The Darkening Dream
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The Darkening Dream

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3.86 of 5 stars 3.86  ·  rating details  ·  322 ratings  ·  149 reviews
The Darkening Dream is the chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, boo...more
Paperback, 382 pages
Published January 10th 2012 by Mascherato Publishing (first published December 22nd 2011)
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    The Darkening Dream is the chilling new dark fantasy by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.
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    Community Reviews

    (showing 1-30 of 3,000)
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    S.M. Blooding
    Man!! This has just been a super great week for books!! Geez-la-weez!! And during NaNo! That part wasn’t so great. Trying to get writing done when there are other books calling your name, DYING to be read? Yeah. That was awesome on my word counts. I can tell you that.

    However, this book…GEEZ! This book! The setting caught my attention first of all. In the opening scene, we find Sarah peering around the curtain separating the men folk from the women folk in church. Yeah. I don’t read that often! I...more
    Brandon
    I picked this book up because it has a pretty cool cover and it was free on amazon (was a 2 day sale). Thought it was worth a chance. This story surprised me in many ways. The following is what made this story great, as well as what kept it from 5 stars.

    Wins

    -Supernatural/Religion – One thing that this author did that most others do not have the guts to do is address religion and deities in association to anything supernatural. There is nothing I hate more in a story than when authors have a char...more
    Michael Araujo
    Think of Salem, Massachusetts and you would think of the Salem Witch Trials, but we aren’t in the 1600’s. The year is 1913 and tales of witches are long gone, substituted by those of the vampires. Aside from them being called vampires, what do these vampires have in common with those that we know of in today’s world? Absolutely nothing. When Andy Gavin went back in time with The Darkening Dream, he not only brought us to old traditions but to old rules. Farewell to the vampires that sparkle and...more
    Colleen
    "...This book was sent to me by the author for review, and all I can say is, I am SO. GLAD. that I accepted the offer for this one. And I am not just saying that because he is partially responsible for the extremely successful video game franchises Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter. That's right, kids! The author is also the founder of Naughty Dog (which, on a side note, if you are the owner of a PlayStation 3, keep an eye on their upcoming game, The Last of Us, because it looks friggin' amaz...more
    Neilie J
    If supernatural is your thing, this book covers all the bases. It has vampires, ghosts, demons, witchcraft - but that's not really what makes it interesting. Lots of people write about those things. What makes Darkening Dream unique is its heroine - I mean, who thinks to put a young Jewish woman at the heart of a vampire novel? The idea injects a dose of freshness to a fairly stale genre and the inclusion of Jewish mysticism into such a tale provides some much-needed elements of surprise. My onl...more
    Ionia
    This is a different sort of book, and one that I find really hard to classify. If I had to put this book in a category, at least age wise, I would say new adult might be the thing. There are some pretty dark elements and some sexual references that I think might be too strong for the YA market, but the book features young teens, so it might be a bit too young for a solidly adult audience. One things is for sure, this book is definitely original.

    I'm going to start by saying that the author has d...more
    Majanka
    Let’s face it. Vampires are sissies, and have been for the last decade. Ever since the paranormal romance genre introduced us to the vampires in love with our heroes or heroines, vampires have been known as goody-two-shoes, true romantics at heart. We’ve forgotten the roots of these creatures. They’re not meant to fall in love or seduce our main characters. They’re meant to be terrifyingly scary, dark and dangerous, bloodthirsty murderers who maim and kill with a passion. No longer do good and e...more
    Erin Maurer
    I have just finished the most delectable treat, The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin. Set in the early 1900s in Salem Mass., The Darkening Dream has the perfect backdrop for weaving a truly, creepy story. Luckily, Gavin does not disappoint. In fact, he went above and beyond my expectations. When I was first approached about reviewing this gem, I was not expecting much. I honestly thought "yippie, yet another vampire story, wasn't Twilight enough?" But ladies and gentleman, this is not your kiddie T...more
    Fangs for the Fantasy
    Sarah is a brilliant student in Salem, Massachusetts in 1913. She has a very promising life ahead of her with her brilliant mind, albeit she’s less than pleased with her family trying to set her up with nice Jewish boys, especially when Alex, a new and intriguing boy moves to the area.

    Of more concern is Nazir – an ancient and powerful vampire that has also arrived. Working with a local Warlock for an even darker power, they seek an ancient, holy artefact. Vampires, warlocks, demons and even veng...more
    SM Johnson
    Vampires, old school. Not paranormal romance.

    If you like vampire tale with a dark Gothic feel, The Darkening Dream will be right up your alley, with ugly, evil old-school vampires that must be destroyed (a la Nosferatu and the film "Shadow of the Vampire").

