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The Book of the Crowman

(Black Dawn #2)

Joseph D'Lacey (Goodreads Author)

3.94 · Rating details · 295 ratings · 45 reviews

It is the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, the earth wracked and dying.

It is the Bright Day, a time long generations hence, when a peace has descended across the world.

The search for the shadowy figure known only as the Crowman continues, as the Green Men prepare to rise up against the forces of the Ward.

The world has been condemned. Only Gordon Black and Th ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 468 pages

Published February 25th 2014 by Angry Robot (first published February 24th 2014)

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Jul 02, 2013 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As Gordon Black draws ever closer to the Crowman, Megan Maurice walks the Black Feathered Path and chronicles the Crowman's tale for the good of the world. How are Gordon and the Crowman linked? And is the Crowman the world's destroyer or its salvation?

I got this from the fine folks at Angry Robot and Netgalley.

All good things must come to an end and here we are, the end of the Black Dawn Duology. Gordon Black's and Megan Maurice's tales progress and intersect in dramatic fashion. Megan continue As Gordon Black draws ever closer to the Crowman, Megan Maurice walks the Black Feathered Path and chronicles the Crowman's tale for the good of the world. How are Gordon and the Crowman linked? And is the Crowman the world's destroyer or its salvation?

I got this from the fine folks at Angry Robot and Netgalley.

All good things must come to an end and here we are, the end of the Black Dawn Duology. Gordon Black's and Megan Maurice's tales progress and intersect in dramatic fashion. Megan continues learning how to be a Keeper, walking the Weave and experiencing the story of Gordon Black and his quest to find the Crowman. Gordon leaves a trail of dead Wardsmen in his wake, trying to sniff out the Crowman at any cost.

In The Book of the Crowman, the Black Dawn speeds toward its inevitable conclusion. I had a pretty good idea what Gordon Black's final fate was going to be before I opened the book but Joseph D'Lacey made me work for it and it still cut me deep when it happened. I loved reading about Gordon's conflicted relationship with Denise and his neverending battle against the Ward and was sad when he met his final fate.

Megan's story, that of her chronicling Gordon Black's quest and learning to be a Keeper, was interesting in different ways. I loved that her and Gordon's paths intersected a couple times due to the Weave and some timey wimey stuff.

As with Black Feathers, the book had a strong ecological message. It was also very pro-women, what with only a woman being able to cleave the Keepers to the land once and for all. While I had an inkling that Gordon would wind up being The Crowman from the start, I had no idea how far things would go. I sure didn't see him going the Jesus/Braveheart route at the end.

There's a lot more I have to say but it's hard to put it into words. The Book of the Crowman reminds me of harsher versions of the kind of books Neil Gaiman and Charles DeLint write, exploring what it means to be a symbol for the people. There's also a Native American feel at times. It's a pretty powerful book.

While I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Black Feathers, it's still definitely worth your time and a great ending to the story of Gordon Black and the Crowman. If you're a fan of dystopias, environmentally conscious fiction, Neil Gaiman, or Charles DeLint, you'll want to pick this up. Four out of five stars.
...more

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Sep 28, 2013 Bob/Sally rated it liked it

Shelves: post-apocalyptic

It's taken me a little while to decide how I feel about The Book of the Crowman. I'll be honest. I am somebody who reads for story, for plot, for characters, and for the strength of the narrative. I read to be entertained. I am not somebody who looks for messages, for themes, for morals, or for hidden meanings. I don't read to be preached at.

While there is no doubt that Joseph D'Lacey is a preacher, he at least couches his message in an entertaining framework. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed Black It's taken me a little while to decide how I feel about The Book of the Crowman. I'll be honest. I am somebody who reads for story, for plot, for characters, and for the strength of the narrative. I read to be entertained. I am not somebody who looks for messages, for themes, for morals, or for hidden meanings. I don't read to be preached at.

While there is no doubt that Joseph D'Lacey is a preacher, he at least couches his message in an entertaining framework. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed Black Feathers, and had no trouble absorbing the environmental message contained therein. With that ecological message getting mixed up with some deeply religious symbolism and allegory here, however, I found myself drifting away towards the end.

Before we get to that, let's talk about what entertained me. The intersection of Gordon and Megan's narratives was both interesting and complex, with greater significance given to the narrative junctions after the fact. There were some incredibly powerful scenes here, both of a brutally violent and a breathtakingly intimate nature. Take, for instance, the scene where Gordon slips into strange campsite and discovers the cannibalism taking place. The young bodies trussed up, with heads and genitals removed, blooded but not yet skinned, make for an arresting image, and the eye-for-an-eye revenge that Gordon enacts is as cathartic as it is savage. Consider also the scenes with young Flora, the sickly, crippled, extraordinarily bright young toddler with a connection to the Crowman. She reminds Gordon of his humanity, and grants him the hope and the faith that he needs to continue, even as her plight breaks the reader's heart.

