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Pine Deep #3
Bad Moon Rising
FROM A FUNFEST...
Each year, the residents of Pine Deep host the Halloween Festival, drawing tourists and celebrities from across the country to enjoy the deliciously creepy fun. Those who visit the small Pennsylvania town are out for a good time, but those who live there are desperately trying to survive...
TO A BLOODFEST
For a monstrous evil lives among them, a savage presence whose malicious power has grown too powerful even for death to hold it back. Only a handful of brave souls stand against the King of the Dead and a red wave of destruction. Daylight is fading and a bad moon is rising over Pine Deep. Keep watching the shadows...
Each year, the residents of Pine Deep host the Halloween Festival, drawing tourists and celebrities from across the country to enjoy the deliciously creepy fun. Those who visit the small Pennsylvania town are out for a good time, but those who live there are desperately trying to survive...
TO A BLOODFEST
For a monstrous evil lives among them, a savage presence whose malicious power has grown too powerful even for death to hold it back. Only a handful of brave souls stand against the King of the Dead and a red wave of destruction. Daylight is fading and a bad moon is rising over Pine Deep. Keep watching the shadows...
608 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
140 people are currently reading
3112 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maberry
517 books7,773 followersJONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of more than 50 novels, 190 short stories, 16 short story collections, 30 graphic novels, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. His 2009-10 run as writer on the Black Panther comic formed a large chunk of the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His bestselling YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin is in development for film at Alcon Entertainment; and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, is developing Jonathan’s Joe Ledger Thrillers for TV. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include The Pine Deep Trilogy, The Kagen the Damned Trilogy, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, Shadows & Verse, and others. His comics include Marvel Zombies Return, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Wolverine: Ghosts, Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die, Bad Blood and many others. Jonathan has written in many popular licensed worlds, including Hellboy, True Blood, The Wolfman, John Carter of Mars, Sherlock Holmes, C.H.U.D., Diablo IV, Deadlands, World of Warcraft, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Karl Kolchak, and many others. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
January 25, 2016
It was an ugly quarter moon, stained yellow-red like bruised flesh, and its sickle tip seemed to slash at the treetops.
So, finally, it has come to this: the closing chapter in Jonathan Maberry’s Pine Deep Horror Trilogy. And it’s been a rollicking (hay)ride indeed. Now, according to the author’s foreword this book can be read as a standalone. I beg to differ. Read it as it was meant to be read – that’s to say, read the following two books first: (1) Ghost Road Blues and (2) Dead Man's Song.
Now, on and forward. Bad Moon Rising -
The face in the mirror stared at him, hard as fists, cold as night.
If you have, by any chance, read my reviews for the two books mentioned above, you will already know that I have been enjoying this story a lot, thus far. The final book in any series is often the make-or-break book, since it has the unenviable job of tying up loose ends and wrapping things up in satisfactory fashion. BMR does exactly this, for the most part.
Night had fallen heavily over Pine Deep. [He] could feel it, a silky wet darkness that was alive with predator and prey. His body was on fire to run into the shadows, to melt with them, seeking the human heat in the dark cold of October.
There is yet another departure in tone, of sorts, here. BMR is longer than the other Pine Deep books, but more action oriented, so it doesn’t get bogged down. However, this is at the expense of those eerie, spine tingling, arm-hair raising bits that I so enjoy.
No, this was bad. Whatever it was, whatever it would turn out to be, this was bad.
The levels of violence here reach (just about) apocalyptic proportions. Red Wave, anyone? Interestingly, though, the weakest part of the story (for me) was when it all started going to hell in a hand-basket. Or, the moment when all subtlety is chucked bodily out the window. Things get very out of hand very quickly and the writing style changes to paragraph sized snippets of action taking place all over Pine Deep to accommodate this, which, unfortunately impacts on the fluidity of the story-telling. However, it’s still pretty damn good.
[She] slammed the door and shot the bolt and for a terrifying minute they stood there at the top of the cellar stairs, listening to sounds.
Dreadful sounds.
Wet and awful.
Lastly: this story does seem to have some parallels with Necroscope (even though the plots are very different). Consider, for example the whole Griswold-in-the-ground theme. No criticism this, mind, just an observation. Or, if you prefer, a “if you liked that you might like this” scenario, since both of these series’ are now firmly entrenched in my top-10 Vampire Horror. The Pine Deep trilogy would make for some cool cinema, methinks.
[He] stared up into the face of pure evil, and he could feel the hope run out of him like water from a punctured barrel.
In conclusion: it gets an easy 4. It would have gotten 5 if the two prior books weren’t so damn fine. (I’m petty, deal with it)…. Oh nuts, let’s just make it 5 already!
From the womb of darkness he called out and they came to him. Tens of thousands of them, seething and scuttling in the shadows, wriggling out of holes, crawling up from forgotten wells, clawing their way out of old cellars.
He waited for them, needing them, hungry for them, willing them to come.
December 5, 2017
The conclusion to the Pine Deep novels, that poor benighted horror-loving town, is easily the best of the lot. All the novels build and build to this epic blowout and I'm honestly rather surprised how much I got into it by the end.
Mike is easily getting most of my hero-worship, that poor abused teen, but Crow is geeky-awesome and Val kicks butt. And most of all, I enjoyed the great reveal about the weres and the vamps and the twist to the mythos. None of it would be half as good if it hadn't built so slow and steady in the telling. A mysterious big bad is always more fun than an outright tell-all, though we do get that by the end.
