Jonathan Janz's Blackstone debut signals a level-up for one of horror's biggest voices. Veil borrows concepts from staples like Bird Box and A Quiet Place, then wraps them in Janz's unique blend of warmth, hostility, and immaculate pacing. The book does a phenomenal job of taking away safety from the characters, leaning into the mantra that there is nowhere you can hide. Veil promises to be one the fall's biggest releases and turn a new swathe of readers onto Mr. Janz.

What a terrifying premise - having your loved ones disappear, sometimes right in front of you. Has a post-apocalyptic feel with the remaining population losing their marbles with an us against them vibe.
Thoroughly enjoyed this horror novel, what a read!

Jonathan Janz jumps into the alien invasion horror genre in a big way with his new novel (and first of a series?) – Veil. Janz takes tropes that readers of this genre may be familiar with from books like Josh Malerman’s Bird Box or The Quiet Place film series – properties which pit plucky individuals against seemingly impossible alien odds.
Veil opens with high school teacher John Calhoun and his disaffected son Sam. The two are out for a walk and failing to communicate when Sam turns a corner disappears. This is just one of many reported disappearances and soon it appears that thousands of people are vanishing. John’s estranged wife Iris and teenage daughter Emma come to stay with him but then try to leave in a chaotic rush that sees Iris also taken by the same mysterious, invisible force that took Sam. John and Emma hole up as society starts to break down but from there things only get worse.
Covid lockdowns clearly taught speculative fiction writers alot about human behaviour under pressure. Veil is not the first book to use people’s reaction to Covid and the restrictions that it brought as a model for what might happen in other circumstances. In Veil that not only includes what happens in grocery stores but the ‘freedom of movement’ people who do not want to stay in their homes just because they are told it is safer from them (suffice to say they learn their lesson). As per plenty of other post-apocalyptic tales there is also, of course, a local tin pot dictator who uses the chaos to take over the neighbourhood.
Janz’s aliens take a fair amount of time to appear (literally, as they are invisible to human eyes). John and some others have to undertake some dangerous surgery in order to gain the ability to see the invaders and work out how to follow them back to their home world. When the aliens do make an appearance they are huge, ugly, slavering and intent on destruction. This makes the action scenes between the aliens and John’s little gang incredibly tense as humans do not seem particularly well matched. This becomes even moreso when the gang, find their way into the alien world, although they do have a couple of advantages when they get there.
If Veil has a message it is to hold on to what you have and never give up hope. Despite all of the action, the core of Veil is John’s mission to reclaim his family, not only physically but also to repair the emotional damage that his separation from Iris has caused. But it is also an action roller coaster, particularly in the second half, after a carefully constructed set up.
Veil deals with an existential global crisis from the perspective of one tiny community. Readers may like to assume that similar pockets of resistance are springing up around the world but Janz does not pull his focus back any further than John and the middle American suburbs that he lives in. But Janz also leaves the end of this book wide open for either a direct sequel or other stories told in his dystopian world.

This book was absolutely perfect. I loved every bit of it. I could hardly put it down. It was quick read and I already can't wait for more. The plot was unique and wild. The characters were easy to follow their story, so you really feel for what they are going through.

This top notch science fiction horror thriller grabs the readers and drags them into a terrifying world that doesn't let go. John, a high school biology teacher who also owns a bookstore sees himself primarily as a dad. His kids are the center of his life. When teens suddenly start disappearing from their town he keeps an even closer eye on his 15 year old son who nonetheless goes around the corner of a building and disappears.

The world as we know it seems to end with invisible aliens snatching people on the streets and highways, John's wife leaves taking their daughter with her. He follows them and witnesses the disruption as the invisible force drags people and parts of people into invisibility. While his wife is taken, he saves his daughter and they hunker down in the family home. In the middle of vigilantes breaking into their home, they discover the aliens can even snatch people from inside the house when they pull his daughter through what looks like a rip in plain air.

Recruited by a group of people with a theory about the alien abductions targeting family members and a plan to rescue their stolen loved ones, he joins them in an adrenaline fueled sortie into another world.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Veil by Jonathan Janz is a first person-POV sci-fi horror. People have started disappearing without a trace around the world, right in broad daylight and in wide open spaces. When John’s son also disappears on a trip to Insomnia Cookies, John huddles up with his estranged wife and daughter but then his wife disappears and eventually so does his daughter. To get his family back, John will infiltrate the world of the creatures taking the humans and what their plans for them are.

The plot is fairly slow-paced with the blurb covering roughly half of the book. Jonathan Janz spends a decent amount of time building the world and showing how it has changed since the disappearances started happening. The focus on the ways in which the world is falling apart helps make the story feel like it’s happening in the middle of an apocalypse or we’re in the middle of the opening narration of Pacific Rim. The atmosphere and feeling of increasing hopelessness is a big part of the book as well as it all adds to the desperation that leads John into doing everything he does to find his daughter.