The twists, turns, and revelations entertained me as well. There's a point at which we discover the truth about the letters from Jude, Gordon's sister, which just about floored me, leaving me stunned and deeply impressed. There's a change in our understanding of Mr. Keeper that was as entertaining as it was surprising. There is a significant betrayal in the latter stages of the book that probably should have seen coming, but I still found myself surprised by its power. Finally, the character of Rag Man honestly shocked me, with the revelation that he's a character we already know and hate, and never expected to make a return appearance.

Unfortunately, a lot of that overshadowed by the heavy-handedness of the message. Black Feathers made it clear we were dealing with an ecological message warning of our impending doom, but The Book of the Crowman keeps pushing it, throwing it in our faces, and demanding that we listen. Something I didn't notice in the first book, but which severely tainted my enjoyment here was the Christian allegory. (view spoiler) It's not just that the religious allegory holds zero appeal for me, or that it does nothing to make me believe in the struggle, it's that it completely telegraphs the end of the story. Goodbye suspense.

As for the end, I found it completely unsatisfying, and not just for the reasons above. It felt flat to me, anti-climatic, and unfinished. It's full of hints and suggestions, but it offers nothing in the way of a concrete resolution. (view spoiler) In case you haven't guessed by now, faith and I don't get along so well.

I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm dumping on it, because it was an interesting story, well-written, with a really unique protagonist. It's just that The Book of the Crowman strayed too far from what I expected, and went too deep into waters I had no interest in being baptized by. From a thematic and mythological standpoint, it's probably a fitting end to the story, but from an entertainment standpoint, I found it personally lacking.

Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins ...more

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Feb 11, 2014 Judah rated it did not like it

Shelves: didnt-finish

Well written, fun premise.... so why only one star?

Quite simply, I'm tired of the villainous lisping homosexual trope. (tripe) In the first book, most of the major events centered around gay rape or something similar, and it was revealed that the two main antagonists are gay. I stuck it out anyways, as I enjoyed the story. I couldn't do so with the second book.

We get it. Homosexuals are the representation/embodiment of the culture of corruption that is humanities downfall.

One star. Simple as th ...more

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Feb 18, 2014 Paul rated it it was amazing

Black Feathers was a bit of a revelatory moment for me. I’ve read most of Joseph D’Lacey’s existing back catalogue but wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with a novel that didn’t fit neatly into the horror genre. I needn’t have worried, I was utterly engrossed by his first foray into fantasy. Since then, I’ve been waiting patiently for book two and now that it’s finally here I can confirm it’s a corker.

Whenever I read a novel, I’m always on the look of for evolution in a character. I want to Black Feathers was a bit of a revelatory moment for me. I’ve read most of Joseph D’Lacey’s existing back catalogue but wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with a novel that didn’t fit neatly into the horror genre. I needn’t have worried, I was utterly engrossed by his first foray into fantasy. Since then, I’ve been waiting patiently for book two and now that it’s finally here I can confirm it’s a corker.

Whenever I read a novel, I’m always on the look of for evolution in a character. I want to see evidence that events within the narrative have left their mark. I’m looking for a realistic development/change in the protagonist that makes logical sense and helps to drive the plot forward. This is where The Book of the Crowman excels. Hell, evolution doesn’t seem a strong enough word, it doesn’t adequately convey the depth of transformation that Gordon Black experiences. The reader gets to follow a metamorphosis, a re-invention, as Gordon grows from boy to man. As the countryside and society collapses and evolves, Gordon’s role transforms and evolves with it. He changes at the most fundamental level and this story chronicles that, often harrowing, change.

Megan Maurice also returns. In the future of the Bright Day, she continues to learn the story of the Crowman and how he is connected to Gordon. The moments of duality that exist between Gordon and Megan’s respective journeys continue to be explored in-depth.

I think the thing I like most about this novel is the enigmatic nature of the title character. D’Lacey drops lots of subtle hints, suggesting many things, but never fully commits entirely to a single interpretation of who and what the Crowman actually is. I suspect this will drive some readers absolutely nuts but I felt that this sense of ambiguity was exactly right, the author is inviting users to draw their own conclusions. It’s rare that I come across fiction that I immediately know I’m going to read again in the future, but I knew very quickly that it was the case here. Fiction that challenges established ideas and prompts thought is always worth revisiting again and again.

The Book of the Crowman, and its predecessor, successfully blend together elements from a host of genres. Urban fantasy, traditional folklore and myth, post-apocalyptic science fiction and horror are all represented. A single word of warning – the climax of book two contains some particularly graphic imagery. It’s warranted though, as it fits perfectly into the confines of the plot, still shocking none the less.

With the conclusion of this novel D’Lacey has crafted a duology that feels both topical and timeless in the same breath. Hidden just beneath the surface of this engaging story there are many questions the author is asking the reader to ponder. He’s casting a light on the important issues that everyone needs to be considering as modern society develops. It’s lofty stuff. There are many perceptive ideas covering everything from politics, religion and philosophy. D’Lacey’s writing is not just a clarion call for environmentalism, but also a manifesto for change.

