Book Review: A Gathering of Crows by Brian Keene

Here is another terrifying jaunt into the twisted mind of Brian Keene and his mysterious 13 (the otherworldly beings which are older than our universe and hate it with a cruel and undying passion). This time a small dying Pennsylvanian town falls prey to five crows which are so much more five crows. The real terror begins rather quickly as everyone in this small town are killed in horrific and awful ways, shut off from escape and all technology.

Thankfully, Brian Keene's supernatural warrior-hero, the ex-Amish Levi Stoltzfus arrives, but can this spell slinging bearded man be enough to save the handful of survivors. Will he even be able to figure out what is doing it in time to make a difference?

This story has some real moments of terror, exemplified by Keene's natural ability to create believeable characters that might carry an entire novel themselves if their life expectancy was not so short.

Do I love Levi's character (who made his first appearance in the mediocre Ghost Walk, an inferior sequel to the wonderful Dark Hallow)? Not really. But he proves himself very heroic by the end of the novel. It is here that I adore Keene's writing and find that it sits above most of the supernatural horror out there today. The morality is always gray and the characters and situation are realistically displayed from multiple points of view. I had a good time reading this book, and would recommend it highly for anyone who loves horror. It isn't Ghoul, Dark Hollow, or The Darkness at the Edge of Town (all of which I loved), but it was a very entertaining read.