READ IT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN OR LIKED
- One setting
- Fast paced and action packed
- Supernatural horror
- Multiple POVs
- Shipwrecks & floating forests
- Crone faced witches
- Shapeshifting

BRIEF REVIEW
My review on this book is pretty much summed up in the category above. I expected a full out haunted ship. There's nothing wrong with that not happening but it seemd that I was supposed to care about this romantic tension between these two categories and I just didn't. Again if you like the things above you may absolutely love this.

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.

Thank you to Spotify Audiobooks and Netgalley for this alc in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Birds by Christopher Golden was the first book I've read in this author, and while I wasn't all that impressed, I still enjoyed it and look forward to trying something what by the author in the future. I don't think we're was anything in particular that was wrong with this book. It was just very underwhelming. I never ended up getting invested in the plot or characters. It was pretty boring until the action finally started. Then it got very chaotic very quickly. I did really enjoy the prose though. I think the author did a great job at delivering a very atmospheric and eerie vibe consistently throughout the story. The audiobook narration was also very well done. It really gave the story more of the dark and foreboding vibe it needed.

A Chilling, Sky-Bound Folklore Horror with Heart

This gripping horror novel draws deeply from the well of folktales but twists them into something startlingly original. Set beneath ominous, ever-watchful skies, it explores the raw human emotions of love, devotion, and religious zeal—all while ordinary people are forced to confront ancient, sky-dwelling supernatural forces far beyond their understanding.

What sets this book apart is its emotional core. The horror is real and often terrifying, but it's the characters' personal stakes—rooted in faith, family, and sacrifice—that give the story its weight. The author crafts a memorable, haunting monster that lingers long after the final page, culminating in a spectacular and cathartic showdown over the Gulf. The imagery alone is worth the read.

Some pacing hiccups and secondary characters that fade too quickly hold it back from a perfect score, but overall, this is a fresh, atmospheric, and deeply human take on folkloric horror.

This is the third book by Christopher Golden I have read and it has cemented my feelings about his stories - they just work for me! This was no different. Golden writes action really well and the pacing is pretty breathless at times. Does this allow for deep character studies and development? Not particularly, but does it make for a very entertaining read? Absolutely. I also really appreciated that the witches here are scary and horrific in the best way and the threat felt present throughout, which was great fun. Overall, I had a blast with this one and will continue to pick up Golden's books in future.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Being on a partially sunk ship in the Gulf of Mexico during a hurricane would be scary enough, but true to Golden’s style, he kicks up the scariness several notches with supernatural and folklore horror elements 🖤 I enjoyed the audiobook version which was produced by Spotify Audiobooks and had a cast of 2 narrators. It kept my attention and had me wanting to listen just a little bit longer to find out what would happen next. I recommend going ahead and adding this one to the audiobook queue.

I requested this audiobook on Netgalley based on the cover and I really should have read the synopsis closer! The book started out strong! I enjoyed the creepy setting and the two women running with the baby, but I was really thrown off by the witches! I honestly think the book would have been creeper with just the sunken ship and killer birds. I didn’t feel a strong connection to any of the characters either. The book also started to drag in parts as the witches became repetitive.

The story is interesting, but I think the author was trying to do too much. There are definitely unsettling parts and the witches were creepy, but it just didn’t fully work for me. I think it’s more of a me issue though. I wasn’t expecting witches and that’s my fault for not fully reading the synopsis and just going off of the cover and blurb! I do think a lot of horror readers will enjoy this book though. If you decide to grab this book, I definitely recommend the narration! The dual narration was great!

The Night Birds is an eerie and unsettling story about good and evil. Ruby Cahill and Charlie Book, once lovers, are now forced back into each other's orbit to save the life of Ruby's new born nephew. The "witches" that follow them are monstrous beings that will stop at nothing to get their hands on the baby and bring their leader, Stratim, into this mortal plane.

Setting: This book takes place on the Christabel, a 19th century freighter that has partially sunk, where a mangrove forest has taken root. A hurricane is on its way and the ship is in the middle of the storm. Book and his colleagues are working with the Texas parks department to turn the Christabel into a wildlife park. Christopher Golden uses the Christabel in such a fascinating way, turning it into its own character. Not only does it lend a creepy and dark vibe to the story, but it's also used in the plot in terms of the layout of the ship and even the materials it's made of.

