Screenwriter and noted film critic C. Robert Cargill continues the story begun in his acclaimed debut Dreams and Shadows in this bold and brilliantly crafted tale involving fairies and humans, magic and monsters--a vivid phantasmagoria that combines the imaginative wonders of Neil Gaiman, the visual inventiveness of Guillermo Del Toro, and the shocking miasma of William S. Burroughs.
Six months have passed since the wizard Colby lost his best friend to an army of fairies from the Limestone Kingdom, a realm of mystery and darkness beyond our own. But in vanquishing these creatures and banning them from Austin, Colby sacrificed the anonymity that protected him. Now, word of his deeds has spread, and powerful enemies from the past--including one Colby considered a friend--have resurfaced to exact their revenge.
As darkness gathers around the city, Colby sifts through his memories desperate to find answers that might save him. With time running out, and few of his old allies and enemies willing to help, he is forced to turn for aid to forces even darker than those he once battled.
Following such masters as Lev Grossman, Erin Morgenstern, Richard Kadrey, and Kim Harrison, C. Robert Cargill takes us deeper into an extraordinary universe of darkness and wonder, despair and hope to reveal the magic and monsters around us . . . and inside us.
About the Author :
C. Robert Cargill is the author of Dreams and Shadows and Queen of the Dark Things. He has written for Ain't it Cool News for nearly a decade under the pseudonym Massawyrm, served as a staff writer for Film.com and Hollywood.com, and appeared as the animated character Carlyle on Spill.com. He is a cowriter of the horror films Sinister and Sinister 2, and Marvel's Dr. Strange. He lives with his wife in Austin, Texas.
Vikas Adam is a classically trained actor with numerous credits in stage, film, commercials, and television, in addition to his hundreds of recorded audiobooks. In 2025 he was named a Golden Voice, AudioFile magazine's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. His narrations have garnered numerous other awards and nominations, including more than twenty-five AudioFile Earphones Awards, various Best of the Year lists, and the prestigious Audie Award. He was an inaugural inductee into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame.
Review :
"Brimming with philosophical conundrums and littered with myth and lore, Cargill's world is abundant in detail and imagery...[Queen of the Dark Things] will keep readers entranced."
-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"
"Cargill's screenwriting chops bring to life a vivid mix of real and imaged folklore in his fantastical second novel. While the mix of urban fantasy, Guillermo Del Toro-like monsters and academic explanations of this magical world shouldn't work, it absolutely does."
-- "RT Book Reviews (4 stars)"
"Highly impressive...Fans of the first book won't be disappointed."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Listeners who enjoyed the urban fantasy Dreams & Shadows will be interested in Cargill's second episode. Colby Stevens is a young wizard who is trying to live a relatively low-key and hidden life in Austin, but Austin is under siege. A dark presence is wreaking havoc and calling herself the Queen of Dark Things. She has a long history with Colby, which gives narrator Vikas Adam an opportunity to show his versatility as he presents both of them in much younger years and in the present. Adam's detachment in the narrator persona contrasts with the intimacy of the friends who surround and try to protect Colby. Their varied ages and personalities are ably performed by Adam."
-- "AudioFile"
"The pacing explodes once all the major players are in place. Clever plotting influenced by trickster lore, a more hopeful ending, and a new cast of complex and likable characters make this sequel a winner. Fans of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series will especially like this volume."
-- "Booklist"
