I'm a huge fan of Christopher Golden and was ecstatic to get the ARC of this novel. I wasn't disappointed!. It's well written, as expected from this author, and I felt like I was dropped right into the story. The multiple POVs are easy to follow as the characters are well developed. Even the ship Christabel had a fascinating personality, with her unique forest of trees. I loved the supernatural elements, as that is my favorite type of horror. It was a nice weekend escape!

3 stars

Charlie Book works for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and as a perk (if you want to consider it that) of his job he lives aboard the “Christobel,” a half sunken 19th century freighter off the coast of Galveston that he and his co-workers are working to restore with an eye toward making it a state park. A forest of mangroves is growing through the deck. And, as the action is going to take place on this vessel, hang on to your hats my friends, because this is going to shock and amaze you….a storm is a’comin.

He heads to the boat one night and finds his former paramour, Ruby Cahill, waiting on the dock, along with another woman and a baby. Ruby says a coven of witches is after them and they need to hide. Book agrees. Calamity follows.

Here’s some free advice: if a man named Charlie Book ever approaches you run far, far away. Knowing him is a recipe for disaster. Sure, he seems all nice, like someone you could count on, but count on this…you’re gonna die. Doesn’t seem like such a great guy now, does he?

This was decent, nothing bad, nothing great. I liked it fine.

A gory, supernaturally good time. I’ve never read anything of Christopher Golden’s before (although I see he’s on my TBR!), and after reading The Night Birds, I couldn’t be more excited to get to some of his other novels.

Charlie Book lives and works on a grounded freighter off the coast of Galveston. One stormy night, his ex, Ruby, shows up at his doorstep. Ruby’s sister, Bella, has been murdered and someone is after her new baby nephew, Aiden, and Bella’s ex Mae. Ruby asks Book to give them shelter for the night, promising that they’ll be gone in the morning. Things don't go exactly to plan.

There’s no gradual building to the horror here. Golden drops us right into the center of the action. The entire novel is fast-paced; I finished it in only a couple of days. Golden has a way of writing that propels the narrative forward at break-necked speed. This is a great novel for someone that wants a quick read and isn’t afraid of some blood and mutilation (or a lot of blood, really).

When it comes to magic, I know that there’s some people who want really clearly defined parameters for the magic rules. I will say, The Night Birds doesn’t have that. The focus is a lot less on the magic, how it’s possible, and how it works, and much more focused on the characters rolling with the punches and just trying to stay alive. This didn’t bother me at all, I actually preferred it this way. Instead of bogging down the narrative with exposition or backstory, we leaned as the characters did (and didn’t learn more). I’m completely here for that close-kept point-of-view.

That said, there are some rules that are given to us, and the narrative doesn't deviate from them which I can appreciate. There’s the trope of two estranged characters coming back together, falling back in love throughout the narrative, and then standing together, the only survivors on the hill as the sun rises. I feel like that’s in everything anymore, especially horror. I really appreciated Golden flipping that script. The characters were constantly making difficult choices, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t always know what choices they were going to make, especially out of Mae.

At it's heart, this is a horror novel, and The Night Birds doesn't shy away from reminding the reader of this fact. The novel is full of gore and violence and death. As an avid horror reader, it didn't find any of it particularly shocking. The setting is interesting and a bit spooky but not particularly atmospheric. The horror primarily shines through the physical violence rather than the vibes. So something to keep in mind depending on what kind of horror you're into.

Golden really weaves a nice, tightly wound, tale. I’m looking forward to what else he has to offer.

I couldn't put this book down! The captivating reunion between Charlie and Ruby had me hooked from the start. I loved how their history added depth and tension to the story, making their unexpected encounter on the Christabel even more compelling. The description of the Floating Forest was so vivid that I could almost see the mangrove trees growing through the deck of the ship—what a beautiful and eerie setting! I was genuinely surprised when Ruby showed up with Mae and her infant child, seeking refuge from a coven of witches. The mix of magic, mystery, and suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. The dynamic between Book and Ruby was filled with unspoken pain and unresolved feelings, which made their interactions both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The blend of romance, mystery, and supernatural elements made for a truly engaging read.

If you're looking for a story that will keep you entertained and invested in the characters, this book is a must-read!

