Advance Review: THE NIGHT BIRDS

by | Jan 22, 2025 | Book Reviews, Reviews, The Horror Review News | 0 comments

The Night Birds
Christopher Golden
St. Martin’s Press (May 6, 2025)
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham

The Night Birds provides a unique setting—a creepy, half-sunken, rusty old freighter, the Cristabel, that ran aground off the coast of Galveston, Texas in the 19th century. It has since evolved into an ecosystem all its own, with a forest of Mangrove trees growing up through the broken deck and creating a home for other flora and fauna that wouldn’t otherwise be there. It has become an informal research facility that four intrepid scientists are studying to persuade the government that it has value as a wildlife preserve, in order to keep the state from dismantling the old ship and hauling it away for scrap.

Of the four, Charlie Book is the hardest core, the only scientist who lives aboard the Cristabel. His life is simple and quiet, as he likes it…until a violent storm comes up and brings with it his former girlfriend, Ruby, with whom things ended badly a year ago. She and another young woman carrying an infant, are seeking asylum on the ship, but won’t explain who is after them right away.

Book finally finds out that, as he initially thought, it wasn’t the police chasing them, but something much more dangerous and ghastly…the Night Birds…shapeshifting witches.

Christopher Golden has put a new slant on a familiar trope by tapping into Icelandic folklore to create the eerie Night Birds. I did some reading of Icelandic folklore after reading this book, and it is nothing short of fascinating. The author weaves this ancient lore into the present day so seamlessly that something unbelievable suddenly seems quite possible, and this is why the book is so frightening. I read it in one sitting and was on the edge of my chair the whole time—and being the jaded horror fan that I am, it is difficult to do this to me, but Mr. Golden does it every time. You will feel as if you know his characters personally by the time you finish the book and will be sorry to say goodbye as you turn the last page.

No horror fan can possibly go wrong with Christopher Golden, and I have every confidence that if you pick up a copy of The Night Birds, based upon my recommendation, you will be delighted and will want to read more by this New York Times bestselling author, who won both the Shirley Jackson Award and the Bram Stoker Award. None of his books will fail to provide hours of fast-paced, page-turning excitement. Add one…or twelve…to your library today.

5 out of 5 stars.

About Carson Buckingham

Professionally, Carson Buckingham has made her way in life doing all manner of things, most of which involve arson. She is currently employed as a freelance writer on a work release program. In her spare time, she studies forensics, in hopes of applying her new knowledge to eluding the authorities more effectively the next time. She is originally from Connecticut, but now resides in Kentucky—and Connecticut is glad to be rid of her.

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