Time of the Dark - Kirjakasa

Paperback

English language

Published Dec. 12, 2000 by Ballantine Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-345-40995-9

(1 review)

Night after night, Gil found herself dreaming of an impossible city where alien horrors warmed from underground lairs of darkness to destroy mankind and all the works of men. But when the wizard Ingold Inglorion crossed the Void to ask sanctuary for the last Prince of Dar, he learned her dreams had been true visions of a strange reality.

On Ingold's world, the monstrous Dark had been mere legends for 3,000 years, But now, for unknown reasons, they were ravening savagely across the land, and there was no escape from their fowl powers and insatiable hungers.

Attempting to help Ingold, Gil and Rudy, a young drifter, were drawn into the nightmare world of the Dark. There they had to remain-unless they could solve the mystery of the Dark.

Then, before they could realize their fate, the Dark struck!

3 editions

Thom reviewed Time of the Dark by Barbara Hambly

Review of 'The Time of the Dark (Darwath, #1)' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Written 40 years ago, the strong female characters help it feel more recent. One of them may be a representation of the author, both graduate students of history. The first book of a series, with a larger story that is unresolved.

The story starts in the main characters dreams of a fantasy world in trouble. Dreams are reality, on the other side of a portal soon used by the main characters. During the late 70s and early 80s, there were many stories written with this theme. Another trope used often then was that the main characters can't go home again, at least not yet. Here the reason fits with the larger story of an evil Dark - nebulous creatures who can drain their victims mindless.

The characters are key here on both sides of the portal, and their reactions to this world are the story of this first book. Similar …

Written 40 years ago, the strong female characters help it feel more recent. One of them may be a representation of the author, both graduate students of history. The first book of a series, with a larger story that is unresolved.

The story starts in the main characters dreams of a fantasy world in trouble. Dreams are reality, on the other side of a portal soon used by the main characters. During the late 70s and early 80s, there were many stories written with this theme. Another trope used often then was that the main characters can't go home again, at least not yet. Here the reason fits with the larger story of an evil Dark - nebulous creatures who can drain their victims mindless.

The characters are key here on both sides of the portal, and their reactions to this world are the story of this first book. Similar to Star Wars and Tolkien, a battle has been won against the enemy, but the war is far from over. The remaining two books in the trilogy were published the following year, so I have confidence the author has a good plan for the larger story.

Two additional books and a few short stories are available, all published more than 10 years after the initial trilogy. Not sure when I will tackle them, but I plan to read books 2 and 3 fairly soon.

Subjects

General
Fiction
Fiction - General