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lana_karas's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Minor: Rape
earlofoaks's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.25
lady_mel's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! Once I started it, I didn't want to put it down.
It's part horror, part fairy tale, and there was a twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
It's part horror, part fairy tale, and there was a twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
willrefuge's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/they-mostly-come-out-at-night-by-benedict-patrick-review/
Lonan is an outcast, accused of leading monsters to his village and letting them in to the homes of his fellow villagers. That night Lonan’s father died, while Branwen—the love of his life—was horribly scarred. Neither his love nor his mother has looked at him the same again. All the while, the real culprit escapes notice, the man and his strange Knack keeping suspicion from him. Now, years later, the village still cowers in their cellars in the dead of night, fearing the monsters that roam above.
The Magpie King keeps us safe…
An old adage in the village of Smithdown, referring to the forest’s king and mysterious protector. But the Magpie King is more myth than monarch—none of the villagers having seen him in their lives. So when Lonan starts having dreams of the young Magpie King, he’s certain his mind is starting to dessert him. Certain, but for one thing.
Adahy is the son of the Magpie King. His father, equal parts ruler and protector of the forest, stalks the night, keeping the villages safe from the monsters that would otherwise prey on them. The King wields mysterious and supernatural power and speed, granted his bloodline by the Magpies. But when a new monstrosity appears in the forest, it challenges everything the King has worked so hard to build. It falls to Adahy and his closest friend, Maedoc, to deal with this foe. Yet the dark history of the forest has more in store for this pair than just what looms before them. What follows is a tale of hope, deceit, and darkness all rolled into one.
Dreaming the course of Adahy’s life, Lonan is clued into this new threat. And those that would follow it. But can he get someone—anyone—to believe him, or will the darkness overwhelm the village of Smithdown, once and for all?
I remember liking They Mostly when I first read it, but it made little impression on me at the time. Back then, I was just getting into dark fantasy, and the story—while dark, while entertaining, while foreboding—also bears the marks of a debut work.
While I found the story of Lonan a bit difficult to care about at first, I immediately took to Adahy and his tale, becoming more enamored with Lonan along the way. The young prince is, well… young. Inexperienced. The story serves much as a coming of age tale for him. At least for a time. Lonan, however, has already come of age. In a village that loathes him, but a few folk are willing to be seen with him. So few of these characters seem real, however, with a majority feeling like cardboard cutouts, introduced to fill space but do little else. Even the love of his life, Branwen, feels like a husk. I would’ve liked to see a bit more on her, on why Lonan likes her, on their lives before the incident. Sure—there’s some development here, just not much. But while I thoroughly enjoyed Lonan’s own adventure, development and growth, I cared little about that of anyone else’s. Though to be fair, there’s only one other character that’s fleshed out to any significant degree.
The character of Adahy seems like little more than an extension of Lonan at first, but grows from a dream into something more real. It was his story that I connected to initially, and this never faded over time. Unlike the village boy, Adahy doesn’t have much anyone in his life apart from his best friend, Maedoc—the whipping boy, punished in the prince’s place when he screws up (yes, this was a thing). While Maedoc too seems under-developed, the two form a special dynamic that both entertained and moved the story along, even as Lonan got a handle on his part in it.
Where the characters of Yarnsworld fell flat, it was the setting that really sold the story for me. A dark land of mystery and monsters, the Forest was equal parts fantasy kingdom, faerie tale, and horror story rolled into one. Though the writing wasn’t perfect—the author occasionally misusing words or mixing them up (e.g. I remember him using ‘gleam’ when he really meant ‘glean’, which may’ve been a typo except that his kept misusing it)—it certainly conveyed the darkness and horrors lurking just off stage, the nightmares wandering the darkness of the land. This cast a presage of foreboding over the Forest, making it seem dark and mysterious, especially at night. During the day, I really liked how it reverted to the typical enchanted forest; still dark, but no more or less than usual. Considering Lonan spent his days here, foraging, it created an interesting dynamic here, something that I actually would’ve liked to’ve seen more of.