If I had to compare this to anything, I think of Stephen King. Just putting all three of these novels together would have been just fine. Think epic horror. The kind that goes through a few generations or a whole town. Which this does. With great detail. Fun detail. :)
Want bloody? Want an epic small-town battle against the hoards of evil? Hell yeah. :)
This is definitely either an upgrade to the previous novels or the payoff for getting through those two gives this one all the credit. :)
Mike is easily getting most of my hero-worship, that poor abused teen, but Crow is geeky-awesome and Val kicks butt. And most of all, I enjoyed the great reveal about the weres and the vamps and the twist to the mythos. None of it would be half as good if it hadn't built so slow and steady in the telling. A mysterious big bad is always more fun than an outright tell-all, though we do get that by the end.
If I had to compare this to anything, I think of Stephen King. Just putting all three of these novels together would have been just fine. Think epic horror. The kind that goes through a few generations or a whole town. Which this does. With great detail. Fun detail. :)
Want bloody? Want an epic small-town battle against the hoards of evil? Hell yeah. :)
This is definitely either an upgrade to the previous novels or the payoff for getting through those two gives this one all the credit. :)
February 2, 2024
Night Terrors Walking!
Small backstory:
Pine Deep is once again the center of attention as Malcolm Crow and the town lay waste to all that is evil! The town bands together and fights off the creatures of the night!
I know that was a real short backstory but I cannot say more without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then go read this trilogy!
Thoughts:
The author wraps this book up tight and brings everything to a climatic end. One of the best things I loved about this trilogy is that Maberry does a full recap of what happened in books one and two before you start reading the story. When I say "full recap" I mean he gives major details to refresh your memory of all that happened which was great for me as I hadn't read book two since 2022 so things become fuzzy after awhile.
There are lots of things that happen within this final book and the pace was fast which almost starts right away as the book goes into overdrive early in the story and keeps moving at a high rate of speed throughout the book. Giving this book four "Creatures of Terror" stars.
Small backstory:
Pine Deep is once again the center of attention as Malcolm Crow and the town lay waste to all that is evil! The town bands together and fights off the creatures of the night!
I know that was a real short backstory but I cannot say more without giving away spoilers so if you want to know more then go read this trilogy!
Thoughts:
The author wraps this book up tight and brings everything to a climatic end. One of the best things I loved about this trilogy is that Maberry does a full recap of what happened in books one and two before you start reading the story. When I say "full recap" I mean he gives major details to refresh your memory of all that happened which was great for me as I hadn't read book two since 2022 so things become fuzzy after awhile.
There are lots of things that happen within this final book and the pace was fast which almost starts right away as the book goes into overdrive early in the story and keeps moving at a high rate of speed throughout the book. Giving this book four "Creatures of Terror" stars.
November 29, 2017
This marks the end of the trilogy about a cute little American town in the middle of nowhere that is only on the map at all because it supposedly is the most haunted town in America. And Pine Deep is just that.
We're starting right where the second novel ended. Vic is pulling the strings from the shadows, getting the town ready for the Red Wave his master has planned for 30 years. Slowly, more and more people are getting aware of what's happening (with some holes to their knowledge of course) and pooling their resources (even getting outside help from a very cool scholar).
Mike's family situation spirals more and more out of control, Val has basically sacrificed all but the two most important things in her life, Crow is in over his head but the only one always having felt it wasn't over and Terry ... well.
This third and last book was full of action, finally bringing together all the elements that had accumulated thus far. It is a bit less about character (except for Jonatha) and more about the fight itself and it delivers on all the blood and gore a horror fan could only have hoped for. Yes, it is still stereotypical but I found myself caring for more than one character (and of course that meant being sad because the one I had rooted for the most, due to his suffering, had to die in the end *sighs*).
Interesting was the afterword by the author who said that he had started writing this book influenced by his grandmother who must be from the area near me and told him creepy stories even when he was a little boy (reminding me of my great-grandmother). He took those stories, added some gypsy and other folklore and VOILÀ. I must applaud the author for much of his accuracy that others can't seem to get right. From the dhampirs to katanas and the correct characterization of martial artists (no, they aren't brainless thugs), he put a lot of details in here that were meticulously and correctly researched and I liked that a lot.
All in all, I wasn't too sold at the beginning but am VERY happy I stayed with the story and read all of it because the books as well as the writing got better and this one even deserves full marks.
We're starting right where the second novel ended. Vic is pulling the strings from the shadows, getting the town ready for the Red Wave his master has planned for 30 years. Slowly, more and more people are getting aware of what's happening (with some holes to their knowledge of course) and pooling their resources (even getting outside help from a very cool scholar).
Mike's family situation spirals more and more out of control, Val has basically sacrificed all but the two most important things in her life, Crow is in over his head but the only one always having felt it wasn't over and Terry ... well.
This third and last book was full of action, finally bringing together all the elements that had accumulated thus far. It is a bit less about character (except for Jonatha) and more about the fight itself and it delivers on all the blood and gore a horror fan could only have hoped for. Yes, it is still stereotypical but I found myself caring for more than one character (and of course that meant being sad because the one I had rooted for the most, due to his suffering, had to die in the end *sighs*).
Interesting was the afterword by the author who said that he had started writing this book influenced by his grandmother who must be from the area near me and told him creepy stories even when he was a little boy (reminding me of my great-grandmother). He took those stories, added some gypsy and other folklore and VOILÀ. I must applaud the author for much of his accuracy that others can't seem to get right. From the dhampirs to katanas and the correct characterization of martial artists (no, they aren't brainless thugs), he put a lot of details in here that were meticulously and correctly researched and I liked that a lot.
All in all, I wasn't too sold at the beginning but am VERY happy I stayed with the story and read all of it because the books as well as the writing got better and this one even deserves full marks.