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: May 06, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

Christopher Golden never fails to put out a book that has everything and I have read them all! This has well developed characters, multiple POV and such description and dimension the writing has that gives the world a realistic feel as we walking through. I love how you get that pit in your gut feeling through a lot of this and your not sure what coming next as you tip toe through parts of this book and then all of a sudden you’re full speed ahead twisting through the storylines holding on and bracing for the next page. I love how Golden gave the perfect Thriller/Horror read and as always was so marvelous with the world building, character building and that final page had me. Bring on more Christopher! A autobuy author for me.

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well St. Martins Press

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Fast paced, Twisty, Dark, Multiple POV, Horror, Thriller, Witchcraft, Magic, Storms, Survival

I love Christopher Golden and this book was no exception
Fantastic read

Thank you to netgalley for the chance to read and review this book

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Birds is the newest horror from Christopher Golden, following Book, Ruby and Mae as they fight to protect an infant child from a coven of not-witches dead set on killing him. Set in a deteriorated, half-sunken freighter ship that has it's own forest growing out of it, this book is filled with eerie atmospheric writing. The tension in this book is off the charts, and manages to climb the entire story. I started reading it during the day and was about 60% in when I found myself alone, at night, reading this, and decided to take a break to finish it during day time.

If you're already a Christopher Golden fan, dive right in, the water (wink wink) is warm and the girls are terrifying.

I do think if you've read previous Golden books, this one isn't as scary. It's much more thriller than horror compared to, say, Ararat or The House of Last Resort, but its still a lot of fun, as his books usually are.

Release May 6 2025

THE NIGHT BIRDS by Christopher Golden is extraordinary! I loved it every bit as much as I loved Mr. Golden's earlier ALL HALLOWS (which is to note, exceptionally!). No suspension of disbelief was necessary; I fell headlong steaight into the depths of the story, its magic and witchcraft and Ancient Evils; its unique and powerful setting; the manipulation of Nature by both humans and entity; the power of unnatural Storm, the power of Ancient Witchcraft; the power of love and of compassion and protection of the defenseless and vulnerable. I could readily spin through this novel again right away. So very thankful I read it.

Good story and characters. Solid story but nothing memorable. I enjoyed reading it but wouldn't want to read again. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I really love this cover!

Unfortunately, the book itself was not for me.

I found it a bit confusing and rushed with no real backstory. Why does Bella hate Ruby so much? I found myself skimming the last 30%.

I really enjoyed the setting of this book. The mangrove forest on an old ship was super cool and I felt like I could really picture it. Very creepy!

The setting of this one was absolutely perfect and I couldn’t help but imagining diving around the Christabel. When Charlie heads into a seemingly mild storm, back to the sunken freighter where he lives and works - he has no idea what is in store for him.

Christopher Golden has become an auto-read author for me so I probably only read the title of this one and it became one of my most anticipated for 2025. I had no idea there would be witches involved, and enjoyed the ebbs and flows of the story as they came with the rising tides and gale-force winds.

The main baddie in this one was incredibly scary, but I feel that the real horror lies in that idea that lost people are willing to go to extreme lengths to be found again. I really enjoyed this read and will be continuing my quest to read Golden’s backlist!

Check this one out if you love storms, horror, witches, and struggles for survival!

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this haunting title!**

I have to say that while it started out at a slower pace, the horror came in like a wrecking ball! Two lovers, Charlie Book and Ruby Cahill, who ended things badly, encounter each other again. Ruby brings a mother and her child to Charlie's boat in order to save her from a coven of witches. There's a half sunken boat, the Christabel, a 19th century freighter, that Charlie has been studying. They decided to bring the woman there.
I really enjoyed how Golden weaves psychological thriller with supernatural horror. I loved the pace of this story and wanted to keep reading. This was such a great creepy atmospheric book!

Thank you Christopher and NetGalley for the ARC!

NIGHT BIRDS has everything. Half-sunken ships. A coven hunting a sacrifice. And a lot of messy relationships.

Buffeted by a storm in off the Gulf, the Cristabel is something of a maritime wonder. The ancient wreck has been left to rust and rot off Galveston, but nature reclaimed her in unexpected ways. Her deck and some lower levels have been taken over by a huge mangrove forest. It is here that Golden's protagonists make their last stand against a flock (see what I did there?) of witches (don't call them that, they get mad) planning to restore their goddess to the walking world through the ritual sacrifice of a baby.

