I really wanted to like this book. I like the setting of the boat in the mangroves. The idea of witches hiding outside the boat waiting to grab the child. It’s just meandered too much for me. I liked parts of it. It didn’t keep my interest for very long. Thank you,Netgalley and publisher for providing this audiobook to

There’s something so eerie and perfect about horror stories set during storms—and The Night Birds delivers that creepy, claustrophobic tension from the jump.

Charlie Book just wanted a quiet night on the Christabel—a half-sunken freighter turned floating forest off the coast of Galveston. Instead, his ex shows up. And she’s not alone. With her is a frightened woman, a baby, and a story about witches that feels too wild to be true… until it isn’t.

This was like stepping into a gritty, eerie episode of Supernatural, but wetter, weirder, and full of witchy dread. It goes from mysterious to what the hell is happening fast.

There aren’t a ton of plot twists, but for what it lacks it makes up for in isolating weather, witches floating in the sky, shadowed figures sniffing out blood, and the emotion of being suddenly caught in a supernatural nightmare.

The horror is subtle but creepy, the setting is claustrophobic and gorgeous, and the characters—especially Charlie and Ruby—feel raw and real. There's some deep emotional undercurrent between them that really punches through the action.

Yes, it’s a little slow at times. But it never feels like filler—more like breathing room before the storm. And it all leads up to one epic battle royale... And not everyone survives.

As for the audiobook? Top tier. The narrator nails the pacing, voices, and even the witches. It’s immersive in a way that made it hard to pause, especially during the big storm scenes. If you love audiobooks that feel like a cinematic experience in your ears, this is one to queue up. If you like supernatural horror that feels grounded and emotionally sharp, this is a great listen.

This was creepy as hell, lots of moments when I cringed. It bordered on body horror at times, which I both liked and was horrified by. I didn't find the characters particularly likable, but I also cared what happened to them and the way they intertwined added to their appeal.

The dual narrators did a phenomenal job. I would listen to them read anything.

I found this horror novel to be quite underwhelming. I have read novels by this author before and I expected a fun easy page turner. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me.

I found the characters to be flat and honestly found the plot uninteresting. I didn't expect or need to one to be a new favourite but I was quite let down by the reading experience.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The plot meandered and the characterization was pretty wobbly. The setting was incredibly interesting and the premise is worth reading, though.

Been a fan of Christopher Golden since Ararat in 2017, this book especially in audio format was great! It had just the right amount of spooky creepiness and left me feeling unsettled. I can't wait for his next work and hopefully it will be a continuation of his Ben Walker series.

Christopher Golden always gives me the goosebumps and in a good way! The Night Birds was amazing and The narrator did a great job bringing this book to life.

Charlie Book lives on an old rusted ship, the Christabel, half sunk with a tree roots growing up through it.
Showing up at the dock one night Charlie encounters 2 women and a child. They seem nervous and afraid for their safety and talk him into bringing them to the ship.

This book goes crazy scary after they arrive on board. Horns, candles, witches, talons, monsters, this book has it all.

I rate this a 4 star. Christopher Golden captured my attention with this one.

Publishing May 6, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Spotify audio for a copy of this audiobook for an honest review.

I really loved the setting of this book - a rusty old ship with a forest growing through it! Yes!! It was creepy and atmospheric, but the characters didn’t really do much for me and the plot was patchy at best. I enjoyed the read for the most part, the “shadowy figures” were creepy… it almost felt like this would have made a better movie than a book? Maybe.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The narrators were fantastic. I enjoyed different elements in the book for example, the setting was the perfect location for something scary. Sadly, I felt like it fell a little flat. I liked that we jumped right into the action but I need more relationship background. There were details about why they broke up but I needed to feel the connection not just the disconnect. I just didn't have any connection to the characters.

Charlie Book and Ruby Cahill have history. After their love ended in heartbreak, they never expected to see each other again, but when terror enters Ruby’s life, Charlie Book is the only safe harbor she can believe in. Book works for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and has been living aboard and studying the Christabel. The Christabel is a 19th century freighter just off the shore of Galveston with a growing a massive forest of mangrove trees through the deck. Book arrives at the dock to find Ruby, a woman and a baby. He hides them onboard to keep them safe from witches until the night birds start scouring the coastline as if searching for them.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was super creepy but wasn’t too scary for a typical scaredy cat who can’t handle horror. 🙋🏻‍♀️

I thought it was a fairy common plot idea combined with uncommon elements—the setting totally made this story! I really liked the half-sunken freighter with nature growing over it.

I enjoyed the characters but think the story would have benefitted from more background and depth on them, especially Ruby and Book and also Ruby and Bella. I also found myself wanting a little bit more from the ending.

This is a great witchy read, especially if you’re looking for something a little spooky. It has a small amount of gore, but nothing too over the top and I found it just creepy enough without scaring me past the point of not being able to finish. 😂

The narration here was fine. There were back to back chapters with Book and Gerald that would have been more impactful with a different male narrator for each, but that’s a small complaint.

All in all, a creepy, atmospheric, and entertaining story!