September 6, 2022
Malcolm Crow and friends are out to battle a returning, old evil in the small Pennsylvania town of Pine Deep.
Werewolves, vampires and ghosts, hell yeah! I really enjoyed this trilogy and took my time to savor it. I believe this is my 1st Maberry book. It reminded me of when I started reading S. King in the 80s.
Maberry's writing style is a little similar to early King works but it's much more colorful and descriptive. He has more flash. The trilogy is well written and keeps you interested, even during the 1st book of world building and slow burn.
My only issue was several continuity errors, especially in book 2, but they didn't effect the story. And that my library only had an audiobook for the last book in this series.
I highly recommend Pine Deep trilogy.
4 Fangs 🩸
Werewolves, vampires and ghosts, hell yeah! I really enjoyed this trilogy and took my time to savor it. I believe this is my 1st Maberry book. It reminded me of when I started reading S. King in the 80s.
Maberry's writing style is a little similar to early King works but it's much more colorful and descriptive. He has more flash. The trilogy is well written and keeps you interested, even during the 1st book of world building and slow burn.
My only issue was several continuity errors, especially in book 2, but they didn't effect the story. And that my library only had an audiobook for the last book in this series.
I highly recommend Pine Deep trilogy.
4 Fangs 🩸
February 3, 2021
I don’t write reviews.
Wow. I have to say it, it must be said. This did not need three books. I felt like every tiny detail was described. Phone calls, facial expressions, repetitive thought processes. Normally I’m quite happy when a good story is long, but this wasn’t necessary. The third book and the climax were not anything to write home about. Considering the build-up I wasn’t expecting too much.
There were many good things in this series too. I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying it. Some of the characters were likable. Even the ones who weren’t alive. (Not a spoiler in any way, don’t worry). The setting was nicely crafted. It really did feel like the Halloween season. I think it would have been fun to read in the fall. Fans of King won’t be disappointed.
Wow. I have to say it, it must be said. This did not need three books. I felt like every tiny detail was described. Phone calls, facial expressions, repetitive thought processes. Normally I’m quite happy when a good story is long, but this wasn’t necessary. The third book and the climax were not anything to write home about. Considering the build-up I wasn’t expecting too much.
There were many good things in this series too. I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying it. Some of the characters were likable. Even the ones who weren’t alive. (Not a spoiler in any way, don’t worry). The setting was nicely crafted. It really did feel like the Halloween season. I think it would have been fun to read in the fall. Fans of King won’t be disappointed.
November 19, 2019
Quite a smashing conclusion to the trilogy. JM noted in the endnote that the trilogy was originally to be one book, but obviously, it would be too long. He wrapped things up nicely, however!
August 3, 2022
Nice ending to the trilogy. Great action and pacing throughout this series. very nice Very recommended
October 17, 2022
Book One: The Set Up
Book Two: The plot thickens
Book Three: All Hell Breaks Loose!
There was just so much action in this book, I barely had time to catch my breath. Bad people get what's coming to them. Good people die in the process. A vampire and a werewolf fight.
It was very interesting to hear about the different aspects of the vampire based on where the legend comes from. You know how some theorist say there was some sort of biblical (for lack of a better word) flood sometime in humanities way past, because so many different cultures have a story about a great flood. Well change flood to vampire, same thing.
I enjoyed that there were some loose threads because I like the idea that the Author might take me on another trip to Pine Deep. And since this book which was published in 2007, there have been some short stories and some crossover stories with some of Mr. Maberry's other series. Including at least one with your friend and mine, Joe Ledger!
Book Two: The plot thickens
Book Three: All Hell Breaks Loose!
There was just so much action in this book, I barely had time to catch my breath. Bad people get what's coming to them. Good people die in the process. A vampire and a werewolf fight.
It was very interesting to hear about the different aspects of the vampire based on where the legend comes from. You know how some theorist say there was some sort of biblical (for lack of a better word) flood sometime in humanities way past, because so many different cultures have a story about a great flood. Well change flood to vampire, same thing.
I enjoyed that there were some loose threads because I like the idea that the Author might take me on another trip to Pine Deep. And since this book which was published in 2007, there have been some short stories and some crossover stories with some of Mr. Maberry's other series. Including at least one with your friend and mine, Joe Ledger!
June 29, 2011
3 AND 1/2 STARS
This is one of the more ambitious horror trilogies in recent memory, along with James Moore's Serenity Falls trilogy, Richard Laymon's Beast House books and Edward Lee's Infernal series. Maberry is a solid writer, no doubt, but I felt here, in the final book, the revelations regarding the mythology and folklore were a bit hard to swallow, even in the fictional world of Pine Deep.
This third book, Bad Moon Rising, was my least favorite of the trilogy, but was still an enjoyable read. The buildup was so great that it seemed an almost impossible mountain for Maberry to scale, but even reaching halfway is still an impressive feat. Besides the numerous typos and repetitive scenes with characters trying to figure out what was happening to their town, everyone was too secretive about keeping important information to themselves. Authorities were not even shown evidence of the supernatural until halfway through this book, which makes it a grand total of 1,303 pages before the police are told and shown what exactly is happening (adding the page count of the first two books into the mix).
But I understand this is fiction and you might not have a trilogy if the police discover what is happening too early on. But 1,303 pages? The ending, also, was pretty much what I expected and would have preferred it coming together in more unpredictable ways. Still, I have to give props to Maberry for keeping such an epic tale so condensed and focused on this small town. I enjoyed the characters and scattered moments of danger, along with his deliciously atmospheric descriptions. I do believe this trilogy would have been more effective with another pass of editing to trim some of the fat, but overall, I was satisfied by my experience and recommend the first book, Ghost Road Blues, to any horror fan who prefers atmosphere and substance over mindless gore.
