Let me get this out of the way up front: I am, unabashedly, a Jonathan Janz hipster. I’ve been reading and reviewing his stuff for damn near a decade now, going back to his days as a new small-press horror author with Samhain Publishing, onto Sinister Grin Press, Flame Tress Press, and Cemetery Dance. I can count the number of his books I haven’t (yet) read on one hand, and they consist only of Marla — published as a limited edition by Earthling Publications with a print run of only 500 copies, plus 15 lettered, traycased hardcovers — and Tales From the Shadow Side, another limited release published by Thunderstorm Books, first as a hardcover limited to only 60 copies, and then as a limited, exclusive paperback edition. I have hardcover copies of both books, and of the stories collected in Tales From the Shadow Side I’ve read most of them elsewhere. I will get around to Marla one of these days, I promise.

Make no bones about it, I am a loud and proud Jonathan Janz fan. I tell you all of this so that you’ll know where I’m coming from when I tell you that Veil is immediately noticeable as a step-up in an already strong career of a gifted horror author. Children of the Dark still holds top-spot as my favorite of Janz’s works, but Veil is an immediate top-five contender at the very least.

I don’t know if it’s a culmination of Janz’s experiences as a writer, teacher, father, and husband, or possibly a boost in editorial and developmental support from his new team at Blackstone Publishing, but Veil has a definite next-level feel to it. There’s a pathos and empathy to it that, while certainly not absent from Janz’s previous works, feels more honed, not to mention a stronger sense of authorial confidence. Janz knew what he wanted this story to be, and if it wasn’t easy to write he certainly makes it look that way in the end.

Movie critic Roger Ebert once said, “It’s not what a movie is about, it’s how it is about it,” meaning that the execution of a story can be more important than the plot itself. It’s a sentiment I believe applies to books, as well. Janz’s execution in Veil is assured, presenting a story of an apocalyptic alien invasion through first-person narration of an everyman archetype. It’s easy to slip into John’s shoes and feel the chaos, the unknowing, the uncertainty of it all. At times it’s scarily familiar, echoing recent concerns from the covid pandemic, like grocery stores becoming hotbeds of both political and societal unrest, as nationwide lockdowns are instituted in an effort to keep people safe from an unseen killer while humanity engages in dick-waving contests to see who can be the bigger threat and/or the bigger moron, often at the same time.

Furthermore, Janz’s approach to the alien invasion itself is high-concept horror done right. Rather than going the route of the tried and true invading space force wreaking havoc with massive ships and laser beams, Janz finds a far more interesting way to truly personalize the effects these marauders have on society. The aliens themselves are an unseen threat, ripping holes in our dimension to abduct people seemingly at random. It starts off small and then escalates, pushing humanity to a breaking point, and is frighteningly effective the whole way through. They way John’s fellow Americans respond to this latest threat is not only spot-on accurate and realistic, but actually lived through, because we all saw these reactions first-hand as plenty of our fellow countrymen let their masks slip, metaphorically or otherwise. There’s plenty of large-scale disasters, like a chaotic evacuation from the city by panicked motorists on a highway turned abduction site, and plenty of room for more personal ones, such as John and his daughter coming under threat from a neighbor turned tyrant, like some homeowners association’s president from hell. But when John joins forces with a small band of survivors, the plan they come up with to be able to see the aliens is not only intriguing but flat-out dangerous. It’s also the one element I wish were mined a bit more deeply, particularly in terms of side-effects and unintended consequences, which never feel quite as significant or hair-raising as they potentially could be.

Veil functions well as a standalone, but by book’s end I found myself hungry for a sequel. Janz has opened up a unique world here that offers terrific series potential with plenty of room for growth, not to mention long-term repercussions from certain choices made. Maybe it’s just my love for films like Aliens and Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger books, but I couldn’t help but wonder what a military horror book would look like in the world of Veil with Janz’s imagination and knack for crafting frenetic, action-packed set pieces leading the charge. We get a taste it on the civilian front, and I certainly wouldn’t mind getting more. Veil is great on its own, but the potential for more is even greater.

