Review | The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz (ARC)

A group of writers are selected to attend a writing retreat hosted by legendary author Roderick Wells. When they arrive at Wells’s secluded mansion, they are told of the prize: a large sum of cash, a writing contract and publishing connections afforded by Wells. Each writer has their own reasons to win the contest. But unbeknownst to them, they are selected for the retreat for more than just their writing abilities. They are also brought together for nefarious reasons only Wells knows, and he has plans for all of them. Plans that could mean the end of their lives.

“Storytellers have existed since the beginning of time. Even though society regards them as mere entertainers, their role is a sacred one. An essential one. And though they deal in fantasy, in fabrication, the essence of their power resides in truth. No one is more honest than the storyteller. No one has greater power.”

Let me start by saying I love stories about writers and writing in general! There is a meta aspect to it that’s appealing when done right. The Dark Game achieves that in a fun way, playing with different ideas of writers and stories. The ten writers in the story seem predictable on the surface but slowly, we learn more about them. Each writer has a secret in their past, and this is where the crux of the story lies. It’s in the way they interact with each other and with Roderick Wells, the mysterious figure who seems to have his own secret. It also determines how they react when their situation worsens.

The book is darker than I expected and I loved it. It’s not afraid to show the filth of human behaviour and the extremes of what people could do to each other. The characters aren’t all likeable which makes watching them die pretty entertaining (don’t judge me!). The ways they are removed from the story are creative too. Their conversations with each other during the readings every night is a highlight and I like how the dialogue flows. There are also snippets of the characters’ writings and I would have liked for more of that because that’s where their differences are most obvious.

I wish the dark side of Wells isn’t revealed as early as it is to one of the characters. There would have been more dread built up if we don’t know exactly who he is. I also thought the romance plot is too predictable, as well as the main characters being the two most attractive in the group. I would have preferred if the book had done something different because it was doing well with subverting character tropes before that.

The last third of the book is full of action which is super engaging. The power of stories is a theme throughout and it largely comes into play at the end. There’s also a thread about putting your demons to rest and letting go of your fears. The Dark Game is my first Jonathan Janz book but it will definitely not be my last.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from Flame Tree Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Jonathan Janz

Photo by Ján Jakub Naništa