BOOK REVIEW: THE WAR IN THE DARK BY NICK SETCHFIELD

The genre mash-up has become a popular and competitive field in recent years, from the occult detective novels of Ben Aaronovitch to the cold war supernatural thrillers such as Rasputin's Bastards by David Nickle.  When genre mashups are done correctly, the blurring of the genre lines can be hugely entertaining, but it is a blurring that can go wrong very quickly. Sometimes you are left with not just a pig's ear and no silk purse, you are also left with a complete pig's dinner of a novel.  

Nick Setchfield's The War in the Dark, is the latest genre mash-up to hit the bookshelves.  Mixing James Bond espionage and Lovecraftian nightmares with a Cold war Background, The War in The Dark is a satisfying read that thankfully more silk purse than Pig's ear. 

Christopher Winter is a British Intelligence Agent, when what should have been a standard assassination of a traitor goes horribly wrong Winter is thrown into a world that he just does not understand, where eldritch forces and dark horrors beyond imagination are fighting for the pages of a book that could not only put an end to the Cold War but life as we know it on this small insignificant planet.  On the run from both sides of the war with the mysterious Karina Lazarova as his only ally can Winter, can he survive this world of treachery, blood and magic and bring salvation to this plane of existence?  

The War in the Dark can best be described as a rocket-fuelled rip-roaring read if you are looking for intrigue and high adventure then this is the book for you.  Setchfield knows his genre roots, cherry picking the juiciest elements from each of the genres present in the book to deliver a story that is equally thrilling as it is chilling.  

His sense of place is exceptional, The War in the Dark never suffers from feeling out of place with regards to its setting, as the sights, sounds and smells of the Cold War era are captured perfectly.  His descriptions of this world could almost have been lifted straight out of a James Bond novel; such is their authenticity.  

Setchfield also keeps the level of characterisation and insights into the characters themselves at just the right level, we end up not knowing everything about how or why the characters have become who they are, but we know enough about them to become invested in their story while not bogging the fast-paced narrative pace down with too much exposition.   I'm sure we will get more insights into them with future volumes in this series, but for this novel, this area of the story works well. 

This is Winters story when we are first introduced to the character he is a suave, confident man who is apparently in complete control of his world, but when his life is turned upside down, he quickly loses much of this confidence and becomes like a fish out of water.  It's Karina Lazarova who becomes more like your typical adventure hero, with Winter almost taking up the role of the sidekick.  This is perhaps one of the most enjoyable elements of the book, Setchfield turns the tables on practically every other book written about or written in that era with regards to the super cool secret agent.  Having Karina as the driving force is a refreshing change to typical damsel in distress or eye candy love interest role that some many female characters are resigned to in these types of books.  

The mix of supernatural menace and high adventure spy story is nicely balanced and will appeal to fans of both genres.  Setchfield has some excellent concepts and creatures on display in this story, which ensures that the story is kept fresh and doesn't feel like we have read this all before, or have become jaded with coming face to face with the same old denizens of the netherworlds.  

The War in Dark may sound like your typical genre  clash novel, but Setchfields crisp writing and fresh takes on some genre stable tropes lifts this book above the many others of its Ilk, a thrilling rollercoaster of a novel that is just screaming out for a big screen adaptation.  

COMING SOON: SHE LIVED ON FRANKLIN AVENUE