golden before but will look for other titles in the future.

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Night Birds- this was my first Christopher golden and it won’t be my last. What a creative and creepy story. A coven of old witches who can transform into birds that want to kill a child. I loved the first 60% of this, the setting in a shipwrecked boat was just so awesome. It was tense and scary with the witches circling the boat, very atmospheric and Dracula esque It was creepy in all the right places, but it got a bit too convoluted toward the end. It was a read I won’t forget because of how original it was but ended up being 3 stars.
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QOTD- what is your current read?! I’m working on book 3 of the crescent city series and One Golden Summer- I’m loving both 😍
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Golden has always been consistent for me. If you’re looking for a solid setting and nice world building I’d highly recommend most of his books. They tend to veer into a more cinematic territory for me, but I know many readers really vibe with books that feel like you’re watching a movie. I enjoyed the first part of the book didn’t feel like the back half quite lived up to its framework. I enjoyed the main protagonists but once the group portion of the antagonists were introduced I got kind of lost. Many common witch tropes but also some really interesting elements that Golden mentions but never goes quite in depth. The setting was super fascinating and if he’d spent more time just describing that element I would have totally read it.

The Night Birds is about Charlie Book and his small crew as they restore a freight ship in the Gulf of Mexico (😅). When Book receives late night visitors during an unusual storm things quickly ramp up. The story is mostly told over the course of one night so it’s a fast paced read. Golden does a fantastic job with his horrific action scenes. I generally struggle to see clear images while reading and the book excels with the descriptive clarity. This would be a nice read for newer to horror readers as it’s an easy bridge from the horror film world to a book format. Golden’s always a dependable author to me and The Night Birds is no different.