TW: child loss

A wild horror ride woven together by shared grief and trauma. Anyone who has suffered the loss of a child will immediately find kinship with Ruby, feeling isolated long before she makes it aboard the Cristabel. Wondering how the world carries on while you come to terms with the knowledge that you could not love your baby enough to save them. When given something like a second chance in the form of her sister's child, Ruby is ready to do whatever it takes.

The horrors are made all the more terrible when you consider each character's isolation. Everyone is keeping secret griefs or pains or loves from everyone else, letting them metastasize even as the next horror unfolds.

Beautiful and sad and fraught with tension, Night Birds is one of Golden's best.

Christopher Golden excels in combining the horrifically fantastic with the relatable mundane placing believable characters into a realm of nightmares. His latest, The Night Birds, is an atmospheric, supernatural tale of mankind taking on a magical force while dealing with brutal Mother Nature. The Night Birds is an action-packed, soul-plummeting novel that makes for a scary adventure, even when Golden’s prose gets a little soggy.

The Night Birds features Charlie Book and Ruby Cahill former lovers with an understandable loss. Charlie, going by his surname Book, is a researcher for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Ruby is a musician a few gigs away from making a name for herself on the touring circuit. They are both dealing with life separately until an unexpected baby and a major category hurricane brings them back together.

Along with the witches. A whole nasty coven of them.

Golden goes through the paces of setting up Book, his team, and their homebase the Christabel, a 19th century freighter that lies half-sunken just off the shore of Galveston, perhaps fictitiously based off the SS Selma. Similar to his previous works of Ararat and All Hallows, Golden crafts relatable people with all their charm and faults in place. He gives them stories and lives, showing that these characters need to be a worthy investment, especially for when the peril kicks in and those numbers start to dwindle.

Similar to those aforementioned works, Golden’s foundations here are nearly too solid so when the magic does occur that bedrock does not easily sway. When the uncanny finally hits, the result should be eye-opening. At first, though, any such revelation is merely eye-rolling.

Until it isn’t.

Golden, after all, is a craftsman who can easily manipulate both characters and readers. Otherwise the storm that threatened to capsize the Christabel could have inflicted similar damage to the narrative.

Golden remains a thrilling contemporary horror writer. Both Road of Bones and his more-recent The House of Last Resort, has Golden at his best as he properly balances human lives with undead terror. While The Night Birds sometimes gets a little rain soaked in its repetitiveness, when Golden finally unleashes the crazy, he has the volume cranked to eleven. As waves of water pummel the Christabel, darkness and dread choke the reader in a glorious page-turner of read.

The witches are after the baby who has come into Ruby’s possession – her nephew. Golden plays with Old World fairy tales and intermixes it all with 21st century comic book action. Even when some of Book’s labors fall to the laborious, Golden builds the tension with Ruby, the renegade witch Mae, and Book’s compatriot Gerald, that keeps the blood flowing. And spilling.

In previous stories, both aforementioned as well as the fun read Snowblind, Golden hints and teases at the monsters from the shadows. With The Night Birds he goes deep into the origins of witches, witchcraft, and their strange, dark power. While he could have gone even deeper, bringing the past’s history into the relevant present, Golden keeps his book focus on Book, making the reluctant hero all the more valiant. The Night Birds, regardless of its few unkempt feathers, is a striking entry in the world of modern horror.


Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this finely-feathered advance treat.

4 stars

Another winner by Golden. One of my top faves at this point. The twists and the atmosphere of this one hit just right for me.

Eh, I think maybe I need to accept that Christopher Golden isn't one of my favorite horror authors. There's nothing particularly wrong with this book, but it was just a very middle-of-the-road read for me and I wasn't super invested in the outcome or any of its characters. But, overall, it was … fine. This, probably not so coincidentally, is the way I've felt about most of his novels that I've read (although I did like The House of Last Resort more than a lot of other reviewers seemed to, so go figure). They're always entertaining-ish but never something to write home about.

I do have to give Golden props for being able to write atmospheric prose, though. This book, especially the first half or so, is super dark and atmospheric and creepy and full of foreboding. You know something bad is going to happen, but the story takes its sweet time getting there and it's incredibly suspenseful.

Once the action finally starts, however, all hell really breaks loose. There are witches (not-witches?) everywhere and everyone is running around trying to stay alive. Unfortunately, this is the part where I mostly lost interest. I was rooting for Boot's three coworkers and was a little invested in their side story, but I just didn't care at all about the main characters. Maybe it's because you don't really learn a whole lot about them other than the whole “relationship gone sour” stuff? I dunno, but I kind of just kept hoping that the (not-)witches would kill them quickly so it could be over and done with.

