Books › Scar night
Scar night
First published 2007 · 421 pages
A dizzying plunge into a decaying, chain-suspended city where angels bleed and assassins rule the night.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like standing on the edge of a terrifying precipice, staring down into a fog-choked abyss. It is a masterclass in gothic, grimy world-building, immersing you in a claustrophobic city suspended by giant chains where nothing is holy and everything is rusting. The prose is visceral and unapologetically macabre, painting a vivid picture of blood-soaked angels and cynical assassins navigating a deeply corrupt society. The pace moves with a brisk, desperate energy, dragging you through a labyrinth of dark alleys and horrifying revelations. It is a perfect fit for readers who love the weird, decaying urban landscapes of New Weird fantasy, offering a bleak but utterly gripping experience that lingers long after the final page.
- Mood
- vertiginous
- claustrophobic
- gothic
- grimy
- dread-soaked
- Tone
- macabre
- cynical
- gritty
- bleak
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- corrupt theology · loss of innocence · cycles of violence · monstrous humanity · decaying institutions
- The writing
- Visceral and highly descriptive, steeped in grotesque, gothic imagery that makes the decaying world feel tactile and dangerous.
- The arc
- Begins in naive isolation and grim routine, plunging rapidly into a chaotic, desperate struggle for survival amidst horrifying revelations.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave dark, weird fantasy with wildly imaginative, decaying world-building and morally gray, blood-soaked characters.
Content notes
- graphic violence
- gore
- body horror
- religious corruption
- torture
About the book
Suspended by chains over a seemingly bottomless abyss, the ancient city of Deepgate is home to a young angel, an assassin and a psychotic murderer hungry for revenge--or redemption. But soon a shocking betrayal will unite all three in a desperate quest...
Description from Open Library.
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