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Darkfall

Darkfall

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not the best
Review: This is the first Koontz book that didnt get 5 starts from me. It took me a month to read it, and it usually takes me a few days.
Jack Dawson is one character that you root for no matter what, funny, caring and smart. Rebecca, his partner is nasty, annoying and two dimentional. I couldnt stand her through the entire story.
The voodoo aspect of it wasn't horribly scary, maybe only because the "evil" could always find it's victim. There was no where to run.
THe end is a typical Koontz, end. Wham bam thank you maam. Quick and painless, but this one was just too smooth.
Overall not a bad read, but I dont think this book HAD to be written.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Extremely Underrated
Review: Darkfall focuses on two main characters. The first is a man from Jamaica named Baba Lavelle. Lavelle has come to New York city to gain revenge on a mafia family who was responsible for the death of his brother. Lavelle is a Bocur, which means that he specializes in Voodo involving the black arts. He uses his powers to call upon Gremlin type mosters that travel through the ventilation systems. They travel in packs, and can get into rooms hidden behind lock doors. Four corpses have popped up and they are all high ranking officials in the mafia family. This is where the second character of the story enters. Jack Dawson is a cop who has been working the case. All four bodies appear to have been bitten to death, and they were all behind locked doors. Jack and his partner Amy can not figure out what is killing these men, or how it is being done. Just when things couldn't get any worse, Jack gets a threatening phone call from Lavelle telling him to back off the case. When Jack refuses, Lavelle threatens Jack's children. Now it is up to Jack to find Lavelle and stop him before anyone else winds up dead.

I have been a fan of Dean Koontz for years, and have read the majority of his books. However, Darkfall was always one that I held off on due to the reputation that it has gotten. A lot of people that have read Darkfall have called it one of Koontz's weaker books. In my opinion, this book has gotten a bad rap and is extremely underrated. The book drags you in from page one and keeps you there until the very end. The amount of terror and suspense this book brings is unreal. Koontz's character development is at the top of its game in this book. Jack Dawson is a very likeable hero, and you will find yourself rooting from him from the very beginning. He not only has to deal with Lavelle, but also his growing feelings for his partner Amy and the complicated relationship that is developing between them. Koontz does a great job developing the romance between Amy and Jack because nothing is cut and dry in their relationship. Lavelle is an amazing villan, and he will give you the creeps. Voodo has always been a terrifying subject, and Koontz creatively weaves it into the story. Watching Lavelle wreak havock on the city is scary and suspenseful. The scariest part of the story is the monsters themselves. Imagine Gremlins going evil.

Overall, this is one of the best books that Dean Koontz has ever written. Few of his books have brought the kind of terror and suspense that Darkfall does. After I finished reading Darkfall, I kept asking myself why people do not like this book. It packs a scary and suspenseful story with outstanding characters. Ignore this book's reputation and give it a shot.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: WOWwwwwwww............no.
Review: I read this book twice, hoping it would have a different effect on me the second time around. It did not. This is the only Koontz book I have read, and I must admit that the opening pages are intensely intriguing and urged me on to read more. As I approached the middle of the story and the tale of voodoo unraveled I was not so captivated, but the suspense was still very strong. The "grand" finale almost wasted an incredible story. It was hoakey and completely lacked imagination or creative thought. It was too easy. If Koontz would consider rewriting the last chapter, adding some hint of intelligence, creativity, and the same unyielding suspense that saturates the first half of the story, I would gladly rate this five stars. It is still one of the best horror stories I have ever read and do strongly recommend it. Just be prepared for a deflated conclusion.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Scare the *%^&# out of you.
Review: After picking this book up, I couldn't put it down. I have never been soo scared in all my life. I didn't sleep for two days and had nightmares for a week. If you have a weak constitution or don't like horror at it's best, don't read this. On the other hand, if you're like me and enjoy sleepless nights, you simply must read this novel. I had real several Koontz novels before, but this one is the best I have ever read from him or anybody else. The writing makes your blood run wild. Do not read this book if you live alone. It will scare the daylights (and other things) out of you.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Correction
Review: Actually, underrated, in this book the female lead who is also Jack's partner and lover is Rebecca, not Amy.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: 3 1/2 STARS...
Review: WHAT R U PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT???

Novice dialogue? DK has a reputation as having witty repartee without peers!... Koontz creates believeable characters and puts them in unreal situations. He does this and has no peer!

