The Night Birds by Christopher Golden
St. Martin’s Press (May 6, 2025)
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand
It is, as they say, a tale as old as time.
Someone seeking power and purpose joins a group centered around an ancient evil — in this case, something called an Ur-Witch, with followers known as weavers who practice its mysterious rituals. When the hideous truth of their involvement comes to light, a couple of women break away and seek shelter with an old acquaintance, unwittingly bringing danger and death to his door.
Christopher Golden takes this familiar premise and executes it with style. The standout here is actually the location, a unique research facility in Louisiana. It’s an old, abandoned shop just off shore, rooted in place by the grove of mangrove trees that have grown up through its hull. It’s become a home to all manner of birds and tree crabs and other wildlife, and researcher Charlie Book calls it home. His former lover, Ruby Cahill, arrives unexpectedly with a friend, Mae, and a baby in tow — and a fantastic, unbelievable story to tell. Book takes them in, even as the skies begin to fill with unexplainable storm clouds and unrepentent evil.
Golden assembles a solid cast of characters here, including several loyal members of Book’s research team, and then proceeds to run them through the ringer. Storms, spells, a raging sea, a possessive creature determined to re-emerge and wreak havoc in our world, and unfathomable choices await them as they fight for survival.
You can always count on Golden for a ripping good tale that straddles the line between horror and thriller, and The Night Birds is no exception.
