Frightfest review: The Dark

To get a good review is something I still can't get used to. To get one from people who seriously know their horror? It's like my peers, those I seriously respect and look up to, have turned round and said, "You know what, Dave? Nice one!"

So here's the review from Frightfest (www.frightfest.co.uk) of The Dark. And, even if I do say so myself, it's a total blinder! They even gave it four our of five stars! Crikey! I even get compared to Lucio Fulci, and the movie The Beyond! I simply cannot express how happy that makes me feel. And, indeed, utterly astonished and shocked...

Enjoy...

THE DARK ****

THE DARK is the second installment in a horror trilogy aimed at young adult readers. First installment THE DEAD was a rollicking tale although one that was over rather too quickly. With the second book author David Gatward has really hit his stride, opening up the macabre world he has created and producing a more assured, expansive and better-paced adventure.

Opening at the previous book’s close our hero Lazarus Stone crosses the veil that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead in search of his lost father. Along for the ride is Lazarus’ horror obsessed school friend Craig, who acts as point of view for the reader and a much needed comic foil. Lazarus has discovered that he is destined to act as the Dead’s Keeper policing the borders of the purgatorial realm and our world ensuring that none of its desiccated inhabitants escape to possess the living. However he’s not happy about this, especially having died twice in the previous installment!

Lazarus’ quest in THE DARK takes sinister and violent turns, leading to a road trip with an alcoholic angel. Lazarus and Co must set off in search of Abadon, fabled scourge of the dead. Abadon is the key to preventing the worlds of the living and the dead from colliding with apocalyptic consequences. Abadon is a great character with a terrifying and grisly history that I will leave it to you to discover.

THE DARK improves upon the solid foundation laid by THE DEAD in almost every way, the sometimes clunky dialogue of the previous installment is much improved, characters are deeper and Gatward paces his plot well, leading to an satisfying climax and setting up the final installment. The book is pleasingly gruesome without being too gross for younger readers, and will continue to delight junior horror fans as well as satisfying those closer to middle age.

Gartward’s world of flayed demons and repurposed religious imagery is clearly reminiscent of early Clive Barker, but there are also nods to Italian splatter legend Lucio Fulci. Fulci’s film THE BEYOND seems to have influenced Gatward’s imagination in realising the grim realm of the dead and its rotting and malevolent inhabitants on the page. How often can you legitimately raise the specter of Fulci (a man with three entries on the official DPP video nasties list) when reviewing a book aimed at younger readers? For that alone Gartward deserves some kudos.

THE DARK continues Gartward’s ripping yarn and wets the appetite for the third and final installment THE DAMNED due in April 2011.

OK, so I suck at this whole blogging thing. Facebook and Twitter I get. My website I get. But writing blogs? Nope. Just ain't happening! And, to be honest, I'm not sure many/any teens are in to them.

Anyhoo, what it does allow me to do is post up reviews! And this one is a cracker! Seriously top stuff, thanks to Pete Woods at http://www.metalteamuk.net! I'm astonished by it, thrilled by it... Read on for a fantastic Hurrah on The Dark!

Dave

"It’s a case of attention being drawn to the cover art as it jumps off the shelf and takes a bite at you and who could refuse the allure of such nasty, slimy, multi-fanged dread? You cannot tell the book by the cover is that age old adage but here you can as David Gatward very much delivers both goods and gore with ‘The Dark,’ the second part of his ‘Dead’ trilogy, designed for young adults, but being equally enjoyed by this older one.

When I was an evolving horror enthusiast we were not quite so lucky with young adult fiction but I too read a book called ‘The Dark’ written by James Herbert. Perhaps it explains why I turned out the way I did and it would have been less nerve shredding if I could have started off with something designed a bit more for my age range. The school library would have no doubt agreed, as cottoning on, they shortly after withdrew and allegedly burned Mr Herbert’s early endeavours. 

Gatward does a great job here of not belittling his audience and not dumbing down the horror, sure there are no sex scenes and foul language but the horror and the claret are delivered in spades. We rejoin hero Lazarus guardian of The Dead and his eager and long suffering sidekick Craig through the veil of the dead, a place they had the misfortune to end up in at the climax of the first part.

The incredibly atmospheric narrative describes a domain that is very reminiscent of Silent Hill as we uncover its intricacies. The Dead themselves are utterly sinister and again Red, the demonical figure who brought the fear previously is some sort of overseer of the domain and has a very Lovecraftian pet with him (think lots of tentacles). Envisaging the action as how this section would be filmed and with some of the utter destruction going on, I am reminded a bit of some of the early Manga films. It has that sort of fantastical feel to it here and one wonders how such scenes, which are intrinsically designed for teenagers, would even make it onto anything film wise lower than an 18 certificate if that?