    Vampire hunting teenagers are sometimes trite and weak, or at the very least copy-cat versions of the Buffy crew, but you won't find any of that here. In the vein of Lost Boys, the kids in The Darkening dream pull off their roles with amazing...more
    Tahlia Newland
    The Darkening Dream is billed as a dark fantasy, some of it borders on horror and I found some aspects of it a little perverse. It has teen protagonists, but don’t for a moment let that make you think that this is suitable for teens, it isn’t. If the author intends it for young adults, then he either needs to prune back the gratuitous sexual twists in some of the scenes or put a warning on the outside of the book. It’s not the sexual content itself that’s the problem; there isn’t a great deal of...more
    Steve Cran
    A full blown story dealing with the occult, religion, vampire and Egyptian deities. Set in Salem, Massachusetts 1913 one would think this book is about witchcraft. Starting off with Sarah Engelman watching her father pray in synagogue the story rolls into a young girl going off with her friends Emily, Ann and Sam. Sarah worries about typical things for a young Jewish orthodox girl her age. School, acceptable socializing and marriage. Then Alex comes along a young Greek boy her age. The forbidden...more
    Heather
    In 1913 Salem, Massachusetts, teenager Sarah begins having horrifying visions that begin coming true. She first sees a vision of death when meeting a teenage boy for the first time. The next day the boy ends up dead. Scared, Sarah confides in her best friends, twins Sam and Anna, and her new friend, Greek immigrant Alex.

    When the group of teens find out that their friend was killed by a vampire they set off on an adventure to stop him. Along the way they learn that the vampire is after holy tru...more
    Donna
    Received from author for honest review.

    This is a very dark story. A bit too dark and frightening for my tastes, but very well written. The vampires of Andy Gavin's stories aren't cute, funny, handsome, or happy. No Barnabas Collins or Twilight characters here- these vampires are dark, brooding and more like Stoker's vampire. A blood sucking unapologetic abomination.

    The story takes place in Salem, Ma...A city that invokes images of witches and witch hunts. Well, no witches now. It's the year 1913...more
    Margaret
    (also posted on Word Vagabond)

    1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is as normal as can be until a picnic with friends uncovers a grisly murder. Together, they work to unravel the mystery behind a boy’s death and it takes a turn for the strange because the boy does not stay buried. He comes back as a vampire. This is just the start of a rollercoaster ride into the supernatural realm, with vampires, demons, black magic, and a trio of Egyptian gods all working toward one thing: an an...more
    Ally
    (Review by Margaret Bishop for Word Vagabond)


    1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is as normal as can be until a picnic with friends uncovers a grisly murder. Together, they work to unravel the mystery behind a boy’s death and it takes a turn for the strange because the boy does not stay buried. He comes back as a vampire. This is just the start of a rollercoaster ride into the supernatural realm, with vampires, demons, black magic, and a trio of Egyptian gods all working toward o...more
    Kayla
    Okay, so I might have looked into this originally because the guy who wrote it helped create Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter. Those games are just awesome, so all the applause for that. But I'm not reviewing them. The premise of this sounded just as good so I started it. And kept reading, and reading, and reading, and then hated when it was over.

    At first I was afraid, I was petrified, thinking that I wouldn't be able to keep the many characters, good and bad, straight, the motives behind ever...more
    Melissa Caldwell
    Vampire tales are a dime a dozen these days. Rarely do they have the bite that gets my attention and my imagination buzzing. The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin is now officially on that list (the good one)! The cast of characters and the history he has created, lend this book a sense of dread laced with humor. No pretty vampires to seduce the heroine. No sympathy for the devil, because the devil will rip your throat out! The vampires in this book maim, kill, and torture their victims and commit a...more
    Robert
    To be clear I didn't finish this book which is enough of a review in itself for me. I got about 65% of the way through and I felt guilty putting it down because I hat not finishing something. I just couldn't make myself continue with all the good stuff on my TBR list. So, now for a little more on why I couldn't finish.

    I just could not get into this book. The constant POV changes were unclear and seemed for the most part unnecessary. The characters didn't seem to have enough substance to them tha...more
    Sheila
    Heralded as a Vampire Novel with Bite, Andy Gavin’s The Darkening Dream blends the dark shadows of Poe with the modern touch of teen adventure and a hint of magic too. Vampires live in their traditional coffins, avoid the light, and, as promised in the subtitle, bite. Meanwhile vampire hunters seek to destroy them.

    Sarah Engelmann’s just an ordinary girl in 1900s Salem, Massachusetts. She goes to school, hangs out at her friend’s house, admires the new boy’s horse, and shares everyone’s wonder at...more
    Miya Kressin
    3.5 stars. It was a really good book. The research was well done, and I found the writing enjoyable. There were some scene changes that needed to be smoothed out as well as some character POV switches that could have been made more clear, but these area were few and far between.