This is one of the more ambitious horror trilogies in recent memory, along with James Moore's Serenity Falls trilogy, Richard Laymon's Beast House books and Edward Lee's Infernal series. Maberry is a solid writer, no doubt, but I felt here, in the final book, the revelations regarding the mythology and folklore were a bit hard to swallow, even in the fictional world of Pine Deep.
This third book, Bad Moon Rising, was my least favorite of the trilogy, but was still an enjoyable read. The buildup was so great that it seemed an almost impossible mountain for Maberry to scale, but even reaching halfway is still an impressive feat. Besides the numerous typos and repetitive scenes with characters trying to figure out what was happening to their town, everyone was too secretive about keeping important information to themselves. Authorities were not even shown evidence of the supernatural until halfway through this book, which makes it a grand total of 1,303 pages before the police are told and shown what exactly is happening (adding the page count of the first two books into the mix).
But I understand this is fiction and you might not have a trilogy if the police discover what is happening too early on. But 1,303 pages? The ending, also, was pretty much what I expected and would have preferred it coming together in more unpredictable ways. Still, I have to give props to Maberry for keeping such an epic tale so condensed and focused on this small town. I enjoyed the characters and scattered moments of danger, along with his deliciously atmospheric descriptions. I do believe this trilogy would have been more effective with another pass of editing to trim some of the fat, but overall, I was satisfied by my experience and recommend the first book, Ghost Road Blues, to any horror fan who prefers atmosphere and substance over mindless gore.
October 26, 2019
In two days the Red Wave would wash the town of Pine Deep in blood. In two days Ubel Griswold would rise. Pine Deep would die.
The world would scream.
Not bad at all , but the ending was a real disappointing one for me and I think this trilogy could have been far better as a single very long one-shot volume.
Besides that, these books are a real good Halloween season read that entertained me for last three Octobers, (something like Twin Peaks filled with classical monsters) and it was a real pleasure coming back again to Pine Deep, America's most haunted town.
April 19, 2011
5 Stars
This is really a great trilogy that should not be missed by readers of horror and urban fantasy.
This is all a third book of a trilogy should be and more. Action, action, and more bloody action. Halloween comes fast in this novel as The Red Wave decends upon the Town of Pine Deep. We pick up right where Bad Moon Rising leaves off, and quickly all the story threads are pulled together.
Yes, Malcom Crow was my favorite of our protagonists but Maberry has through out this series proven that Malcolm's fiancee Val, a pregnant mother who lost most of her family is arguably the strongest, bravest, and most bad ass of them all, including the twisted cronies of Griswold's.
Jonathan Maberry has proven to me to that he is really a master at writing the action scene. He reminds me of the fantasy action great R.A. Salvatore, who plays out his sword fights by giving us a step by step, swing by swing, and blow by blow. He colors the moves by giving them cool names, and often calls them out once we the reader are educated on them. Maberry does this albeit with other weapons like guns, fists, and samurai swords. He paces the sequences that challenges the reader, leaves them breathless, and makes them unable to peel away from the thrashing words. Even though these are horror novels it is Maberry's ability to pen the action that leaves you the reader sated and wanting more.
Great characterizations, you will remember many of them long after you finish these books.
Fast, fun, and well paced, with some really good highs, and an outstanding ending.
Great melding of folk lore, modern horror, and Urban Fantasy.
Pine Deep is as spooky and scary as any Stephen King town.
All in all this a very satisfying trilogy that I can see myself rereading. I will tell my friends and family to read these. I highly recommend these novels to horror and urban fantasy readers... Awesome!
This is really a great trilogy that should not be missed by readers of horror and urban fantasy.
This is all a third book of a trilogy should be and more. Action, action, and more bloody action. Halloween comes fast in this novel as The Red Wave decends upon the Town of Pine Deep. We pick up right where Bad Moon Rising leaves off, and quickly all the story threads are pulled together.
Yes, Malcom Crow was my favorite of our protagonists but Maberry has through out this series proven that Malcolm's fiancee Val, a pregnant mother who lost most of her family is arguably the strongest, bravest, and most bad ass of them all, including the twisted cronies of Griswold's.
Jonathan Maberry has proven to me to that he is really a master at writing the action scene. He reminds me of the fantasy action great R.A. Salvatore, who plays out his sword fights by giving us a step by step, swing by swing, and blow by blow. He colors the moves by giving them cool names, and often calls them out once we the reader are educated on them. Maberry does this albeit with other weapons like guns, fists, and samurai swords. He paces the sequences that challenges the reader, leaves them breathless, and makes them unable to peel away from the thrashing words. Even though these are horror novels it is Maberry's ability to pen the action that leaves you the reader sated and wanting more.
Great characterizations, you will remember many of them long after you finish these books.
Fast, fun, and well paced, with some really good highs, and an outstanding ending.
Great melding of folk lore, modern horror, and Urban Fantasy.
Pine Deep is as spooky and scary as any Stephen King town.
All in all this a very satisfying trilogy that I can see myself rereading. I will tell my friends and family to read these. I highly recommend these novels to horror and urban fantasy readers... Awesome!
March 5, 2021
The best of the trilogy....however you must get past the first half, and it is the most BORING of the three books! But, when the 'Red Wave' finally hits Pine Deep.....get ready for gore upon gore! This is one incredible Vampire/werewolf series of horror novels! Maberry's best!
Video review to appear here soon.
