Firefly Rain

Read it years ago. I STILL remember everything. It is an amazingly written book. I recommend it to everyone.

I enjoyed the heck out of this book. It's an excellent ghoststory thriller that kept my attention from first to last. Great atmosphere, too. Fans of Southern gothic books should enjoy this one. I'm certainly looking forward to Dansky's next novel!

Firefly Rain, by Richard Dansky, is the story of a man who flees his small town past and returns years later, after the death of his parents, to settle the estate. Except that his parents haven't quite left. In fact, the only thing that won't approach the land are the fireflies, which supposedly guide angels from heaven down to take the souls of the departed. Welcome to southern gothic. Welcome to a good old fashioned, country ghost story! There are recurring themes throughout this wonderful novel; honoring the past, keeping promises and accepting that who you are might not necessarily coincide what everyone else wants you (or needs you) to be. Mr. Dansky is a master of evoking mood and setting. There is no doubt whatsoever that this is the grand old South. Maryfield, North Carolina to be precise. Thick, afternoon thunderclouds rolling by, depositing torrents of rain and lightning. The beauty of the story, and specifically Mr. Dansky's prose, is the fact that the longer the main character stays in this town, the more southern the actual writing becomes. While the character begins drawling and speaking more formally, the descriptions become more earthy, the feel of the story takes on a heaviness, like a humid afternoon and you, the reader, know that there will be a final reckoning...there must be. This is "southern gothic" writing at its finest, most astute. The characters are richly portrayed, the town is lovingly described and the mystery of what is really happening slowly, dreadfully, unravels. And let's not forget the monsters, ghosts and terrors behind every door, every kind word, every glance and every promise waiting to be kept. There is some romance in the book, but most of it comes in the form of the narrator and his remembrance of his childhood in the little town. From vanilla sodas to Sunday bible school, his stroll down memory lane reminds us all of what we, as adults, leave behind. The end is both shocking and, strangely, a relief, must like the passing of a summer storm. It leaves behind a sense of satisfaction for both the characters and the story itself. It answers the questions first proposed to us early on. It does what any good novel should do...it satisfies on multiple levels. The entire novel, for that matter, satisfies on multiple levels. You can't ask an author for anything more than that...and Mr. Dansky delivers this in spades. For a wonderully satisfying read, you can't do much better than Firefly Rain.

In Firefly Rain, Richard Dansky tells a supernatural tale of going home and realizing that maybe you should have given your past a little more consideration. Firefly Rain is an engaging story that lures you with its fluid pace like an angler fish, and spits you out all too soon wishing you hadn't read it so fast! But then again, like all good books you realize you've had a really good time and that you're still thinking about it later on. As for me, I called my mom and I'll be keeping my eyes pealed for the fireflies in future! If you're not getting the reference, I'm sure you will once you read Firefly Rain.

I've been a fan of Rich Dansky's for some time. I've read his work in Wraith, Dark Ages and Mind's Eye Theatre products. So I was looking forwad to a new ghost story from the guy that made Wraith so entertaining. This new book is from the "Discoveries" imprint at Wizards of the Coast, an outfit I expect great things from. Firefly Rain is a creepy tale that you won't want to put down. Great storytelling and interesting characters make this a book I'll gladly recommend to anyone looking for a "new" favorite author.

In Firefly Rain, Richard Dansky brings the reader into a well-woven Southern Gothic (or as the author calls it 'Snowbird Gothic') tale of homecomings, loss, and the need for closure. He creates an unmistakable sense of dread from the opening scene, one that fuels the need to keep reading and uncover the full scope of the story. Dansky's rural North Carolina farming community is believable as well, almost a character unto itself. He fills it with the glimpses of back-story and relationship that take the town beyond simple setting and turn it into a real, believable place. Richard Dansky's first original novel highlights the author's many strengths - crisp, concise storytelling; solid characters and tight, believable dialog. I look forward to seeing more of his talent in the future.