Without giving too much away the second part of the book takes place on our more mortal side of things with the boys teaming up with Clair who will hopefully not become possessed this time around and attack them, as well as boozy angel Arielle. Here their task is to find Abaddon (a name in itself to send shivers of dread down the spine) and stop hell itself from opening. Lazarus also has to find out what exactly his parents part is in all the proceedings and could well be torn between conflicting emotions as the world as we know it sits upon the very precipice of doom. This all flows at a cracking rate naturally and the book is one hell (sorry) of a page turner. I actually had to pace myself reading it, wanting it to last as many nights as possible as it is perfect just before sleep reading (well it is for those of us liking nightmares at any rate).

The second part of a trilogy is often looked at as the tricky one but things do not feel cumbersome here and set events up nicely for the conclusion. The only real complaint is that I have to wait until next year to get my claws into it, or should that be until it gets its claws into me?"

An Interview with Steve Feasey... creator of much evil and darkness...

I, like the rest of society, have grown weary of teen horror which is, in essence, lots and lots and lots and lots of snogging. I prefer my stories to have bite. You can imagine my joy, then, to present to you now, an author who's stories have enough of it take your head off...

Behold Steve Feasey, evil creator of the quite wondrously ferocious Changeling series!

As a member of the notorious Chainsaw Gang, he has willingly given his answers to some questions below. Enjoy...

What’s your favourite book?
SUCH a difficult question to answer! It’s like trying to decide what’s your favourite food. But as I have to pick one, I’d say Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I’m a great Dickens fan and the characters in this book are so beautifully imagined that it’s one of a handful of books that I’ve read more than twice.
If I had to pick a scary book, I’d go for Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. I think every copy of this book should be sold with a free nightlight because there’s NO WAY you’re sleeping in a dark room after reading it.


What’s your favourite monster?
Alien. Simply THE best monster of all time. Ever. End of. I love the film (I rank it as my all time favourite horror flick), and the monster is simply terrifying – hey, you get THREE monsters for the price of one – face-hugger, stomach-burster, and finally, The Alien – and each one becomes more shocking and horrifying than the last. The film is perfect because Ridley Scott, the film’s director, only allows you glimpses of the monster, showing glimpses of various parts and keeping the rest in shadow or out of shot. Anything with more teeth than you can shake a stick at and acid for blood had got to be good. And all this before CGI! If you haven’t seen the film, go grab a copy and give yourself a treat.


Who’s your favourite bad-ass monster slayer?
I loved reading Greek mythology as a kid, and if you love bad-ass monsters you can’t go wrong with those sick and twisted Greek tales. Of all the guys and gals that faced off against a plethora of monsters and scary creatures, Heracles (or Hercules if you like your heroes a bit more Roman) was, for me at least, ‘the daddy’. Yes, I know that he was only set his twelve labours as punishment for infanticide – sick and twisted, remember? – but boy, does he go at them with relish. Striding around in a lion-skin, wielding a huge club and laughing in the face of the Gods. He makes Buffy look like a rank amateur.



If you could make a pact with the Devil, what would you want in exchange for your immortal soul?

I’d want x-ray vision, superhuman strength and the ability to fly. Yeah, I could do without a soul if I was Superman!


The Chainsaw Gang are all trapped on a desert island with no food. Who would you eat first and why?
Hmmm, well pound for pound I think Alexander Gordon Smith might be the best meal. I can see a couple of really good steaks coming out of him. Sarwat looks a bit stringy, Sam a bit gamey, and I doubt I could catch Alex Bell. No, I think AGS would be first on the menu.

Cheers Steve! Good answers!

So there you go, people - Steve Feasey: creator of monsters, lover of Alien and eater of AGS. What's not to like? So get out and get his books in to your life right now!

Tis the season to give scary books to people!

Check this: http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2010/10/modest-proposal-that-doesnt-actually.html

Yep, it's the wonderful Neil Gaiman making a lot of sense again. So I'm all about it! Let's get giving scary books to our pals on Halloween! What better gift could there be? Er... NONE! Not one! Not a thing!

Yeah, I want you to give them The Dead or The Dark, but why not? It's perfect! So get to it people! Spead The Dead this Halloween - Give a little something to scare the hell out of those you love the most (or the least, I'm not picky...)