There is an exceptionally short list of genre books that have had a profound effect on my way of thinking. One day I may even tell you what some of the others are. Currently however, all you need to know is that Black Feathers and The Book of the Crowman have just been added to that list. Smart insightful fiction that challenges preconceived notions and makes a reader properly think is a truly wonderful thing. This is flawlessly executed fantasy that I can’t recommend highly enough. I’ve said it before, and I hope I get the opportunity to say it again, Joseph D’Lacey is an author who everyone should be reading. ...more

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Jan 29, 2014 Monica rated it it was amazing

The Book of the Crowman is the sequel to Black Feathers. Together these two books make up The Black Dawn, a story that D'Lacey originally intended to take up one volume. As these two books are a part of the same story, neither are stand alone novels, so this review will rate the Black Dawn as a whole with the emphasis on Volume II in particular.
D'Lacey has created a beautifully written book that is in part an apocalyptic tale, and also a story with fantasy elements. Whether you love Sci-Fi or Fa The Book of the Crowman is the sequel to Black Feathers. Together these two books make up The Black Dawn, a story that D'Lacey originally intended to take up one volume. As these two books are a part of the same story, neither are stand alone novels, so this review will rate the Black Dawn as a whole with the emphasis on Volume II in particular.
D'Lacey has created a beautifully written book that is in part an apocalyptic tale, and also a story with fantasy elements. Whether you love Sci-Fi or Fantasy, this is a book that lovers of all types of speculative fiction will enjoy. The tale follows a young boy and a young girl in a journey to adulthood. Their tales are told simultaneously even though they lived hundreds (or maybe even thousands) of years apart. The boy is Gordon Black. He lives in England during the apocalypse and is prophesied to find the Crowman. The Crowman is a spirit of the earth, and he represents all the human race needs in order to save themselves. The earth is dying from human abuse, and Gordon knows the only way to save the world is to help the Green Men, those a that have a bond with the earth. But the fight won't be easy as he has to battle members of the Ward, which is comprised of men who want to continue to dominate the earth. Because of the prophecies they are hunting Gordon, and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on him.
The young girl is Megan Maurice, and she lives in a time long after the apocalypse, when the only people left are those that live entirely off the land. Her society is completely environmentally conscious, and works hard to stay that way lest they cause another Black Dawn. Megan is chosen as the last keeper: it is up to her to tell the story of Gordon Black and the apocalypse, and to make sure that everyone heeds the story of the Crowman. Megan and her teacher are both imbued with a kind of magic that let's them see visions and travel to other times. If Megan can't become a keeper, then Gordon will have gone through numerous hardships for nothing. But the Black Feathered path to becoming a Keeper is far from easy, and Megan does not know whether she has the strength to finish.
This book is an environmental novel at its heart, and its message is one that is extremely important. It is one of those stories that I wish everyone would read because D'Lacey writes in a way that brings real issues of how humans treat the earth to the forefront of his plot. But even if the message of the book does not move you, the writing certainly will. The author is brutal and honest, and writes in a way that makes his story come alive to the reader. His writing is flawless, and he can make even the darkest scene feel beautiful.
The plot can be a bit slow in part I, but in part II it really picks up, and it becomes hard to put the book down.
The only negative thing a have to say about this book is that the ending left me a little unsatisfied, and wanting more of an explanation. In a way though, the ending fit the story well, and left the reader open to her own interpretation.
Overall I would give this book an 8.5/10, which is the highest rating I have given so far! It is an amazing book, and I highly recommend it.
I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review
Review originally found at http://avidfantasyreviews.files.wordp... ...more

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Aug 18, 2014 Ctgt rated it liked it · review of another edition

When there was no law, when nothing beyond survival seemed to matter any more, there was a savage logic in violence and ruination. He half understood their feelings:
If this is the end, then bring it on....
But what if , as Gordon still believed, it wasn't the end? Wasn't it worth trying to keep the world alive, to maintain the simple trust that one person would neither harm another nor take from them just because there was no one to punish their actions. Surely, such trust was a Natural law, part When there was no law, when nothing beyond survival seemed to matter any more, there was a savage logic in violence and ruination. He half understood their feelings:
If this is the end, then bring it on....
But what if , as Gordon still believed, it wasn't the end? Wasn't it worth trying to keep the world alive, to maintain the simple trust that one person would neither harm another nor take from them just because there was no one to punish their actions. Surely, such trust was a Natural law, part of the order of the universe.

I really enjoyed the first book of this duology, the whole idea of Mother Earth getting fed up and wreaking havoc was unique in my reading experience. While I liked the ending(altough it was pretty obvious how it would end) the first half of this book seemed to flounder. Just like the first book, the story jumps between Gordon(past) and Megan(future-through the weave) and there are some moments in the first half where their characters become linked which did move the story forward but these were just too few and far between for my taste. As I think back, if this had been condensed to one volume this would have been a great story.

There are many spiritual and religious overtones concerning faith and belief throughout the story,

You must learn to have faith in me. For that to happen, I need to go away for a while. Remove myself from your sight. You must find me in other ways, in the whisper of the wind when it makes tongues of the branches, in the darting of the wren after she catches your eye, in the way the light shatters when it touches the river. You must watch for me a while and listen for me a while and I must not be there except in spirit. Do you see? (Crowman speaking to Megan)

You had to come this way; do the things you've done. And you had to come to the end of your faith. You did stop believing, Gordon. That's why you're hiding in here, crying to yourself like you've never cried before. The search had to lead you nowhere and the burden of it had to break you before I could appear. Do you understand?(Crowman to Gordon)

Except for the one of the final scenes, the majority of the spiritual ideas in the book take on more of a pantheist outlook.

