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30 Days of Night novels #4
30 Days of Night: Light of Day
A terrifying species of legend that exists in shadow and thrives in night, preying on and intriguing an unsuspecting modern worldÉ An amoral, clandestine government operation that uses whatever means necessary to inflict maximum damage upon one of the most frightening and demonized forces humanity has ever encounteredÉ And all of mankind is threatened by the chain of events set in motion by this unrestrained conflict, and the ripple effects of a new element to the hostilities will forever alter the rules of engagement. ...
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
6 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Mariotte
275 books118 followersAward-winning author Jeffrey J. Mariotte has published more than 30 novels, including horror epic The Slab, award nominated teen horror quartet Witch Season, and the recent supernatural thrillers River Runs Red and Missing White Girl, in addition to tie-in novels and many, many comic books. He is also co-owner of specialty bookstore Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego. He lives in southeastern Arizona.
Also writes as Jeffrey J. Mariotte.
Also writes as Jeffrey J. Mariotte.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 26, 2019
This may have been my favorite of the novel series so far. It's new characters or peripheral characters brought to the forefront, but overall I thought the story worked. A pair of human serial killers (no spoiler here), a vampire scientist who has a formula to let vampires walk in the sun, a den of vamps who want to walk in the sun, and the police who are after the serial killer all end up on a collision course. In a way this does feel like a reboot, at least of the novel series. Interested to see how it all ends up in the final novel of the series, but I have a feeling it won't be a true ending. The final novel may not even have ties to this one, I'll find out when I read it I suppose.
September 25, 2015
Since Book #3 sidelined and/or killed off all this series' primary characters, LIGHT OF DAY is forced to stumble ahead with a second-stringer (the slutty, leather & spandex-wearing vampire huntress from Operation Red Blooded) in the lead role. Author Jeff Mariotte tries to flesh her out a bit by giving her something of a conscience, but I doubt that readers will ultimately much care about what happens to her or anyone else in this novel. None of these characters are well-developed and none are likeable.
Where this book succeeds is simply in expanding the 30 DAYS OF NIGHT mythos. Book #3 didn't leave much to work with, but Jeff Mariotte does the best he can with what little he's got. I especially liked the idea of a vampire scientist conducting experiments on himself, and the introduction of a way for vampires to survive in the daylight was cool, too. The plot seemed very drawn out (hunt, kill, repeat; hunt, kill, repeat) and there are a couple of pointless twists along the way, but everything culminates in a pretty satisfying showdown once all the disparate storylines finally merge. And the ending is very adroit at performing that cynical balancing act of providing a satisfying resolution while still leaving things open for future installments.
Certain aspects of this book are pretty dumb, such as the subplot about the boys who become serial killers in hopes of attracting the notice of the vampire community. Not only does this plan fail to make sense, it doesn't even pay off in the end. There are also lots of minor inconsistencies, like how ordinary bullets have less and less stopping power against vampires as the story progresses.
Still, LIGHT OF DAY is competently written and reasonably entertaining. Fans of this series should be pleased.
Where this book succeeds is simply in expanding the 30 DAYS OF NIGHT mythos. Book #3 didn't leave much to work with, but Jeff Mariotte does the best he can with what little he's got. I especially liked the idea of a vampire scientist conducting experiments on himself, and the introduction of a way for vampires to survive in the daylight was cool, too. The plot seemed very drawn out (hunt, kill, repeat; hunt, kill, repeat) and there are a couple of pointless twists along the way, but everything culminates in a pretty satisfying showdown once all the disparate storylines finally merge. And the ending is very adroit at performing that cynical balancing act of providing a satisfying resolution while still leaving things open for future installments.
Certain aspects of this book are pretty dumb, such as the subplot about the boys who become serial killers in hopes of attracting the notice of the vampire community. Not only does this plan fail to make sense, it doesn't even pay off in the end. There are also lots of minor inconsistencies, like how ordinary bullets have less and less stopping power against vampires as the story progresses.
Still, LIGHT OF DAY is competently written and reasonably entertaining. Fans of this series should be pleased.
July 11, 2022
I have enjoyed most of the 30 Days of Night novels, so far, but Light of Day is certainly the worst of the first four, possibly because we are the furthest away from Steve Niles having any hand in the direction the books are taking at this point. The concepts are sound and still pretty interesting but I'm honestly getting kind of tired of Mariotte's pulpy writing style and his apparent obsession with women and sex.
I mean, this is vampire stuff and sex is always going to be a part of a vampire story to some degree. There's a lasciviousness, though, to how Mariotte handles it that really puts me off. It was the same with his Angel novels: she was sexy in this and she was hot like that, and she made all the guys around her hard and jealous. It's borderline 'titting up the stairs boobily', you know?