Dave "the cellar door was left open, the monster is now loosed" Gatward

Astonishing review on amazon

Seriously, this is quite something:

"Thank God this book has finally arrived!!! I read the first in the series as soon as it came out and loved every word of it, although with every series hated the fact that it ended and i would have to wait to find out what happened to Craig and Lazzurus on the other side. I Was literally desperate to find out more about the land of the dead and have already read the 'the dark' and reread the 2 books together to for fill my craving. Both great books but i do think this one has the edge as it is just blood curdling action and suspense right from word go. A must read!!!!"

YEAH! GET SOME!

Two great reviews up on amazon already. Fingers crossed for more of the same!

Gatward on tour...

To be honest, I can hardly believe it myself. On tour? Me? Seriously? Feels very surreal. This is one of those things that you hear of other people doing, great authors, famous authors, huge international names.

And now me.

I'm not ready. I'm scared. I'm out of my depth. But at the same time I'm as giddy as a giraffe on a roundabout!

Tomorrow I'm at Heathfield Community College. Two events. WHAT?!

Let me say that again: WHAT?!

I know what I'm doing, I know what my 'event' is all about. Essentially, instead of simply standing there and reading from my book and talking about it, I kind of run about the stage like an idiot, make a fool of myself, dress up, and hope to God that not only do the kids enjoy it, that they don't think, "OK, has anyone brought along some rotten eggs to throw at dufus over there?"

I'm loving this. It's a dream and I'm in it. For real. Me. On tour. Talking about my books. What's NOT to love?

So I guess I better just knuckle down, man-up, and get on with it. I mean, I've jumped out of a plane, I've seen two ghosts, I've even (and you won't believe this, but it's true) been to Blackpool and seen the illuminations at least three times! YES! THREE TIMES! AAAAARGH!

If I can do all that, I can do this. I want to do this. It's yet another beginning of something.

I'm loving this ride. It's a crazy, white-knuckle killer, but it's the one ride in all the park I've been queueing for a hell of a long time to get on. And I reckon it's so gonna be worth the wait ...

Dave

"... just about as good as horror novels get..."

Here's a fantastic review and interview with me, done by the simply brilliant Alexander Gordon Smith (http://alexandergordonsmith.blogspot.com/), writer of the truly evil and terrifying Furnace books... Enjoy...

It gives me great pleasure today to host the second stop in our gore-soaked Chainsaw Gang tour!

For those of you who don't yet know, the Chainsaw Gang is made up of the most twisted and talented horror and dark fantasy authors writing for young people today. If you like adventure, action and most of all horror then you're right at home here – demons, zombies, ass-kicking Knights Templar, monsters, dragons, gunfights, sword fights, explosions, quests to hell and back, werewolves, armageddon, yetis, witches... The list of cool stuff is endless!

Remember to check the bottom of this post for a chance to win the Chainsaw Library!

During the tour each Chainsaw Gang author will introduce and interview another member of the club, and I'm absolutely thrilled that I get to give you one of the best YA horror writers ever to dip his quill into a pot of blood and guts, a writer so well versed in horror that he may as well have invented the genre. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you toDAVID GATWARD!

I've just finished reading Dave's debut YA horror novel, The Dead, and my ears still feel like they're ringing. Why? Because this is just about as good as horror novels get. Let me start with a quote: 

"The figure’s body was bathed in firelight, the rocking chair horribly still. Its head was bald, the skin ripped away in strips and in places Lazarus, horrified and scared beyond anything he’d ever experienced in his life before, could see the milky glow of bone. Its ears were gone, nothing more than stumps that looked like melted candles. The face was a mass of tears and cuts, slicing across it this way and that, the nose severed in half. The mouth had no lips; just great, bloody wounds where they looked like they had been torn off. Its teeth reflected the fire."

How awesome is that?! The figure in the quote is Red, and one night he tells Lazarus Stone – the brilliantly named teenage hero of the novel – that the thin veils between the land of the living and the land of the dead are failing. And what happens when they fail? The Dead can cross over... Without wanting to give too much away – the plot is full of twists and turns that you'll want to experience for yourself – Lazarus discovers a terrifying secret about his own father, and finds himself on a quest that will literally take him to hell and back!

There are so many reasons why I love this book, and one of the main ones is that David Gatward is so obviously a horror junkie. There are references in the book to some of my favourite movies (if you're a horror fan too see if you can spot them) and it's clear that he really, really loves the genre. What this means for the writing is that this isn't just an all-out mindless gore-fest (although it is very bloody and gory, don't get me wrong) but a beautifully crafted tale that can stand proudly amongst the stories and movies that inspired it. There is nothing about The Dead that feels like it's copying what's gone before, it really is uniquely unnerving and thrilling.

