Dead of Light by Chaz Brenchley (Review by kiwigirlreads)

Dead of Light Plot Overview:

Possessing no talent of his own in a family that values power over all else, Ben Macallan, has always been an outsider.

The Macallan clan is a large, prominent and ‘powerful’ family who have a strange and ruthless stranglehold on the city. Their powers come from the night and they use them mercilessly to control their territory. Ben is the black sheep of the family and wants nothing to do with them or their power. It has not been easy to distance himself, but now at university he has finally begun to make a life for himself outside their sphere of influence.

Ben’s new life comes crashing to an end when someone starts picking off members of his family and killing them brutally in a manner that echoes their own family’s power. Ben soon realises that the killer is targeting the weakest members of the family and with no power of his own, Ben is the weakest of them all.

Ben finds that the ties that bind are stronger than he ever knew. He must put the past behind him to confront his family and take responsibility for his life or he and those he loves may not have a future.

What I thought:

Dead of Light is a unique and interesting story with a lot of depth. The publisher lists it as horror (and I will say some of the death scenes are not for the faint of heart) but it is also so much more. It’s about identity and family and has a great murder mystery plot to keep you interested right up to the end. You will find yourself drawn into this dark and disturbing world right alongside Ben.

The character of Ben is complex and relatable, sometimes annoying and insecure, but overall you can see his development throughout the novel as he grows up and discovers himself. The supporting characters are strong and well written and help to round out the story.

The plot and writing are both top notch, the story is fast paced and exciting with lots of action and a bit of magic sprinkled in for your enjoyment. What I liked is that the story does not rely on magic or hit you over the head with it. The magic in the story builds slowly along with the suspense and becomes just another great story element used to tell this tale of Ben and the Macallan family. This means that even if you are not a usual fan of the genre you might find that this book is worth checking out, however if you like your mysteries firmly rooted in the mundane this book would not be for you.

Final Comments and Overall Rating:

This was the first book of Chaz Brenchleys’ that I read and I have since gone on to read lots of his other novels. Some of his other work is vastly different but I have never been disappointed, the writing is always amazing and he has some brilliant stories to tell. If you have not read Chaz Brenchley then what are you waiting for, he is a very talented writer, and if you have then you know what I am talking about.

Light Series: 1. Dead of Light, 2. Light Errant

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Comments

  1. Great review! I'll check this one out for sure :) I just wanted to drop by and welcome you to the wonderful world of blogging! I'll be sure to check back soon (I'm following your blog and if you'd like you can follow mine)
    If you'd like to enter my International book giveaway you can do it by visiting this link:
    http://turningthepagesx.blogspot.com/2012/02/200-follower-giveaway.html

    Hope to see you drop by soon!

    -Kimberly @ www.TurningThePagesx.blogspot.com

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  2. Hi Kimberly
    Thanks for the warm welcome, I really hope you check out Dead of Light - and that you like it. My aim is to turn everyone into Chaz Brenchley fans :)

    I checked out your page and am now following, I really enjoyed your blog - lots of great stuff to check out. I really liked the Around the Word challange you did, it looks really interesting.
    Regards
    kiwigirl

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