A Black and Endless Sky

by Matthew Lyons Narrated by Hillary Huber, Neil Hellegers, Amara Jasper, Pat Grimes, Qarie Marshall

Overview

Siblings Jonah and Nell Talbot used to be inseparable, but ever since Jonah suddenly blew town twelve years ago, they couldn't be more distant. Now, in the wake of Jonah's divorce, they embark on a cross-country road trip back to their hometown of Albuquerque, hoping to mend their broken relationship along the way. But when a strange accident befalls Nell at an abandoned industrial site somewhere in the Nevada desert, she begins experiencing ghastly visions and exhibiting terrifying, otherworldly symptoms. As their journey through the desolate American Southwest reveals the grotesque change happening within his sister, one thing becomes clear to Jonah: It's not only Nell in there anymore. Pursued by a mysterious stranger who knows far more about Nell's worsening condition than they let on, the siblings race to find a way to help Nell and escape the desert before they're met with a violent, bloody end. But there are far worse things lurking in the desert ahead...some of them just beneath the skin.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Lyons burnishes his reputation as a rising horror star with this über-creepy thriller . . . As with the best in the genre, nuanced characterization makes suspending disbelief almost effortless, and Lyons keeps the pages flying with fast-paced chills. Fans of Laird Barron will be especially delighted." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Atmospheric and terrifying . . . readers won't be able to put [A Black and Endless Sky] down." —Library Journal

"In A Black and Endless Sky, Matthew Lyons has written a lush, unsettling, visceral story that is Lovecraftian and uncanny, yet touching and endearing. This is a powerful, immersive experience." —Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker– and Shirley Jackson–Award nominee

"A gripping read filled with tension and terror, the pacing is metered with otherworldly horrors and atmospheric haunts well acquainted with the unique isolation of the desert. A creepy and unsettling tale that gets under your skin and stays there." —Kathleen Kaufman, author of the Diabhal trilogy, Hag, and The Lairdbalor

"Horror is at its best when hearts are broken alongside the things going bump in the night, and Matthew Lyons' A Black and Endless Sky delivers—prepare to be thrilled, touched, and scared shitless in this sprawling tale you'll wish was as endless as the ominous sky in the title." —Fred Venturini, author of The Heart Does Not Grow Back and To Dust You Shall Return

"A Black and Endless Sky builds tension from the first page, delivers a powerful left hook, then pulls readers into the tumultuous lives of Nell and Jonah. From there it's a well-blended mix of action, noir, horror, and compelling humanity. Matthew Lyons is swiftly establishing himself as a master of gritty, dark noir, with his own brand of clear-eyed, effective character study. A talented author." —Laurel Hightower, author of Crossroads and Whispers in the Dark 

"Siblings Jonah and Nell take a terrifying journey that tests the bounds of family, loyalty, and reality. Thought provoking and scary. Read with the lights on!" —Robert Rotstein, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author

"An intense, gripping, innovative novel filled with a delicious panoply of horrors. Get ready for a wild, creepy, and high-octane ride." —Daco Auffenorde, award-winning author of Cover Your Tracks

“Nothing falls short in this eerie tale on redemption, loss and second chances. [Readers] will find themselves on the edge of their seat.” —Shelf Unbound

Library Journal - Audio

06/01/2022

Lyons (The Night Will Find Us) serves up a slice of bleak cosmic horror drenched in noir. What began as a road trip across the desert for estranged siblings Jonah and Nell Talbot becomes a bloodstained nightmare as they are not only pursued by a ruthless biker gang, but Nell's body is possessed by something inhuman that could destroy the world. While Nell and Jonah try to stay one step ahead of their human pursuers, they must also try to contain the monster within Nell before it consumes her. There is plenty of horror in this piece, especially as readers see the terrible visions shown to Nell, but the thrumming engine of this book is straight-up noir. All of these characters, voiced by multiple narrators, sling words sharper than any knife or talon, and much of the novel's violence comes from human hands. VERDICT This has some truly disturbing elements of possession and cosmic horror, but the real darkness here has more terrestrial origins.—James Gardner

Library Journal

11/05/2021

A new horror-thriller, set in the American Southwest, from Lyons (The Night Will Find Us). After an amicable albeit devastating divorce, Jonah Talbot heads to his hometown of Albuquerque to recuperate at his father's house, joined by his estranged older sister Nell. An arbitrary pit stop leads to an encounter with a violent biker gang. That alone is a shocking and brutal speed bump but is only the beginning of the detour. Nell seems fundamentally altered after an inexplicable incident, and it becomes clear that the bikers on their trail aren't the only threat against the siblings. Readers will also appreciate the emotional elements in this atmospheric and terrifying book as the Talbots seek to save not only themselves but each other. The heartfelt allegiance between the siblings despite their complicated past increases the level to which readers will hold their breaths as they watch the terror unfold. VERDICT An uncomfortable sibling reunion quickly turns from bickering over the past to attempting to survive the present in this white-knuckle horror-thriller that readers won't be able to put down.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178733844
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	03/15/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	654,808

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