The ending of They Mostly was a unique take, that I obviously can’t talk much about. It did feel a little abrupt, just a bit of a disappointment, but didn’t leave any threads unwoven, any stones unturned. All in all, the story was pretty great—an excellent adventure though with a bit of an uninspired conclusion.
The book contains a number of short faerie tales or myths about the Magpie King, Artemis, or the world itself. These work as interludes between chapters. Except for one or two, I found these interesting snippets of lore about the world. It’s possible they might annoy you, but if so, just skip ‘em. While they can add detail, they’re not absolutely essential to the plot.
TL;DR
With a dark, twisted setting and a mysterious, intriguing story, They Mostly Come Out at Night proved to be an interesting debut, before falling victim to some typical debut failings. Hollow supporting characters, failure to capitalize on good ideas, a fairly short and unrefined, if compelling story feature prominently among these. Oddly, the author also occasionally misused words—not misspelling them, but using one when he should’ve another—almost like there was no real editor. Which is possible, but for the otherwise lack of any glaring grammatical or spelling issues. Nothing was enough to distract me from the story, however, as Yarnsworld quickly drank me in. I read They Mostly in two days, and thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. While there definitely were issues, I’d say they’re outweighed by the gains, making They Mostly Come Out at Night if not a must-read dark fantasy, then one to consider reading if curiosity strikes your interest.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/07/22/they-mostly-come-out-at-night-by-benedict-patrick-review/
Lonan is an outcast, accused of leading monsters to his village and letting them in to the homes of his fellow villagers. That night Lonan’s father died, while Branwen—the love of his life—was horribly scarred. Neither his love nor his mother has looked at him the same again. All the while, the real culprit escapes notice, the man and his strange Knack keeping suspicion from him. Now, years later, the village still cowers in their cellars in the dead of night, fearing the monsters that roam above.
The Magpie King keeps us safe…
An old adage in the village of Smithdown, referring to the forest’s king and mysterious protector. But the Magpie King is more myth than monarch—none of the villagers having seen him in their lives. So when Lonan starts having dreams of the young Magpie King, he’s certain his mind is starting to dessert him. Certain, but for one thing.
Adahy is the son of the Magpie King. His father, equal parts ruler and protector of the forest, stalks the night, keeping the villages safe from the monsters that would otherwise prey on them. The King wields mysterious and supernatural power and speed, granted his bloodline by the Magpies. But when a new monstrosity appears in the forest, it challenges everything the King has worked so hard to build. It falls to Adahy and his closest friend, Maedoc, to deal with this foe. Yet the dark history of the forest has more in store for this pair than just what looms before them. What follows is a tale of hope, deceit, and darkness all rolled into one.
Dreaming the course of Adahy’s life, Lonan is clued into this new threat. And those that would follow it. But can he get someone—anyone—to believe him, or will the darkness overwhelm the village of Smithdown, once and for all?
I remember liking They Mostly when I first read it, but it made little impression on me at the time. Back then, I was just getting into dark fantasy, and the story—while dark, while entertaining, while foreboding—also bears the marks of a debut work.
While I found the story of Lonan a bit difficult to care about at first, I immediately took to Adahy and his tale, becoming more enamored with Lonan along the way. The young prince is, well… young. Inexperienced. The story serves much as a coming of age tale for him. At least for a time. Lonan, however, has already come of age. In a village that loathes him, but a few folk are willing to be seen with him. So few of these characters seem real, however, with a majority feeling like cardboard cutouts, introduced to fill space but do little else. Even the love of his life, Branwen, feels like a husk. I would’ve liked to see a bit more on her, on why Lonan likes her, on their lives before the incident. Sure—there’s some development here, just not much. But while I thoroughly enjoyed Lonan’s own adventure, development and growth, I cared little about that of anyone else’s. Though to be fair, there’s only one other character that’s fleshed out to any significant degree.
The character of Adahy seems like little more than an extension of Lonan at first, but grows from a dream into something more real. It was his story that I connected to initially, and this never faded over time. Unlike the village boy, Adahy doesn’t have much anyone in his life apart from his best friend, Maedoc—the whipping boy, punished in the prince’s place when he screws up (yes, this was a thing). While Maedoc too seems under-developed, the two form a special dynamic that both entertained and moved the story along, even as Lonan got a handle on his part in it.
