Review of The Darkness Within . . . Posted June 1, 2007

The Darkness Within by Jason Nahrung with Mil Clayton Hachette Australia, June 2007, 377 pages Reviewed by Tehani Wessely Book reviews index

The Darkness Within, the first novel from Brisbane journo Jason Nahrung (with inspiration from partner Mil Clayton), is a surprisingly good book.

I say surprisingly because first novels often show all too clearly their author's inexperience with clunky prose, overly flowerly description and awkward dialogue. Fortunately Nahrung's vampires and magic offering, set in the present day “real” world, avoids many of the problems that generally plague first-timers.

Based on a novella written by Nahrung and Clayton in 2000, this longer version follows the multi-generational story of the Winter family. Emily Winters - a not-terribly-successful photojournalist - discovers her maternal lineage has a somewhat unusual history. With some guidance from Jay, a mysterious stranger with secrets of his own, and help from her friend and neighbour Brett, Emily comes to understand her magical heritage, while at the same time getting to know, through spooky visitations and visions, her deceased grandmother and great-grandmother.

As Emily comes into her power, she also realizes she is in danger from a menace that has threatened her family for hundreds of years. And she's not the only one in peril. Her neighbour, the slightly nerdy Brett, her semi-estranged sister, her mentally ill mother, her niece, and anyone else who comes to her aid also risks their lives.

With a gothic tone and local feel, the evocative dark imagery and at times unusual description creates a faintly menacing mood. However, the novel is not quite as dark as one might expect from such a story. In fact, some of the horror and violence aspects of the book seems a little contrived, as if added to make the story darker, and the actions scenes are somewhat lackluster at times. During these parts, I felt removed from the story: not to a point where I was disconcerted and jolted out of my fiction daze, but just enough to be aware that these scenes could have been stronger and more “real” ... Still, I devoured this book and enjoyed it a great deal, despite these minor niggles.

The cast of characters is quite large, but strongly drawn, which is always a big plus in my books. I loved the character of Brett, and was very pleased with what the author did with him in the end - sequel please! All in all, this book showcases the great work being done in the Australian speculative fiction writing and publishing scene. Nahrung gives us a fresh look at the human/witch/vampire story, and does it well. I look forward to reading more from this local lad.

Reviewed by Tehani Wessely

Tehani Wessely is a judge in the 2007 Aurealis Awards Fantasy: Novel category. This review is the personal opinion of the writer, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the panel or the Aurealis Awards Committee.