So, with this book being the one that finally wraps up the Red Wave warned of 30 years ago, and finally Halloween DOES arrive to Pine Deep....but not with the most HORRIFIC slaughter of a small American town EVER in horror publishing. This book series seemed like it was so long that these 2 events were NEVER going to come....but when they did, omfg, it all paid off! If you like or love both Vampire, and Werewolf genres in horror....do NOT pass this series up. Incredibly scary, and sad all at the same time.....
Trigger Warnings: Extreme racism, use of the N word, and graphic depictions of violence to infants, and small children....all in a Vampiric horror sort of way, however it could be upsetting to some readers.
Thoroughly recommended from me!
Richard
Video review to appear here soon.
So, with this book being the one that finally wraps up the Red Wave warned of 30 years ago, and finally Halloween DOES arrive to Pine Deep....but not with the most HORRIFIC slaughter of a small American town EVER in horror publishing. This book series seemed like it was so long that these 2 events were NEVER going to come....but when they did, omfg, it all paid off! If you like or love both Vampire, and Werewolf genres in horror....do NOT pass this series up. Incredibly scary, and sad all at the same time.....
Trigger Warnings: Extreme racism, use of the N word, and graphic depictions of violence to infants, and small children....all in a Vampiric horror sort of way, however it could be upsetting to some readers.
Thoroughly recommended from me!
Richard
August 9, 2017
5 Stars
5 Stars for an amazing thrill ride from beginning to end. This series was great story-telling from the first book Ghost Road Blues that introduces us to Pine Deep, to this fantastical ending that is not wrapped up so tidy. No prince charming, no cavalry; just our beaten, rag-tag group of real humans fighting the good fight against a truly impossible foe. I don't think I would have fared so well.
I appreciate this series for being rather realistic about the odds of mere humans against an enemy that has no definition. Who can fight evil? Truly; and not come out insane or rather inhuman, themselves? Visible and invisible scars that can never heal and an ending that leaves us wondering.
Thank you, Mr Maberry for throwing in some true folklore and old wives tales to bring this wonderful series to life.
Now, I am going to do one more check under the beds and in the closets before I start reading another one of his books....
5 Stars for an amazing thrill ride from beginning to end. This series was great story-telling from the first book Ghost Road Blues that introduces us to Pine Deep, to this fantastical ending that is not wrapped up so tidy. No prince charming, no cavalry; just our beaten, rag-tag group of real humans fighting the good fight against a truly impossible foe. I don't think I would have fared so well.
I appreciate this series for being rather realistic about the odds of mere humans against an enemy that has no definition. Who can fight evil? Truly; and not come out insane or rather inhuman, themselves? Visible and invisible scars that can never heal and an ending that leaves us wondering.
Thank you, Mr Maberry for throwing in some true folklore and old wives tales to bring this wonderful series to life.
Now, I am going to do one more check under the beds and in the closets before I start reading another one of his books....
October 27, 2025
l read the first two books of this trilogy 2 years ago, it just wasn't grabbing me. After returning to Pine Deep in Ink and Burn to Shine it drew me back in to read this finale. Boy am l glad l did. lt may have been the best book l read this year.
Even though I didn't find the first two books as excellent, they need to be read first as you'll be completely lost in this book. The events of this entry are what was referred to in future stories set in Pine Deep as The Troubles.
The vampires are multiplying and they have a grand plan. lt's up to certain residents to try and stop them, and survive. A lot of great characters in here and makes me appreciate Jonathan Maberry even more than I previously did, even though l already loved his work.
Even though I didn't find the first two books as excellent, they need to be read first as you'll be completely lost in this book. The events of this entry are what was referred to in future stories set in Pine Deep as The Troubles.
The vampires are multiplying and they have a grand plan. lt's up to certain residents to try and stop them, and survive. A lot of great characters in here and makes me appreciate Jonathan Maberry even more than I previously did, even though l already loved his work.
July 30, 2015
Awesome! Simply awesome! And I am not even a big fan of vampires. Or the heroes of this novel. Still awesome, from beginning to end, horror writing at its finest.
So I'll start with what I didn't like, and believe me, these are nit picky nothings that did NOT remotely take away from the read.
1. Mayberry overuses the word, "pirouette".
2. The story and those who lived and died was somewhat predictable (though who would kill who was not).
3. The celebrities seemed thrown in to try a get the book a movie deal. And come on!
But... this book needs a movie deal! Pacing, plotting, writing - all perfect. And though the villains were somewhat conventional entities, their complete, beautiful monstrous personalities turned them into, and I don't say this lightly, one of the best collection of villains a book has ever known.
For me, this trilogy was a compliment sandwich. Maberry romanced me with his first book, shoved a lousy dish of filler down my throat with the second, than gently held my head as I threw up the second book and bathed in the light that is Maberry's true glory, book three. I think I rated the books 5, 3, 5. My personal meter rates it more like 4.5, 2, 9 (on a 5 star scale), which is 15.5 - and divide that by 3, you still got a 5 star trilogy!
If you like to be in it for the long haul and can persevere through a lull for a big payout, this trilogy is highly recommended.
So I'll start with what I didn't like, and believe me, these are nit picky nothings that did NOT remotely take away from the read.
1. Mayberry overuses the word, "pirouette".
2. The story and those who lived and died was somewhat predictable (though who would kill who was not).
3. The celebrities seemed thrown in to try a get the book a movie deal. And come on!
But... this book needs a movie deal! Pacing, plotting, writing - all perfect. And though the villains were somewhat conventional entities, their complete, beautiful monstrous personalities turned them into, and I don't say this lightly, one of the best collection of villains a book has ever known.
