Book Blurb:
Kill The Night is an adventure that stretches from Paris to New York, through the 1893 Chicago World's Fair to the Old West. Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison are in a race to see who will lead the Twentieth Century into the Electric Age. But the night holds tightly to its dark corners. A mysterious and dangerous Gunslinger is watching, following and waiting for an opportunity to turn back history. He will chase Tesla, Edison and journalist Ida Tarbell from Chicago to Kansas City, across the Kansas plains, to the mountains of Colorado. Believing their electricity will destroy everything he loves, he has one objective-stop the inventors and destroy their inventions. He must not let them Kill The Night.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/dmMOXBA
Author Bio:
Terry Mark is a former Presidential Campaign Advisor, and former Webmaster in the National Hockey League. He lives in northern Colorado with his very patient wife and adorable dog.
Editorial Review:
Some books are not to be read lightly. They require a reader’s total attention,
demanding immersion in a unique world of characters, historical figures, steampunk
themes and fantasy. And, of course, there is the new Eiffel Tower – surely a
character in itself - reinforcing the sense of steel, industry and invention that
underpin the storyline throughout. Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison feature too,
allowing the reader a tantalising glimpse into the lives of two legends and a hint of
what it would mean to have actually met men of such brilliance.
But they are not the only historical figures worthy of mention. Ida Tarbell, the author
and investigative journalist, is a welcome addition, and the novel is packed with other
people from history, some distinguished, some good, and some quite the opposite. It
is as though the reader has a ringside seat for a breakneck journey through the
turbulent industrial developments of such a pivotal time in technology, with talk of
cars, trains, airplanes and helicopters. And the inventions and ideas of a man named
Henry Ford certainly sound like they might have potential!
Mark’s writing sets the scene for the reader through his choices of settings. The story
ranges over continents and countries, including a diverse mix of cities such as Paris,
New York, and Chicago, but also “old West” locations such as Kansas City and
Eureka. Each setting is well-described, whether the fashionable, daring woman
walking through the arcades of Paris, or the references to train stations and 19 th
century rawness that pervades the smaller towns of the USA.
“The solitary figure in the long coat walked quickly but silently through the back streets and
alleys. The night and the dark were his cohorts, his comfort. Here and there he caught
a glimpse of a shadow or a slight movement, but nothing that aroused him. The denizens of the moonlight lingered about, and seemed to emerge to watch him pass, as though watching a figure of notoriety or royalty. Three cats leapt on top of garbage cans and peered at him without hiss or growl.
From a grating across the way, two large wharf rats emerged and stood on their haunches to observe, as though rats and felines had a temporary truce while this mysterious figure strode through their domain. When he had passed, one of the cats leapt down and chased the rats back through the grate.”
The author’s choice of time period – the late 19 th century – is also the source of one
of the main points of tension in the novel – the rush to introduce electricity which
really will “kill the night”. Electricity has never seemed so fascinating, so fashionable,
so fought over. Any reader with even a passing love for scientific inventiveness will
be unable to avoid secretly geeking out over the many technical mentions – the
patents, the engines, the generators, the transformers, the copper wiring,
hydroelectricity… the list is wonderfully long and allows the science-minded reader to
indulge. A sly smile will inevitably appear on every reader’s face at Nikola Tesla
earnestly discussing the inefficiencies of the combustion engine – surely one of the
delights of reading a book with such a wealth of historical information, technology
and industry woven throughout the narrative.
The writing style is detailed and, while the book is fiction, each paragraph is packed
with information. As the story progresses the action becomes hectic, with train
journeys, surprising conversations and inventive competitiveness reaching a
crescendo.
“As the train squealed to a halt, Edison and the engineer stepped out onto life guards on the side
of the engine and leaned out.
Edison stared as he spoke. “Back to Kansas City.”
The engineer gawked. A hundred yards in front of them the tracks had been ripped up and bent
backward a hundred and eighty degrees, pointed directly at the engine.
Edison repeated his demand, shouting, “Back to Kansas City!””
“Kill the Night” involves several real-life historical figures, and each of their character
arcs largely remains true to their real life inventions, successes and personal values.
The structure of the book is also unique; the chapters are short and numerous which
may mean the reader needs to settle into the way the story is told. Because of the
extent of information included about each character, there is liberal use of first-
person thoughts for some. This approach can take the reader out of the story at first.
And then there is the fantasy element. Being mindful of the reviewer’s solemn duty to
avoid spoilers, it will suffice to record here that there is a surprising plot twist in “Kill
the Night”, which may astonish (or delight) the reader. Perhaps it is just as well that a
description is not required, as adequate adjectives are not to hand. The addition of
these fantasy elements and also the steampunk aspects takes Mark’s novel firmly
out of the realm of a conventional historical fiction novel, more historical fantasy.
Readers will be well advised that this storyline is the precise opposite of standard HF,
but it is its unconventionality that makes it so memorable, and a story that will linger
in the reader’s mind long after the scrolling stops.
As is asked in “Kill the Night”: “There are basically two types of people. People who
accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. Which are
you?” This is certainly a question to ponder after reading such a narrative that
emphasizes and celebrates historical invention, investigation, independent thought
and progress at every turn.
*****
“Kill the Night” by Terry Mark receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
To have your historical novel editorially reviewed and/or enter the HFC Book of the Year contest, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
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