Review - The Dark

Eulogy (From the Publisher):
Lazarus Stone has been killed, resurrected, and attacked by demons. He's all that stands between our world and the Dead. But things are getting complicated: he's alone in the land of the Dead, his best mate Craig is missing, and he's no idea who - or what - tricked his dad into trying to bring back his long-dead mum. Oh, and he's wearing a corpse's clothes.
Life, he might think, couldn't get much worse. But it will...

Epitaph (In a Nutshell): The second installment in what's fast becoming one of my favourite YA Horror series, and even more of a thrill ride than its prequel, The Dead.

 Dearly Departed
We are gathered here today to discuss The Dark by David Gatward. Regular readers of this blog will know just how much I loved the first book in this series, The Dead. So it was with equal parts excitement and trepidation that I approached this book. Excitement, obviously, because nothing hits the spot more than another excellent addition to a series, but trepidation because I wasn't sure how Gatward was going to be able to amp it up further than he had in the first book.
Well, assembled guests, I should have known better than to doubt Mr Gatward's dark and twisted mind, because The Dark is even better than The Dead. The stakes are raised even higher as Lazarus and his band of trusty undead-slaying pals (mostly his best mate Craig, sometimes-possessed Clair and unhinged angel Arielle) battle to put an end to the dark creatures that are trying to force their way out of the land of the dead.
What stood out most for me in this book was the battle scenes - long, bloody slogs that had me on the edge of my seat and not wanting to put it down. And where would a battle be without terrifying bad guys? Without giving too much away, the ultimate force Laz has to fight in this book really sent shivers down my spine, and stayed with me for many nights after. Definitely the sign of a very well crafted horror book. I wonder what kinds of evil spirits Gatward performed blood pacts with in order to write a book this good?

5 Skulls - A Killer Read