So, in short, if you want a book you can't put down, if you like to be scared and excited at the same time, then read The Dead! Or click here to read Chapter 3 and see for yourself. And the good news is that there are two sequels to follow, the first of which, The Dark, is already out (and trust me, at the end of this book you will need to go straight out and get this)!

And now, so you know more about the man behind The Dead, here are his answers to the critical Chainsaw questions...

1. What's your favourite book?

I can't say I've ever come across a book that's my all out favourite. Why? Because I fall for so many different books for so many different reasons. Biggest influence might be Weirdstone of Brisingamen, by Alan Garner. It was the first book I didn't just read, but experienced. I was 11. It made me want to write stuff that would make people feel the same way I did when I read it. Particularly the bit in the cave, where they're being chased by the svarts and the cave gets narrower, they can hardly move... then they come up against water and they've no choice but to go through. Unreal! And terrifying! I loved Lord of the Rings. I was really in to the Dragon Lance Chronicles. I think Bravo Two Zero is tremendous. If I want to be somewhere hot and lovely and delicious I'll read Under a Tuscan Sun. Then, if I want to go dark and feel like the world's seeping in through the cracks in the walls of my house, I'll grab something by Lovecraft. Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts is annoyingly good. Jack Ketchum can confuse and horrify all at once. I've just read Mr Hands by Gary Braunbeck and loved it, the world he's created, his writing, the sentences that go on for not just a few paragraphs but a few pages. Clive Barker's Hellbound Heart, Books of Blood, Damnation Game. Arthur C Clarke's Songs of the Distant Earth. See my problem?

2. Who's your favourite monster?

I love Pinhead! Something about that crazy cat just makes me shiver. It's that at his centre is not simply mindless evil, but humanity twisted and gone wrong, our own primitive drives left to go wild. I love that. I'm all for mindless killing machines, like Jason, but Pinhead does it for me.

3. Who's your favourite bad-ass monster-slayer?

Well, it's not a literary one this, and it's a pretty short-lived moment, but in a film by Peter Jackson, called "Dead Alive" he has a crazy vicar who goes all karate on some icky undead creatures. Just before the fight begins (and despite the fact he gets totalled during it) he yells out, "I kick ass for the Lord!" I love that! Brilliant!

4. If you could make a pact with the Devil, what would you want in exchange for your immortal soul?

Does it have to be one thing? I'm guessing not, because this is my immortal soul we're talking about, right? So, here's a few things to start with:

- A house with a deep, dark wine cellar that would never run dry of the best fermented grape juice known to humanity. And a plentiful supply of candles to place on the little table I'd have down there to sample them at.

- A hotline to serious cheese. Seriously. I love the stuff. And I'd want the best and rarest I could find. Even that maggoty one that's illegal...

- The ability to fly. Surely I don't need to explain why...

- A chainsaw that never runs dry or falls blunt.

- The house off the film Casper the Ghost.

- My own creepy graveyard.

- A ghost called Gerald who enjoys horror movies and lives in the attic.

- A room dedicated to my record deck and my drum kit.

- A climbing wall.

- If you've read my book, the vehicle driven by Arielle.

I'll stop, but trust me, that list could go on!

5. The Chainsaw Gang are all trapped on a desert island with no food. Who would you eat first and why?

Well, of all the Chainsaw Gang, I've only met Sarwat in person, so I think it would only be polite to at least consume him as a starter to the main course. Like the rest, though, I'd have to tenderise him first, so I'd have to dig a big pit and thrown them all in to it. With no way to escape, they'd go crazy, beat each other up to get out, and that'd get them all nice and soft and juicy. Then, when they were exhausted, bleeding in to the sand beneath them, I'd despatch them as cleanly and humanely as possible, then bury them in the sand to not only continue with the maturing process, but also preserve them. I might also consider distilling some sea water to a brine and seeing what effect that had on the meat. And wouldn't it be great if the desert island had some coconuts on? Boil the meat up in some coconut... yum. Ooh, I'm salivating already.

Thanks Dave, those were awesome answers! Right, I'm off to go baste myself in some tikka spices. But just before I do, here are the rules for the Chainsaw Gang competition – it's free to enter, and it's really worth it because you could win a set of signed books from every single Chainsaw author!!!