The Shock of Night by Patrik W. Carr

Back Cover: When one man is brutally murdered and the priest he works for mortally wounded, Willet Dura, reeve to the king of Bunard, is called to investigate. As he begins to question the dying priest, the man pulls Willet close and screams in a foreign tongue. Then he dies without another word.

Willet returns to his task, but the clues to the crime lead to contradictions and questions without answers, and his senses are skewed. People he touches appear to have a subtle shift, as though he can divine their deepest thoughts. In a world divided between haves and have-nots, gifted and common, Willet soon learns he's been passed the rarest gift of all - a gift that's not supposed to exist.

Now Willet must pursue the murderer still on the loose in Bunard even as he's pulled into a dangerous conflict that threatens not only his city, but his entire world - a conflict that will force him to come to terms with his inability to remember how he escaped the Darkwater Forest - and what happened to him inside it.

Review: This book was positively excellent. At 455 pages, "Shock of Night" is a hefty read - but every second of it was captivating. I could not put it down.

The only complaint I have with this book is that it had to end. I hope the second book in the Darkwater Saga is not long in coming? I don't think I can wait very long - I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to read what happens next!

So, due warning: This books is addicting.

I was fascinated by the world that Patrick Carr created. It is detailed and incredibly believable. The integration of politics versus religion, religion versus religion, poor versus rich, gifted versus not, and good versus evil makes for a gripping read. I have not read too many books that encompass such a vast range of conflicts and contradictions - the complexity of this world is wonderful.

Despite being a bit complex, the world of The Darkwater Saga is made easy to understand by Carr's gifted story telling. I appreciated how he used the story to explain his world instead of just telling the reader. I also enjoyed the fact that this book is heavily centred around the action but is fully complemented by interesting relationships with the main characters.

The use of gifts in this book is unique. The society has gifted and non-gifted individuals. The gifts include such things as the ability to sing or play an instrument extraordinarily well or to use a sword the uncanny ability. The gifts are not magical, but more an enhancement of abilities people would normally have. I loved how this series takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary.

All in all, a wonderful fantasy saga. I can't wait for the next one!


This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. in exchange for my honest opinion.