What a truly incredible story. The details and characters in this story were so vivid and well thought out. I really felt like I was living within this story as I was reading it, Janz was able to create so much raw emotion for the reader, especially the ending. This is one of the best sci-fi horror books I’ve read to date and I would absolutely love to see this made into a movie! It’s like Signs meets I Am Legend.

In the latest from genre favorite Janz, people begin vanishing into thin air one seemingly ordinary night. But as dawn arrives, it appears those being snatched are abducted by some type of invisible force, their faces full of terror. This is the complete opposite of a heavenly rapture many hope for.

The novel follows a high school teacher named John who loses his wife and son, and after a couple months of struggling to survive, his teenaged daughter is ripped right from their allegedly safe hiding space. John meets up with a radical group of survivors who have discovered, by a (literal) accident, how they can see the invisible alien creatures who have figured out a strange way to invade our world.

After undergoing risky surgery to gain this new vision, John and co. are on a mission to rescue their loved ones on the aliens’ turf, and what follows is an action-packed sci-fi creature feature that’s full of heart and stand-up-and-cheer moments, not to mention a wickedly heartbreaking scene when John finally manages to locate his abducted son.

You’ve heard the term “popcorn movie.” This is an exciting “popcorn novel” that can be enjoyed even by those who don’t regularly read horror or sci-fi. With a super fast pace and a cast the reader cares for, this VEIL is nearly impossible to put down until you’ve completely looked behind it.

Review pending in Scream Horror.
Amazing I'd give it five billion stars if I could, a fantastic sci fi horror with a lot of heart.

Phenomenal. I'm talking relentless pacing from start to finish. Janz dips into some heart-wrenching fears and the horror is exquisite.
I honestly can't say enough about the pacing in this novel--it is just breath-taking. Here's a personal aside: I laid down in bed, took an Ambien, and opened the book. About half an hour later, the Ambien kicked in, I went downstairs, got a cup of coffee, and absolutely REFUSED to go to sleep until I hit the 50% mark--and even then, I wanted to stay up and finish it.
The horror aspect was as good as I've encountered in a few years and when the revelation of "the monsters" came about, it floored me. I was thinking "supernatural" and then "sci-fi" came out of nowhere.
But the emotional aspect of the thing really did a number on me. Janz did a masterful job relaying that part of the book and it really intensified the entire story for me.
Normally, I think these reviews through and write them in a semi-literary fashion, but I'm not doing that with this book. It was way too gut-wrenching, scary, and engrossing for that.
Don't miss it.

I have a habit of picking books without reading the blurb first so they’re always a surprise. Veil by Jonathan Janz caught my eye not only because of the absolutely gorgeous cover, but because of all the hype I’ve seen from other readers online. Sci-fi horror will always have a special place in my heart so you can imagine how much I loved this book.

When John loses his son, it’s a family’s worst nightmare. Then other people start to disappear first by the hundreds then the thousands. At first, it only happens outside but then people start to disappear from their homes too. Nowhere seems to be safe. In a desperate act to put a stop to the attacks, John teams up with a band of survivors to break the veil and get his family back.

There are so many things I loved about this book. The characters were witty and well-written. They felt real and relatable and that made the last third of the book so hard to read because I had the feeling not all of the characters would make it out alive. That was the only thing I guessed correctly.

Everything else was a mystery. The plot went ways I never imagined, and it made it so hard to put it down. Several times while reading, I had to fight myself to set it down so I could get other things done.

I loved the eerie sense of dread woven through the story. It’s not an easy thing to maintain such a suspenseful atmosphere, and I applaude Janz for pulling it off. When the suspense finally starts to ease, that’s when the tears come in for the last few chapters.

If I had to choose a theme, I’d say family. How much would you do to save them? Without giving away any spoilers, I want to say that’s what made the end of the book both satisfying and difficult.

All in all, this was a wildly-imaginative tale. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves strong characters, scary creatures, apocalyptic vibes, and emotional rollercoasters.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

VEIL is the second book that I’ve read from Jonathan Janz, and it won’t be the last!

People are disappearing, and now John’s 15 year old son (Sam) has vanished from right under his nose. He’s got to figure out what’s happening and keep his 13 year old daughter (Emma) and estranged wife (Iris) safe as well.

