- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: New English Library Ltd; New edition edition (18 Jan 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0450610039
- ISBN-13: 978-0450610035
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 10.6 x 1.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,320,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Dead of Light (Northern Lights)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
A horror novel by the author of "Mall Time", "The Garden", "The Samaritan", "The Refuge" and "Paradise".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book drew me in very quickly, the lead character Ben Macallan a self pitying outcast from a strangely powerful family is an unlikely hero. He alone stands between the family he has always tried to escape and the person who is using the families powers to murder them...and he has no power. His frustration and rage is convincingly written, as are his drunken conversations with family members who barely tolerate his existence. This story is well written, fast paced and exciting. If you enjoy this book you should also read the sequel 'Light Errant'. I also recommend 'Paradise.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Benedict Macallan doesn't share his family's talent -- nor their taste for power and violence. He turned his back on them; walked out of the family, if not out of the town that they control. But when a cousin is murdered in a manner that promises danger to the whole family, he's pulled back in against his will. Only for the funeral, only for long enough to say goodbye to a cousin he loved in spite of everything -- but then the body count starts to mount, and whatever Ben may feel about his family, they're his *family*.
The publisher calls it a horror novel, but it's more of a story about a Mafia-like family, seen through the eyes of a dropout member who understands how they look from both the inside and the outside. The horror element comes in the weapon used by the family to maintain control of their territory, one that's only hinted at initially, and gradually revealed during the first half of the book. Power corrupts, and the Macallan clan has held power for a very long time. Now someone is reflecting that power and threat back at them, killing Macallans as casually as they've killed others. Ben's left trying to protect a family he despises and that mostly despises him; and the outside friends who are afraid of him now they've been reminded exactly who he is; and himself. But Ben has no power of his own...
Brenchley deftly interweaves a coming of age story with a murder mystery, gradually building a picture of a strange but only too human family, and Ben's love-hate relationship with them. There's some fine world-building and character development to back up the rising tension as Ben tries to solve the lethal riddle. And the use of language is superb, making the book a joy to read for the pure pleasure of the prose. It's not exactly your traditional whodunnit, but the magic elements are never used to cheat the reader, and the clues are there for those who want to play the game. Dead of Light is both lyrical and a gripping, fast-paced read.
The publisher calls it a horror novel, but it's more of a story about a Mafia-like family, seen through the eyes of a dropout member who understands how they look from both the inside and the outside. The horror element comes in the weapon used by the family to maintain control of their territory, one that's only hinted at initially, and gradually revealed during the first half of the book. Power corrupts, and the Macallan clan has held power for a very long time. Now someone is reflecting that power and threat back at them, killing Macallans as casually as they've killed others. Ben's left trying to protect a family he despises and that mostly despises him; and the outside friends who are afraid of him now they've been reminded exactly who he is; and himself. But Ben has no power of his own...
Brenchley deftly interweaves a coming of age story with a murder mystery, gradually building a picture of a strange but only too human family, and Ben's love-hate relationship with them. There's some fine world-building and character development to back up the rising tension as Ben tries to solve the lethal riddle. And the use of language is superb, making the book a joy to read for the pure pleasure of the prose. It's not exactly your traditional whodunnit, but the magic elements are never used to cheat the reader, and the clues are there for those who want to play the game. Dead of Light is both lyrical and a gripping, fast-paced read.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Coming of Age
10 Jun 2000
Format:Paperback
It's difficult staying independent when you come from a powerful family, when the entire town is afraid of what they can do... ... and it's even more difficult when they need your help.
Chaz Brenchley captures the pain of growing up with connections that you're not proud of, and feeling like a failure because your family doesn't think you measure up.
But very soon we realise that this isn't just criminal connections or the power of money, it's something more sinister. Supernatural talents have always made them invulnerable to the world, and when the youngest members of the family are being systematically killed, everyone is a target.
A taunt fast paced thriller that will have you guessing at every turn, but what makes it special and memorable is the raw emotions of the protagonist, and the development of his character as he searches for an identity of his own and comes to accept his heritage.
