Are you scared of the dark?#1 Bestseller in FolkloreTop 10 in FantasyTop 10 in Myths & LegendsTop 5 in Dark Fantasy HorrorTop 5 in Fairy TalesThe villagers of the forest seal themselves in their cellars at night, whispering folktales to each other about the monsters that prey on them in the dark. Only the Magpie King, their shadowy, unseen protector, can keep them safe.However, when an … shadowy, unseen protector, can keep them safe.
However, when an outcast called Lonan begins to dream of the Magpie King’s defeat at the hands of inhuman invaders, this young man must do what he can to protect his village. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to convince them to trust him again.
They Mostly Come Out At Night is the first novel from Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld series. Straddling the line between fantasy and folklore, this book is perfect for fans of the darker Brothers Grimm stories.
Get this book today, to discover the story that readers are calling “a delightfully weird, dark fairytale!”
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An unusual and dark read. Not for readers who need haps endings.
What a horrifying ride. Such a great book! It’s unpredictable, yet well foreshadowed. Bittersweet, yet comforting end. Can’t wait to read the next one.
It does jump around from present, to tales of old, to dream state, which I loved! Added a whole other element to the story being told.
Also loved the authors notes in the back, love the extra layer of insight into the writers journey with this book.
Actual rating 3.5
The prose is decent and both the setting and the author’s imagination lend some great visuals. While I did enjoy the setting, dark forest full of myths and stories, the book itself is on the shorter side and split between two different POV narratives and that collection of myths. Functionally this results in the characters and their narratives feeling secondary and a little shallow.
On a more personal level, TMCOAN is both aesthetically dark, which I liked, and narratively dark with several plot points(most them) concluding more depressingly than not.
The authors tries to cultivate a suitably myth-style of prose but doesn’t quite land it.
I know others loved this book but I didn’t like it. I had a difficult time relating to the characters and found I didn’t care about any of them.
Poorly written.
No romance in this one but no romance was needed. If you feasted on Grimm’s fairy tales in all of their original violent not white-washed for Disney glory you will love this. Told in very original layers of stories.
If you like darker fairy tales like the original Grimm and Greek myths, you will enjoy this book. It chronicles the story of Lonan, an outcast of his village. Lonan begins dreaming of the Magpie King, the guardian of his land. Lonan must figure out if his dreams are real and how to act on them. Folk tales from the world are also included between the chapters and add context and depth to the book.
Weirdly and creepily sexist, with thin world building and uninteresting character arcs. I was really disappointed, because the beginning and the atmosphere of the work were decent. But it just added detail from there, not depth, and the detail was mostly really, really creepy misogyny. I didn’t find it politically objectionable so much as icky, gross, and oddly immature (like early teens, never had a conversation with an actual female immature) in thought while disgustingly adult in content.
A surreal fairytale fantasy that drifts seamlessly between dream and nightmare.
Each of the Yarnsworld tales (so far) represents a stand-alone story in a dark fantasy world of orginal and adapted folklore. In They Mostly Come Out at Night, Patrick takes us to the creepy wood of the Magpie King, the one protector humans have against predators in the night that drive people into locked cellars at sunset.
While the greatest strength here is the thick atmosphere, the plot sure doesn’t lack either, with several surprises along the way.
You seriously don’t want to miss this one.
Benedict Patrick has done a wonderful job weaving a world of grimm (haha) dark fantasy and folklore. Main character Lonan is shunned by the others in his village for something that was not his fault. Things look pretty bleak, until strange dreams allow him to see through the eyes of Adahy, the son of the Magpie King. Contemplating if this is finally his ‘knack’ developing, Lonan is convinced things are changing in the grand forest that makes up the Magpie King’s domain. But, not everything is as it seems.
There were some nice twists in this story and it went beyond where I thought would be the endpoint, yet never dragged on. I thought the mix of day life and dreams worked really well, especially with the folktales added to each chapter. It’s not a very long read, which suited me just fine. A great introduction to the Yarnsworld series and I look forward to experiencing other books in the series.
Better than expected.
One of my favorite authors. Never disappoints. This book kept me reading all night.
Gruesome tale, very well crafted. I want to know more about what happens next, hoping for a sequel.
Good but sometimes drawn out