This is the most solid book to come out of this series yet.
And the creepiest. And topping “A Local Habitation” for chill factor was quite the feat in of itself.

I am attracted to the grotesque, the twisted and tainted, in books. I like antagonists who walk a fine line between evil and skewed, bits of humanity showing here and there, making the reader think. Blind Michael is an amazing example of this. Here is a creature so Old and so terrifying, who warps children into monsters, who plays by the rules of children’s games and rhymes…and every now and then there is a nuance that slips through, giving away bits and pieces of something deeper than just the monster.

And that, to me, is scarier than a mere bogeyman.

An Artificial Night had solid pacing, an enthralling storyline, and enough sarcasm to keep me happy for ages. For those who love a story of the Old fashioned Halloween, give this one a try. It is heavy with twisted woods, twisted children, and the Hunt that runs wild every now and then…

Toby continues to grow as a character, which I am enjoying. As always, I want more Tybalt (who wouldn’t?!) but the part he plays is well done as always. Connor I am still undecided on. He has a rotten marriage, but he seems to me to be a bit of a weak guy, and my opinion of him remains unchanged. Good looking, obviously, and a good friend to Toby, but he…copes poorly, and that coping puts Toby in a bad position.

What we find out about Raysel is chilling and perfect, and even Luna and Lily have gooseflesh-inspiring parts to play in this one.

The Luidaeg and Spike remain my favorites. The Luidaeg is everything I want in an Old Fae, and the idea of a rose goblin makes me adore Spike. Both of them have a LOT of stage time in this book, so all in all, An Artificial night was custom made to make me a happy reader.

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