Where the characters of Yarnsworld fell flat, it was the setting that really sold the story for me. A dark land of mystery and monsters, the Forest was equal parts fantasy kingdom, faerie tale, and horror story rolled into one. Though the writing wasn’t perfect—the author occasionally misusing words or mixing them up (e.g. I remember him using ‘gleam’ when he really meant ‘glean’, which may’ve been a typo except that his kept misusing it)—it certainly conveyed the darkness and horrors lurking just off stage, the nightmares wandering the darkness of the land. This cast a presage of foreboding over the Forest, making it seem dark and mysterious, especially at night. During the day, I really liked how it reverted to the typical enchanted forest; still dark, but no more or less than usual. Considering Lonan spent his days here, foraging, it created an interesting dynamic here, something that I actually would’ve liked to’ve seen more of.
The ending of They Mostly was a unique take, that I obviously can’t talk much about. It did feel a little abrupt, just a bit of a disappointment, but didn’t leave any threads unwoven, any stones unturned. All in all, the story was pretty great—an excellent adventure though with a bit of an uninspired conclusion.
The book contains a number of short faerie tales or myths about the Magpie King, Artemis, or the world itself. These work as interludes between chapters. Except for one or two, I found these interesting snippets of lore about the world. It’s possible they might annoy you, but if so, just skip ‘em. While they can add detail, they’re not absolutely essential to the plot.
TL;DR
With a dark, twisted setting and a mysterious, intriguing story, They Mostly Come Out at Night proved to be an interesting debut, before falling victim to some typical debut failings. Hollow supporting characters, failure to capitalize on good ideas, a fairly short and unrefined, if compelling story feature prominently among these. Oddly, the author also occasionally misused words—not misspelling them, but using one when he should’ve another—almost like there was no real editor. Which is possible, but for the otherwise lack of any glaring grammatical or spelling issues. Nothing was enough to distract me from the story, however, as Yarnsworld quickly drank me in. I read They Mostly in two days, and thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. While there definitely were issues, I’d say they’re outweighed by the gains, making They Mostly Come Out at Night if not a must-read dark fantasy, then one to consider reading if curiosity strikes your interest.
jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the folklore and darkness woven in throughout. The use of lesser known Indigenous folklore was cool, mixed with some Brothers Grimm like tales to give more background knowledge about the rich history of the world. I really liked the setting and would even argue that it was the most interesting character within the story. I mean if this was English class, that would be my argument. The main character Lonan is an outcast and likeable enough, but I didn't feel much for the other characters. If your looking for a dark fantasy for an autumn night with a rich setting this is perfect. But if your looking for a character driven book, this isn't the one for you!
4/5.
4/5.
shalini_gunnasan's review
I hardly have time to review these days, so a lot of my lately-read books are kind of hit-and-run (review, tag, run away). Since the author was good enough to add me as a friend, I shall certainly say a few words, since I absolutely enjoyed it.
It's been a breath of fresh air to read a fairy tale-like story without it being a point-on-point retelling of existing fairy tales. Many of the "historical" chapters seem to be familiar folk tales, and yet not quite. Like a name just on the tip of your tongue. Being a fan of horror, the dark parts in the story kept me interested. The overall tragedy is what takes it away from being a fairy tale, since.
There is some touches on colonization and cultural exchange, but it's a plot point for Lonan and not an exploration of the theme. You can find it if you dig deeper - the loss of entire tribes mirrors the real-world equivalent of cultures fading, assimilating, moving away, becoming something else.
For a debut novel, I find for me personally the writer has done fine work, and I am looking forward to more.
It's been a breath of fresh air to read a fairy tale-like story without it being a point-on-point retelling of existing fairy tales. Many of the "historical" chapters seem to be familiar folk tales, and yet not quite. Like a name just on the tip of your tongue. Being a fan of horror, the dark parts in the story kept me interested. The overall tragedy is what takes it away from being a fairy tale, since
Spoiler
there isn't a happy ending for the heroThere is some touches on colonization and cultural exchange, but it's a plot point for Lonan and not an exploration of the theme. You can find it if you dig deeper - the loss of entire tribes mirrors the real-world equivalent of cultures fading, assimilating, moving away, becoming something else.
