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!

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

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!

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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!

Wow! This one really kept me reading - I found myself still looking at my Kindle as I walked around the house. Frightening, engrossing, thoroughly entertaining, and quite inventive. Great science fiction horror, grounded in our current world. Recommended!

Veil by Jonathan Janz
Five stars!

“The creature back there.
Could you smell it?”
I nod

Nothing can save you from what you can’t see.

👀Horror
✨️Suspense
👽Science fiction
🫣Invisible threats
😫Vanishing people
😭Emotional distress

People are vanishing. John's son vanishes right around the corner in the middle of a disagreement. Nationwide, people are disappearing at an accelerated rate. John’s wife is next dragged away into the woods by an invisible force. Bunkering down at home, John and his thirteen-year-old daughter hope they are safe. They are… for now. When things get bad and his daughter is taken, John is desperate. He must find his family and save them. He’ll try anything, even risky brain surgery, that should enable him to see the creatures.

What a book! Whew!
It was fast to start the abductions, and it really kept the suspense up for the whole book. I didn't feel any lulls in the pacing. As a parent, it was a stressful book. The thought of people, my kids, and spouse being dragged off by invisible beings with no way to help anyone was dreadful. And it just gets worse. I wanted to read it all in one go. I was so invested in what was going to happen. It really captured what could happen in real life and how people would react to these types of phenomena. How awful people could be to each other. It felt well researched for the more complicated science parts and facts throughout the story. My emotions were all over for this book; I even found myself crying in public (don’t judge me. it hit hard, okay).
It was not my first Jaz book. I really enjoy his writing style. His writing had such a good way to make you feel for these characters. There is a need to find out what is going to happen. I do think this is one of my top books now. This would make a fantastic adaptation to the screen. It was so good.

I was provided an early copy to read and honestly review. Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley.

You know that feeling on a roller coaster when you're riding in the front car, and for a split second, you peek over the edge, and you know there is no turning back?

Yeah. That's a Janz novel.

This book is non-stop action and violence and suspense. There were moments I held my breath with the characters, moments I celebrated with them, and moments I grieved with them. I went through all the emotions throughout.

No one does it quite like Janz. I can't wait to see what he brings us next.

An amazing horror/ science fiction survival story. A fresh take on alien invasion and what it might look like combined with excellent character development and fast action make this a book worth reading and re-reading. The ending, while satisfying did leave some doors propped open ( IYKYK) and could be a great topic for a book club. Overall a highly enjoyable, fast moving, and memorable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the books publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

*Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a digital ARC of this one!*

I’ve been reading and reviewing long enough to remember the YEAR OF JONATHAN JANZ. If you’ve not heard that, well you missed out on getting a couple new Janz releases plus I think almost a dozen re-releases, all within the same year. This was maybe 2017 or 2018 and it was a gloriously amazing time to be a Janz fan! Throughout Janz’s literary career, one thing has become absolutely paramount in every single story he writes. The man cares about his characters. What I mean about that, is it’s very very veeeerrry rare to find a one-dimensional character in his story. There’s not a lot of folks just there to be there and not move the story along and you’ll learn what makes them tick.

That was what had me so excited when ‘Veil’ was announced. Janz hasn’t been afraid to subgenre hop in the horror world – he’s done everything from werewolves to vampire’s to spooks and specters and ghosts and everything in between. But he’s not done anything truly in the alien/sci-fi world, and fresh off the alien desecration that Adam Nevill unleashed with ‘All the Fiends of Hell,’ I couldn’t wait to see what Janz had up his sci-fi sleeve.

What I liked: The story follows high school teacher John, who is dealing with a heavy life. He’s separated from his wife Iris, constantly fighting with his older son and trying to stay connected to his younger daughter. And on top of that, he feels like a lesser person, dealing with a significant limp from a leg length discrepancy from an accident when he was younger. But that all pales in comparison to what’s begun to happen around the world. Without any sort of rhyme or reason, people are going missing, plucked from the sky by something… never to be seen again.

We’re thrown into the deep end immediately. John and his son go for a walk to the store, discussing father and son issues, and what’s happening in the world, when his son rounds a corner and is just… gone.