When John pairs up with other people who have lost someone, the book moves from an apocalyptic horror into the sci-fi aspects that feel more like the rest of Pacific Rim. It’s very hard to seamlessly shift a novel from one genre to the other, but I think that the book does ultimately fulfill the promises of its premise and the opening pages as well as the promise made by that stunning cover. I wish I had more to say, but I feel that the book is very much what it says on the tin, it takes its time to really build everything up, and then it goes full steam ahead in the second half with the other half of its genre blend.

I would recommend this to fans of apocalyptic horror who also enjoy sci-fi and readers who loved Pacific Rim

The best thing I can say about Jonathan Janz, after having read eight or nine of his books over the years, is that he writes the kinds of books I love to read. They're entertaining, weird, scary, unexpected, action-packed, and they end better than most. He excels in blending genres (Dust Devils, a vampire/western) and taking big swings (The Dismembered, a Gothic horror novella). Veil may be the best book he's written to date.

After one of my favorite shows, Resident Alien, ended last month, I needed some new alien content. Veil did the trick. It's about a husband and father, John, who loses his wife and kids, one by one, to invisible forces that literally drag them away, never to be seen again.

And just like in Resident Alien, one person has the ability to see them — in this case, following a brain injury in a car accident. Now John wants to replicate the same brain trauma (it's a bit of a stretch, but go with it), because he's desperate to bring his family home.

You will fly through this tightly paced book. While it does take its time getting started, it's time well spent on character development. The book concludes leaving you wanting more. Veil could easily be adapted as a movie or streaming series. Highly recommended for sci-fi/action fans.

Huge thank you @blackstonepublishing and @netgalley for approving me to read this title in exchange for my honest review!

When I saw that this book was a horror sci-fi novel, I knew I had to find out what it was all about. Sci-fi horror is one of my favorite horror subgenres, and I will say that this book definitely has sci-fi vibes. Some elements reminded me of the movies “The Forgotten” and “The Mist.” Not exactly like these movies, but you’ll have to read it to find out.

What I really loved about this book is that I felt the main character’s anguish, hopelessness, and guilt the entire time. On each page, it was clear that he was willing to do whatever it took to get his family back while battling his inner turmoil. I feel like he’s very relatable, especially as a parent, because all he wants is what’s best for his family.

While I loved the main character, I wish the supporting characters carried more impact. Besides his daughter, I wasn’t very drawn to the other characters he met along the way. Some of them felt flat, others were forgettable, and some had predictable personalities. Also, there were times I didn’t understand why a character reacted a certain way about an idea more than 60% into the story when their goal and what they’ve already discovered had been established. I understand not understanding about 20-30% in, but after more than halfway through, it didn’t make sense to me. (I apologize for being vague, but this is spoiler-free!)

Lastly, it took me a while to get into this book. It felt more like a sci-fi thriller than a sci-fi horror. It was a very slow burn for most of the story, and when it finally started to pick up, it felt rushed. I think this kind of pacing might work better as a movie or series because I know the visuals in this book would be amazing! However, even during the action scenes, I found I wasn’t interested.

Thank you to Blackstone publishing for the ARC ecopy of Veil! This was a wild ride and I can definitely picture this being a movie. When people mysteriously disappear, society has no idea what to do. The culprits are invisible to the human eye and hundreds of thousands of people are taken. The protagonist of Veil goes on an adventure to another world when his son, daughter, and wife are taken. Struggling with some evil neighbors, scary aliens, and a world he knows nothing about, he sets off to find his family. This is a quick horror read that will leave you on the edge of your seat and wanting a sequel. The ending was pretty emotional. I recommend to anyone who enjoys horror - especially sci fi x horror!

I don't really know what to say about this one.

It's good. It's really freaking good. It may likely be one of my top reads this year.

People getting taken by the unseen, citizens turned vigilante, rampant theories about what's happening, pure, unadulterated fear.

How far would you go to protect your family or get them back? To what lengths would you extend yourself?

👽👽👽👽👽 Do NOT miss out on this. Releases 9/16.
23m

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

The Vibe
Heart pounding alien horror that blends grief and desperation with a cinematic wave of apocalyptic dread.

What Worked
The emotional family focus: Every disappearance hit like a gut punch because it was not just about who was taken, but about the helplessness left behind.

The parental horror element: Janz captures the very real fear of being completely powerless to protect your children and your loved ones, which is not often explored this vividly in horror.

The character development: Our MC's grief, desperation, and resilience grounded the story and gave the alien abduction horror emotional weight.

The way the unknown and unexplained drives the terror: The questions of “where did they go” and “how do you fight something you cannot understand” made the dread linger.

The pacing: It was relentless yet cinematic, delivering both big spectacle and quiet grief.


Final Thoughts
Veil is terrifying, relentless, and unexpectedly emotional. It is as much about grief and the unknown as it is about alien horror. Janz delivers a story that makes your heart race and ache at the same time, and I may or may not have lost sleep while reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Jonathan Janz for this ARC. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.

3.5

A father and son out for a late night walk expect nothing more than what they’ve always had, a teenage boy frustrated and a father trying his best. No one expects the son to disappear in an illogical way and never be heard from again.