Overall an interesting take on the dystopian tale, but for me came up a bit short in it's execution. ...more

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Nov 08, 2013 Lisa rated it liked it

Probably 3.5 stars, couldn't decide which way to round.

Full review is here: http://tenaciousreader.wordpress.com/...

The Book of the Crowman is the grim and haunting unfolding of folklore with an honest and powerful conclusion. Fans of the first book should definitely give it a shot, if they find the first half slow, hang in there, because the story as a whole is certainly worth reading.

I enjoyed the evolution of Gordan's Black character as well as the pieces of Megan's story falling in with Gord ...more

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Oct 04, 2013 Tammy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.

The nitty-gritty: Violent but compelling, heartbreaking yet hopeful, the harrowing journey of two characters finally comes to an end.

There had once been industrial parks and truck stops on both sides of the road. Over the years people had dumped rubbish alongside the verges and the black refuse sacks were caught forever in the barbed grip of the hedgerows. Shredded by thorns, the ribbons of black plastic fluttered and shivered in the consta ...more

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Oct 22, 2017 Becky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A coming of age tale the likes of which I've never read and am unlikely to encounter again. D'Laceys duo is a complex and interesting weaving of horror, fantasy, and apocalyptic demise with underlying feeling that really makes you think. It's like peeling back never ending layers, with questions that never get answered, and that's okay. Because sometimes questions don't get answered. And that is life. ...more

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Feb 19, 2014 Rachel rated it really liked it

Black Feathers was a favorite of mine amongst the 2013 new releases and so I jumped at the opportunity to read the second half of the Black Dawn series, The Book of the Crowman, when I received the ARC courtesy of Netgalley.

What grabbed me in the first book was the combination of D’Lacey’s character development and the balance he found in the vision of a future shaped by environmental apocalypse and the prose which was simultaneously visual and visceral.

The Book of the Crowman picks up exactly w ...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Koeur rated it it was amazing

http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/01/27...

Publisher: Angry Robot
Publishing Date: February 2014
ISBN: 9780857663498
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.6/5.0

Publisher Description: The world has been condemned. Only Gordon Black and The Crowman can redeem it. The search for the shadowy figure known only as the Crowman continues, as the Green Men prepare to rise up against the forces of the Ward. It is the Bright Day, a time long generations hence, when a peace has descended across the world. It is the Black D ...more

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Jan 15, 2014 Josh rated it liked it

Shelves: read_2014, own, review_books, kindle, post-apocalyptic

The Black Dawn duology closes with THE BOOK OF THE CROWMAN; the fantastical eco war mixed with a religious like mythology and spiced with the otherworldly spun around young man, Gordon Black and his quest along the black feathered path. Accompanying Gordon, on a parallel path, is Megan, a Keeper in training who evolves into something much more powerful than a designated scribe of the Crowman’s legend, as initially introduced.

Author Joseph D’Lacey fortifies his characters giving them unique power ...more

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Oct 17, 2016 Zaz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 250-500p, series, favorites, dystopia-utopia, zz-2016-52-reading-challenge, fantasy

4.5 stars. A satisfying sequel with a good atmosphere and plenty of love for Earth, but which dragged a little and was crowded with hormones and blood.

Gordon is now several years older, bloody handed and still searching for the Crowman. While the Ward continues to hunt him, without much success, the young man meets for the first time several important persons. On her side, Megan continues to follow the black path, learning more about the Crowman, defending her land, and using words to describe t ...more

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Aug 23, 2016 Daniel Ruffolo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Book of the Crowman is the continuation of the post-apocalyptic series The Black Dawn by British author Joseph D’Lacey, which was begun in Black Feathers. The Book of the Crowman is a fascinating and engaging story that continues the seamless integration of multiple genres and styles that so interested me in the first volume. I was really looking forward to the release of this book, and was not at all disappointed.

Read the full review at Strange Currencies
https://strangecurrencies.org/2016/0 ...more

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Jan 02, 2015 Chris Berko rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was easily one of the best books I've read in years. The second part of the Black Dawn story which began with the equally superb Black Feathers concludes the tale with a fascinating and completely satisfying ending. I know it sounds cheesy and clichéd but I was constantly rereading sections and paragraphs for their beauty and power. I highly recommend this for any fiction lover. ...more

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Mar 15, 2014 Mieneke rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 2014

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Last year I was very pleasantly surprised, to put it mildly, by Joseph D'Lacey's Black Feathers , the first in The Black Dawn duology. I loved the mixture of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic storylines and found D'Lacey's writing to be compelling and at times poetic in its descriptions. I became very much invested in Gordon and Megan's stories and I couldn't wait to find out how they would end in The Book of the Crowman. I got a stunning conclusion to their narrative, but one which struck out ...more

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Mar 19, 2014 Lynn Williams rated it really liked it

http://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/2014/...