Characters: Ruby and Book were both well-written with enough of a personality and backstory to make them feel real. Other characters don't exactly play out the same way. Several of the side characters were interesting to me and even had some POV chapters, but there wasn't enough information about them or time spent with them to form an attachment. I liked them, but there wasn't much of a connection. Even Mae didn't make much of an impression on me. I wanted to know more about her but the story didn't really allow for that.

Plot: When I picked up the book, I had read the description but by the time I got around to reading it, I wasn't expecting witches. The Näturvefjar or Night Weavers were a great folk horror element to include, and were definitely nightmarish in their lack of humanity. The appearance of a certain witch really threw me because I genuinely wasn't expecting it. Stratim was also a terrifying foe to include and the description of her worldly form left me unsettled and spooked. My only complaint here is that I would have liked to know even more about the circle. The history of Night Weavers in general painted a pretty full picture, but the circle itself could have used some more backstory. There was some explanation of their motives, but I felt like I kept wondering what could lead someone down that path considering how void of humanity some of their practices were. I just felt like there could be more.

The narrators for this were a great choice. I enjoy when stories with multiple POVs switch up voice actors to give you the feeling that you're really listening to different characters. They added just enough emotion without overacting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I thought it was a fun, spooky story with an original setting that created a "dark and stormy night" atmosphere. Witches void of humanity are harder to come by nowadays, so these Näturvefjars were a refreshing experience. The story would have been even better had some of the characters and the personal histories of the weavers been fleshed out farther.

i’m genuinely so neutral towards this book. i think if i wasn’t listening to it on audio, i would’ve dnf’d it. i didn’t particularly like the storyline, and i didn’t really connect with the characters so i honestly didn’t care what happened to them. that being said, the book was still well-written and thought out, i just didn’t care for the story. it reminded me of a low budget horror movie— so entertaining, but not necessarily the best thing you’ll ever consume. it felt incredibly too drawn out and slow for how many things were happening. i will give it to golden, though—he writes fantastic atmosphere. it was set perfectly but ultimately just fell flat for me.

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

Thank you to the author, narrators, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

I think this is my first book by this author. I haven't read horror in many years, only now coming back to it. This book - wow, this book. It was quite a ride! Icelandic witches? In a hurricane? Didn't see that coming!

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Enough that I would go back and find another by the author. Enough that I would recommend it to friends. But - but - I didn't love it. I didn't really feel much of the character development that is necessary to care if someone lives or dies. The whole 'sacrificing a baby to a Pagan god' is such a worn-out line. It didn't deliver the horror/thriller vibes for me.
But I did enjoy the book.
And it's around 300 pages long. That's at least 100 pages too long to keep the pace. So many unnecessary words, but so few that developed the character. That is disappointing.

3.0-3.5 stars. Recommend.

Thank you to Christopher Golden and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and MacMillan audio for the ALC!

“Was this witchcraft or was it truly what it felt like to be around pure evil?”

Everything about this book was spooky! A floating forest, witches before they were witches and creepy birds…sign me up!

As with the previous books I have read by this author, I was immediately drawn in with his rich writing style. Deeply atmospheric, “The Night Birds” plays out like a movie on the screen. I am in my witchy era at the moment too so this was the perfect book for me!

“The Night Birds” releases May 6, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

With a hurricane bearing down on Galveston, Charlie Book gives his team the night off. They've been stationed offshore with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service, studying the Christabel—a half-sunken 19th-century freighter swallowed by Gulf waters and tangled in a lattice of mangrove trees. Over time, nature has turned the wreck into something strange and beautiful, a ghost ship wrapped in living roots. Book has grown obsessed with the vessel’s eerie stillness, isolation, and secrets. He plans to ride out the storm alone aboard the ship, despite the warnings.

Just as he’s about to depart, Ruby appears on the dock. He hasn’t seen her in years. Their relationship ended in pain, the kind you don’t easily talk about or forget. Now here she is, soaked in rain and panic, not alone but with a frightened woman and an infant in tow. They beg him to take them aboard the Christabel. They're running from a coven of witches, no less, and believe the child is marked for sacrifice. Book knows it sounds insane. He almost laughs. But something in Ruby’s eyes makes him pause. Against his better judgment, he agrees to help.

