This book was so creepy! I loved that most of it took place on an old wrecked ship with mangrove trees growing on it. What a unique idea! The birds and weavers were really unsettling and were such interesting additions to the story. This is definitely a different take on witches and I really liked the direction it took.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy to review.

I loved the setting of this one, Galveston, TX is where one of my closest friends lives and so it was very close to home for me. This was such an atmospheric read, Golden is always good at capturing an eerie setting in his novels and I enjoy that about his books. This one also incorporates witches, and it was great for this town which definitely has a spooky vibe on its own. I enjoyed this one throughout, it kept my attention and listening via audio only enhanced the creepy factor.

"The Night Birds" by Christopher Golden is a solid horror novel filled with cool ideas and an amazing setting. Although it isn't a book that will linger with you long afterward, it's definitely worth checking out for horror fans.

The book tells the story of a group of people trying to protect an infant from a particularly nasty coven of witches aboard a derelict freighter overgrown with mangrove trees - a unique, fun setting for something like this. The story largely plays out over one night, and the pacing is sharp and quick-moving.

There are unique moments of magic-induced body horror and some really wicked imagery, and the author pulls heavily from Icelandic folklore for his version of this coven, which helps give the villains in this book a chance to stand out from the stereotypical idea of witches in most popular literature.

While themes such as parenthood and regret play a part in this book, it moves too rapidly to explore these things in anything more than a surface-level amount of detail, which may be a good or bad thing, depending on your point of view.

The strength of the novel lies in its fast pace, interesting setting, and individual scenes, which makes for a quick, fun read. People looking for a deeper horror story that really dives into human fear and deep themes should probably look elsewhere, but if you're just looking for a thrilling good time, you can do a lot worse than The Night Birds.

3.5/5

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the worst thing in your past came back to haunt you?

This book was exactly that with a whole lot worse brought along. The Night Birds was creepy and the setting was unique. There was some heart to it and in the end would you make a choice to hurt the one you once loved to extinguish ancient horror.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was packed with so much that I will be thinking about it for a long time.

I requested this one because I really liked the cover and the concept, and those things paid off. What a creepy, atmospheric adventure this was!

The strongest selling point this book has right off the bat is the setting. It’s so unique: most of it takes place on a big rusty ship that’s permanently docked due to a forest growing up through its deck. The Christabel is still inhabitable for a research team, but they’re literally sleeping and working amidst tree roots and wildlife while they’re on board. It’s such a cool idea! And the story pretty much all takes place at night, too, so I only read it after the sun went down. I recommend that method. Bonus points if it’s raining.

If you can, light a candle or two. It’ll really set the mood.

The blurb makes it sound like this could be a monster horror, but it’s not, really. I don’t want to be too spoilery since the description chooses not to mention certain things, so I’ll say that the “shadowy figures” pursuing the main characters are actually powerful women and hopefully you can read between those lines. The horror imagery in this is pretty badass and violent, and I was a fan. If you want gore, you’ll get it, but it’s not constant or over the top.

The story kept me invested and the characters were flawed and believable. There was a moment when one of the antagonists was talking about how human beings are evil and only care about themselves, and it made me think about that meme that says: “When the villain is lowkey making a lot of sense.”

I highly recommend this one to people who like spooky, ritualistic elements in their horror and don’t need things to be too grounded in reality to have a good time.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Miscarriage, Animal harm, Mention of Suicide

Although Christopher Golden has written many books, I have only read one other prior to this one. Since I enjoyed it, I thought I would try another. I like some of the horror genre, especially witches. When I saw this one involved a coven of witches I couldn't resist.

Description:
Charlie Book and Ruby Cahill have history. After their love ended in heartbreak years ago, they never expected to see each other again.

Now, as part of his work for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Book lives aboard the Christabel, a 19th century freighter half-sunken off the shore of Galveston. Over many years, a massive forest of mangrove trees has grown up through the deck of the ship, creating a startlingly beautiful enigma Book calls the Floating Forest. As a powerful storm churns through the Gulf, he intends to sleep on board as usual.