That moment, quite early on, is the launching point for the world to turn upside down as the sky opens and hundreds of thousands begin to be plucked and disappear. Video footage emerges, curfews are enacted and after John’s wife also gets taken, him and his daughter hunker down and do their best to survive. Of course, there’s a nut job vigilante in the neighborhood, wanting to make sure all the dwindling supplies are stored in one place – for safe keeping naturally – and its those moments were we see how the novel also alludes to real life events – Covid and political upheaval and even presciently to what’s happening with ICE in the US right now. Janz does a phenomenal job of twisting this from first being an abduction novel and turning into a story about a father doing everything and anything it takes to try and find those he loves the most.

As it progresses, we learn what has arrived and what they’re doing and there’s a hard line that gets drawn between here and there and Janz plays those cards perfectly, showing us what just may await those who pierce the veil.

The final quarter of the novel is a full sprint. It’s tough to really describe everything without having spoilers, but I will say it worked really well to have this earth and non-earth juxtaposition where we feel grounded and then frantic.

The ending is a mix of heartwarming and heart wrenching and honestly that’s exactly what this book needed.

What I didn’t like: Two things stuck out to me. The first was that I found the son disappearing felt almost like it happened too soon. It was the rare moment in the book where I felt like we didn’t get enough of the father-son dynamic to really grab a strong grasp of their relationship before the son was gone.

The second was that the aspect of here versus there seemed like it was too easy to traverse across. Again, I don’t want to be a Spoiler McSpoilface, so I’ll leave it there.

Why you should buy this: Horror and sci-fi have been pals for ever since books began to be written and movies filmed. So, it should be noted that while this is ‘sci-fi’ it’s grounded in the horror genre and shows Janz’s horror sensibilities time and time again. This was frantic. Chaos infused claustrophobia. It was a father desperately trying to find his family and things from elsewhere arriving and wrecking havoc.

Janz is an elite writer, one who has honed his writing voice and mastery of prose over decades now, and once you begin a Janz book, you know you’re in sure and steady hands.

This book was achingly perfect and is sure to connect with long-time fans and bring in plenty of new fans and I expect to see this book – especially with that cover – become a mainstay on social media for many years to come.

A novel about aliens that allows us to glimpse the best and worst of humanity, Jonathan Janz’s “Veil,” is an action-packed, nerve-fraying, brain-sizzling, sci-fi horror triumph. I only started reading Janz about 5 months ago, and this is my fourth by him so far- it’s also the fourth time that he has blown me away, this time, literally to another dimension. I’d read the man’s shopping list. Gorgeous writing delivered alongside break-neck, whiplash-inducing pacing and one of my favourite protagonists, well ever, “Veil,” is a novel full of heart and love and hope- for people, for stories, for humanity to do better- and I for one would like to see not only a sequel (PLEASE Jonathan, make it so) but also a movie. Coming September 16th from Blackstone Publishing, “Veil,” is a smooth blend of King’s “The Mist,” with Lebbon’s “The Silence,” with Star Wars, and it is sure to frazzle the synapses of nerds everywhere.

We follow John Calhoun, a biology teacher, a book-store owner, and most importantly, a father and a husband. These are relationships that are strained, with his wife Iris due to their finances, and on that fateful evening, with his son Sam because of the curfew he’s imposed upon him. These very domestic tensions give way to something far bigger however, when Sam storms off around a corner, and vanishes completely. As more and more people go missing, seemingly from the face of the earth, as lockdowns are imposed and conspiracies are created, it becomes increasingly unlikely that Sam has simply run away from home, and increasingly unlikely that he’s coming back anytime soon.

The action scenes Janz writes are truly something else. Otherworldly (if you will) denotations of tension and character, of nerve and nerve-ending. A horrifying, cloying motorway scene reminiscent of that from C.J Leede’s “American Rapture,” a truly tense home invasion, and a very claustrophobic underground brawl, are just a few scenes that jumped out, amongst others. Janz’s pulse-pounding, propulsive writing that is as tightly choreographed as it is sweat-inducing, makes for a reading experience that is paced like a heart-attack and about as relaxing as a root canal… it’s just how I like it.