Ths is a definite change for fans of The Samaritan, but more rewarding in certain ways. Another winner, affirming Chaz Brenchley as an author who defies the stereotype
Really good
7 Jan 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ben Macallan is a university student who has been trying to keep away from the Macallan criminal family. Partly because he doesnt have any of their magical talent but also because he lacks self esteem. Someone starts killing off members of the family and as the killings begin to get close to him, Ben is forced to grow up.
Great story line and even greater writing.The writing was so good that I almost couldn't get past the early parts of the book. I couldnt handle Ben's self loathing and cowardliness. The writing was so descriptive I almost couldnt take it any more. However, the story picked up and I couldn't put it down. I should have given this book 4 stars for putting me through the wrenching agony of having to struggle with Ben. I finish this book in one sitting and promptly bought the next book in the series.
Pretty good read. This is the second Chaz Brenchley book I've read. The first was Desdaemona also highly recommended.
Great story line and even greater writing.The writing was so good that I almost couldn't get past the early parts of the book. I couldnt handle Ben's self loathing and cowardliness. The writing was so descriptive I almost couldnt take it any more. However, the story picked up and I couldn't put it down. I should have given this book 4 stars for putting me through the wrenching agony of having to struggle with Ben. I finish this book in one sitting and promptly bought the next book in the series.
Pretty good read. This is the second Chaz Brenchley book I've read. The first was Desdaemona also highly recommended.
This novel is astounding!
18 Dec 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
When Ben Macallan finally left home, it was a relief for everyone. "I'm disinvesting" he told them, and did not plan to return. Ben is the odd man out in his family, the only one with no recognizable "talent." A clan that runs a city and beyond using an arsenal of magical "talents" (think small scale Mafia) doesn't need any dead weight cluttering up the scenery.
But then one of Ben's cousins is murdered, ruthlessly and painfully. Evidence suggests that the murderer also possesses magic - powerful, corrosive magic. Ben has been a decent student at university, but the chief lesson here is, you can't turn your back on family. As the murders continue, Ben notices that it is those perceived as weakest who are being picked off first. And if he doesn't figure out what's going on fast, odds are good he'll soon be a corpse himself.
This was my first book by Chaz Brenchley, but it won't be my last. The writer has enormous depth, giving us a searing portrait of a young man who has never lived among normal people, and has no idea how relationships are carried out. His family ties are shaky at best, and when breakthrough is finally achieved, and he discovers that he has an unknown form of talent, he scarcely knows what to do with it.
It's possible that a skilled reader of suspense will see where the book is going earlier than I did, but I was so caught up in the protagonist's POV I arrived at the answer when he did. This book also has horror aspects - the deaths are not soft-pedaled, and I confess to jumping over some of the details. But if you like your fantasy mixed with strong characterization and suspense, with a dollop of genuine horror (and the magic may be the least of the horror, in the end) then you must try a Brenchley novel!
I discovered this as an ebook at Book View Café.
But then one of Ben's cousins is murdered, ruthlessly and painfully. Evidence suggests that the murderer also possesses magic - powerful, corrosive magic. Ben has been a decent student at university, but the chief lesson here is, you can't turn your back on family. As the murders continue, Ben notices that it is those perceived as weakest who are being picked off first. And if he doesn't figure out what's going on fast, odds are good he'll soon be a corpse himself.
This was my first book by Chaz Brenchley, but it won't be my last. The writer has enormous depth, giving us a searing portrait of a young man who has never lived among normal people, and has no idea how relationships are carried out. His family ties are shaky at best, and when breakthrough is finally achieved, and he discovers that he has an unknown form of talent, he scarcely knows what to do with it.
It's possible that a skilled reader of suspense will see where the book is going earlier than I did, but I was so caught up in the protagonist's POV I arrived at the answer when he did. This book also has horror aspects - the deaths are not soft-pedaled, and I confess to jumping over some of the details. But if you like your fantasy mixed with strong characterization and suspense, with a dollop of genuine horror (and the magic may be the least of the horror, in the end) then you must try a Brenchley novel!
I discovered this as an ebook at Book View Café.
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