Book Review: Blood Night | Author Jonathan Daniel

Blood Night

By Jonathan Daniel

337 Pages

Morgan, a young, tormented woman returns to her hometown to face her demons. As a maniacal serial killer is on the loose, she may very well never see the light of day in her journey of retribution and making amends. Will she slay her in demons or succumb to the carnage within Blood Night?

Blood Night marks the inaugural reading odyssey taken with author Jonathan Daniel and therefore obviously the first review. Encountering new story tellers is always exciting and arguably a little nerve wracking. Just like discovering a new cuisine, flavour, musician when the die-hard reader is fortunate enough to stumble along a wordsmith that resonates. The writer/reader bond is forged in a match made in heaven.

Rest assured Mr. Daniel has managed to make an extraordinary impact. With excellent prose, unique style, narrative and pacing, Blood Night translates like a tale told by an old friend. We picture one another directly in the fray of action, making each page more compelling than the last.

One undeniable component of Blood Night is the relatable protagonists introduced. Each of the small mill town’s occupants mirror Any Town, U.S.A. We feel their plight, trials, tribulations, and triumphs. Notwithstanding our main character, Morgan, the readership can empathize with these characters. Blood Night makes for a much more readily infectious tale with characters we care for and wish to see strictly the most positive of fate for one and all.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, polar opposite in antagonists, Daniel creates characters we love to hate. Loathsome creatures such as Geordie, the town drunk make it easy for us to despise and wish the worst possible demise. The author enhances our primal moral sense of willing good to always prevail over evil.

As the story begins to gain momentum and the reader gets deeper and deeper to the core a certain sense of vulnerability is exploited. We feel invested in the lives of the characters before us. The author does a brilliant job of accentuating empathy, therefore lowering the audiences’ guard. Just when we least expect it the true terror is unleashed prompting us to beg for more.

It doesn’t take long for the reader to realize he or she is onto something special in Blood Night. Right from the opening sequence, we’re bombarded with pulse pounding, heart stopping suspense. Suddenly we’re collectively rendered salivating for more.

Effective use of conflict in many forms is found within. Adversity is what makes the pages turn after all. We see numerous uses of person versus person. The obvious being the killer opposing Morgan. Person versus society is a dead giveaway with the killer versus the mill town’s community. Most intriguing however is person versus inner self. Morgan’s deep seeded desire to make amends with her family, friends and loved ones and seek retribution in taking a wayward path as a result of her tragedy. The author has a very grasp on what makes people tick psychologically and what the reader will be drawn to.

The death scenes are gruesome, graphic and to coin a cliché, clearly not for the faint of heart. A certain vicarious sense of imaginative gore is utilized that may very well prompt the reader to sleep with the lights on for a spell.

Jonathan Daniel’s love for the genre is indicative through these pages. I’m curious to see what some of the author’s favorite writers are and what influences his endeavors. The story telling process and results are far more effective when passionate about the genre one is pursuing.

A tell-tale sign that a reader is onto something special and monumental is upon closing within the final pages a certain sense of undeniable sorrow is felt. Although the reading journey has virtually come to an end, the memories of spell binding fiction live on forever.

Those instantly hooked on Jonathan Daniel’s work can explore additional endeavors: The Uninvited, The Killing Tide and Ten Days or go to www.byjonathandaniel.com