But when he arrives at the dock, he’s stunned to find Ruby there waiting for him. And she’s not alone. With her are a mysterious woman and her infant child, asking Book to hide them safely aboard the Christabel while they're on the run. Only it isn’t the police who are after them, it’s a coven of witches the woman, Mae, has fled, stealing away the helpless infant for whom the coven had hideous plans…or so Mae claims.

It’s lunacy and Book wants nothing to do with it. But after the way he and Ruby ended things, and the unspoken pain between them, he can’t refuse. Yet even as he brings them out to the ruined ship and its floating forest, there are shadowed figures looming back in Galveston, waiting out the storm. And despite the worsening wind and rain, the night birds are flying, scouring the coastline for their prey.

My Thoughts:
I loved the atmosphere of the old sunken freighter with the mangroves growing through it. It was the perfect backdrop for this story and provided a haunting feel. The hurricane raging outside gave it even more menace. The witches were really scary and they were definitely not the good sort of witches I usually read about. There's a lot of action and the book is fast-paced. It kept me on edge wondering what else was coming. Overall a great horror/thriller read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

The Night Birds lures you in with one of the most evocative settings in recent horror fiction — a grounded freighter, rusting and forgotten, perched like a beached leviathan on the edge of a ghost-stained New England town. Christopher Golden turns this massive hulk of steel into a gothic cathedral of dread, echoing with the past and promising nothing good inside. It's eerie, atmospheric, and the perfect nest for a slow-building sense of doom.

The story starts strong and ends with impact, but the middle third drifts a little too long in the fog. There’s a lot of mood and meandering, with tension that feels like it's circling the runway rather than descending. Still, the setting is so rich and immersive that you may not mind wandering a bit longer in the mist.

If you love horror where place matters — where setting grips you by the throat and won’t let go — this grounded freighter will haunt you long after you’ve left its rusted decks.

The setting really made this story come alive: a half-sunken freighter in the Gulf of Mexico with a mangrove forest growing through it, rumored to be haunted. A raging hurricane more fierce and destructive than the forecasters ever predicted. All of this would be creepy enough, but add in two women on the run with an infant seeking shelter on the ship from a coven of magic wielders and the terrifying destructive birds! This story will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what horror will appear next! This book is full of action, fast-paced, and exciting.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christopher Golden is one of the best authors working right now. He has built a large presence, and The Night Birds doesn't fail to match those lofty heights.

The premise hooked me before I started reading. A decrepit, ancient freighter stuck off the coast of Houston in the Gulf of Mexico during a tropical storm. Witches. And night birds. What follows may be a little spoilery.

The protagonist, Charlie Book? Hmmm. I liked his character but wonder about him. Is he that gullible and accepting of WHATEVER life throws at him? Or that in love that nothing matters. The love of his life ditched him without explanation, then returns, with her sister’s lover and a baby and needs a safe place to hide—again with very little explanation? He either needed to be the indifferent or skeptical scientist or not. I liked the secondary characters and would have liked a little more from all of them. Perhaps that is a good thing. The storm itself had me thinking Golden had never been through a tropical storm. Being from Florida, the storm scenes seemed far too tamed, especially if this one was also had supernatural enhancement. The night birds came and went much too easily as the storm raged on. While they, too, were not entirely of this world, I would imagine that they would have been splattering against the ship as they desperately tried to keep an eye on things. Then, there are the mangroves. Again, I don’t believe the author has ever really looked closely at one of those trees, let alone climbed through a tangled mangrove forest. They are beautiful but muddy, claustrophobic messes. Their organized chaos is actually a great metaphor for the story.

