The Night Diver

Keith Rosson is something of an automatic pick-up for me these days. Once I read the Fever House duology, I was in it for the long haul. That’s why I wasted no time when I heard that he had released “Coffin Moon”, a bloody story about vampires and revenge.

One of the greatest strengths of this book is the mostly impeccable character writing. From the outset, I was drawn in by the promise of a revenge story against a vampire, but as I read this book, I stayed in for much more than that. Duane Minor is a hardened war veteran, broken by the gruesome killing of his wife, but still keeping himself mostly together to bring down punishment against the vampire that did this to him. He is also accompanied by Julia, his adoptive daughter and niece, with her own set of dark circumstances becoming the fuel for her vengeful crusade. While their bond is one tied together in blood, it also has its moments of tenderness, and deep care even when the circumstances test their limits.

However, this attention to character-writing is not just limited to the protagonists of this story. John Varley is a sadistic, brutal vampire that is still written as a believable person inside his monstrous form. The best part of this story are the expertly written arcs of these characters, how their paths cross, separate, and then culminate into the bitter end. Before this, I was not the biggest fan of stories that try to paint revenge as simply an evil path that will inevitably lead to ruin. (See: The Last of Us 2). However, I think this story takes a more nuanced and realistic take on the emotions that drive this course of action. There is no doubt that revenge in this story exacts its pounds of flesh, but the closure and personal justice it offers to the characters is also understandable. It really is up to you, the reader to decide, if the price of it all was truly right.

As all of this unfolds, Rosson has an uncanny ability to transport you into the passing locales, turning them into small characters themselves, complete with their pockets of beauty, flaws, and everything in between. Even though this story is brutal, grim, and relentless, it is written at a pace that hypnotizes you right up to the end. It is a haunting story that makes you ponder for a while even after the last page is turned, asking the questions: To fight a monster, should you become one? and is that trade worth it in the end?

In the end, I enjoyed my time with this book, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of horror and thrillers with a solid emotional core. My final rating will be:

4/5 Stars