- Paperback: 480 pages
- Publisher: Gollancz; New edition edition (13 Sep 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1857987667
- ISBN-13: 978-1857987669
- Product Dimensions: 17.4 x 11 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 476,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Darkest Hour (Gollancz S.F.)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Chadbourn's sequel to World's End embellishes the richness of Celtic mythology while turning the modern world on its head. Appealing characters and vivid storytelling make this a good choice for readers of Celtic-laced fantasy." -- Library Journal, June 16, 2009 "The stakes are raised, the hope for success smaller. Chadbourn raises the bar with strong story-telling and a vision of apocalypse where the good guys can fail to do the right things, and fail to succeed -for as good as World's End was, Darkest Hour is better." -- Sacramento Book Review, Vol. 1, Issue 12, August 2009
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
The ancient gods of Celtic mythology have returned, and all that stands between them and complete domination are five flawed mortals
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Brothers and Sisters of Dragons have succeeded in their task. The Tuatha De Danann, the Gods of ancient times, have returned to this world to fight the Fomorii, agents of darkness. But, as always with these higher beings, all is not as it seems. The Brothers and Sisters of Dragons have been manipulated from the beginning into doing the work of the Tuatha De Danann, and now they find themselves turned away whilst the Gods make plans to retake our world. With technology failing and Church devastated that the taint of the Fomorii led to the Gods' rejection of the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons, they decide that their only option is to take the battle to the Fomorii themselves - but even a victory may not be as well-won as they hoped, for the return of an old friend in a new guise and a devastating revelation for Ruth may mean the end for humanity's last hope . . .
With trilogies, it often happens that the middle book becomes something of a 'filler' - something to tie up loose ends from the first book, and prepare the twists and turns of the third. Not so with Mark Chadbourn.
Although, obviously, there are matters to be resolved and cliffhangers to be created, Darkest Hour is in no way a 'filler' book - it is a perfectly-constructed novel of its own. Moving on from the general feel of despair left at the end of the first novel, this book continues to build up the characterisation of characters which was so apparent in the first book, World's End, but to a greater degree, giving room not only for velopment but also evolution of characters as they find themselves changed by the events unfolding around them.
Chadbourn's portrayal of a world driven mad by the loss of modernity is also chillingly realistic, with villages trying to survive on their own and whole communities driven to fear and paranoia by the loss of all they knew. He also manages to inject lighter touches - the travelling bands who aren't affected by loss of electricity, or the many moments of humour, dark or otherwise, that are scattered through the book.
This is one of Chadbourn's greatest strengths, the ability to take us from emotion to emotion in a split second without taking away from the power of what he is writing. While reading a passage from the book you feel as though you are being led down a river, with a world of opportunity that lets you experience everything before gently nudging you to the next thing.
You keep writing, Mr Chadbourn, and we'll keep reading.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Reading Chadbourn's work must be what it was like for the hippies reading Tolkien in the sixties - absolutely mindblowing! He peels back the patina of our contemporary world to show the magic lurking just beneath. It's a breathtaking vision. This book is the perfect follow-up to the first in the trilogy - more mysteries, romance, action, chills...and the last page leaves you begging for the final volume. I can't wait!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Picking up where 'World's End' left off this book follows the further exploits of the first book's heroes. With a summary of the story so far at the beginning, 'The Darkest Hour' is readable even if you've not read 'World's End'. As before, Church, Laura, Ruth & Shavi are battling to stop the world being overrun by creatures from Celtic legend. This time, though, the old Gods of the Celts have also arrived, having been brought back by the heroes in the previous book. The problem is that the Gods are not always nice either!
This is not the type of books classics are made of, but it stands head and shoulders above most of the urban fantasy books on the market at the moment. Fans of Charles de Lint will probably enjoy Mark Chadbourn, but be warned, this is much harsher than anything I've read of de Lint's. The characters are more flawed, more real and less arty than de Lint's. And I'm a de Lint fan. This trilogy is more like classic fantasy, but transferred to the here-now, not some ethereal distant world.
As in 'World's End', 'The Darkest Hour' ends on a cliffhanger. It's not brilliant as a book, but I've got to know what eventually happens, so I will be getting the last book when it's published. Therefore, Chadbourn's doing his job as a writer: keeping the reader entertained and wanting to stick with the story.
Try it. If you like le Guin, de Lint, Leiber or even just mythology and legend, you'll probably like this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Multi-monster struggle
A multi-sided political struggle develops. Humans, the Tuatha De Danaan, and the Fomorii. These are all basically opposed to each other, but the Dragon sibling group seeks an... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Blue Tyson
Excellent-a must-read for any fantasy lover.
Excellent-a must-read for any fantasy lover. Really original and full of intriguing ideas. Many questions raised for answering in the final part of the trilogy, Always Forever,... Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2001
An interesting tale of legends come alive.
I love these books. How many people in britain actually know of our own mythology? They teach you the classics in school but never touch our own rich legends. Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2001
Rather an overlong trek over the British countryside!
This second book in the series seems less tightly written than World's end, almost rambling in places, which undermines its impact. Read more
Published on 30 July 2001
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