Iris blames John for losing their son and leaves to be with her parents. Things get worse from there. The world descends into chaos and a busybody neighbor organizes the community and targets everyone who doesn’t comply with and obey his mandates.

Alien creatures are taking people and dragging them into thin air. Making things worse, the aliens are invisible. John is recruited into a small group that has found a man with a traumatic brain injury who can see the creatures. This group thinks they have discovered a procedure to help people see the creatures that are taking everyone and John volunteers. Saving his family is all that matters, but is it too late?

Jonathan Janz has created this thrilling Sci-Fi/Horror story that had me on edge, eager to see what comes next. What he has really done is created a set of characters, a family that I really care about, that I can associate with, and that I’ve got to see through this seemingly impossible set of circunstances. Add great storytelling, and Janz has given us a 5 Star novel and I wonder if there is more of this story to tell…

4.5 Stars rounded up

I went into this book largely blind, and wow did it surprise me! In a way, it felt like two different novels, the first two thirds a quieter story of survival, dissecting the best and worst of humanity, reminescent of The Mist. Then in the final third we ramp up into a hardcore action movie.

As a fellow Biology teacher, like our protaganist John, I loved the scientific thought that went into this book. There were very creative aspects utlilized, and Janz included important concepts often largely ignored in similar works. I was left with a million questions, so I can only hope for a sequel!

The characters were solid, the story fantastic. My only complaint (minor) was with pacing. There were a few scenes, especially the first main action sequence, that went on for a very long time. I started to lose focus by the end of those few sections, but otherwise I was fully engaged.

Veil is perfect for fans of sci-fi horror, and big blockbuster type invasion movies in particular!

I finished this book a few days ago but just didn’t have the words and still don’t! This book was incredible. I loved absolutely everything about it. The concept and storyline. The characters. The eerie feeling and sense of dread throughout. I love the way Jonathan Janz writes and tells the story it’s very descriptive and like watching a movie. It’s going to be hard to beat this for my favorite read of the year I’m telling ya! If you’re into sci-fi horror and aliens, you’ll love this one!

Wow!!! This book was phenomenal!! I loved it, so lucky to have received early arc of this book! Thank you NetGalley and publisher!!!

Jonathan Janz never disappoints! This book was absolutely amazing from the very first page. Well fleshed-out characters, with fear so malevolent that it leaps off the pages right into your heart! I couldn't stop turning the pages. I will always anxiously be awaiting every single new Janz book!

I’m so glad that I received this ARC copy of Veil from NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Jonathan Janz. Veil took me on an emotional rollercoaster, from sadness to confusion, anger, and happiness, and back again.
He wrote one character that I found myself absolutely hating and wishing the aliens would find them.
If you’re a fan of sci-fi horror and/or alien horror, Veil by Jonathan Janz is the book to pick up.

I was lucky enough to be at AuthorCon V last month when Jonathan Janz revealed the cover for this book and I was absolutely blown away. The moment I saw it, I knew it was going to be something special, even before I realized it was from one of my favorite authors.

What a story. From the very first page, it grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. go into this one blind. Don’t read too much about it, just take a look at that stunning cover and dive in.

Janz has crafted a world that’s both breathtaking and brutally dangerous. This is, without a doubt, his best work yet—and that’s saying something, because he’s already written some incredible books.

I was lucky enough to be at AuthorCon V last month when Jonathan Janz revealed the cover for this book and I was absolutely blown away. The moment I saw it, I knew it was going to be something special, even before I realized it was from one of my favorite authors.

What a story. From the very first page, it grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. go into this one blind. Don’t read too much about it, just take a look at that stunning cover and dive in.

Janz has crafted a world that’s both breathtaking and brutally dangerous. This is, without a doubt, his best work yet—and that’s saying something, because he’s already written some incredible books.

This might be the most terrifying alien book you'll ever read. And there's not a UFO to be found anywhere because these bloodthirsty creatures have a very different, very brutal way of taking people.

Our main protagonist loses his son, then his wife, and finally his daughter. They simply disappear. Taken by invisible forces, snatched from thin air. But he's not alone. Millions of people worldwide are disappearing like this and it turns into an apocalyptic event..