The Book of the Crowman is the concluding part of the Black Dawn story told by Joseph D'Lacey. The story started with Black Feathers (my review here). BotC picks up immediately where Black Dawn ended and we continue Gordon's journey to find the Crowman and Megan's story to become a keeper. Just a quick recap. This story is set in two timeframes with two different voices. Gordon is pre apocalypse. In his story the world is starting to rebel against the cons http://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/2014/...

The Book of the Crowman is the concluding part of the Black Dawn story told by Joseph D'Lacey. The story started with Black Feathers (my review here). BotC picks up immediately where Black Dawn ended and we continue Gordon's journey to find the Crowman and Megan's story to become a keeper. Just a quick recap. This story is set in two timeframes with two different voices. Gordon is pre apocalypse. In his story the world is starting to rebel against the constant misuse foisted upon it by humans, strong weather, earthquakes, starvation, disease, are the beginning of the end. Enforcers called the Ward keep the populace in control using the harshest methods. The Ward fear a prophecy which has been told about the Crowman and are determined to find him and eliminate him. Gordon, on the run from the Ward similarly wants to find the Crowman. Set many years in the future in a much more simplified, post apocalyptic time is Megan. The Crowman appears to Megan one day thereby determining her future as a keeper. Megan will be responsible for keeping the legend of the Crowman alive for the next generation.

Book No.2 continues with Gordon's trek across the country, desperately in search of the Crowman and apparently always just behind him. He meets and sees many strange things along the way, some of which are horrendous and unrepeatable. Unbeknown to himself he is also gathering something of a reputation. Meting out justice in fast and ruthless fashion and continually evading the clutches of the Ward. At the same time a good proportion of the population, tired of their life and disillusioned by the Ward are starting their own resistance movement, a green army, spurred on by the myth of the Crowman who they see ultimately as their champion of hope.

Back to the future and Megan has her own problems to overcome. she will receive a taste of what being a keeper will actually involve and it's somewhat bitter. Her life will be so far removed from everything she ever knew before and she needs to come to terms with not only that and her new found duties but also a couple of other revelations.

I enjoyed the fact that both characters had developed for the conclusion. Gordon more so than Megan really. Gordon is now a man. He's confident and feels like the earth gives him power. He has become a formidable opponent for the Ward and one that you can't help feeling will succeed against all odds.

The whole story is heading in one direction. Conflict. The outcome of which will determine the future. Although, call me foolish but given that Megan is writing the story from the future does give you an idea of how certain things will go.

Apart from a bit of a slow start I thought the conclusion of the story was really gripping and in spite of the fact that I already had an idea of what was going to happen, I did race forward at breakneck speed.

In terms of criticisms, I understand that this was originally intended as a one book story that developed into two. I think it could have benefitted from maybe a little extra cutting and being kept as one book. There is a definite message to the story and in parts it can become a little bit repetitive but I didn't particularly feel it was done in a preachy kind of way. Yes, the author is making a point but he's found a great story as a vehicle to promote this message. The only other point I would make is that I felt like the ending was a tiny bit flat - which is perhaps the wrong phrase. I do think it was an appropriate ending, I also think it's the ending I was expecting but somehow I just wanted something a little bit more.

I mentioned in my review of No.1 that this is dark fantasy and this definitely remains the case here. There are certainly a few scenes that people may be uncomfortable with - personally I thought they fit well with the story and context but there is definitely a bit of blood and gore going on not to mention torture, cannibalism, conflict. These are definitely dark days for sure.

Overall a very satisfying read with only a few niggles.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in return for my honest opinion. ...more

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Aug 14, 2014 Grace Troxel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...

The Book of the Crowman is the second book in Joseph D’Lacey’s Black Dawn series, an ecological post-apocalyptic horror story about what happens when mankind stops respecting the Earth and the land itself begins to fight back.

The story is told from the perspectives of two different characters, representing both the future and the past. Megan is a young girl (around the age of puberty) w This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...

The Book of the Crowman is the second book in Joseph D’Lacey’s Black Dawn series, an ecological post-apocalyptic horror story about what happens when mankind stops respecting the Earth and the land itself begins to fight back.

The story is told from the perspectives of two different characters, representing both the future and the past. Megan is a young girl (around the age of puberty) who is training to be a Keeper. Keepers are responsible for protecting the balance between the people and the land, and for remembering the forces that almost destroyed the world. Megan’s journeys are mostly spiritual as she learns through various dreamlike experiences what happened to Gordon Black. Gordon lived during the time of the environmental apocalypse, and he’s on a mission to find the Crowman, a creature of legend who represents both death and new beginnings. During his travels, Gordon must fight the Ward, an organization that’s become machine-like in its efficiency and represents the destructive forces of totalitarianism. The Ward are inherently unsustainable, because they don’t have enough of a relationship with the land to even grow their own food, but they have grown powerful because they took all the guns/machinery/technology when the apocalypse occurred. Even though we know that the Ward won’t be able to last, the question remains whether there will be anything else left of humanity by the time that they fall apart. Fighting the Ward are the Green Men, who remind me a bit of Robin Hood. The Green Men live off the land and engage in small acts of guerrilla warfare, but they don’t have the kind of weapons or organization that they’d need to be able to confront the Ward head on and survive. They’re a remnant of humanity, and if Gordon finds the Crowman, he knows that he can give the Green Men a chance at a future.

