8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Levi returns in a solid sequel, Aug 21 2010
By Ginahmk "Ginahmk" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Gathering of Crows (Mass Market Paperback)
Brian Keene returns with another tale of Levi Stoltzfus, the ex-Amish magician, as he travels from Pennsylvania to West Virginia. The story starts with crows, who transform into supernatural killers and descend upon a poor town. Levi has stopped to overnight, when he is swept into the action, stumped, trying to figure out who and why has triggered this murder spree. Characterizations are solid and you even get a reference to Golden Monkey ale (Victory Brewing company, Downington, PA, one of the 1001 best beers of America), giving you a great sense of time and place. This is not a "deep" book, but the action is non-stop with misfired heroics and fast thinking bravery. We learn more about Levi's past and the magic world he inhabits, leaving us with still some unsolved mysteries at the end. Will read the sequel and hope to see Hop Devil ale (another Victory great) being enjoyed as Levi continues his fight against the Evil.
12 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another solid story from Brian Keene, Aug 11 2010
By Daimion - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Gathering of Crows (Mass Market Paperback)
Everyone has a few "go to" authors. You know that ones I am talking about - no matter what they publish, you pre-order it from Amazon and wait to have it show up on your door on release date. They rarely disappoint you and their voice becomes a familiar companion on the page. Stephen King is one of those authors for me - and so is Brian Keene. His writing is like an ice-cold beer on a hot day - it goes down smooth and always satisfies. His latest release, "A Gathering of Crows" is no exception to that rule.
In this story, we meet up again with Levi Stoltfuz - a character who will be familiar to those that read Keene's "Ghost Walk". When a small town is terrorized one night by five strangers (who first appear in the shape of five black crows) - Levi is the only one who understands the nature of the danger. While the town struggles in vain to survive, Levi appears to be their only hope.
Long time Keene readers will find plenty of references to his other works, and the underlying mythology that pervades his books. New readers will find an entertaining story packed with suspense and horror.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another winner from Keene with echoes of ancient Roanoke., Aug 25 2010
By Ray J. Palen Jr. "Ray" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Gathering of Crows (Mass Market Paperback)
Quite frankly, Brian Keene is one of the finest authors writing in the horror genre today and I have enjoyed everything he has written.
His most recent Leisure Paperback offering is cleverly titled - "A Gathering Of Crows" (which most zoology majors will know simplifies to a Murder of Crows). It deals with one of my favorite historical topics and one of the greatest mysteries of all-time --- the disappearance of the colony at Roanoke in 1590. The colonists were instructed to carve the name of the new location they moved to if a situation arouse that forced them to abandon their colony. When the British team that returned for the colony in Roanoke they found every single person had disappeared --- yet all their belongings and half-eaten food were left behind. The word CRO was carved on one tree bark while the work Croatoan was carved on a fencepost. Croatoan was the island now called Hatteras and was occupied by a group of friendly Native Americans. Alas, the British rescue team was forced to return to England before they could unravel where their entire colony had disappeared to.
Brian Keene has re-imagined the source of this disapppearance as an ancient evil taking the form, initially, of 5 crows wreaks havoc on the small town of Brinkley Spings. Thankfully, a former Amish resident and modern-day Magu named Levi is there to do battle with them --- with the souls of all the remaining members of the town on the line. Another brilliantly imagined work from Mr. Keene!