There’s one scene in particular I have to highlight though, which takes place in the parking lot outside Aldi. What struck me harder in this passage was not the inter-dimensional threat overhead but the humans beneath it. Having, like most, had to sit in my home and watch COVID-era videos of super-spreader protests against masks and vaccines, of people fighting over toilet roll and bashing each other with cans of food, this chapter in particular, clearly shaded by that same experience, horrified me the most. The grotesque selfishness that blooms when humans are cornered and unchecked, and the self-interested acts of many of the characters, really does hold up a mirror, and what’s reflected in it, at times seems far more monstrous than any alien invader.

That’s not to say that the alien invaders are not absolutely terrifying too. In the first half of the novel Janz does something genius. King did it in “The Mist,” and Malerman did it in “Bird Box,” and that’s withholding the visual element. Yup, the aliens are invisible. Having people abducted, snatched off of the ground, is deeply scary anyway, especially for our protagonist as a father, but when the only inclination that this is coming is a thrumming, vibrating sound, and a nasty smell, well that’s a whole bunch scarier. The reader is forced to fill in the blanks, populate the void, with our imaginations, and when the curtain, or indeed the veil, is pulled back- it is of course far ghastlier than we thought.

What I fear I’ve done is presented this book to you as one that is about interdimensional kidnappings and the failings of humanity, and whilst both of those things are apparent in “Veil,” as I suggested in my introduction, it’s a book with a beating, human heart at its core. John Calhoun is a wonderful man, a wonderful dad and a wonderful protagonist, flawed, human, but unwaveringly decent. With explicit references to his love of King and “Providence,” by Caroline Kepnes (which I, along with the majority of readers certainly appreciated) I can’t help but wonder if this character is so well-developed and fleshed-out, because… John is Janz. John and the gaggle of good guys he befriends serve as a reminder that amongst the selfish and uneducated, there is such greatness within the human race, and that we are right to expect far better from it.
A truly masterful novel, that is about what it is to endure as a father and a human being, Jonathan Janz has yet again demonstrated that he can write just about anything. I feel it’s high time we let him write just everything. Novels, manifestoes… screenplays. Somebody call Hollywood.

People are getting mysteriously snatched- seemly out of thin air. When John’s son is taken from right in front of him, John is set on a path to get his family back together- one that will stretch him to near breaking and bring him to the edge of insanity.

I absolutely loved this sci-fi creature feature with so much soul! My middle school students are not quite ready for the violence and language, but I would absolutely recommend this for high school and up if you love real science based science fiction (Andy Weir fans this IS your next read) and fantastic monsters.

Thank you NetGalley!

Holy smokes, what a nonstop action ride this one was!! 🙌

Gave all the creepy scifi horror vibes!!! I can totally see this one becoming a movie!! Pulled me in from the very start and didn’t let go!! This one is definitely in my top 5 reads of the year!! Highly recommend, especially if you love scifi horror!! 👏

Thank you to Jonathan Janz, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!! New favorite Janz novel!!! ❤️

Veil throws you into a chilling new world where people are vanishing, and no one knows why. We follow John as he tries to protect his family and uncover the truth, only to find something far more terrifying than anyone could have imagined.

Janz’s writing completely immerses you in this eerie apocalyptic setting. It reminded me so much of the early COVID lockdown days, which made it feel even more real and unsettling.

Now I have to admit… aliens terrify me. As a kid, I had vivid dreams of being experimented on, so this book hit a personal fear of mine. And honestly, I loved it. The sci-fi horror blend was everything I’ve been craving lately.

This one creeped me out in the best way, and I’m seriously hoping we get a sequel. There’s definitely more story to tell.

Veil by Jonathan Janz is Predator meets Falling Skies and The A-Team all rolled into one wild ride!

What starts out as a simple story of John Calhoun, a father desperately trying to keep his family from falling apart, turns horrific as first his son, then his separated wife, and finally his daughter are abducted in the midst of nation-wide series of unexplained disappearances. Rumors spread that the abductions are part of an alien invasion as reports surface of people literally vanishing into thin-air. As the world around him devolves into chaos, John wants nothing more than to bring his family back together, and joins with a small group of misfits who have a risky and radical plan to find and battle the abductors and bring their loved ones home.