The setting, though, is fantastic. A floating forest that's risen up from an old sunken freighter in the Gulf of Mexico? Yes, please! It would have been the perfect setting for a haunted house (ship?) type story, and I'm a little sad that this book didn't veer at all into that direction. Not-witches and a haunted floating forest? Now there's a storyline that could've held my attention. Unfortunately, there are no ghosts to be found in this one, only (not-)witches and creepy birds.

This book did give me a bit of insight into my own capacity for self-sacrifice (and general lack of bravery), because I would have given the baby to the witches when they first showed up in Ruby's backyard. Of course, I'm the person who adopted a toddler so that I could completely avoid ever having to touch a baby (they're so … squishy), so perhaps I'm in the minority here. But let this be a warning to all my friends and family and general acquaintances – if you're ever running from a coven of very irritated witches with a mini-human in tow, don't come to my house (or, should I ever acquire one, to my sunken freighter off the coast of Galveston).

My rating: 3.3 stars, rounded down. Die-hard Christopher Golden fans might enjoy this one more than I did, but overall it was a pretty average horror read for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is May 6, 2025.

Witchcraft, human sacrifice and an approaching huge storm make are a heady mix

Since appearing on the scene in the mid-nineties Christopher Golden has been incredibly prolific with a wide range of fiction which naturally straddles genres. Although I have read a relatively small number of these, I was a fan of his Ben Walker trilogy, in particular Ararat (2017) and Red Hands (2020) and also thoroughly enjoyed Road of Bones (2022). If you have never sampled Golden then all the forementioned titles are terrific places to start, with his two most recently published novels also being high quality, All Hallows (2023) and The House of Last Resort, the latter an edgy supernatural thriller about an American couple who quickly deeply regret buying a house on the cheap in a small town in Sicily.

The Night Birds is a solid read which falls slightly short of some of the fiction mentioned above, however, it is still an addictive page-turner with Golden shining with yet another clever narrative. Down the years this talented author must have explored just about every area of the supernatural, with this latest takes a deep dive into witchcraft, sacrifice and in the case of the main character Charlie Book, most definitely being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Night Birds is a book of two halves, the first sets the scene with a backstory which goes on slightly too long and the second was a full explosion of horror, set over a single stormy night. I am not convinced they gelled together satisfactorily, as I grew weary of Ruby and Mae repeating the circumstances of how they ended up on Charlie’s doorstep desperate, with their lives in danger, caring for Ruby’s dead sister Bella’s tiny baby. Without going into details, it is a wild story of witch covens, human sacrifice, possession and ancient evil trying to enter our world. I felt this part of the story might have had more impact if it had been presented as a ‘before’ distinct narrative rather than the third hand manner it is presented to Charlie (who, not surprisingly, does not believe a word).

The second half holds little back and is set to the backdrop of an incredibly powerful storm being influenced by the witches, set in the Galveston area of Texas, Christopher Golden throws the kitchen sink at his battered characters as they try to defend the tiny baby from the circling dark forces. I did wonder how this book might have played out if it were spread out over a longer time period, it might have been difficult with the storm, but I would have liked to have found out more about how the witchcraft worked. As always, this author has a great eye for detail and I was fascinated by its Icelandic origins and what is revealed about the magic system presented in the novel is cleverly presented, even if not in a huge amount of detail.

The novel effortlessly moves from character to character and even if scientist Charlie Book has the most page time, his work colleagues were equally engaging and well-drawn with their support roles. At the centre of the story is the failed relationship of Charlie and Ruby and the hidden reason they broke up giving the narrative a strong non-horror element. When the desperate Ruby turns up at his doorstep Charlie obviously helps her, even if he finds her story incredible, until unnatural events start to manifest, beginning with the unnatural weather and weird behaviour of the wildlife and ‘Night Birds’ of the title.

If you look through Christopher Golden’s back catalogue you will quickly realise he is a master of delivering terrific settings and the Christabel, a deteriorated, half-sunken century old freighter ship off the coast of Galveston, is one of his finest. Having been there for so long, the ship has developed its own ecosystem which the scientists are monitoring, with Charlie also living on the boat. As the huge storm approaches the group soon find themselves under an intense attack from much more than natural elements. Some of these sequences were terrific, skilfully blending action, graphic horror, nature and the supernatural.

