The Servants Of Twilight
Published: 1984
Author: Dean Koontz (Wrote as Leigh Nichols)
Genre: Contemporary, Cult, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
The Servants of Twilight is a novel by thriller writer Dean Koontz, first published in 1984 under the pen name Leigh Nichols. The initial title was simply Twilight. The narrative of the novel centers around a single mother who is persecuted by members of a religious cult whose leader believes the woman's son is the Antichrist. In 1991, a movie adaptation was released.
I often remark that as a Dean Koontz fan, I've read practically all of his works. Despite the fact that it was one of his earlier ones I simply had to have it!
It's a short read by Koontz standards, but it's amusing and thought-provoking all the way through. It was first published under one of Koontz's numerous aliases, "Leigh Nichols," before being re-released in 2011 under his own identity and with an afterword from him.
This novel is a good sociological experiment in terms of "what may happen" in a circumstance like this.
It's a terrifying look into the world of religious extremists and how they may wield absolute authority over their followers. It dives into the core of mankind and calls into question the very deeds that one considers to be right.
This is seen not only from the "good folks," but also from the villains point of view. You can see why they're doing this and feel a little sorry for "Mother Grace," but not enough to lose sight of who you're rooting for in this novel.
The middle of the narrative was thrilling. The characters were in terrible situations, sometimes for so long that it was difficult to believe they would live.
The characters are well-rounded and not overly numerous, and everyone contributes to the plot in their own unique manner. At moments, Koontz has us wondering, "Who is truly right?" and I believe that is one of the book's attractions. Although the plot is at times obvious, the question "Who is truly on the right team?" creeps into the subconscious mind.
The novel hooked me from the first few pages and took me on a rollercoaster journey to its thrilling climax. It demonstrates Koontz's earlier writing style, which I much prefer to his more recent novels.
I just re-read (mainly listened to) this book, wondering if the passage of time and contemporary technology would cause it to deteriorate; it did not. Its narrative is still a possibility, if not exacerbated by the advance in technology and cell phones. These things would make locating any innocent (or a criminal) person quite straightforward nowadays.
And, certainly, a nutcase might still concentrate on a highly empathetic child or person and easily find deluded followers who could be persuaded to go on a 'holy' mission to murder the child or person. So, in today's reality, I found this novel much scarier.
After the novel became an international bestseller, a television film adaptation of The Servants of Twilight was produced in 1991. The film was directed by Jeffrey Obrow and starred Jarrett Lennon as Joey, Belinda Bauer as Chris, Bruce Greenwood as Charlie Harrison, and cult favorite Grace Zabriskie as Grace Spivey, also known as Mother Grace, the charismatic leader of a fanatical religious cult known as the Church of the Twilight. When it was released, the picture received a slew of negative reviews and failed to create an impression. Most nations, including the United States, have the film available on DVD.
There is, indeed, a Golden Retriever in the novel. Dean Koontz virtually always sneaks one into one of his novels! That makes it even more incredible for me because I am an animal lover, particularly our furry loyal pals with wagging tails.
Now there is something that is and is not a part of this book, and because a portion of it has something to do with it, I realized this is a fantastic opportunity to discuss it here... I was irritated when Joey fed chocolate to his dog in the story.
Isn't it common knowledge that chocolate is poisonous to dogs? The author was quite reckless in unwittingly pushing other children to feed chocolate to their pets. On the other side, I believe the author was attempting to illustrate that this is simply an innocent child who is unaware of how deadly chocolate is to dogs.
So, once again, we must tell and teach our children not to unintentionally feed poisonous substances to dogs or other animals, and it is a good idea to teach them what is good and what is not for whatever pet you have for the animal's protection.
Final Thoughts
Once again, one of Koontz's earliest pieces feels new and exciting. Koontz's insights into the emotional and psychological ramifications of childhood trauma are what struck me the most about this book. He dives into this as though he had firsthand knowledge!
He has incredible understanding and empathy for his characters. I particularly enjoy the child/adult interaction that develops here; it's amusing, clever, and tragic. In a nutshell, a good novel!
Though I enjoy Dean Koontz's works, this one had a little issue in that the romance developed a little too rapidly for my tastes, but in line with the story pacing. I, too, would have liked more searching for the boy's absent father than was presented. The author never really explained the leak, blaming it on the whacko's psychic abilities. It would have been creepier if it had been the receptionist or another person, in my opinion.
I am a free-spirited person who understands that love may happen at any moment and with anybody, and I don't really care what others do until I am involved or dragged into it or someone is in danger, but what follows is what many readers may say about the love and romance in this work... You've probably heard about the myth of love at first sight. It was true love at first sight. So when two of the main characters fell "in love" on their first meeting, I had to scoff. I was expecting something more conventional.
One of the twists at the end was practically always insight, and I believe virtually every reader will guess it long before it occurs, but I won't say what it is for the avoidance of spoilers.
One mystery was how Spivey was able to track her quarry so swiftly and successfully. Was she actually prophetic? I was counting on a tracking device attached to the dog's collar and was astonished Charlie hadn't considered it. Also, does Joey possess any psychic abilities? This was merely alluded to. However, readers may learn all of this while reading the book.
When I came close to the end of the narrative, I just had to continue reading, even though I was exhausted and sleepy. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone who hasn't read the book yet, so all I can say is that I strongly advise everyone to read it.
Synopsis
““Koontz is brilliant.” –Chicago Sun-Times
An ordinary parking lot in southern California. Christine Scavello and her six-year-old son are accosted by a strange old woman.
"I know who you are," the woman snaps at the boy. "I know what you are."
A scream, a threat—and then a grotesque act of violence. Suddenly Christine's pride and joy, her only son, is targeted by a group of religious fanatics. They've branded him the Antichrist. They want to kill him. And they are everywhere…”
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Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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Phantoms (1998) (R)
The Servants Of Twilight (1991) (R)
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