The Book of the Crowman is much more allegorical than the first book in the series. Gordon Black emerges as a Christ figure whose journey and sacrifices give mankind the hope of a better future. I could go on about the parallels, but that would veer into serious spoilers. Suffice to say that Gordon is clearly a Jesus figure, but less passive. Gordon fights the Ward and isn’t afraid to kill for what he believes in. There are occasions where he’ll risk his own life to try to save someone from harm, and he will give bad people what they deserve. There’s also less of a hangup about sex. On a deeper level, the Crowman’s message is to be aware of both the light and dark sides of humanity and to maintain a balance with the world. You can’t pretend that the darker parts of human nature don’t exist, but you can acknowledge them and channel them in ways that are less destructive. Even though the book has a very clear message, it doesn’t come off as preachy or patronizing. You know what the author wants you to get out of the story, but the story itself is compelling.

Many of the scenes in The Book of the Crowman are quite brutal. There are scenes involving disease, cannibalism, and disembowelment, all in graphic detail (you might not want to read The Book of the Crowman while or immediately before eating). These scenes serve as a reminder of just how bad the Ward is and what mankind is capable of in times of desperation. These scenes are contrasted with Megan’s own time, where for the most part, life is relatively peaceful. Megan lives in a small village in an agrarian society that remains in touch with nature. By contrasting Megan’s world with Gordon’s, we can see both the good and the bad that mankind is capable of and the importance of maintaining a relationship with nature.

Overall, I was quite pleased with this duology. It’s a harsh depiction of what can happen if mankind goes too far, and yet it’s also filled with hope for a brighter day. It’s worth a read. ...more

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Feb 15, 2014 The Speculative Post rated it really liked it

Shelves: dan-s-reviews

I’m a much bigger fan of a multiple book series when it is split up after the fact for length, and not designed that way from the outset. That way you never feel like there’s any stretching of content, any filler there just to justify the trilogy, etc. The Black Dawn was conceived and mostly executed as one single volume, and it was only split when it was clear just how much story there was here. If you have yet to read Black Feathers, I’d absolutely suggest that the benefit of reading them back I’m a much bigger fan of a multiple book series when it is split up after the fact for length, and not designed that way from the outset. That way you never feel like there’s any stretching of content, any filler there just to justify the trilogy, etc. The Black Dawn was conceived and mostly executed as one single volume, and it was only split when it was clear just how much story there was here. If you have yet to read Black Feathers, I’d absolutely suggest that the benefit of reading them back-to-back outweighs the potential risk of buying both and then not liking them. Because how could you not like them? I linked to my review of the first book of this larger volume up at the top, and all of my positive claims about the story and the writing style continue to apply. This is more of the same of a great thing.

But of course, simply saying “Same as above” makes for a pretty crappy review. I can do better than that! One of the things that really struck me about this story, which I think adds to the universality of it, and the thing that I feel will keep it interesting and relevant a long time from now, is the iconic level of the imagery. In the portion of the story dealing with Gordon and the apocalypse which leads to the post-apocalyptic world Megan inhabits, the factions involved in this struggle are ‘The Ward’ and ‘The Green Men.’ Leaving aside the references to existing mythology inherent in ‘The Green Man’, both of these groups are identified almost entirely by ideology, and not anything particular to them inside the narrative. ‘Peace through Control’ and ‘Peace through Freedom’ is a dichotomy that has never really -not- existed, and I’m not sure it will ever be resolved in a final way. I consider it a mandatory requirement of anything dystopian for me to call it ‘good’ that the issues at hand avoid being too dated or specific to an era in which it was written. You should be able to read a novel like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale in virtually any era and still find it chilling and cautionary, and The Book of the Crowman definitely dodged that bullet as well. The forces represented by ‘The Ward’ are pretty nearly primal.

Throughout the entirely of The Black Dawn but much more prevalent in The Book of the Crowman, since the story closes out in this volume, is the question of history, myth and legend. The story of Gordon is the search for the Crowman. He is sure that the Crowman exists, but has never met him in a way that confirms it. As he travels, he meets people who believe that the Crowman is real, that he is a metaphor, that he is an invention, even that he was created by the enemy just to be defeated and crush the spirits of ‘The Green Men’. When you move to the future with Megan, the same is true. She is not nearly the first to be experiencing the life of Gordon and the search for the Crowman, and each previous ‘Keeper’ has told the tale in a different way. This calls into doubt whether even the story we’re seeing from Gordon’s perspective is fact or if it is just a legend being told and retold. It actually makes the story more powerful, that it has endured for so long, yet we don’t as readers get to just know ahead of time ‘yeah, totally real.’

