I think it’s fair to say I’m a huge fan of Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces Quartet. Her latest outing Dark Waters representing the season of summer, doesn’t let down with the scares and sets up for a very interesting finale set in spring. I can’t wait to see how Arden makes spring creepy but I wasn’t there is some precedent for creepy summer stuff but I don’t know anything creepy spring, anyway I’m looking forward to it immensely.

Dark Waters Summary

Until next time. That was chilling promise made to Ollie, Coco and Brian after they outsmarted the smiling man at Mount Hemlock Resort. And as the trio knows, the smiling man always keeps his promises. So when the lights flicker on and off at Brian’s family’s inn and a boom sounds at the door, there’s just one visitor it could be. Only, there’s no one there, just a cryptic note left outside signed simply as —S.

The smiling man loves his games and it seems a new one is afoot. But first, the three friends will have to survive a group trip to Lake Champlain where it’s said Vermont’s very own Loch Ness monster lives. When they’re left shipwrecked on an island haunted by a monster on both land and sea, Brian’s survival instincts kick in and it’s up to him to help everyone work together and find a way to escape.

One thing is for sure, the smiling man is back and he wants a rematch. And this time Brian is ready to play.

Review

The group’s relationship with the Smiling Man is evolving, which isn’t good for Brian, Coco, and Ollie. The first two books were direct monster encounters in this book they had to avoid the monster and then get a few messages from helpful ghosts to save them. Also the Captain and the man on the island, tears right here. They were working in a situation where the Smiling Man had all the advantages and I fear that the finale book will be a lot like this as well. Smiling Man with the upper hand, the group having to fight against bad odds so great for reading but not great for my anxiety. Dark Waters was wonderful and scary and suspenseful in a way that I couldn’t see the end all the things you need for great horror/mystery.

Amazon: Dark Waters