The Night Diver

After being exposed to the first installment of this series, I was absolutely hooked. So, if you aren’t familiar with the first book, I would highly recommend you to grab it. It is an amazing book to get into, and it’s perfect timing because you won’t have to deal with the Massive cliffhanger. I would like to say that this book is Everything I expected, and more. It is a story that is gruesome, and yet it has an astonishingly human core. There are equal parts of horror, and emotional explorations of characters old and new which made this book an absolute treat to enjoy. Because this is a sequel, I would like to highlight that there are some spoilers for the first book. So, this is your warning to turn back if you need to.

‘The Devil by Name’ starts off 5 years after the first book, after the world was plunged into chaos. The world is tattered, torn, and decaying. The humans aren’t doing much better. Thankfully, the book drops into the zombie apocalypse setting without spending time in a lot of the usual exposition that comes with the genre. Keith Rosson wastes no time in plunging us into the decayed, twisted world that the characters are part of. In addition to following the characters left from the first book, we are also introduced to a new set of characters who are superbly written, and enthralling to follow throughout the story. I think that the character work is the star of this show, as the characters, both old and new drive the story forward in interesting and heart-wrenching ways. The story is twisted, yet so very human at its core, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Keith Rosson pulls no punches when it comes to the brutality of the world, creating new horrors through monstrous and human characters alike. There is even a part where you feel a little sorry for a zombie after you learn what people did to it. The depths of violence, revenge, and twisted love are explored here, and make a very interesting core to the story. I especially enjoyed the further exploration of Matthew Coffin’s backstory, and his psyche as he fell further into the Devil’s thrall. There is an almost pathetic element to his story that makes you feel for him, even as he becomes darker through time. This is why the book holds a special place in my heart. It somehow marries gruesome horror and heartfelt emotions in a concoction that keeps you wanting more.

The only negative that I could see in this book, is that the ending sequence seemed just slightly rushed in a sense. I think Keith Rosson did a fine ending overall, but that last event did feel like an exercise and tying things too neatly. But that is a very slight criticism on my end, for an absolutely phenomenal book. I also wanted to know just a bit more about the ancient forces involved with the artifacts, the devilish entity that somehow managed to latch onto Coffin. But of course, that is just left to our imagination. But these are just slight criticisms of an absolutely phenomenal book. This is absolutely worth a read for anyone who enjoys horror, action, and very emotional stories. It really is a masterful weaving of all things horrifying and beautiful, and it caps off an amazing duology that I will recommend to anyone.

My Final Rating is: 4.5/5 stars