For a debut novel, I find for me personally the writer has done fine work, and I am looking forward to more.
joelteon's review
3.0
Where has all the magic gone? They Mostly Come Out At Night by Benedict Patrick fails to live up to the insane level of quality produced in his other books. I read the prequel novella yesterday and fell in love with Yarnsworld, yet the moody, dark fairytale world was spoiled by annoying characters.
Artemis, Lonan and Adahy, the three key figures besides the Magpie King, were insufferable. I hated their voices and we despised dealing with their attitudes and way of life. I wanted a character to root for and get behind and sadly all three points of view drove me mad.
Where this book truly shone - besides on that amazing cover - was when the plot did the leading and we focussed less on the characterisation. At the ¾ mark when everything fell into place I loved the rush towards the end.
This is a weird little story, told with dream sequences inside each chapter and interludes after every chapter that actually drive the plot forward. It was cool to figure out the timeline of both dreams and interludes, but the characters, damn the characters were so tiring. They made these 200 pages feel like so much more.
I will continue on with Yarnsworld because each book is a standalone and I shouldn't have to hear or see these character's voices again. But maybe a bit of a break between entries is due.
Artemis, Lonan and Adahy, the three key figures besides the Magpie King, were insufferable. I hated their voices and we despised dealing with their attitudes and way of life. I wanted a character to root for and get behind and sadly all three points of view drove me mad.
Where this book truly shone - besides on that amazing cover - was when the plot did the leading and we focussed less on the characterisation. At the ¾ mark when everything fell into place I loved the rush towards the end.
This is a weird little story, told with dream sequences inside each chapter and interludes after every chapter that actually drive the plot forward. It was cool to figure out the timeline of both dreams and interludes, but the characters, damn the characters were so tiring. They made these 200 pages feel like so much more.
I will continue on with Yarnsworld because each book is a standalone and I shouldn't have to hear or see these character's voices again. But maybe a bit of a break between entries is due.
hoarderreader's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
diabeticfox's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
laura_devouring_books_crumpets's review
4.0
I Don't quiet know what to make of it.... It was brilliant and clever.
Its about a dwelling of different kingdoms, and basically the danger a particular kingdom is in under the watchful eyes of the mythical Magpie King.
Logan one of the villagers that resides in the small Hamlet nestled in the forest and has had everything stripped away from him, due to immensely unfair circumstances.... Logan one night starts experiencing dreams leading him on a path that will unravel everything he believes to be true.
The Author weaves a very simple tale but with exceedingly intricate characters, I loved how we got folklore tales weaved in with the current story to give us a background on the Forest Dwellers and the Magpie king himself.
It is also beautifully and very cleverly written... I can truly see what all the hype is about.
My reason for not giving 5 stars is the ending, i wont give anything away, but it left me feeling empty and sad, but a book to gouge that much emotion from a person is truly brilliant.
I love a HEA and this story is bittersweet. But it is only 4 stars not 5 due to my personal preference.
Its about a dwelling of different kingdoms, and basically the danger a particular kingdom is in under the watchful eyes of the mythical Magpie King.
Logan one of the villagers that resides in the small Hamlet nestled in the forest and has had everything stripped away from him, due to immensely unfair circumstances.... Logan one night starts experiencing dreams leading him on a path that will unravel everything he believes to be true.
The Author weaves a very simple tale but with exceedingly intricate characters, I loved how we got folklore tales weaved in with the current story to give us a background on the Forest Dwellers and the Magpie king himself.
It is also beautifully and very cleverly written... I can truly see what all the hype is about.
My reason for not giving 5 stars is the ending, i wont give anything away, but it left me feeling empty and sad, but a book to gouge that much emotion from a person is truly brilliant.
I love a HEA and this story is bittersweet. But it is only 4 stars not 5 due to my personal preference.