The Dark at the End

A Repairman Jack Novel, Book 15

By: F. Paul Wilson

Narrated by: Christopher Price

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Bound by his promise to the dying former immortal, Glaeken, Jack has refrained from making any direct moves against his arch-enemy, Rasalom. But things have changed, so there’s nothing holding Jack in check any longer. Jack is healing at an accelerated rate - much like Glaeken did when he was immortal. This must mean that Glaeken’s time is almost up, and when he dies, Jack will take his place.

Rasalom continues to plot against the Lady. Twice she has died and, amazingly, returned; a third time and she will be truly gone, leaving a clear path for the Otherness to infiltrate this reality. But Ernst Drexler, formerly Rasalom’s go-to guy for logistical support, fears he will be left out in the cold when the Change, the final darkness, comes. He forms an uneasy alliance with Jack, who is preparing to face their old enemy.

Meanwhile, Dawn Pickering is searching for her supposedly dead baby. The trail leads her to a mansion in a remote Long Island coastal town, where she discovers a terrifying truth she could have never imagined.

Now the stage is set for Jack’s massive assault on Rasalom. Jack knows he’s got just one shot. But it’s not just a matter of taking out Rasalom; he also must retrieve Dawn’s child and minimize collateral damage. So, he comes up with a foolproof plan.

But fools are always with us. . .

©2011 F. Paul Wilson (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Amazing End to Amazing Series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

First of all, this should be the last book of the Repairman Jack series that you listen to, and the penultimate listen before the final book in the whole Adversary/Repairman Jack cycle, Nightworld. There are many books before this and you'll like them better in order. This review serves as a review of the entire series.

F. Paul Wilson has built an incredibly believable world, a quite compelling mix of real life scenarios with end-of-the-world, supernatural elements. The main characters are interesting, complex and develop over their arcs within the series. The plots are not completely predictable, contrary to what so frequently happens within a long series, and Wilson can throw a mean monkey wrench into the expected story line, creating refreshing surprises and a level of suspense that keeps you downloading the next book as soon as you finish the last, just to see what happens next.

Wilson has a gift for sardonic, crusty vernacular and comic relief within deadly serious situations. I'm pretty sad to be at the end of the line.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Wilson's main character, Repairman Jack, is Uber Everyman, a normal-seeming guy with a dark underbelly of seething violent rage overlaid with a strict moral code that makes him incredibly effective but keeps him on the side of the angels, and you will grow to love him. (I also think the author identifies with this guy a lot.)

Wilson pulls no punches with regard to character collateral damage throughout the story line and Jack is a prime example of this. He endures incredible loss over the course of the series (a spear has no branches) but he remains unbroken and heroic to the last.

What does Christopher Price bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Over the course of the series, I've had a love/hate relationship with Christopher Price. I didn't really like him at first and kept checking to see who the narrator was with each subsequent download. Funny thing was, when they changed to a different narrator for a few books later on in the series, I found myself desperately wishing to get Christopher Price back again. Over time, his deep, sonorous, somewhat monotone delivery had "become" Jack's voice in my head and no one else would do it as well. He does sound kind of silly when he tries to do female voices, but given that he's a baritone, I forgive him.

A thrilling begin to the end

Christopher Price is a decent narrator, however his accents aren't very good. His German is something of a joke, and the way he voices Jack is incredibly lackluster.

Jack Vs. Rasalom

If you could sum up The Dark at the End in three words, what would they be?

Gut-Wrenching
Heart-Breaking
Exhausting

What did you like best about this story?

Jacks assault on Rasalom.

What does Christopher Price bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

As I have mentioned previously, he does a fine job with Jacks voice - it sounds generic - which is exactly as it should. But with any accent - well, they all sound the same. Which is not so good.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, I actually cheered a bit when Jack's attack took place.
And felt gutted when the climax came.

Any additional comments?

Note that this leads immediately into NIGHTWORLD. Which, as you can take as a spoiler of sorts, but you KNEW things would never go exactly as planned right?

Filler?

felt like filler but F. Paul Wilson is still a great writer and this was enjoyable if not completely unnecessary