Books › The Time of the Dark

The Time of the Dark
304 pages
A tense portal fantasy where haunting dreams bleed into a desperate fight for survival against an ancient, ravenous evil.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping from the mundane world directly into a waking nightmare. The narrative is steeped in apocalyptic dread, driven by the sudden, terrifying return of an ancient evil that turns legends into immediate, ravenous threats. It moves with a propulsive, desperate energy as ordinary people are thrust across the void into a reality where survival is anything but guaranteed. The atmosphere is heavy with tension and the oppressive weight of an unstoppable darkness, making every moment feel urgent and fraught with danger. It will delight readers who love classic portal fantasy that leans heavily into dark, atmospheric stakes, offering a thrilling plunge into a world where haunting visions become a terrifying fight for existence.
- Mood
- dread-soaked
- nightmarish
- tense
- apocalyptic
- Tone
- urgent
- ominous
- desperate
- dramatic
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- ancient evils awakening · portal crossing · survival against the odds · confronting nightmares
- The writing
- Dramatic and atmospheric, emphasizing the terrifying scale of an encroaching, legendary threat.
- The arc
- Begins with unsettling premonitions and escalates into a desperate, high-stakes struggle for survival in an apocalyptic reality.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave classic portal fantasy infused with apocalyptic dread and urgent, monster-driven survival stakes.
Content notes
- apocalyptic themes
- monster attacks
- nightmare imagery
About the book
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!
Description from Open Library.
Books like The Time of the Dark
See why they match
DragonsbaneBarbara HamblyA wintry, deeply human subversion of classic fantasy tropes where middle-aged heroes grapple with the heavy costs of mythmaking and magic.
Camber of CuldiKatherine KurtzA somber, richly textured tale of reluctant heroes, cloistered secrets, and the heavy price of rebellion in a medieval world.
Triumph of the DarkswordMargaret Weis and Tracy HickmanA sweeping, fatalistic conclusion to a classic fantasy trilogy where magic and technology collide in a desperate battle for existence.
Queen of the DarknessAnne BishopA dark, cathartic crescendo of apocalyptic magic, fierce found family, and all-consuming romance.
Test of the TwinsMargaret Weis and Tracy HickmanA tragic, high-stakes culmination of sibling rivalry and world-shattering ambition that hits with the emotional weight of a classic myth.
The death of the necromancerMartha WellsA shadowy, gaslamp-lit romp where a gentleman thief's quest for vengeance collides with ancient, creeping horrors.