Book Review: Fade to Black (Awake in the Dark Volume 1) by Tim Mcbain and LT Vargus

Jeff Grobnagger suffers from a mysterious and sudden onset of seizures.  Every time, he blacks out and dreams the same thing:  an unknown figure in a dark robe murders him in an abandoned alley.  No matter what Jeff tries, his plans always backfire, and he is overpowered by the strange figure.  The blackness consumes him, until he finally wakes from his seizure.  Then, members of a strange cult barge into his life, seemingly knowing way more about Jeff than they should.  A brutal attack in his home makes it clear someone in the real world wants Jeff dead as well.  Somehow, he knows the only answer lies in surviving his twisted, seizure-induced dream.

Jeff’s journey to understand his dreams and the strange cult that has taken deep interest in him is intriguing.  The strange fights between him and the cloaked figure are exciting as the various twists and turns keep blowing up in Jeff’s face no matter how complex (or simple) his plans.  The cult members range from funny to extremely sinister, and serve to muddy the story enough to keep the reader guessing as to exactly is happening to Jeff.  Jeff, himself, is a complex character, a loner to the extreme with a nasty case of pessimism.  Most of the time, this takes the form of amusing sarcasm or curious social bumbles that up the conflict with the cult members and his few remaining friends.  Occasionally, however, it detracts from the story, slowing the plot as Jeff rehashes his depressing life philosophies.  Despite this, Fade to Black is an amusing and unique urban fantasy for those who also like mysteries and quirky characters.

Fade to Black is now free on Kindle