He'll do anything to get his family back and will the help of a like minded group, they'll attempt what just might be a suicide mission to a world they don't belong and no guarantees of safety.

The characters in this novel are excellent. They provide the basis for the unrelenting terror which will test them physically, mentally, and emotionally. And as lock downs and stay at home orders go global, the threat isn't JUST these invisible monsters but humans themselves. This book brings back memories of certain people during the pandemic who put their needs above anyone else and just makes things worse. And in here, these will be taken to the extreme. Threats from within and threats from without.

The alien creatures are absolutely horrific. No compassion, no mercy. What we'll eventually find out about why they're taking millions of people violently will give you a body deep chill.

This book is horror/sci-fi at its finest. Extremely engaging and un-put-downable. I highly recommend it.

My heart is broken and its been stomped on.

VEIL by Jonathan Janz, my newest review book from Net Galley, is an intense sci-fi/horror thriller that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and it’ll break your heart too.

So what’s it about?

John Calhoun has a wife, a son, and daughter and he ends up losing all three to mysterious invisible creatures that drag them away one by one. After they’re gone, he joins up with fellow survivors who want to get their families back and have a crazy plan to do so.

The book is told in the first person I, so you get to know John Calhoun very well along with his family. You feel for them and their struggle to survive and John’s struggle to get them back. And you get to know and love the survivors he meets and want them to succeed too. Miranda was my favorite of the survivors. Wait till you meet her!

VEIL is a pretty crazy book too. Its not as crazy as say WAKE UP AND OPEN YOUR EYES by Clay Mcleod Chapman but its pretty close. Oh my god its close. VEIL can be intense one moment and then slow things down a bit to let you get to know the characters better. Its a really great book.

I love how VEIL is written. Janz is so good at handling people and creatures, check out his Children of the Dark books too, and he handles characters and plot well. I had a very tough time putting the book down!

That all said, you should know that this book does not conclude the story and definitely sets things up for another book. That shouldn’t have surprised me. The same thing was done with Children of the Dark.

I highly recommend VEIL. I enjoyed it a ton. I can’t wait to read the next book!

VEIL by Jonathan Janz releases on September 16th, 2025. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an early digital copy of the book.

Oh my lord, this was such an amazingly written atmospheric emotional roller coaster that hits you again and again until you literally become of out of breathe reading it!!!

Some horror hits you emotionally from the first line. Some horror sneaks up on you, quietly twisting something inside until you realize you’re in way too deep. Veil does both perfectly.

The pacing of the book might seem a little bit slow at the start, but this is totally on purpose. Janz lets the dread simmer just long enough to get under your skin, and when things finally kick off, you are already on the edge.

What makes Veil hit so hard isn’t just the horror; it’s the characters. They feel raw, real, and messy in the best way. You care about them, which makes every twist hurt a little more.

The horror in Veil doesn’t just pop out at you; it creeps in, quiet and relentless, until it’s everywhere. It’s the kind that messes with your head as much as your heart.

Veil by Jonathan Janz is a character-driven sci-fi horror story that allows you to get up close and personal with not only the characters but the alien invasion and all of the horror elements it offers. It is a perfect book for anyone who enjoys horror books from the likes of Stephen King (who influenced Janz) and David Wellington.

Thanks so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I mentioned in the past I'm a big fan of sci-fi horror and this novel hits on all cylinders. Plenty of action, emotion and gore made my read a quick one.
The reader will go thru some very emotional scenes that had me on the verge of tears.

Highly recommended read!

I’ll admit, Sci-Fi isn’t my preferred genre and I haven’t read much of it, but dammit if Jonathan Janz didn’t just rip my heart into a million little pieces with this book.

He writes character so extremely well, and from the start I was so invested in John and his family. The story never once got slow or boring and was action packed until the very end. It felt a little like watching a movie.

This insane and brutal journey John and the others go on to save their loved ones from the aliens took turns that I did not see coming.

The love that John feels for Iris, Sam and Emma was so strong that I could literally feel it seeping off of the pages. Knowing that Jonathan Janz is himself a father, made the parts of John reflecting and talking about his love for his children that much more heart wrenching and put tears in my eyes thinking of my own adult son.

