I bought this book on the strength of some other books by this author. After plowing through about 90 some pages and not being able to make heads or tails of what was going on it finally dawned on me that this was a later volume of some ongoing series. I scoured the cover to see if there was some indication of this, but found nothing. A quick visit to Amazon revealed the truth however. This pile of merde is part of a much larger pile of merde going back to Symphony. I have seen other authors attempt to employ cinamatic idioms, but none fail worse than Grant does in this book. From what I have read in this and In The Fog Charles Grant is a great editor, but his own story telling ability sorely lacks. The epitome of all style and no substance.

Go buy the revised version of The Stand and pass on this one. In fact I'll be passing on all future Charles Grant because of the dirty trick he played with this one. Gotta go now and throw the book in the trash.

Riders in the Sky is the fourth and final book in the Millenium Quartet. Death, Famine, and Plague have each come riding into town and then been sent packing. Now War is on the rampage. He has also collected his cohorts to make a final stand to bring about an end to this great big mess we call the world. But the surviving adversaries from Symphony (book 1), In the Mood (book 2), and Chariot (book 3) are coming together, albeit it reluctantly, to head the horsemen off at the pass. The final battle for the fate world will be waged, as is the case in all of Grant's stories (both in the series and out), in some small, off the beaten path town. Again emphasis is placed on atmosphere and character, story always being something of a weak point in Grant's writing. Those looking for tale with an autumnal chill to it will find Riders in the Sky well worth galloping through, others looking for something more focused and gritty will have to look elsewhere.

This book was the best [money]I ever spent!! I love Stephen King also but his books are usually very confusing and I have to skip pages to keep being inetersted in it. But not with this book!! I couldn't wait to keep reading! Even though it only costed me [little money] at the [local] store I would have spent waaaay more!! As I read this book I could feel myself immersed in the middle of the apocalypse and since it was close to New Year's it kinda freaked me out (although its not the millenium anymore). I felt as if I knew each one of the characters personally and I was right there along with them. It would make and EXCELLENT movie!! Thank you Charles Grant for being such a great writer, I am going out today to find more of your books!! YOU ROCK!!

Although I think Grant is extremely creative and is onto something with the Millenium series, I was rather disappointed with the end result. I've read books one and two of the series and felt so much more could have been done with the story.

First and foremost, Grant uses refrains to the point of abusing them. It almost seemed as though he had some space to fill in so just kept repeating himself. They're found throughout pages, sections, chapters and the books themselves.

Second, Grant also overuses cliches. There are moments when the books are so trite they almost made me lose my lunch.

Finally, refrains and cliches aside, Grant's writing style itself is terribly repetitive. There were some pages where he uses the same word two or three times in one sentence. Bad writing or bad editing, I don't know. Either way, after several hundred pages it became irritating.

The writing style is so elementary that the story is simply not enjoyable for the more sophisticated reader. It's very sad because it had so much potential. Rarely do I not finish a book or a series. Unfortunately, this is one of those occasions. I have books three and four, but I'm afraid they'll be gathering dust on my shelves. Just another case of a potentially good book made bad by poor writing and editing.

Slowly the pieces fall into place as the end of the world seems to grow nearer. The confusing events of Symphony make a little more sense when placed into context with this volume (the second in the series of four books), but that is to be expected. Grant keeps the "answers" vague so the next volume is required reading. Like your horror applied with a puff of clammy air on the back of your neck instead of blood splattered in your eyes, then sit back and enjoy the old fashioned chills my friends. I did. Highly recommended.

In The Mood is the second book in the series of the Four Horseman of the Apocalpse. It is a well thought out, heavy character driven book. The whole theme for this series is interesting and original. I have highly enjoyed the first book and was unsure if the second book would do it justice. I was very pleased with the style of the second book and believed that it really outdid the first one. If you like novels based on the end of the world then this book is the one for you. I highly recommend purchasing the complete set.

