I could not get into this book, but might be able to at a later date. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to try it.

Even if I found the plot interesting and entertaining I couldn't connect to the characters and found hard to finish it.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Did not make past 25% of this book. To many glaring errors from musical passages misnamed to an FBI agent buying syringes off a shelf in Walmart. Story was just ok. Ideas borrowed from other better written books. Sorry, this just didnt cut it. Too many other books to read.

This was a fantasy novel which is not my genre however I couldn’t put it down. An FBI agent, Elliott is investigating the disappearance of 5 young children and comes upon what looks like witchcraft. When he goes to intervene he is enveloped by a black cloud and becomes a monster. He calls Lauren a fellow FBI agent with whom he had a previous relationship. She goes to help him and gets caught up in the mystery. The story is about their pursuit of the monsters who are trying to take over the world. There are some interesting characters along the way. Eventually they along with some resistance fighters eradicate most of the monsters and earth becomes a better place. There is suspense and fantasy in this novel, but it is mostly about how earth has become infected by plague and misunderstandings.

The book cover and the description made this book seem really interesting, so I was looking forward to reading it. I tried so many times to get into this story but it just couldn't hold my interest. I am sure some others will enjoy this story, but it wasn't for me. I feel really bad when I don't finish a book because it rarely happens and it feels rude to the author, but I just couldn't force myself to keep trying to read this. The translation was fine.

I read a lot mainly in suspense, mystery, and horror genres, but do get a bit eclectic now and then. This book looked right up my alley, but sadly I just couldn't get into it. If you like books that are very, very heavy on descriptive narrative, then you may enjoy this book. That style of writing doesn't work well for me so I couldn't really get as engaged as I normally would and actually didn't finish it - I ended up skimming over the excessive detail that bogged down the plot flow. I found myself checking back and forth several times because there was so much unnecessary detail I lost the story line. Once it looked liked things were moving, there was nothing unique or new going on, so I eventually gave up.

Maybe this book was just not my thing. I felt that in the beginning Elliot came off as almost aloof and therefore not very likable. I had a hard time getting into the story and it took a lot of unexpected turns, and not necessarily in a good way.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Essence of Darkness by French author Tom Clearlake was quite an adventure. It begins with an FBI investigation in the small town of St. Mary's, Pennsylvania. Special Agent Eliott Cooper is on a case involving the strange disappearance of 5 children between the ages of 3 and 5. In the course of his investigation, he finds a hidden evil in the surrounding woods. What has he found in the woods and what does it mean for him, the missing children, and ultimately life as we know it on Earth? Agent Cooper witnesses an event that will be the catalyst to great change in life as he knows it. After this moment be prepared for a wild ride that is a hybrid of mystery, thriller, suspense, supernatural, religion, and secret organizations. I really want to say more, but I can't because I don't want to spoil anything for readers. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes any of the above genres or who enjoy the talents of authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or HP Lovecraft.

A new author for me and what a sick mind. A mystery thriller well sprinkled with horror. Something has awakened and has designs on the human race. It all starts with abducted children. I literally devoured this book in one sitting. It got my heart racing and gave me goosebumps on my goosebumps. Reminds me of the Necroscope series which I devoured when I was younger. This author has a very furtile and twisted imagination which had me gripped. As the author himself says this is the first of his books to be translated and I can't wait to read more. Please!!!! An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended. A MUST READ for all readers of this genre.
Thanks to Moonlight and Netgalley for the ARC.