There are no words, but there are also all the words to describe this book. Phenomenal, amazing, incredible, yes, but so much fucking heart. Parts of this felt so personal and like Janz tore out his own heart and bled it all over the page. It’s just insane how well written this is.

The Sci-Fi elements were so cool and epic and had my pulse racing. For someone who isn’t the biggest fan of the genre, I found this so easy to read and would a hundred percent recommend it to others.

I also love how it ended. It felt right, even though it destroyed me. I can’t imagine it ending any other way. I so look forward to the next adventure in the Veil Universe and can’t wait to visit it again soon.

This book is exactly what I was in the mood for. The sort of sci-fi horror of it all really kept me glued to the book. I don't think I've ever recommended a book so fast. I can't wait for it to release so I can have it on my shelf.

This book had me hooked from the start. Reading it even made me late to an appointment. Reading this also reminded me of my own anxieties during that time.

Beneath the horror and sci-fi elements is a story of love and family; of a man struggling to hold his family together during a time of total chaos and cruelty, and in the face of societal collapse. Of a man trying to regain what he’s lost.

This book gave me anxiety. At times it was gut-punching. I know it will stick with me, and for the feelings and emotions it sparked in me I give it 5 well-deserved stars.

I went into Veil not knowing much about it, other than it was an alien invasion horror book. But that was all I needed to get hyped for it. Coupled with the hype this book was getting online, and I knew I needed to dive in. Veil by Jonathan Janz is the story of a father who will do anything to save his family from an unknown and unseen terror that has come to our world. Alien horror is one of my favorite subgenres of horror due to its excellent blend of science fiction and horror, two genres that I enjoy quite a bit. Veil has become my favorite alien horror book I’ve read so far. Janz does a masterful job getting readers to buy into his characters and the story. The monsters themselves were utterly terrifying and merciless, making the book even more horrifying.

Veil starts off with a parent’s worst nightmare: a missing child. One day, John’s son, Sam, goes out at night and never returns. Soon, more people disappear in the middle of the night all across the globe. Desperate to save his family and put a stop to this nightmare, John teams up with other survivors to put a stop to the unexplained invasion and take the fight to their aggressors.

The book is a brilliant blend of sci-fi horror, mystery, and blockbuster action. It was such a fantastic ride! Veil is a beautiful, moving story about family and family loss, with relatable characters who act like real human beings. Veil is horror at its best and I simply couldn’t put it down. If you love sci-fi/horror, make sure you check out Veil by Jonathan Janz this fall!

I was very lucky to get to read an early copy of this one, I'm a big fan of the authors other books, and when I saw the cover reveal on it, I knew it was something special.

How can you live and even raise a family in a world where, you or anyone else can just vanish, broad daylight or no?

Do you try to build a shelter, do you pray, or do you just surrender to the horrors that cannot be kept out, that slide in and get their victims no matter the obstacles.

My heart broke for John, I kept holding out the hope, maybe it would be okay, he still has the rest of his family, until those too slowly vanished.

I have a real weird reading kink for survival stories ( but they HAVE to be good ) and this one, it fed that need in spades, it reminded me of the vibes from one of my favorite books, Darkness on The Edge of Town by Brian Keene, after the darkness settles on the town, the unknowing really has a way of driving characters and the story.

Between not knowing if you can trust those around you, plus this, supernatural force, be it a wall of darkness or scary dark figures that seem to know nothing of boundaries and doors and you can feel the characters panic, and tension.

So I began to wonder...

Is this really a world where some monsters can slither in and take anyone, at anytime?

or

In my darkest of hearts I wondered, is this a man who is making this up in his head, and created some storyline to cope with the guilt??

Suddenly he meets a group that has figured out a way to see the monsters, and maybe even save his family.

The dread was so heavy in this book, if I had been turning the pages, Id have had to heft them, the way he wrote this, you knew John, and felt his desperation, and fears.

The ending on this one, was everything I needed and some things I didn't know I even wanted. ( vague I know, but spoilers )

I'm going to go real bold here and say of all his work, this might be my favorite.