There's really not a whole heck of a lot you can do with a werewolf tale. Full moon, the change, silver bullets, all that stuff. This short novel by Charles L. Grant is just an average werewolf story told in the traditional style. Regrettably, the book gets off to a very bad start, in my opinion. It was hard to keep the characters straight as I was transported back and forth between them, and I also had trouble picturing the setting of the action in place and time. After about twenty pages, the story settled down into a decent rhythm, and things finally started making more sense to me. It is obvious from the start that the string of murders in town is the work of a werewolf. Basically, you have to wait for the authorities, namely Chief Lucas Stockton, to become convinced of the true nature of the beast. Once that inevitably happens, the only remaining question concerns the identity of the afflicted man. There are a few choices we are given to consider, but I thought the truth was a little obvious long before the conclusion played itself out. This isn't a bad novel, but it isn't a particularly good one either. It can ably serve as a quick diversion, but basically it is a rather forgettable work of fiction.

For those of us who grew up (or old) watching all those classic Universal and Hammer films, Charles L. Grant's retro-gothic novels (Dark Cry being part of a "trilogy" of classic monster stories set in his fictional Jersey stomping ground of Oxrun Station) will be something to warm the fan's heart even as it chills the bones, what with all that joyful emphasis on character and atmosphere, mysterious half-explained events, and familiar plots. Horror fans who expect buckets of grue and in your face monster confrontations will just wonder where all the horror is supposed to be.

the story itself was very good. It had me at the edge of my seat, but the ending was poorly done and thought through.

I read Raven in one sitting. I didn't mean to but once I got into the book I couldn't put it down. In a wonderful study of claustrophobia and paranoia, a small group of people find themselves trapped at an isolated diner while outside a lone man armed with a high powered rifle picks them off one by one. My only complaint is in the final revelation of who the killer is... a, in my opinion, rather disappointing ending. Up until that point, though, this book is a serious contender with classic stories such as Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians"/"And Then There Were None".

This was the first book I read by Charles Grant and I was impressed. Good storyline it will keep you guessing. Very interesting characters. I'll be sure not to get stranded in a restaunt during a blizzard after reading this book.

This book has good stories and bad stories. No, there is no bad written story. There are some stories very difficult to believe, like "Death to the Easter Bunny!" By Alan Ryan. At least, I can read another Stephen King, "Nona". But it is not enough to get a 10. Paulo Sunao

Well this book is a mixed bag. Some of the stories I really liked and were really well written, yet others I just didn't like at all. I loved the chilling story of "Canavan's Back Yard," and I thought "The Rubber Room" was an interesting tale of a paranoid man thinking Jewish people had a conspiracy against him. Also, "Out Of Sorts" is a clever werewolf story. And as other have mentioned, "Down Among The Dead Man" is an excellent WWII vampire story (while that may sound bizarre, it is written so well you won't even notice just how odd this seems). However, like I said, I did not like some of the other stories. Like "Death To The Easter Bunny," for example. I just found this story repulsive (if you've read the book, you'll know what part I'm talking about.) And "The Crazy Chinaman" also seemed very out of place in this book. But in this book, the good outweighs the bad. I would recommend this book to fans of horror in general or fans of any of the authors.

This is a reprint of the Dodd, Mead Gallery of Horror from the early 1980's. There are a number of stories which stand out but "Down Among the Dead Men" by Gardner Dozois and Jack Dann in particular. This is a story you will not soon purge from your subconscious. There is also the classic "Canavan's Back Yard" by Joseph Payne Brennan which is one of the master's best. Seek out other collections from Jospeh Payne Brennan, he is one of the unknown masters. This is a collection which deserved to be reprinted although they marketed it as if it was a new collection. Highest marks!

I feel this book, although confusing at times, was well worth the read. It definitely keeps you guessing, yet still interested in who has to do with what. Give it a chance, Charles Grant is my uncle and needs the money.

I enjoyed Grant's style and did not find it to be a confusing book at all. The characters are drawn clearly, remain true and seem entirely believeable. I went out and immediately hunted down In the Mood - which I found to be even better and more foreboding. I am definitely ready for the next installment. The only thing I'm confused about is that it's been referred to as a trilogy, a quartet and even a tetrology. However many volumes - I'm game. The only trilogy I am enjoying more than this is Dean Koontz's Fear Nothing, followed by Sieze the Night, both of which were excellent. The 3rd installment is yet another anxiously-awaited printing. I say - Read Charles Grant's Millenium series - it's worth it!

This book is great, I have now read it 7 times and it gets better every time. It is my favorite book of the series although chariot is a close second. Everybody in the world can see a themselves in this book. Every character represents us as people and I believe that is why some people may be turned off by the book. Stephen King wish he could write this good, this blows "the stand" out of the water. Thank you Mr. Grant for writing the milennium quartet.