When it comes to scary movies and books, I like a good ghost story (think of the movie "Poltergeist"). I love a good creature-feature (think of the movie "Cloverfield"). I really like a good southern gothic novel (think of authors like Robert McCammon or Michael McDowell). What I most definitely DO NOT LIKE are movies and books that border on the Satanic or are like slasher-flicks. Unfortunately, this book appears to be in that last category so I'm marking it did-not-finish at chapter 22 (56%).

I loved the cover and the idea. A group of scientists/researchers are on an old half sunken shipwreck off the coast of Galveston, TX studying the flora and fauna that have made a home of it. One of them regularly spends the night aboard the ship. When an old flame shows up with another woman (Mae or Johanna, depending upon the description you read) and a baby needing help, he agrees to hide them on the ship for the night. But it turns out they're on the run from witches (maybe it's my own fault for not recognizing the possibilities in that). Adding to the peril, a hurricane is bearing down upon them.

However, I found none of the characters even remotely likeable. Actually, I find I disliked most of them. The idea of the witches turning themselves into birds was interesting, but it left me more confused – and annoyed – than anything. "Night birds" can refer to pretty much any bird active at night or even just at dusk, but in this case owls are mentioned a couple of times but it mostly refers to "nighthawks." I thought maybe it was a Southern reference to a particular bird, but couldn't find anything to support that. If you don't know, a "nighthawk" (or nightjar) is actually a very non-threatening bird. It's maybe medium-sized (9" or 10" long?) with long skinny wings and flies very fast and erratically and eats a lot of bugs (which is a good thing). I used to see common nighthawks on power lines in my neighborhood growing up – they sit long-wise instead of cross-wise on the wires and make a funny sound – but are very uncommon now (I don't know why). They're similar to whip-poor-wills which are more common in Eastern states. My point is, "nighthawks" are not scary birds (I loved seeing them). They do not have big "talons" that could slash up a person's back. So I don't really know what the author is referring to but it annoyed me every time it was mentioned.

So, between the shades of Satanism, the hints of excessive gore to come, and the confusing use of "nighthawks" in the story, I'm quitting a little more than halfway through. I received an advance electronic copy for reviewing purposes from NetGalley.

This book was wild. A sunken ship with a forest growing through the middle, a coven of witches chaotically hunting down a woman and her baby---this is a really well-crafted horror tale. The storm and the suspense were so good, and I really had no idea what was coming next or how the book was going to end. I just really enjoyed the writing and the plot, I was hooked from start to finish!

I found The Night Birds atmospheric and uber creepy.
This story is pretty unhinged, from a half sunken ship with a forest growing through the middle to the coven of witches after a woman and her baby,
I loved the atmosphere. A horrendous storm, while stuck on a ship sunk far enough out from shore, you need a boat to reach it, half rusted and filled with water, and a beautiful forest teeming with life right in the middle.

The coven is dangerous and will do whatever it takes to get the baby, and Book, Ruby, and Mae are now in the crosshairs. The longer the storm rages, the more horrifying things get. With plenty of twists and suspenseful moments that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I had no idea how this was going to end, and I loved every moment!
I can't wait to see what Christopher Golden is going to come out with next!

An epic horror tale! A not so bad hurricane is bearing down on Galveston. What was supposed to be a mild hurricane turns out to be much worse that the weatherman predicted. Ruby meets her sister's wife (Mae), along with her infant nephew. But what she brings along is much more sinister than Mae lets on.  Meanwhile a crew working on the Christabel, an abandoned freighter has settled in for the night, three in the safety of a hotel and Charlie "Book" decides to continue his normal and sleep on the Christalbel. Ruby has a past with Book and reaches out to him for a safe place to stay, until the storm blows over. Aboard the Christabel, events quickly worsen with the storm and  with  the blood thirsty witches that are seeking Mae and the infant. 

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. It was insanely great.