With Veil, Janz has crafted a tension-filled story that evolves into an action-packed thriller, with strong and interesting characters and skillfully applied echoes of government and citizen reactions to the 2020 pandemic.

I'll be looking for more books by Jonathan Janz, Recommended!

I have to admit this is my first sci-fi book that I’ve read and I’m glad this was the first one I tried. Please bear with me as I am not very good at writing reviews but definitely wanted to try to write a little bit more for this book. I think this book hit me a little bit different because I’m a parent and you can see the love that John has for his children. You can see the love that he has for his wife and how he wants to do better as a husband and a parent. This book was nonstop adventure and at no point slowed down. This book kept me captivated and I would have finished a lot sooner if I didn’t have to work or be a mom 😂. Never did I think that I would be sobbing at 2 AM finishing this book but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a great story where a dad will do anything to get his family back and realize what he took for granted and wanting to change and do better. Also, don’t believe Tommy, the Cubs don’t suck.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I finally got my hands on this book. When I found out what it was about, I had to read it. Janz did not disappoint. The concept was brilliant, and the amount of potential it had leaves tons of room for you to be let down. I wasn't let down once. Mark my words: This will be a movie soon.

📖 People are literally getting snatched and vanishing in thin air. All over the world. John loses his entire family. He meets a group of survivors, and one of them can see the creatures because of a brain injury from a car accident.

Suspenseful, entertaining, terrifying, and satisfying. Literally destroyed this book. Janz got a new fan 🤙🏼.

Thank you, netgalley, black stone publishing, and the man himself, for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for an honest review. (Made a Netgalley account for this book.)

Veil by Jonathan Janz is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and is perhaps the best alien invasion/abduction book period. It also almost claimed the title of my favorite Janz book, but Children of the Dark still holds that title. If you knew how much I love that book you’d understand what a compliment it is to say Veil nearly stole that honor. And I will not to be the least bit surprised if many claim this is Janz’s best, especially any fathers out there.

The lead of the story, John Calhoun, is such a great character. It is impossible not to sympathize with him and the torment he goes through. People are disappearing. Not just missing, but literally disappearing. It starts slow, and no one knows what is happening, but then it happens to John’s son while he is out with him one night. His son rounds a corner and when John catches up, only a few steps behind his son is gone…and there is no time nor anywhere he could have run off to, he’s just gone. And not just him, dozens go missing around the same time, with more disappearances happening each night…then it’s not just in the night, it’s happening during the day to. And before long there are witnesses, people being grabbed by invisible forces, dragged away and then just disappearing. This is an alien invasion unlike any I’ve ever read about before. This is an amazing story, chronicles the lengths a father will go to for his family and the scary but all too real likelihood of how much of society might react to such a situation. While there is a satisfying ending to the story, there is also room for more to come, and I truly hope Janz plans on continuing this saga.This is one of those books I know I’ll read again and again over the years. It also cements my belief that Janz is one of the best out there writing today. Thanks so much to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really liked this book! The world building was creative and it inspired a bit of fear similar to how it was to read/watch Bird Box and A Quiet Place. I won't spoil anything but I love how the worldbuilding is revealed throughout the story and it doesn't feel forced. I loved the relationships between characters and how they grow and change throughout the story.
Thanks NetGalley for providing this awesome book!

Delicately crafting a sci-fi horror for those that was a COVID-esque era story mixed with aliens, Jonathan Janz has yet again terrorized me in the best way. This is abrutal, read, where the main character John is bounced between an alienr ace kidnapping thousands across the globe, and the evil of humanity. For those of us who remember the anti-maskers, the toilet paper hoarders, the formula shortages (I for one have cried in an empty formula aisle), the human element is almost more brutal than the aliens. Janz does a fantastic job at showing the duality of human nature, and the ties that bind us. And that ending....man there better be a sequel.

Jonathan Janz does a great job in writing this book, it had that horror element that I was wanting and worked in a genre concept. I enjoyed the way John was used and how he had that do anything to save his family. It had a strong plot in the genre and was glad it had that overall feel that I was expecting. It was beautifully done and had that alien element and bringing back the characters loved ones.