For me, this trilogy was a compliment sandwich. Maberry romanced me with his first book, shoved a lousy dish of filler down my throat with the second, than gently held my head as I threw up the second book and bathed in the light that is Maberry's true glory, book three. I think I rated the books 5, 3, 5. My personal meter rates it more like 4.5, 2, 9 (on a 5 star scale), which is 15.5 - and divide that by 3, you still got a 5 star trilogy!
If you like to be in it for the long haul and can persevere through a lull for a big payout, this trilogy is highly recommended.
May 8, 2013
Wow. What an exciting and satisfying conclusion! I must say that I really and truly enjoyed this trilogy. I was so impatient to read it! The entire book was fast-paced, thrilling and just a lot of fun to read. I hope that Maberry does return to Pine Deep in the future. He has artfully created a very rich setting that seems to have other stories waiting to be told. I know that I will be keep an eye out for all of his future books - set in Pine Deep or not!
July 22, 2025
Last book in the series and it tied it up very nicely. Highly recommended if you enjoy supernatural horror--very fast-paced, action-filled, and entertaining!
June 19, 2023
Whew! What a ride this trilogy is! I enjoyed just about every moment of it - with one exception. The absolutely atrocious editing throughout each book. If I were petty I would have knocked a star off of my rating because of it, but the storytelling itself is great, so aside from bitching about it in my review, I’m willing to turn the other cheek. But for real. If I were an author that had PAID someone to edit my work, and this was the final result, I’d be PISSED. Hell, I’m pissed on the author’s behalf. Lots of tiny mistakes, such as missing spaces between words or the ends of sentences, but also an alarming amount of major errors such as extra/repeating words that don’t belong. ANYWAY, this entire trilogy has gotten 5 stars from me, so that should tell you just how great it was as a whole. But the editor (whoever that may be) is getting some MAJOR stink-eye thrown their way. I hope they step on a Lego.
July 20, 2017
This was a great trilogy. I am not a fan of trilogy's per se but this is the second one I read this year. In my opinion this is not a stand alone novel and all three books should be read. The second book is not as good as the other two. This book is non stop action and an easy read as you are riveted to the book. After finishing it I read the chapters of the ultimate showdown the very next day. Jonathan Maberry is quickly becoming my favourite author. He paints a picture like no other, he is very descriptive.
I do have one question though and it deals with the surviving 84 vampires and how Mike is obviously hunting them down at the conclusion. Given the power of these vampires would not the 84 remaining vampires simply breed through kills and their numbers grow greatly? Who knows maybe a fourth book down the line though clearly Maberry doesn't appear to think so by the fact Mike Sweeney is hunting down the surving 84.
I've been very lucky with the books I've chosen this year and very lucky that a friend turned me onto Maberry! Read and enjoy this series and especially this book as it is overall perhaps the best novel I have read!
I do have one question though and it deals with the surviving 84 vampires and how Mike is obviously hunting them down at the conclusion. Given the power of these vampires would not the 84 remaining vampires simply breed through kills and their numbers grow greatly? Who knows maybe a fourth book down the line though clearly Maberry doesn't appear to think so by the fact Mike Sweeney is hunting down the surving 84.
I've been very lucky with the books I've chosen this year and very lucky that a friend turned me onto Maberry! Read and enjoy this series and especially this book as it is overall perhaps the best novel I have read!
July 11, 2011
One negative: Gosh, there are a LOT of typos in this book, and in the previous books, too. Wonder where the editors heads were when they proofed this series!
Anyway, the grand finale(?) for this trilogy kept me on the edge of my seat. I was really worried about our good guys as the odds for conquering the growing evil were not in their favor. I enjoyed all the mythology brought in by the author; especially the dhampyr being. The author hints that he might revisit Pine Deep sometime in the future and I'll be first in line for that if he does!
Anyway, the grand finale(?) for this trilogy kept me on the edge of my seat. I was really worried about our good guys as the odds for conquering the growing evil were not in their favor. I enjoyed all the mythology brought in by the author; especially the dhampyr being. The author hints that he might revisit Pine Deep sometime in the future and I'll be first in line for that if he does!
July 2, 2022
Звезда нагоре заради смелостта да убие няколко от главните герои, както и няколкото доста по-смущаващи сцени, от колкото позволява комерсиалния хорър.
Иначе в първата половина на книгата завръзката е изнервящо бавна и скучна. И то при положение, че имаше цяла предходна книга, да не кажа две, да я направи там. Втората част е изцяло задъхан екшън и трупове, след отприщването на Червената вълна на връх Хелоуиин. Въпреки това, пак успява някак да пренасити читателя, преди финалната битка. В цялата трилогия се усеща влиянието на Кинг и няколко негови емблематични романа (Сблъсък, То, Сейлъмс Лот), които според мен повече пречат на прохождащия талант на Мабери (все пак съм чел от по-късните му произведения). Най-много си личи в кулминацията, когато се опитва да направи ситуацията в Пайн Дийп прекалено подобна на тази в Дери.
ОК. Кроу, Вал и компания не са сигурни, че ужасът в Пайн Дийп е приключил, това ща ги накара да потърсят експертно мнение от симпатична професорка, както и помощ от където могат да я докопат. Вик, Ругер и Човекът се подготвят всячески за Червената ВЪлна, която ще съживи Грисуолд и ще им докара владичество над Пайн Дийп и от там - на целия свят. Всичко ще се реши на Хелоуин, когато в най-обладания град в Щатите се вихри купон с десетки хиляди туристи. Кървавата баня е гарантирана. Дали Костния Човек и неговите избрани ще успеят да спрат ужаса?
Предвид обема на трилогията, Мабери вкарва прекалено много излишни сюжетни линии в последния момент, това му пречи да развие както трябва вече поставените фигури на дъската - Майк, Еди, Тери, Луис, Вик и още няколко.