Sure, this isn't his BEST BOOK, but it's still better than what is passing for horror fiction THESE DAYS!!! Check out Ron Dee and so many others, then tell me DK can't write! Or better yet try WRITING!!

Koontz writes a great read for a dark and stormy night!! The story does bog down at times, but is still very enjoyable and gobble-able (Is that a word?).

An early novel that shows he has what it takes to compete with those in the SCREAM FACTORY!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very good start, not quite as good ending
Review: This was my first (and as of yet, only) Koontz book, and it was translated to Swedish. Still, I think the translator captured much of the original writing, since this book was really good. Personally I like the fear of the unknown that is something essential in all good horror books. That's also why I like the first part of this book so much; you simply don't know what the hell those silver eyes are (and you don't really want to find out), which makes it just more mysterious and scary. Then, when the "good" voodoo mage tells the hero (why are there always standard, "trademark" heroes? Can't normal people get involved in this kind of stuff?) just about everything we didn't know (and just liked not knowing), it kind of spoils the fun a bit. Or, actually, quite a big bit. The ending was if not a disappointment at least not as good as the first part of the book. It just became too exaggerated. Personally I don't find gory, slimy Heads of Evil especially terrifying; it's the sneaking shadows that scares me. I have the feeling that if Dean R. Koontz had 1) skipped telling the reader exactly what the Hero and the Heroess are up against 2) made a better ending (not as exaggerated as it was) this would have been a match to Stephen King's It (the best horror book I've ever read). Another thing I like with this book is that it's not some kind of freak experiment or mutation; this really IS supernatural, evil, demonic. Some people find that it's too unbelievable to be good, but I disagree. Fear of the unknown and supernatural is something every good horror author should utilize, since it makes great books.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Darkfall
Review: Dark Fall focuses on two main characters. The first is a man from Jamaica named Baba Lavelle. Lavelle has come to New York City to get revenge on a Mafia family who was responsible for the death of his brother. Lavelle is a bocor, which means that he specializes in voodoo involving the black arts.
Four corpses have been found and they are all high ranking officials in the Mafia family. This is where the second character of the story comes in. Jack Dawson is a cop who has been working the case. All four bodies appear to have been bitten to death, and they were all behind locked doors and most of the time under security. Jack and his partner Rebecca cannot figure out what is killing these men, or how it is being done.
A lot of people that have read Dark Fall have called it one of Koontz's weaker books. In my opinion, this book has gotten a bad rep and is extremely underrated. The book drags you in from the first page and keeps you there until the very end. The amount of terror and suspense this book brings is amazing.
Jack Dawson is a very likeable hero, and you will find yourself rooting for him form the very beginning. He not only has to deal with Lavelle, but also for growing feelings for his partner. Koontz does a great job developing the romance between Rebecca and Jack.
Over all this is one of the best books that Dena Koontz has written. Few of these books have brought the kind of terror and suspense that Dark Fall does. After I finished reading Dark Fall, I kept asking myself why people do not like this book. It packs a scary and suspenseful story with outstanding characters. Ignore this book's reputation and give it a shot.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Dean Koontz--Darkfall (1984)
Review: One of Dean Koontz's first works, his immaturity and indecision as a horror/suspense writer is fairly evident in his 1984 project "Darkness". As winter envelopes the city, several mutilated, chewed bodies turn up in less than a week. Detective Jack Dawson takes on the case with his partner, Rebecca Chandler, only to realize the horror that they have gotten themselves into. At first they think they are searching for a mysterious serial killer, but they soon begin to hear strange noises in the venilation systems and in the plumbing.

As "Darkness" unfolds, Dawson and Chandler find themselves up against hidious creatures that do not die and do not stop their pursuit to wipe out the entire city. As both become more involved with the supernatural presence that is governing these horrific monsters, Dawson must not only stop the beasts, but save his family in the process.

Fairly cliched "monster mash" romp that is neither that intriguing and certainly not believable. Those who enjoy voodoo and superstitution will find this Koontz work much more appealing, while those who search for novels that grab hold from the initial page, swallows the reader with its heartfelt sincerity, and touches the soul with an incredible finish should definately check out his later work. Not one of his better efforts.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Common lost in the woods story
Review: What i thought about this book is really hard to have to write because i really have liked all of the Dean Koontz books i have read. But Darkfall was just like a old movie about a girl thatis young and is lost in the woods all alone. I do think that the book was written well but i think is should of had more twist to it. I also think this is a book for young students that can read at this level and still understand what is going on in the book.


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