    The building sensual tension between two of the characters was believable for their ages, though I felt it a little rushed for the era and social ramifications. Given their surroundings and connection, as well as how busy...more
    Katie
    Ramblings: Super excited about this one because of Alex: he is Greek. Now, unfortunately, I am not Greek and I rarely talk about my obsession with Greece on this blog because there has never been a reason to. But, when Gavin requested my to review this book and I saw that Alex was cute and Greek?? I happy danced. I said, sign me up!

    Characters: I'm just going to jump right into it: Alex was by far my favorite character. Dark curly hair, big eyes, sexy. Oh yes, I fell in love the moment I read abo...more
    Amy_Read to My Heart's Content
    Review: www.readtomyhearts.blogspot.com


    This was probably the hardest review I have ever written before. I felt like this story pulled me in so many directions I felt like I was coming undone at the seams.
    I liked it and yet there were parts that just left me saying "huh"?
    At times I felt very confused. I was left wondering why did this happen? Then the setting is Salem, Mass. in 1913 but the actions and dialogue of some of the characters were either very modern (like in this 2000's) or it seemed...more
    Erin
    Feb 09, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Brave readers, but not on a full stomach
    I'm going to start off by saying this book was very dark, very gruesome, and heavy. I bought it for my kindle after seeing it advertised on goodreads, and it was not at all what I was expecting. I'm in need of a light, fun read after this one, or maybe just a strong drink...

    Set in the early 1900's, Sarah is the well-read daughter of a rabbi, and from the very beginning we see that she is wise beyond her years. She meets an immigrant from Greece, an attractive boy that shares her intrigue and wor...more
    Kimberly
    The Darkening Dream was completely unlike any book that I've read before. At first I was really caught up in the summary of the novel which definitely catches the reader's attention as well as the stunningly dark and mysterious cover paired alongside it.

    The fact that I liked the book so much caught me completely off guard and I'm really glad I gave this debut novel by Andy Gavin a chance. The Darkening Dream brings together a fantastic mixture of fantasy, mythology, paranormal, historical ficti...more
    Lissette
    Sarah Engelmann's life has always been an ordinary one. She's lived a bookish life, and is thankful for all the blessings God has given her. Up until now, she's spent most of her time with her beloved friends, Anne, Sam, and their little sister, Emily. For her, life is as good as it gets. Unfortunately, appearances can be deceiving.

    When an unexplained vision turns out to be real, Sarah begins to question her sanity. She's not exactly sure as to why she's seeing what she's seeing, but she knows t...more
    Deanna
    I really tried to finish reading this book. I really did! I just couldn't do it. Much too painful to keep going. I had made it to 70% on my kindle. First reason I had a problem with this book was 1) Religion was incorporated & rampant (with all kinds of religions) through out this book. 2) These kids more or less act like the "Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated Gang" except I love Scooby Doo and that cartoon series made sense! This is supposed be in the early 1900's settings and they just come...more
    Christine Rains
    Sarah Engelmann is a devoted daughter, friend, and student. She wishes to go on to college, but it's coming near the time when she's feeling the pressure to choose a husband. Yet all those worries are nothing when she stumbles upon a corpse and becomes entangled in an evil plan to bring on the apocalypse. Alex is a gorgeous Greek immigrant and knows a lot about the supernatural. With Alex and her two best friends, Sarah goes on a quest to stop the evil from bringing on the End of Days not knowin...more
    Abigail
    Salem,Massachusetts, 1913, vampires, magic, and one girl and her friends in the middle of it.

    Amazon had this as a free electronic download some time ago and I just got around to reading it. Very mixed feelings on this one. The story itself is intriguing and fun and it took me longer than usual to call the twist, and that is always refreshing. The characters are relatively well-drawn personality-wise and several of the fringe characters are very entertaining. Of the main group of four friends, Sa...more
    Alanna (The Flashlight Reader)
    Two words: complicated and intense.




    The great care that was taken to develop the setting in this book was amazing. It completely sucks you in. The story takes place in Salem in the early 1900s, which makes it the perfect setting for a super creepy story. And boy, did this story get creepy.


    The characters were extremely well developed. It's hard to say what I liked about them the most. The "good guys" were more than just vampire fighting teens. They had, well, character. I won't say much about the...more
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    paced reading hor...: the darkening dream spoilers to 100% 32 12 Oct 23, 2012 01:18am  
    Paranormal and Ho...: Giveaway & Author Interview with Andy Gavin 2 3 Jun 22, 2012 06:14am  
    The Darkening Dream (Kindle Edition)
    The Darkening Dream (Hardcover)
    5406978
    Andy Gavin is an unstoppable storyteller who studied for his Ph.D. at M.I.T. and founded video game developer Naughty Dog, Inc. at the age of fifteen, serving as co-president for two decades. There he created, produced, and directed over a dozen video games, including the award winning and best selling Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises, selling over 40 million units worldwide. He sle...more
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