Author: Al Sarrantonio
Artist: Alan M. Clark (cover) and Keith Minnion (interiors)
Page Count: 180
Pub. Date: 2002
ISBN: 1-58767-064-X

Rating:  (Rate It!)

Status: Out of Print

Orangefield
by Al Sarrantonio

Come to ORANGEFIELD, where Halloween is always special...

In the town of Orangefield, nestled in a glorious orange ring of pumpkin patches in the mountains of upstate New York, Halloween is the best time of year. Orangefield produces the cleanest, fattest, brightest-colored, longest-lasting-after-picking, finest pumpkins in the East, and its week-long Pumpkin Days festival, with its contests, cook-offs and decorations, is the finest celebration of autumn anywhere.

But there is a darker, more secret side to Halloween in Orangefield. For the town has become the home of Samhain, the Celtic Lord of Death, whose own ancient festival became the modern holiday of pumpkin carving and trick or treating. In Orangefield, myths and stories of Samhain abound. But this year myth becomes reality as the Lord of Halloween attempts to usher in a reign of death and destruction to the idyllic town -- and the world. The fate of all life rests in the hands of a little girl called Wizard, and the remembrance of a long forgotten horror...

Available in two states:
Limited Edition of 1,000 signed copies ($35)
Traycased Lettered Edition of 26 signed and lettered copies bound in leather with a satin ribbon page marker and additional full-color artwork ($175)

Customer Reviews	Add Your Review
An excellent start to what is continued in "Hallow's Eve"	09/22/2007 - by Robert B. from Salem, OR US
This book is an extremely fun read (with great scary and fun cover art by Alan M. Clark... interior illustrations are by Keith Minnion, and the haunting endpaper artwork is by Glenn Chadbourne, who is pretty well known now for his “Secretary of Dreams” illustrations). It is a part of what some people are calling the "Orangefield Cycle." It is a continuation of the short story "Hornets" (available in "Hornets and Others" by Cemetery Dance, but now out of print) and the novella "Pumpkin Boy." You do not have to read those two stories to enjoy this one though, and there is a Foreword that touches on the fine points of those two stories, and has an interesting point of foreshadowing for the next book in the Orangefield Cycle. This book is an absolute MUST READ before reading its superior continuation in the book "Hallows Eve" (also available through Cemetery Dance). I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars mainly because the next book blows it away, and there are a few questions that don't get answered directly in this book, but the reader can certainly come to their own conclusion. **Possible Spoiler Alert** Unanswered questions: One thing I have seen some people have a problem with is that the book does not explain why the girl is called "The Wizard" by Sam. My own explanation of this is that the girl does not feel in control of her life, and giving her a title that feels like she could now have that power leads her into accepting Sam's deception. This is not stated in the book, but it seems like a logical conclusion to me. Another thing that doesn't really get answered is the identity of the entity that Sam serves. That answer lies in the next book "All Hallows Eve," but there are enough hints in this book to figure that out too. **END Possible Spoiler** I enjoyed reading this book, and I am very happy that I read it before "Hallows Eve" because it made that book even more enjoyable. Little points made in this book can make the reader see that Mr. Sarrantonio has plans for where this series is going. I look forward to him continuing this series, and I look forward to more of Alan M. Clark's beautiful cover artwork.