Queen of the Dark Things
Dreams & Shadows, Book #2
By C. Robert Cargill
ISBN# 9780062190475
Author’s Website: http://www.crobertcargill.com/blog/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
This is the sequel to C. Robert Cagill’s debut novel, Dreams and Shadows. It has been six months since Ewan’s death and Colby can’t seem to get over the loss of his friend. He goes through life doing what he must to survive, but is more going through the motions than anything else.
Then the demons start appearing, those from the feared Seventy-two. Five of their brethren have gone missing and they expect Colby to find and return them. It appears someone from Colby’s past is responsible, and he must face it head-on. But Colby is not a fool and makes a deal with the Seventy-Two, but is this deal putting him exactly where the demons want him?
The odds against Colby are insurmountable and only he or the girl from his past will survive. The question is who? Will Colby be heartless enough to do what must be done to assure his own survival or will his soft heart get in the way?
I really struggled trying to decide whether to read this book or not. I didn’t end up liking the previous book, Dreams and Shadows very much, despite really liking the characters. Ultimately it came down to that first chapter of Dreams and Shadows, which I loved! And, the fact that I was starting to get into the story toward the end of the book. So I decided, to give Queen of the Dark Things a chance, hoping it would build on the good things that did happen in the previous book. But sadly I found this book to be quite the let down.
First of all you are introduced to so many characters all at once that it becomes overwhelming. Not to mention the flashbacks we must endure to learn exactly who the Queen of the Dark Things is and what role Colby plays in this tale. It takes a long time for the reader to really get to the crux of the story and to completely understand the kind of trouble our hero is in, and what got him there! And, to my great disappointment, the informational textbook style chapters are back. There has just got to be a better way to get this information to the reader. These chapters are too dull and are as irritating to me as nails on a chalkboard! Please just make them stop!
There were so many times in this book that I was tempted to just quit and not finish it, but I have this thing about finishing what I start so I trucked a long, but just never got to a point that I liked the book.
I’m saddened that I didn’t enjoy this novel because Cargill can write! He created these amazing characters that I loved and his writing is very detailed and meticulous. I want nothing more than to read about Colby and Yashar! And, I always enjoyed Ewan as well before his untimely death. But as much as I love the characters, I just can’t get behind these stories, and I must admit defeat. I’m not sure if there are more books planned for this series or not, but if there is I sadly must sit out on the rest of it and take a line from the D.A.R.E. program everywhere and ‘Just say no’, as it’s obviously just not my cup of tea.