Не е лоша трилогията и става за четене, особено препоръчителна е за феновете на Кинговата кокаинова логорея от младите му дни. За мен, жанра се е развил над тези неща, но аз може би си падам по по-боклучави хоръри с по-простички сюжети и по-неясни послания от чистата дуалогия добро-зло.
Иначе в първата половина на книгата завръзката е изнервящо бавна и скучна. И то при положение, че имаше цяла предходна книга, да не кажа две, да я направи там. Втората част е изцяло задъхан екшън и трупове, след отприщването на Червената вълна на връх Хелоуиин. Въпреки това, пак успява някак да пренасити читателя, преди финалната битка. В цялата трилогия се усеща влиянието на Кинг и няколко негови емблематични романа (Сблъсък, То, Сейлъмс Лот), които според мен повече пречат на прохождащия талант на Мабери (все пак съм чел от по-късните му произведения). Най-много си личи в кулминацията, когато се опитва да направи ситуацията в Пайн Дийп прекалено подобна на тази в Дери.
ОК. Кроу, Вал и компания не са сигурни, че ужасът в Пайн Дийп е приключил, това ща ги накара да потърсят експертно мнение от симпатична професорка, както и помощ от където могат да я докопат. Вик, Ругер и Човекът се подготвят всячески за Червената ВЪлна, която ще съживи Грисуолд и ще им докара владичество над Пайн Дийп и от там - на целия свят. Всичко ще се реши на Хелоуин, когато в най-обладания град в Щатите се вихри купон с десетки хиляди туристи. Кървавата баня е гарантирана. Дали Костния Човек и неговите избрани ще успеят да спрат ужаса?
Предвид обема на трилогията, Мабери вкарва прекалено много излишни сюжетни линии в последния момент, това му пречи да развие както трябва вече поставените фигури на дъската - Майк, Еди, Тери, Луис, Вик и още няколко.
Не е лоша трилогията и става за четене, особено препоръчителна е за феновете на Кинговата кокаинова логорея от младите му дни. За мен, жанра се е развил над тези неща, но аз може би си падам по по-боклучави хоръри с по-простички сюжети и по-неясни послания от чистата дуалогия добро-зло.
July 14, 2013
I doubt this book would work as a stand-alone, since the backstory is really only glanced upon as the big showdown builds. I think you'd pretty much have to invest in the first two books if you want to appreciate the context behind all the mayhem in the third--and there is a metric ton of mayhem. The whole story has been building to what Griswold calls the "Red Wave" which is supposed to allow him to rise out of the swamp where the Bone Man killed and buried him. To that end, I was kind of surprised the Bone Man didn't play a more prominent role in this grand finale. He'd been hanging around the scene like a specter the whole way through and I thought he'd get his hands dirtier when push came to shove. More spectator than specter in my estimation.
With such a dark, violent climax to this novel, Maberry leaves plenty of room to have fun with some of his characters. Tom Savini has a cameo appearance, for crying out loud, when the town's big Halloween festivities begin, as well as when the Red Wave begins. And Maberry literally pulls out all the punches when crafting the multiple fight scenes that ensue.
It's a satisfying end to a trilogy that I thought sagged some in the middle. Each prominent character through the entire series gets a spotlight shone on them at the end, giving each a proper ending, even if not all of them are happy endings. If you like small town epics, like Stephen King's Under the Dome or John Saul's Blackstone Chronicles, the Pine Deep trilogy is a far more electric and entertaining saga to dive into. And if you can find time to read all three books in a row, they might make for a fun Halloween reading marathon.
November 11, 2011
3 1/2 stars overall for the trilogy
Overall this trilogy is a very good read, and I would recommend it to any horror fan. One minor complaint that I have is the fact that it was made into a trilogy. Maberry states that the reason for making it into a trilogy was that it just had too much going on to make it one monster book. But, in my opinion, it would have been better as a larger, single novel.
Overall this trilogy is a very good read, and I would recommend it to any horror fan. One minor complaint that I have is the fact that it was made into a trilogy. Maberry states that the reason for making it into a trilogy was that it just had too much going on to make it one monster book. But, in my opinion, it would have been better as a larger, single novel.
October 10, 2025
OKAY. So the entire Pine Deep trilogy (Jonathan Mayberry) was a very fivey five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For the first half of the first book there were some very familiar setups happening and I was worried it was going to be derivative of some of the big heavy hitters (IT, Swan Song, Boys Life, The Stand.. ) BUT my fears were all gone by the end of book 1. It totally ends up being its own thing. SO scary. Evil. Gory. F*cked up. The character work is 10/10. Definitely does that “the town is a character” thing. The human bad guys are SO bad. HEAVY light vs. dark (and every shade in between) themes, and I love that in my horror.
The monster/the lore and just the plot itself.. SO good! One thing that I thought was brilliantly executed is the fact that you get waaaaay into the story, like over half way, before you even start to know what the monster “is”… there IS a monster, but is it ghost? Vampire? Zombie? Haunted house? Werewolf? The foreboding and tension that came with that was just CHEFS KISS!!! But it also didn’t jerk you along with the “slow burn.” It stayed brutal, scary, and entertaining the whole time, with an underlying dread simmering all the while.
This is a trilogy, but I’m kinda glad that I essentially treated it like one long book. It was too intense, and too good to walk away!!! BIG recommend.
The monster/the lore and just the plot itself.. SO good! One thing that I thought was brilliantly executed is the fact that you get waaaaay into the story, like over half way, before you even start to know what the monster “is”… there IS a monster, but is it ghost? Vampire? Zombie? Haunted house? Werewolf? The foreboding and tension that came with that was just CHEFS KISS!!! But it also didn’t jerk you along with the “slow burn.” It stayed brutal, scary, and entertaining the whole time, with an underlying dread simmering all the while.