The development of the story through the finish here makes this feel less like a coming-of-age story than the first volume did, but I will still go ahead and keep pushing the Urban Fantasy of Charles De Lint as a good choice if you enjoy this sort of setting.

Dan received a review copy of this book courtesy of Angry Robot Books via NetGalley.

You can read this review, an interview with Joseph D'Lacey, articles, and more at our website The Speculative Post. ...more

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Feb 15, 2014 Captain Doomsday rated it it was amazing

Please note that this review is a modified version from my blog After The Last Day.

It’s three years after the events of Black Feathers and Gordon Black is older and a lot more ferocious. Roving between Green Men patrols as they take on the Ward, he is still searching for the Crowman. Stopping for shelter in the city, he meets Denise and Flora, the latter of whom gives him the first lead on the Crowman that Gordon has had in a long time. What follows is Gordon’s desperate attempt to find the Crow Please note that this review is a modified version from my blog After The Last Day.

It’s three years after the events of Black Feathers and Gordon Black is older and a lot more ferocious. Roving between Green Men patrols as they take on the Ward, he is still searching for the Crowman. Stopping for shelter in the city, he meets Denise and Flora, the latter of whom gives him the first lead on the Crowman that Gordon has had in a long time. What follows is Gordon’s desperate attempt to find the Crowman before the Green Men and Ward armies clash.

And meanwhile, in the Bright Day, Megan Maurice continues her Keeper training, chronicling Gordon’s story and learning the price she must pay to keep the Bright Day shining – and the truth behind being a Keeper.

What’s So Great About It?

Just about everything, to be honest. The Book Of The Crowman builds upon its predecessor and then some. It opens with a bang and while it has its slow points, the pressure is always on for both Gordon and Megan in their separate epochs. The escalating stakes and the sense of building pressure compel the reader to consume this work in as few sittings as possible. Some of the confronting scenes did require a bit of reflection and a short break from the story but were at the same time utterly absorbing.

The characters that live and breath in the world the author has created are complex and not always clear in their loyalties or their motives. The interplay between them feels real and doesn’t bog down in melodrama as much as a story about the Earth rebelling against its poor treatment could. Happily, the story never gets preachy either – this might be an eco-apocalypse but the plot comes first here. Sermons don’t get a look-in.

The ending will stay with you for a long time, with horrific scenes of battle and death in the Black Dawn era, countered by truths that Megan discovers in the Bright Day. The ultimate ending is a very satisfying close to the duology and bought to mind the ending of Stephen King’s The Gunslinger saga, although not in the way you might think.

What’s Not Great About It?

The only thing I didn’t really like about The Book Of The Crowman was the addition of a couple of extra POV’s. Having finished the book, I know why they’re in there and they’re very well written – I just prefer the intimacy of having only Gordon and Megan’s views. It’s a minor niggle and only here because I’ve got to have something to counter the gushiness.

Recommended By Captain Doomsday

The author, as in the previous book, once again excels at painting a believable and followable sense of not just impending doom but the breakdown of the Earth itself. He can set a scene with minimal waste and satisfying freshness and bring it to life in a way that only the best storytellers can.

While that alone would justify my recommendation, the well-drawn characters, masterful action, and genuinely dreadful scenes of horror that wrap themselves into this well-paced plot are selling points with just as much weight. Add in a memorable ending and this is one of those books that I just can’t recommend enough. ...more

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Feb 28, 2014 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: supernatural, completely-brilliant, mythology, 2014

Review originally posted at: http://andthenireadabook.blogspot.co....

The Book of the Crowman concludes The Black Dawn story begun in Black Feathers. If you haven't yet read Black Feathers I urge you to stop reading this and get your hands on a copy right away. It's a beautiful, disturbing dystopian paean to the earth and one of my favourite books of 2013 (my review can be found here). The Book of the Crowman picks up the story and follows Gordon and Megan as they move relentlessly towards their Review originally posted at: http://andthenireadabook.blogspot.co....

The Book of the Crowman concludes The Black Dawn story begun in Black Feathers. If you haven't yet read Black Feathers I urge you to stop reading this and get your hands on a copy right away. It's a beautiful, disturbing dystopian paean to the earth and one of my favourite books of 2013 (my review can be found here). The Book of the Crowman picks up the story and follows Gordon and Megan as they move relentlessly towards their destinies.

In a life surrounded by violence Gordon Black has become more than himself. Armed with only his father's penknife he moves as one with the landscape delivering death to the hated Wardsmen. He is attuned to the world, at one with it, moving 'like a ripple on dark water.' He feels the surge of the healing Black Light now too. His power is awesome but with it comes responsibility, pain and difficult ethical choices. Driving him is the knowledge that he alone must find the Crowman before the world ends.

Megan too is growing in strength and power. She is actually my favourite character in this book; her spirit shines out. As she treads her own path in the Weave the bond between her and Gordon deepens. They have this amazing love story that transcends time and physical space, but exists just as surely. Megan merges with the land and nature, becoming a 'human wild-thing' like Gordon. For him, 'she was a true woman of the land, the human female to his human male.' The utter rightness of their connection is beyond beautiful and my heart is aching a little as I think about it now.