As the storm closes in and the wind howls through Christabel's broken ribs, something stirs in the dark. The night birds are circling, watching, waiting. What seemed like an act of mercy may have just invited an ancient terror aboard.

I'll admit, the setup of The Night Birds struck me as a bit over-the-top when I first read the synopsis. A coven of witches chasing a woman with the intent to sacrifice an infant? It sounded more pulpy than genuinely terrifying. And yes, there are certainly moments in this story that invite an eye-roll or two. But Christopher Golden is a master of horror for a reason, and that expertise is on full display here.

Golden conjures a setting that’s as eerie as it is beautiful—a half-drowned ship tangled in mangrove roots, isolated off the Texas coast. It’s the kind of place that keeps you off balance, unsure whether to marvel or shudder. The forest-aquatic atmosphere alone generates a steady undercurrent of unease, and when Golden decides to go for the scares, he delivers. Several moments in this novel had me reaching for the nearest light switch.

Is The Night Birds my favorite of his? No. That title still belongs to The House of Last Resort. But it’s always a thrill to dive into horror that’s atmospheric, original, and unapologetically weird. The Night Birds might be a little silly, but it’s also a creepy, fast-paced blast. And really, what more could you ask for?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I went into this one essentially blind, and all I knew was that it was about a ship in some way. What I did not realize was that the setting was a half-sunken freighter with a forest growing out of it. How cool!! A good chunk of this novel is spent on that ship with the main characters, and the setting really added another layer of atmosphere to the story that was fantastic, especially as the horror started to amp up aboard. I don't like birds to begin with, so they really freaked me out, and this book had a twist on a horror trope that was really interesting. I actually wish the story had more about the "bad guys" in the novel, whom Ruby is on the run from, as I was really intrigued by that aspect of the story. I wish more was explained about what they were trying to accomplish, why, and how some things worked (sorry for the vagueness, but really trying to keep this spoiler-free). A prequel about Ruby's sister would actually be so interesting, in my opinion. Book stands out as the highlight character for me. He is thrust into this insane situation and has to fight for not only his own survival but survival of his ex-girlfriend and the other people he is with. There were some super disturbing scenes in this one especially when following some side characters who are trying to aid Book. The pacing was fantastic and I did not want to put this book down, especially after about the 30% mark. I really recommend this one if you are looking for an atmospheric horror story where you can feel the tension between the characters and their environment.

This was a solid horror, and I did enjoy it overall, even if I wasn’t fully invested the entire way through. The atmosphere in the first half is the strongest part. It’s dark, creepy, and full of tension. You can feel that something terrible is coming, and the slow build really works.

The setting is absolutely fantastic. A floating forest growing from a sunken freighter in the Gulf of Mexico is such a great concept, and I kept thinking how perfect it would have been for a haunted house-style horror story. Golden clearly has a talent for creating eerie, original settings, and that’s something I’d love to see more of!

Once the action started, things became chaotic and unfortunately, that’s where I started to lose interest. I never really connected with the characters, and aside from their strained relationship, there wasn’t much emotional depth or background to any of the MCs.

That said, I’d definitely read more from this author. He creates atmosphere and setting really well, and I’m curious to explore more of his work. Also, I’m obsessed with the cover! It’s absolutely gorgeous!

Thank you to NetGalley, Spotify Audiobooks, and Christopher Golden for the early access.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

thank you TLC booktours for access to the review copy of The Night Birds (from spotifyaudiobooks). A compelling and eerie plot and a well produced audiobook effectively read by Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso make this a solid choice for readers looking for something stormy, witchy, and twisty.

For me, the setting of this story was primo! With an almost-hurricane raging, I was so excited! And witches? Get out!

How it ended up being mediocre is still disappointing.

1. I wasn't a fan of the main characters. Book was dull and I didn't like Ruby or May.
2. The secondary characters stole the show for me. They were more empathetic and layered.
3. I didn't like the way the author made more modern (17th century to present) witches seem like it was a club of damaged women trying to find power. By comparison to the not-witches, yes, not powerful at all, but still condescending toward those mortal women.
4. I wanted more of the history of the not-witches and their ancient diety.
5. The end was a bit anticlimactic. The buildup was enormous, and I couldn't see a way to win, but it resolved too easily.

