Nightlife by
Matthew Quinn Martin
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Horror
Series: Book 1
Date of Publication: October 21, 2013
Publisher: Pocket Star/Simon & Schuster
Author Information: Website |
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Nightlife takes readers to a New Harbor, Connecticut on Halloween night,
where deep within its depths, an ancient breed of predator prepares to
rise. The city's outcasts, the forgotten and the homeless are the first
victims, but the creatures' hunger only grows. At New Harbor's popular
nightclub, Beth Becker arrives for her job as a bartender on one of her
busiest days of the year, unaware that her life is about to be changed
forever.
After that night, several people go missing, including
Beth's best friend Zoe. But when the police ignore her concerns, Beth
decides to take things into her own hands. However, her investigations
lead her to more questions than answers, to ominous tales about the
"Night Angel", and other horrors she never imagined possible. And when
she encounters a mysterious stranger named Jack, Beth has to make a
choice. New Harbor is about to fall to a new terror; will she run while
she can, or stay and fight?
What did you think about Nightlife?
Mogsy: I think it was the idea of an "urban fantasy-horror" that first hooked
me, because while something like that would naturally seem like the
perfect combination of genres, I don't think I've actually read anything
like that before! And I wasn't disappointed. I think it at once delivered everything I
expected but also gave me a lot of surprises as well.
Wendy: The book begins very slowly, taking its time to introduce the
characters, with the main focus being Beth and her relationships with
best friend Zoe and boyfriend Ryan. Beth is a strong, independent woman
and, despite Ryan's implications about her party-going lifestyle, she
seems to have her priorities straight and has a strong moral compass.
Mogsy: Yes, not surprisingly, the highlights for me are the characters. The
story itself takes a bit of time to build up in the beginning, but I was kept interested by Beth and the other perspectives we're
given in this first part of the novel, not to mention the clever and
snappy dialogue. Beth felt like a well-defined character almost from the get
go, and I liked her.
Wendy: Things start to really kick off on Halloween night though, when several people go
missing, including Zoe. The police won't file a missing persons report
after such a short period of time and Ryan doesn't seem to care, leaving
it up to Beth to find Zoe herself. Soon enough, Beth comes face to face
with the monsters and meets Jack for the start of a very practical and interesting relationship.
I thought Martin's monsters are the best part of
Nightlife.
Initially, they seem like seductive vampires, but there is so much more
to them. Martin skillfully combines mythological creatures like the
Japanese Kappa with real creatures, creating a frighteningly realistic
monster.
Mogsy: I agree! Now I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say he takes a
familiar paranormal concept and adds his own twist
and flavor of horror. Beth and Jack are pitted against something savage, primal and
inhuman. I liked some of the theories presented here about them,
especially the biological ones, because...let's just say salt and those
garlic sprays you can get for your garden make a lot of sense.
And though the overall tone of the novel is quite dark,
there are some fun parts as well. Jack reminded me a bit of a low-tech Batman
with his badass attitude and arsenal of jury-rigged weapons and gadgets! I would have liked to learn more about
him, seeing as there's a whole other side to this story that's presented
but mostly left up in the air, such as the mysterious organization Jack
appears to be running from as well as his link to the homeless and
self-professed prophet Gil. At times, these sections actually feel
disconnected from the overall plot, but they also leave much for the
next book to explore. I'm looking forward to it!
For more about Matthew Quinn Martin and NIGHTLIFE, be sure to check in again tomorrow for an interview with the author!
Mogsy's Rating
4 of 5 stars
Wendy's Rating
3.5 of 5 stars
A review copy of this book
was provided to us by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ah, the fall season is here! With the days getting shorter and the chill in the air, October is the perfect month to check out some horror novels and other scary fiction. If you happened to catch our review yesterday, you'll know that we here at the BiblioSanctum had the great honor and pleasure of reading Nightlife, the horror urban fantasy novel from debut author Matthew Quinn Martin.