I'm a big fan of the x-files but I have to say that this book was a big flop! The story seemed to drag and drag and drag. I wouldn't recommend this book.

I just finished "Goblins."

I won't give away anything, but I was dissapointed in Scully's characterization. Bleah. Talk about a bubbleheaded bimbo who's always fussing with her hair?! When does Scully giggle, fuss with her hair and nag Mulder all the time?

The story properly freaked me out, however, and made me wish I hadn't read it right before bed!

Grant's novel is an unforgivable mish-mash of horror cliches, stock characters, and controved situations. The basic premise of an unpopular teenager gaining revenge on his tormentors via a projection of his unconscious mind has been done much better by other writers. The characters in Grant's novel would not be out of place in a grade-z teen slasher flick. There is the unpopular kid, the school bullies, the stuck-up beauty, and the self-absorbed parents who have no idea what is going on in their son's life. They are all totally one-dimensional, and their actions are frequently illogical & inexplicable. Worst of all, the story lacks any type of resolution.

This was a very unsatisfying book, one that I did not enjoy at all. It was the first, and only, book I ever read by Charles Grant. I'm afraid to try anything else by him because of the utter disappointment that this novel was for me.

I'm not one for the online review, but when I saw the way this book had been misrepresented, I had to add a comment. Charles L. Grant's style of prose is poetic, and therefore not for everyone. Moreover, this book starts very slowly, building mood and establishing the setting. However, it is WELL worth the wait. Selected as one of the 100 best horror books of all time in the Jones & Newman edited _Horror : 100 best books_ (in which different professionals each selected their all time favorite, and reviewed it); nominated for a World Fantasy award for best novel... this is a entertaining, surprising novel, and one of the best by an author who has garnered more awards and nominations than Anne Rice _or_ Stephen King. No gore, no overt sexuality, but if you want that stuff written well, go read Graham Masterson or Nancy A. Collins.

The story's not bad, mediochre but ok; it's Charles Grant's writing style that's killing me. He uses the RA Salvatore 'one line paragraph' mechanic WAY too much. The over-use of this technique makes the reading jumpy and annoying to the eye. As well, the concept of the 'Watcher' organization, found in every SciFi series from Highlander to Buffy to VtM to now, my favorite world of storytelling, is getting a little old. There are thousands of stories out there for Werewolf: The Apocalypse, it's way too soon to be falling back on something that's quickly becoming cliche.

If you are interested in good WWtAp writing, check out the short story collections, When Will You Rage and, to a lesser extent, Drums Around the Fire. The only WWtAp novel that I feel falls into the inovative, entertaining, and well-worth-your-time catagories is the hard-hard-to-find, Breath Deeply. Do yourself a favor and track down a copy. It is original, is a multi-tribal and racial story, and there are wonderful scenes involving the Umbra and spirits that are rarely handled, much less handled well, in the written works.

I read the book Watcher. I thaught this book was really good. The description of the book was great. I recieved a vivid picture in my head of the actions and settings from this book.

There are many great parts in this book. It is really hard to choose just one good part. But if i did pick a best part it would be where the guy first turns into the werewolf. That part was really good.

Out of all the story elements the most vivid to me where the conflict and climax. The conflict was out stood because it's obvious, there's a werewolf trying to kill people and they need to kill it. The climax was really outstood because it was about a chapter long.

The title of this book can be somewhat intimidating. Do not let it be so! Grant is seeking to find if the small towns of New England were organized in a democratic fashion. I found Grant's work to be more than a question of democracy, and more than a book about the town of Kent. The period covered in the book is approximately 1732-1800. Great social history emerges from this work, both on a regional basis and a much larger one- that of many similar New England towns. I chose this book as a genealogist looking for background material on one of my ancestral towns. It certainly gave me that, and more. Gaining an understanding of life during the time covered in the book was most helpful. In addition, many people from the town of Kent are specifically mentioned, a plus for Kent researchers. I would recommend this to anyone who is a history buff, especially if interested in New England. If you are looking for a no-brainer, this is not your book. But it is not dry or complicated either. I would say that the author reaches a wide audience in his style. It is not for anyone who does not wish to give the question raised some thought. I finished it quickly and will read it again.