David Litwack

Truthfully I had a hard time with this book it did not hold my interest and I struggled to get through it.the beginning is confusing as to what is happening, just seemed like 3 children coming to age and we're figuring out how to deal with it. Then one of the children is taken and held by the 'religious' leaders of their world till the confess to something. Reminded me of McCarthyism. The the same 3 children are on a quest which reminds me of the video game Zelda, the characters get so far and are rewarded with food and rest. YA might enjoy this good but not adults

I did receive this book for free to read and review.… (plus d'informations)

I was prepared to like this book when I first spotted the Bob Dylan lyric on the flyleaf. I’ve always found the images in Dylan’s “Along the Watchtower” to be evocative and was curious to see where David Litwack took that inspiration.

I was captivated, and not just because “Along the Watchtower” deals with themes similar to the ones King Bewilliam struggles with in the high fantasy series that I’ve been writing. Litwack’s Lieutenant Freddie Williams made a believable hero, pitiable but not pitiful. I rooted for him as he battled his demons. He made real the horrors of war as well as those faced by the ones who survive it.

The lieutenant’s daily challenges to recover from his wounds interwoven with the fantasy world of his dreams and the video games he enjoys kept the story moving. I found it quite un-put-downable. The writing was economical and effective. The settings, both of Lt. William’s “real” world and those of his fantasies, were vividly described, his emotional, mental and physical struggles engaging and moving.

I thought this to be an entertaining and enjoyable read that was also touching, even politicizing, leaving me to wonder why we keep sending people off to war. Maybe this vivid and heartfelt story will serve as the last reminder we’ll ever need of war’s terrible cost.… (plus d'informations)

My original The Children of Darkness audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

The Children of Darkness by David Litwack is the first novel in a series called Seekers. This story follows the story of a group of young adults as they begin to distrust the world around them and yearn to find a way to change all the negatives that they have become accustomed to. When their friend Thomas is taken from their small village of Little Pond to a Temple City to learn and fear the darkness (a historical period of knowledge and violence), Orah and Nathanial are concerned for their friend. Thomas returns haunted. When Orah is taken next, Nathanial attempts to try to save her. During this ordeal, Nathanial learns of a quest to return knowledge to their dystopian and knowledge-fearing world. And so, the trio set out on a challenging path to find out if there is truth to the legend. Unwittingly, they are pursued relentlessly by the governing Temple. The Temple is set on stopping the return of knowledge to the land and will do anything to stop the three companions as they risk everything for a cause that they are not even sure they believe in.

While this novel touched upon a lot of standard dystopian themes, it was unique in many ways. I enjoyed the quest aspect of the story and loved the contrast between the characters, their motives, and ultimately their loyalty to one another. The story is also told from multiple points of view, which allows insight into individual characters and makes these aspects of the story richer. Similarly, explanations and feelings regarding the period of the darkness and the idea of knowledge were thought provoking. The end of their quest revealed something that I thought was incredibly interesting and loved how it was handled. I did not love the characters themselves, unfortunately. Perhaps, they felt a little flat for the most part or I was not particularly inspired by their dialogue and thoughts. The ending was well done and I am intrigued by the fact that the story continues, as this novel could have been a stand-alone story.

The narration by Erin deWard really did the story justice. Without her voicing, the story of have come off completely differently. It fit well with the characters and the environment. The production quality was good as well. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys young adult dystopian novels filled with righteous quests.

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.… (plus d'informations)