You know what I really love about Christopher Golden’s work? It’s never the same twice. (Well if you don’t count the series work he’s done over the year, ala Buffy.) He’s always willing to try something new or come at something from an unexpected way. And he’s definitely done that in his newest book, The Night Birds, which, I over the last month or so, had the privilege of both reading and listening the audiobook version as well. I really enjoyed the cast here, with both Book and Ruby being completely relatable. Damaged and flawed, but also vulnerable and completely sympathetic. Seriously, as Golden slowly dishes out the details of their past, you can’t help but feel for them. The old sunken ship made for a great location, with them being trapped out there in the middle of the storm making it feel even more isolated and atmospheric, and the coven that is chasing them, or more appropriately the baby, are super creepy. There is definitely heavy emotions in this one, which I won’t talk about due to spoilers, but…anyway. I will say what is amazing is that so much happens in a book that really spans only a single night. This is a story about the family you have and the family you choose, and the lengths you will go to for them. As for the audio version, Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso both deliver topnotch performances, which made it an absolute pleasure to listen to, even having already read the story a month or so earlier. This one just really clicked with me. 4.5 stars. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC and Spotify Audiobooks for the advanced audio version of The Night Birds.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-night-birds-christopher-golden/1146167543?ean=9781250285928&bvnotificationId=8d8b4c4b-2b06-11f0-ba66-0ebe37688197&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/345337415

This book would make an AMAING movie. The detail in this book makes it so you can see everything in your head

This is my third Christopher Golden author and he is slowly becoming one of my favorite horror authors book by book.

This book takes a fun take on witches and really brings old lore into the story. I thought the multiple people would confuse me but it was easy to follow along.

My only complaint is that the main character’s name was Book and that made some parts hard to follow.


Genre: Horror
APK: Ebook
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

I will say that the setting of this book is absolutely creeptastic! The cover is quite eye catching and the description of the that terrible night with a hurricane going on, getting worse, people on a derelict ship that contains its own little floating mangrove forest, maniac birds, and disturbing witchy weaver women on the hunt for a baby for despicable sacrifice (and the trail of bodies left behind them!). It is a reunion for Ruby and Book and a second chance for Book to rise to the occasion and be the man that Ruby needs. Despite the seriousness of the situation though, it takes agonizingly long for the for the full story to get told so I could find out all the whys of who wants the baby and what has happened in the time between Ruby and Mia's frantic running to their arrival with Book at the sunken ship. I still was on the edge of my seat as the horrors rose higher and higher as the storm got worse, culminating in a climax that was heartbreaking, with all the nightmares becoming true and the sacrifices made to try and save little baby Aiden. Very dark and tragic and memorable and top notch horror, though I think that it would be cool to see the Cristabel though not with the night weavers on board or during a storm.

I definitely like this author's books which are quite nicely creepy horror with a hit of thriller to keep me reading long into night!

Christopher Golden excels at creating an atmospheric setting and tone in each of his books. Like one of his previous stories, Road of Bones, The Night Birds is a slavic folk tinged horror thriller. This is a story with witches, a half sunken freighter, and a mangrove forest. While paced differently than Golden’s previous books, it serves more as a thriller with supernatural elements. Overall the vibes are pure Golden and the setting is perfect. This is a good read for a dark stormy night.

I love the cover of this book. It instantly drew me in and I love it even more after reading this book. I thought this book was very unique and original. I loved the storyline the author did a great job putting this book together. The folk horror was done really well.

typically do not read horror novels, however, this is the second book by Christopher Golden that I have read and I LOVED IT. Golden perfectly captured the creepy, eerie, suspenseful, foreboding atmosphere. The main setting of the novel is a half sunken, rusted ship with a forest growing through it in the middle of a hurricane, creepy right? Throw in witches and you have the recipe for a suspenseful novel.

I was thoroughly creeped out while reading and loved every minute of it. While reading, you can just tell something bad is brewing. As with The House of Last Resort , the ending was the best part.

Overall, I absolutely loved the plot and the setting of the book. At times, I felt disconnected from some of the characters and found myself not caring what happened to them. That being said, I will gladly read another Christopher Golden book in the future.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.