THE DARK AT THE END, A Repairman Jack Novel
Author: F. Paul Wilson
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 336 pages
Release Date: 10/11/2011
ISBN: 0765322838
Rating: *****

Synopsis (Provided by Publisher): Bound by his promise to Glaeken, Jack has refrained from making any direct moves against Rasalom. But things have changed so there's nothing holding Jack in check any longer. Other changes are occurring as well. Jack is healing at an accelerated rate--much like Glaeken did when he was immortal. This can only mean that Glaeken's time is almost up and when he dies, Jack takes his place.

Rasalom continues to plot against the Lady. Twice she has died and returned; a third time and she will be gone, leaving a clear path for the Otherness to infiltrate this reality. But Ernst Drexler, formerly Rasalom's go-to guy for logistical support, fears he will be left out in the cold when the Change comes. He forms an uneasy alliance with Jack, who is preparing to face their old enemy.

Meanwhile, Dawn Pickering is searching for her supposedly dead baby. The trail leads her to a mansion in a remote Long Island coastal town, where she discovers a truth she could have never imagined.

Now the stage is set for Jack's massive assault on Rasalom. Jack knows he's got just one shot. But it's not just a matter of taking out Rasalom: he also must safely retrieve Dawn's child and minimize collateral damage. So, he comes up with a foolproof plan.

But fools are always with us….

Review: All journey's must come to an end, and THE DARK AT THE END is the final chapter in the Repairman Jack and Adversary Cycle. However, it is the crescendo that leads up to the final movement in "Nightworld," which Wilson is polishing up to republish so it will fit seamlessly into place with the rest of the series.

Let's get back to THE DARK AT THE END.

I've been a fan of Repairman Jack since I first encountered him in "The Tomb." Over the course of those novels Wilson has evolved and focused the character of Jack to bring him to this moment in the narrative where it is all leads up to him trying to save the world and humanity. Before that, Jack is going to attempt to go Urban Commando on Rasalom on an all out assault in the Hamptons, on Long Island. It's a showdown that would make Michael Bay envious.

Jack is a superbly crafted character that shares traits with his literary brothers Remo Williams (The Destroyer Series), Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy's hero), and Robert Langdon (Dan Brown's hero of letters), to name just a few. In fact, as Jack assumes the mantle thrust upon, somewhat Christ like as it is something that he did not ask for but accepts eve though he might have his own selfish motives, he struggles to maintain his analytical side. It's a wonderful dichotomy to see in a character who for the most part has had a clear vision of purpose. It's a side of the character that we've not seen before, and as it raises the stakes it draws the reader in as we are caught up in Jack's dilemma.

However, Jack is not the only one struggling. Many of the characters that we've come to know and love are dealing with their own issues that unfold like the layers of an onion and makes for a pager turner that you just can't put down as you get deeper into the drama. The plotting here is not typical of what you might expect from the previous Repairman Jack novels, but it is no less satisfying. Wilson has a way of weaving these supernatural elements with real locations and full realized characters that allow you to buy into the entire concept and get caught up in the ride. In this novel no one is safe and it's a true cliffhanger to see who will make it out alive.

I find it truly impressive that Wilson is one of the few writers who possess a talent for weaving a breathing literary timeline into his prose. When you pick up the novel and begin reading you feel like it has truly been two weeks since you left Jack after "Fatal Error," well okay providing you read the novel. Still, if you put this novel down for a spell and pick it up again, a few pages in you're right back into the rhythm of the timeline. It's like you never left.

The only thing about THE DARK AT THE END that I could find fault with is that unlike previous Repairman Jack novels, and possibly "Fatal Error," this is not a novel you could appreciate without some literary foundation in the series. Wilson adds some lines to shed light on the background story up to this point in time. However, I think a reader with no history with the character and the series might be put off and not fully appreciate the novel. But do not despair! There are numerous other novels in the series where you could find a better point of entry into "The Secret History of the World." In fact if you are looking for a new literary series to get immersed in I'd recommend taking it all the way back to the beginning to the astonishing "The Keep." I guarantee it will be an excellent literary journey that will lead you to THE DARK AT THE END and the forthcoming polish of "Nightworld."