‘Darkness’ a King-esque horror

A dangerous darkness surrounds the town of Walden, Va., as impenetrable blackness cuts the residents off from the outside world.

There’s no electricity. No phone service. No light. No stars.

Anyone brave or dumb enough to try to break through the darkness never returns — their terrified screams their final legacy.

Robbie Higgins and his girlfriend, Christy, awake to this nightmare. Their neighbor, Russ, is just as baffled as the couple by the eerie, inky blanket that seems to have fallen over their home.

After driving out to the edge of town, it becomes obvious to them that something evil lurks in the thick blackness. Not only that — but the darkness seems to be seeping inside them, heightening their negative emotions and making them turn on each other.

Robbie and Russ quickly realize that what is a bad situation will only get worse as people begin to panic — and panic they do — as fear and the darkness’s power turn peaceful citizens into looters, rapists and murderers.

Robbie’s unsure whether he and his friends will survive. But they have to do something. Before they put their final plan into action, Robbie decides to leave a record of what has lead up to their actions, just in case they fail to escape. He recounts the events in “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” Brian Keene’s latest horror novel.

Anyone familiar with the horror genre will recognize parallels between “Darkness” and Stephen King’s “The Mist” and “Under the Dome.” The similarities are probably the book’s greatest flaw. However, horror fans have grown used to writers putting their own spin on a familiar theme.

The ending also might disappoint some readers because there are no neat and tidy answers. But not every story has to be tied up with a ribbon and a bow.

With “Darkness,” Keene delivers more of a psychological spookfest than the gore-filled, intestine-dripping grossouts his fans love. It’s a nice change of pace for Keene despite the similarities to King’s work.

And about that ending. Keene has been known to write sequels, so maybe the fate of Walden still will be revealed.

(Editor’s note: After reading Keene’s “The Rising” I said I was going to pick up the sequel, “City of the Dead.” I have picked it up, but wanted to review his latest book first. You’re sure to see a review of the zombie sequel here at The Book Nook soon.)