Another relationship provokes some rather different feelings. The two Wardsmen most determined to destroy Gordon, Pike and Skelton, are united in their loathing and fear of the Crowman, and their sadism. Their closeness would be a union of monsters but for the tiny chink of light in Skelton's armour - he craves, needs, love. It's enough to allow for the faintest flicker of hope that redemption is still possible.

Relationships are much more important in this book than in Black Feathers. In part, I think, this reflects the coming of age of Gordon and Megan, but they also provide points of strength and vulnerability. D'Lacey writes about these locations of duality so well. The Crowman is less trickster this time around but he is still darkness and light, beginnings and endings. Gordon carefully buries his dead aware that the dead nourish the earth allowing for new life. Nothing (or everything) is wasted (except life itself). Destroy to create.

The line between myth and reality is continually challenged creating stories within stories. The tales both shape and are shaped by us, we live with and by them. D’Lacey's stories access terror and beauty, combining to produce something exquisite. It’s poetry and it’s in my soul. ...more

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Mar 21, 2014 Ralph rated it really liked it

I received an ebook copy from the author/publisher through NetGalley.com in exchange for a review.

This is the second and final (I think) book of THE BLACK DAWN. The first novel, BLACK FEATHERS I reviewed in a previous post. Since I was given the chance to read this one for free, I had to start from the beginning, so I would know what is going on. I may repeat some details from my review of the first novel, then again, I may just add stuff.

This is the continuation of the early years of Gordon Bl ...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Julie-anne rated it it was amazing

Gordon Black is still seeking the Crowman so he can help the Green Men overthrow the Ward. Megan progresses with her training to being the Keeper, although she knows her journey is coming to an end. The Black Dawn still rages on and the Ward are even worse than they were at the beginning.

This is the sequel to Black Feathers, which I really enjoyed and this book is no different. I absolutely love the story behind Gordon Black and how the earth herself has turned against everyone for mistreating h ...more

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Mar 03, 2014 Searska GreyRaven rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First, I'm going to say it was fantastically well-written.

Second, the story was riveting and held me all the way to the end. The descriptions, the symbolism, the mythology and the emotions of the piece were all top notch. The message and Christ symbolism seemed a bit heavy-handed, though. (I believe TVTropes calls this Anvilicious.)

That being said...damn, it pains me to say it, I didn't like it. I got the message, and I can even see that such a message would be important. Humanity has done unsp ...more

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Jan 28, 2014 PopcornReads - MkNoah rated it really liked it

Shelves: relationships, secrets, award-winning-author, war, fantasy, isolation, murder, conspiracy, hope, fiction

We’re participating in a book tour for The Book of the Crowman, Book #2 in the Black Dawn dystopian duology by award-winning author Joseph D’Lacey. The Black Dawn duology is a post-apocalyptic environmental morality tale with strong roots in folklore and mythology, with the Crowman as the central mythological figure. Joseph D’Lacey is known for his horror novels, so don’t expect light and fluffy from this duology. The Black Dawn’s premise is based on Earth’s history of healing itself of destruct ...more

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Apr 01, 2014 Rob rated it it was amazing

There are only a handful of books that I would say had a profound effect on me once I had completed it - books like The Good Medicine Book by Adolph Hungry Wolf, The General's President by John Dalmas, and David's Sling by Marc Stiegler. Having just completed the second volume of D'Lacey's "Black Dawn" duology, I can easily say that this series just joined that list. I stayed up an extra hour last night just so I could finish it; ended up wide awake afterwards because I was just awestruck from i ...more

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May 05, 2014 J rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"this is where she came from; out of the very meat of this woman, out of her bliss and agony from chaos into form, from the perfect nothingness of the beyond into the imperfect beauty of this world "

loved this book so much, it's just as good, if not slightly better than the first! it's rare for a second volume to finish with the same strength and conviction of the first, but this book surely does it. a true epic that deserves a place right next to the stand, in my opinion. there was a point whe ...more

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Jan 21, 2015 Brandy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: strong-women, fantasy, dual-history-or-worlds, reads-in-2015

Just finished this book last night. It is the sequel to "Black Feathers" & continues the story of a young boy, on a quest to find his destiny in a time of war. Then there is a girl, who must write the boys story through visions she has of him, while she lives in a more idyllic time, in a peaceful village. The contrast between the stories works quite well & it was one of those books where you promise yourself that's you'll put it down after, "just one more chapter".

I want more! Yes, the story en ...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Regina marked it as to-read

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, fantasy, series-to-continue, arc-publisher-netgalley-edelweiss

Excited that we now have a release date for this book!

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Dec 16, 2014 LeeAnne Woods rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Is there going to be a third book?

Just wondering, it was really good. Gordon black is by far one of the coolest characters I've ever read about. ...more

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About Joseph D'Lacey

Joseph D'Lacey

363 followers

Became vegetarian after writing MEAT. Fond of meditation, unfathomable questions and cats.

Repped by Robert Dinsdale.

"Joseph D'Lacey rocks!" Stephen King.
...more

Other books in the series

Black Dawn (2 books)

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