Golden effortlessly combines the atmospheric tension of a haunted setting with the suspense of a fast paced occult thriller. He weaves together elements of folklore, witchcraft, and horror making The Nightbirds an immersive reading experience. Even if the revealing of the backstory is slow, dread escalates as the reader understands the full strength of the adversary. Golden’s vivid descriptions of the decrepit and creaking ship, the vicious storm, and the increasingly ominous presence of the birds create a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere which will have you turning the pages as great speed as it hurtles towards the climax.

The Night Birds by New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden is a true testament to Golden's writing ability, drawing me into an atmospheric tale set against the haunting backdrop of a half-sunken 19th-century freighter off the coast of Texas. The Night Birds is a heart-pounding novel filled with suspense, romance, and supernatural horror.

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.

After reading The House of Last Resort to start 2024, I was unsure how Christopher Golden would able to repeat my love for his writing. The Night Birds did just that with a sense of mystery and suspense that permeates every page. Golden wastes no time in enveloping us in an eerie ambiance with vivid imagery of this half-submerged freighter ship—a rusting hulk lying forgotten at sea with a mangrove forest bursting from the seams. While the ship frightening on its own, the horror of the ship during a storm is only the beginning. As I dove deeper into this maritime horror, I found myself aboard this precarious vessel alongside characters with secrets, mysteries and horrors of their own.

Central to The Night Birds is a visceral conflict between good and evil that transcends mere physical confrontation. This struggle shines with complex characters whose motives are revealed gradually throughout the story. This character development, in addition the Christabel–the ships is almost its own character as well, added depth to the narrative. The presence of an old flame complicates matters further, presenting questions about loyalty, trust, and how far one would go to help someone once cherished under such harrowing circumstances.

In addition the Christabel and the characters, the birds themselves are creepy and foreboding. Their appearances are insidious yet compelling; they provoke curiosity tinged with dread—much like watching a storm gather strength over open waters. The Night Birds with the eerie birds and the rats in The House of Last Resort equally gave me goosebumps with each read.

Golden's prose is nothing short of mesmerizing—evocative without being overwrought—and his ability to intertwine psychological suspense with elements of supernatural horror kept me perpetually on edge. The author's dialogue flows super naturally (see what I did there) even amidst chaos ensuing while the pacing is spot on.

The Night Birds by Christopher Golden meets, if not succeeds, my expectations of the author's ability to craft eerie and atmospheric horror tales. Each sentence, paragraph and chapter is flawlessly executed creating a comprehensively outstanding novel that is sure to end up on my favorite books of 2025. Golden has a knack for telling stories that stay with me long after the book is closed and The Night Birds is not different.

I loved this book, the idea of the whole living on the ship and scary witches is my favorite part of the book. How anyone could come up with such great ideas to write about blows my mind but Mr. Golden surprises me with each book again and again. Would you believe I have re-read some of them by book and then audio book. It's like new each time. This story centers around an old ship that has gone to seed sort of but turned into a science research vessel for a group of people. Then in comes the witches on the trail of a baby 2 women are trying to save by hiding out on the ship. It's amazing and wonderful. I didn't want it to end, it kept getting better and better as the story goes along. Trust me!

This will have SPOILERS.

I don’t understand the point or reason behind this book. I thought it would make interesting subject matter with a forest of trees growing on a sunken ship with scientists studying the ecosystems this created. I thought the supernatural part would naturally flow out of this premise. However in the beginning of the book we’re superficially introduced to four scientists who are usually on the boat, but because of an impending tropical storm decide to stay on shore. One of the scientists receives a visit from an old love whom he hasn’t seen in many years saying she, her friend and a baby are in life-threatening danger and could he hide them? He decides to take them to the ship in the middle of the storm, not realizing a coven of bad witches are after them, trying to capture and kill the baby. The rest of the book is nothing but violence against everyone on the boat, as well as the other scientists. There is nothing redeeming about these witches. There is no happy ending here. We’re briefly introduced to characters that don’t stay around long at all, which really doesn’t give you time to care what happens to them. This could have and should have been a different book completely. Why have the unusual forest growing on the boat If it’s going to be nothing but a backdrop in the story? The cover itself is beautiful. My suggestion is if you want to read a good book by this author, try his earlier ones.