A review by christawatkins
Darkened by Bryan Smith

4.0

Because of the projects I've had going on the last several days, I couldn't give this book the full attention it deserved. Under other circumstances, this would have been one of those books I couldn't put down. Every evening when I had to do other things at the time I would normally be reading, I actually missed this book and yearned to get back to it.

The majority of the action in this novel takes place right here in Nashville. That was a big draw for me, plus I've made it a goal to check out more local authors this year. I'm glad I did - this was an awesome book. Another review mentioned _The Stand_ - it definitely has shades of that, but on a smaller scale in terms of the focus. The author gives us just enough locations and characters to provide a full cast without seeming overambitious. Clocking in at around 315 pgs (it was an ebook, that's a rough conversion to pages), it is just the right length to tell the story. There was never a lull - even the quiet moments were filled with tension or apprehension.

There were some WTF moments, definitely, because the author was not afraid to do bad, unimaginable things to good characters to add impact to the story. He doesn't hesitate to pull the rug out from under you - and it works to great effect.

There are some really awesome things about this book that I can't describe without spoilers, but trust me, they're there. All in all, a fun read, a terrifying premise, a book I'm very glad I read.