This is a trilogy, but I’m kinda glad that I essentially treated it like one long book. It was too intense, and too good to walk away!!! BIG recommend.
February 6, 2024
“What is that? Holy water? I wash my dick with holy water.”
3.75. Never quite lives up to the first novel for me, which is the perfect supernatural crime thriller but this trilogy wraps up in a satisfying way. It’s also one of the most propulsive things a fan of the genre can read, it feels like delicious paperback pulp.
3.75. Never quite lives up to the first novel for me, which is the perfect supernatural crime thriller but this trilogy wraps up in a satisfying way. It’s also one of the most propulsive things a fan of the genre can read, it feels like delicious paperback pulp.
June 1, 2025
This is really a fist up for the trilogy. What a big, goofy, scary, fun ride. The first book felt like a first work, with the author working through story structure and character. But by Book Three, the action is in high gear and it's a Halloween hayride with a heaping serving of blood and gore.
November 3, 2015
An amazing book, a perfect end to a fantastic series. I see this series as a roller coaster--first book: good loops, showed us things to come that look scary as hell; second book: giant slow ascent; third book: all hell breaks looks (or at least a very big Red Wave).
Can I say enough how great Maberry is at action scenes? No. Now when I see vague, who knows what the hell is going on action scenes, that I think authors do intentionally to build suspense, I get annoyed because I know Maberry can do it so much better. It's like lazy directors doing a million cuts in a fight where you don't know what is going on. Maberry uses a wide angle lenses for his fights, and in a book like this, where probably a good half of it is nonstop action, thank god.
Also, to address the reviews that take umbrage at the inclusion of "celebrities" in this book--I do not think it was a sneaky plot to get a movie deal. Ken Foree is not a big enough name. And a movie terrible idea--this should be either limited Netflix series or HBO miniseries. There is no way to have this much content in a movie without massive paring or at least multiple movies. Anyways, I've been to a few dozen conventions and there are always B movie stars, authors, and artists hawking wares or selling autographs. It makes sense that largest horror festival in America would have a few of those, and it's not like we didn't just read 1,200 pages or so where it was emphasized how big the festival was. Maberry was probably just name checking friends or people he met at other conventions.
I hope if they ever do make a movie or show though, Jason Alexander plays the reporter.
Only drawback to the book (and actually all Maberry's books--the last Ledger one had a REPEATED PARAGRAPH of all things) is the bad proofreading. I know it doesn't seem like it from my reviews, but I am actually an editor/proofreader in my dayjob, and the number of misspellings in these books drives me up the wall. His editor needs to get on top of things or read closer.
I hope this isn't the last time we see Pine Deep! Things get wrapped up nicely but there's definitely more material for more!
Can I say enough how great Maberry is at action scenes? No. Now when I see vague, who knows what the hell is going on action scenes, that I think authors do intentionally to build suspense, I get annoyed because I know Maberry can do it so much better. It's like lazy directors doing a million cuts in a fight where you don't know what is going on. Maberry uses a wide angle lenses for his fights, and in a book like this, where probably a good half of it is nonstop action, thank god.
Also, to address the reviews that take umbrage at the inclusion of "celebrities" in this book--I do not think it was a sneaky plot to get a movie deal. Ken Foree is not a big enough name. And a movie terrible idea--this should be either limited Netflix series or HBO miniseries. There is no way to have this much content in a movie without massive paring or at least multiple movies. Anyways, I've been to a few dozen conventions and there are always B movie stars, authors, and artists hawking wares or selling autographs. It makes sense that largest horror festival in America would have a few of those, and it's not like we didn't just read 1,200 pages or so where it was emphasized how big the festival was. Maberry was probably just name checking friends or people he met at other conventions.
I hope if they ever do make a movie or show though, Jason Alexander plays the reporter.
Only drawback to the book (and actually all Maberry's books--the last Ledger one had a REPEATED PARAGRAPH of all things) is the bad proofreading. I know it doesn't seem like it from my reviews, but I am actually an editor/proofreader in my dayjob, and the number of misspellings in these books drives me up the wall. His editor needs to get on top of things or read closer.
I hope this isn't the last time we see Pine Deep! Things get wrapped up nicely but there's definitely more material for more!
September 1, 2014
Bad Moon Rising brings the Pine Deep trilogy to a fine and satisfying conclusion. Many extra-long horror stories fade-out with silliness or fail to pay-off all of the suspense that's been built, but Maberry's tale of ghosts and werewolves and all manner of vampires winds up spectacularly. The musical influence in this volume seems a little less prevalent than in the two earlier ones, and not all of the questions have complete answers, but it's a fine, fun book. One cool thing is that he brought in several real-world horror personalities as heroic support characters that help defeat the forces of evil because they know from experience what needs to be done and how to deal with it. (That's not really a spoiler... you knew he wasn't really going to kill off Tom Savini or Brinke Stevens or James Gunn, right?) Finally, fans of this book should seek out a short story called "Material Witness," included in Maberry's Joe Ledger: Special Ops collection, for a coda showing what two of the major characters are doing a few years later.
November 2, 2015
The book really isn't that good and if I had been reading it, I would have stopped at book 1. The characters are one dimensional and stupid, even for a horror novel. However, Tom Weiner does an amazing job on the audiobook and turns the trilogy into a great listen. Unfortunately, there is only a book and a half worth of plot--and that's being generous--in the trilogy and even Weiner can't keep the momentum through the end. Skip the trilogy.
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