A heartfelt story of family with the terrifying horror and global fear of extraterrestrials, Veil was a solid sci fi horror from one of my absolute favourite authors at the moment. Only a bit of a lower rating because I’m genially not a fan of gun fight and action sequences, but overall a really emotional and exciting novel!

Jonathan Janz has sci-fi horror nailed down

To call Janz a rising star would be disingenuous to his body of work, but for me, his upcoming release, Veil, was the third book of his I have read and with each one, he's gotten better and better. I think it'll be hard, when I read the rest of his works, to unseat Veil as the best Janz book... for now. I can see a future where Janz has plenty of books superseding this one, but today is not that day because Veil, is a certified banger.

If you have read the Children Of The Dark books, age them up, and make it even more sci-fi, and you'll get something close to Veil, but even that is only scratching the surface of just how awesome this book really is. Janz was firing on all cylinders and you can clearly see the heart and effort he put into it. You can also see how much of himself is riddled throughout these pages and that makes it even better, imo.

Veil is relentlessly intense from the page 1 till the very end. I read it in a few days and couldn't put it down. The way Janz keeps the mystery veiled (hehe) was masterful and the intrigue only grew as the story progressed. Our characters are wonderful and complex and the emotional impact throughout is top-notch. I was crying hard at one point.

On top of all this, Veil is action packed and visually STUNNING. I felt like every scene was playing out right in front of me on the big screen - heart racing, eyes wide open, jaw on the floor.

Veil was an extremely solid 4.5/5 for me and the accompanying chapbook, Stretch-Neck was so awesome, so creepy, and a perfect, necessary backstory to a character in the novel, also a solid 4.5/5.

Veil hits stores everywhere on September 16th!

Jonathan Jana delivers an absolute thrill ride with this book that also manages to tug on heartstrings and absolutely shock equally. People are going missing and no one knows why, how, or where they are going. At first it seems to only be happening at night, but soon thousands upon thousands are being sucked away by invisible predators. One man has to do everything he can to protect his estranged wife and children, but has to face the reality that he might not be able to protect them when the invaders come for them. This book is absolutely incredible, scary, and contains some truly original and nightmarish imagery!

[Snack-Size Review] Veil, by Jonathan Janz

Quick Bite: An intense family drama. With aliens.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

What It’s About: Hundreds, then thousands, then hundreds of thousands of people are viciously yanked into the sky and disappear, including John’s wife, son, and daughter. John will do anything to get them back, but first he has to figure out how to fight what he can’t see.

A Word From The Nerd: First off, yes, grief horror is having A Moment, and although I think the market is a little (read: a lot) oversaturated, and although this book had a whiff of grief horror about it, I checked it out anyway, and Nerdlings, you should too. Mr. Janz has done more than craft a damn fine set of characters and drop them into a brilliant sci-fi nightmare, he has also held a mirror to us as a society and let me say that what it shows is uncomfortably true.

The Nerd’s Rating: FIVE HAPPY NEURONS (and some treats for Kershaw, he’s a Good Boy.)

If you all listen to anything I say here, mark my words- THIS WILL BE A MOVIE! Call @netflix because…hello?! I am a HUGE Janz fan. If you haven’t read a novel by Jonathan yet, you are missing out big time.

The concept, world building, character development and overall descriptive nature of this novel had me sat. I read it in basically one sitting and it isn’t a short novel. It is so cinematic I was taken out of this world and placed SMACK DAB into the middle of Johns life. Aliens scare the $h*t out of me and this novel was terrifying. I loved every second of it.

Janz always puts pieces of himself in his work. Parts of his real life are present in this one which made it even more beautiful. Sci-Fi is not really my thing and I will say this is one of the best books I have read all year. I will not forget it and Janz BETTER be writing a Part 2 as we speak because… I need it and I need it now! Thank you @netgalley for my advanced copy!

i absolutely ate this up!!!! 👏👏👏

the writing style, the plot, the characters? everything was well done!!! going to read everything this author writes.

can we get the movie???

This was an EXTREMELY good sci fi/horror read.

The themes of loss and grief were almost overpowering at points, but ultimately that was on purpose and forced the reader to think about how THEY themselves would react in such a situation.

People disappear. No, really. People are disappearing left or right. Loved ones. Friends. Coworkers. They’re gone.

John must overcome the sorrow of losing his wife and children to find them, save them, and well.. save the world at the same time.

With a group of survivors (literally, from both injury and abduction), John leads the charge against whatever is targeting humanity.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's surprisingly hard to find good sci-fi horror, and even harder to find good alien sci-fi horror. But wow, Janz has written a great one.
Veil is fast-paced without sacrificing heart, original while still playing on the established tropes we know and love, and cinematic enough to make me visualize most scenes (not something I can typically do while reading). This is one of those rare gems of a book that I knew would be a favorite while I was reading it.

It's the end of the world (again) but Janz offers some fresh ideas and compelling characters to make this a fun if dark ride.