I have mixed feelings on this latest from horror author Christopher Golden. The cover and atmosphere/setting of the book were 10/10 for me but the actual story/plot left me wanting a bit. It was slow to start and felt a little all over the place but overall I did still enjoy it for the most part. Good on audio and recommended for fans of authors like C J Cooke. Would make a great spooky season read and appeal to fans of unconventional witchy reads. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I don’t normally gravitate towards horror audiobooks, but look at that cover! The setting was a huge draw for me. A sunken ship that trees have grown up through and is now literally a living forest - yeah, that's creepy but so cool. And the author does an outstanding job of weaving the atmosphere into the narrative.

I also enjoyed the characters, which is sometimes hard for me to find in horror stories. Did this get dark and scary? Yes, it did. Let’s just say witches looking for a sacrifice are enough to have me looking over my shoulder. It's a good thing I was listening to this one during the day.

Atmospheric and cinematic, if horror is your genre, don’t miss this one!

🚢 🌳 🐦‍⬛ 💀

Thank you @tlcbooktours @spotify and @christopher_golden for this gifted audiobook via #netgalley. 🎧Narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, Patricia Santomasso.

(mild spoilers ahead)

Meh, this book didn't do it for me. I didn't hate it by any means, but I also didn't love it the way I've loved a few other horror books that have come out this year.

Honestly, that's my first complaint with the book. I went into it thinking it was going to be horror, and it's not. Not in the typical sense. It's more.... revenge thriller with magical elements?

Not to give too much away, but let's just say a romance gone South ends with a snot-ton of witches coming after the ex and -- more importantly -- the baby she stole.

The scary elements just weren't scary, and there was very little gore. (And I happen to enjoy my horror with a heaping side of gore, thank you very much.)

Major props to Golden for the setting, though. Now THAT was on point. A creepy, abandoned freighter ship being tossed around the waves in a big storm? Yeah, that's some atmospheric horror I can get behind. If only more of the story had been about that, it could have been a whale of a tale. (See what I did there?) Seriously, though, the ship could have been a dark, unsettling character in and of itself if done right. Instead, it was under-utilized and served primarily as a backdrop for the witchy wildness.

And said witchy wildness fell a bit flat for me.

I think a huge problem was that I wasn't invested in the characters. I was far more concerned with the fate of the main male character's co-workers than I was with him, the stolen baby everyone was trying to save, or either of the primary female characters. They were... meh. The side characters had a bit more pizzazz.

Overall, it was an average read that elicited below-average feelings of excitement. My 3-star review may even be just the tiniest bit generous.

Thank you Spotify Audiobooks for my free ARC of The Night Birds by Christopher Golden — available now!

» REVIEW «
I really enjoyed The House of Last Resort, but this book didn't quite hit the mark for me. I think the premise is absolutely to die for, but the introduction of the horror elements (specifically the witches and their motivations) felt a little forced and clunky to me. I still wanted to finish the book to see what happened, but it was just alright for me overall! Regardless, I'll pick up whatever Christopher Golden writes next,

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night Birds was so atmospheric! I listened to this last week while we’re in the middle of a week-long rain storm (my grass is still super squelchy!) and it made the atmosphere in the story even more real to me.

As a recent former Houstonian of over 10+ years, Galveston has a special place in my heart, solely because it’s the only beach close by, lol. I was able to really immerse myself into this, but also, it really picked up from the start and took off running like a purse-snatcher.

Aside from the atmosphere and pacing, I loved the mix characters, the creepy ass birds, the *witchiness* even though they were told bitches. I was rooting for our MC and especially, if no one else, for that baby!

I flew through this and thought for sure it had to have been on the shorter end for how quick I went through it, but nope, it’s an average 300-pager so I think that boasts well. The audio was great, Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso were so good! Thanks to Spotify Audio for my advanced audiobook. This one released last week and was tense and super creepy! 😍

Atmospheric supernatural triller/ horror (?). Actions packed and fast paced. I really liked the settings, witches and creepy birds.
The minus for me was that I didn’t care much about the characters ( except baby of course:)) . I feel that the main minus for me - is not enough of the characters development.
But I enjoyed enough, it was fun to read. 3.5/5 ⭐️
Thanks to the NetGalley and to the publisher for providing the advanced copy of this book.

Well this was creepy.
This multi-pov story had my stomach tightening more than a few times.
Lots of witchcraft, takes place on a creepy half-sunken ship, the perfect backdrop. And can we talk about that cover?!
It did feel a bit slow for me in parts, but I think if you go in knowing that, expecting nothing to make sense for a bit, and that it's wildly bizarre & witchy, you'll fare just fine.

I think that this book was decent. I did like the whole setting of the ship, and I think that the eerie levels were really there. I think Christopher Golden is very talented at creating such a tense atmosphere in his novels. I always enjoy reading how he will unravel the story. I wish I had connected to the characters more, but it was kind of hard for me. That said, the narrators did a phenomenal job of bringing the story forth. I liked the witch aspect, but some of it was too hard for me to get around.

In The Night Birds, Christopher Golden crafts a chilling, atmospheric horror story set aboard a decaying ship off the Texas coast. When a group fleeing shapeshifting witches takes refuge on the Christabel, ancient evil awakens. Blending folklore, suspense, and emotional depth, this gripping novel delivers scares with soul.