The book was fast-paced, and there was much gore and vivid imagery to propel the horror readers through. It's dark, bleak, and has a creative monster to battle. The audio was well-done. I just had a bunch of snags with how it was carried out

I'm trying to listen to more audiobooks this year, and I admit I was drawn in by that creepy cover. Then I read the blurb, and I was even more intrigued... Then again, I always love a creepy setting and a bout of bad weather to spice up the plot. I've been looking forward to listen to The Night Birds, and as a whole it turned out to be a solid enough listening experience. The setting was without doubt atmospheric and the narration was well done, but there were also a couple things that prevented me from rating this story higher.

So, The Night Birds. I do think the blurb gives away too much of the plot, so in a way I'm glad I decided to go in blind and just see where this story would take me. The setting with the mangrove forest growing through an half-sunken 19th century freighter Christabel was without doubt the star of the show, and I kind of wish there would have been even more focus on the mangrove trees itself. That said, the ship made for the perfect creepy backdrop for this story; made even more atmospheric by the storm itself.

Part of me was a bit worried about the witch element, but I really liked the direction the author decided to take with it. While there isn't too much focus on the details of the magic itself, the whole witchcraft angle does have a more Slavic feel rather than the traditional witches... It made the story feel more original, and the witches (or not-witches as they don't call themselves that) and their rituals were delightfully creepy. Oh yes, the story isn't afraid to go dark and quite gory, so this isn't one for those with a weak stomach!

I do have to say that especially in the second half the plot became a bit repetitive, which was a shame because the first half started out so well... Sure, the scenes on board of the Christabel are intense, but it was just too much of the same for me after a while. I think part of the issue was that I just wasn't as invested in the main characters Ruby and Book, who I somehow wasn't really able to warm up to... In fact, I liked the secondary characters a lot better (Book's colleagues for example).

As for the narration of the audiobook: I really think it enhanced the experience with this book for me. The two narrators had voices that were easy to listen to and I liked how they portrayed the different characters in play. The pace was solid and it made it easy to keep listening... It helped me go through some of the more repetitive parts of the plot, and I think I actually enjoyed the story more than I would have if I had read it myself.

As a whole, The Night Birds ended up being a bit middle-of-the-road for me. There were elements I loved and other things that didn't work as well for me, and I don't think the potential of the premise has been fully met. I would definitely recommend the audiobook if you think this story is your cup of tea!

Modern horror combined with myth, magic and mayhem!

I had a lot of fun with this wild ride which takes place in a span of maybe 18 hours. It's well written and has a sort of cinematic feel to it, that really sweeps the reader away!

The narrators for this adventure are Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins. I was never distracted by the narration, and felt that they did a great job with the super creepy, gory material!

In short (No spoilers!) Charlie and Ruby used to be an item, but, alas, many good things come to an end. Charlie's working for the state on a research project involving a partially submerge freighter ship with a team of characters who you'll come to love. As often happens in Galveston, a storm is brewing. Charlie's team part ways for the night, with Charlie intending on spending the night on the ship. Arriving at the dock he's confronted with Ruby- a very personal "blast from the past". She needs his help. She's got an infant in tow and obviously, they're running from something. So far this sounds exactly like a lot of thrillers you've read, indeed. I was settling in for this, when the novel took a macabre turn involving some very creepy beings, birds and lots of ritualistic behavior that had me floored. This novel has the suspense and the thrills but also come dripping in gore, pure terror, and dark creatures not of this world. There were some moments when I really felt I needed to look behind me while I was listening to this narration! While there aren't exactly "jump scares" in this gem, there are many moments which had me sort of sucking in a breath. I was surely engaged for all of it. In fact, I finished this in record time because I HAD TO KNOW!

Can we take a moment also to appreciate the cover? It called to me and makes the whole package complete- great story, good narration and stunning cover! Thank you net Galley and Spotify Books/SMP for the Advance listener copy

THE NIGHT BIRDS was a fast paced horror story. If you are a fan of that genre and don't mind a witch or two, I think you'll enjoy this audiobook. It was easy to listen to and I really enjoyed the multiple narrators!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Spotify audiobooks and TLC for having me on this tour.