The story is...alright. Scientist becomes a vampire, discovers some stuff that helps vamps go out in the sun. Light of Day, get it? But the further we get from the Olemauns or Niles' direct involvement in the stories the further away we get from any consistency or world-building that feels a part of what has come before. This book didn't feel very 30 Days. The tone was off. Honestly, it was pretty basic urban fantasy horror stuff you get from any book by Patricia Briggs, Karen Marie Moning, et al, but written by a dude so it ends up coming off a bit lecherous.
I'm hoping the last novel in the series has some changes to look forward to. The fact that it's written by Tim Lebbon gives me some hope that a new writer might bring a new perspective to the series. I also think that the story of the next book is something of a departure from the whole Operation Red Blooded storyline that has dominated the previous four Mariotte penned installments.
Either way, I can't really recommend this one for anyone but absolute completists. Skip it if you can.
I mean, this is vampire stuff and sex is always going to be a part of a vampire story to some degree. There's a lasciviousness, though, to how Mariotte handles it that really puts me off. It was the same with his Angel novels: she was sexy in this and she was hot like that, and she made all the guys around her hard and jealous. It's borderline 'titting up the stairs boobily', you know?
The story is...alright. Scientist becomes a vampire, discovers some stuff that helps vamps go out in the sun. Light of Day, get it? But the further we get from the Olemauns or Niles' direct involvement in the stories the further away we get from any consistency or world-building that feels a part of what has come before. This book didn't feel very 30 Days. The tone was off. Honestly, it was pretty basic urban fantasy horror stuff you get from any book by Patricia Briggs, Karen Marie Moning, et al, but written by a dude so it ends up coming off a bit lecherous.
I'm hoping the last novel in the series has some changes to look forward to. The fact that it's written by Tim Lebbon gives me some hope that a new writer might bring a new perspective to the series. I also think that the story of the next book is something of a departure from the whole Operation Red Blooded storyline that has dominated the previous four Mariotte penned installments.
Either way, I can't really recommend this one for anyone but absolute completists. Skip it if you can.
January 28, 2019
I love this type of story, its an easy read for me and something to take my mind off other stuff
July 12, 2019
You might like this book if you hate having heroes to root for and like feeling very extremely gross.
July 25, 2011
Finally, a vampire novel that doesn't focus on a love triangle or the love interests of the main characters!
"Light of Day" is the fourth novel in an ongoing series although each one can be read individually without prior knowledge of the others. This one focuses on a scientist who was experimenting on captured bloodsuckers only to be turned himself. Finding himself as part of the undead he starts work on trying to find a "cure" that will allow vampires to be out in the sun thus allowing them to seek world domination. Two other threads run through this story and both of them are highly entertaining. One is about the black ops SWAT team, with focus upon their cold hearted leader, and the other thread is about two outcasts who wish to be turned into vampires and so become serial killers who drain the blood of their victims in the hope vampires will notice them.
All three storylines come together at the end in what is a barnstorming finale to the novel.
This was one of those novels I couldn't put down and even though it doesn't offer anything new to the genre it's still an excellent read.
"Light of Day" is the fourth novel in an ongoing series although each one can be read individually without prior knowledge of the others. This one focuses on a scientist who was experimenting on captured bloodsuckers only to be turned himself. Finding himself as part of the undead he starts work on trying to find a "cure" that will allow vampires to be out in the sun thus allowing them to seek world domination. Two other threads run through this story and both of them are highly entertaining. One is about the black ops SWAT team, with focus upon their cold hearted leader, and the other thread is about two outcasts who wish to be turned into vampires and so become serial killers who drain the blood of their victims in the hope vampires will notice them.
All three storylines come together at the end in what is a barnstorming finale to the novel.
This was one of those novels I couldn't put down and even though it doesn't offer anything new to the genre it's still an excellent read.
January 4, 2010
I enjoyed this book. It satisfied my need for a more grittier vampire story. I liked most of the characters although I found the special vampire hunter agent a bit cliche, I was able to enjoy it. It was a fast read. I will read another in this series.
October 21, 2010
Really weak offering. This series needs the input of Steve Niles.
May 28, 2010
A good gory vampire book. NOT your Twilight vampire story. That's what makes it so great. A few unexpected surprises that had me think back to the story. All in all, a good, quick read.
December 19, 2010
No Stella and Eben. Story wasn't that great but entertaining enough.
October 8, 2012
I thought that it was good for a vampire book. glad there was no love triangles!!! good spin on vampires :) would recommend
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews