Reviews

This story was good, especially for a first book from this author. I will say that it had a ton of action, and there weren't many dull moments. Unfortunately that made the whole book a little difficult to read, because there weren't lulls or moments where there was worldbuilding/plot setup. It was occasionally difficult to tell if you were reading the climax of the book because there were several moments when it felt like this could be the high point of the book. Other than that though, I did enjoy it and it is a good read if you like some mythology/religious themes in a book.

rebecca_jane_campbell's review against another edition

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1.0

DNF at 30%
I love the idea behind this book and was really keen to enjoy it. I read for much longer than I should have, waiting for it to turn around.
The first chapter was cool, but then things moved left at a breakneck speed. I was really looking forward to the combination of an FBI procedural with the fantasy aspects, but almost immediately any focus at all on the police/serial killer/crime solving are dropped, the mystery is completely revealed, and we descend into one 'high stakes' fight scene after another. Except, there never seems to be any real threat, and I also have no warm feelings towards any of the main characters.
The MC appears to be a failed academic with a chip on his shoulder, issues with his parents, and a strange interest in jousting. The 'nightmare' is a classic 'spunky' (but pretty disagreeable) independent woman who throws away all of these personality traits when she turns into a horse and allows a random man to ride her around, caressing her mane and yanking on a curb bit hard enough to wound her. We all just kind of forget she's also a human as soon as she turns into a horse - why would she need a bridle? Even as an avid equestrian, there was an unnecessary amount of equestrian terminology shoehorned into the text which most readers would probably not love.
I wish I had enjoyed this because the concept is a cool one.

kevinscorner's review against another edition

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3.5

Forging a Nightmare follows Michael Childs, an FBI agent with a secret heritage (even to him), who becomes embroiled in a mystery that threatens to spill out all the hidden secrets as he takes up the mantle of one of the Four Horsemen. Alongside him is Anaba Raines, an ex-marine with a serious chip on her shoulder, who serves as a Nightmare of Hell, a shape-shifting war-horse. Forging a Nightmare is a Black-led urban fantasy mixing Biblical lore and mythology.

Tagged as an FBI agent investigating a serial killer, I was expecting a more traditional police procedural/mystery with fantasy elements. What I got instead was an urban fantasy horror with world ending implications for Heaven and Hell and the humans (and non-humans) trapped in between. It delivers page after page of action-packed sequences of cinematic spectacle. If that sounds good to you, this book may be right up your alley.

However, I found the book to be too fast-paced with one crisis after another that made it difficult to follow along and get to know any of the characters well. The characters all spoke with the same “voice”, delivering quippy one liners and snarky comments. I liked Michael, but Anaba was just such an abrasive character. I wanted the book to lean into the mystery more, but the author chose to reveal the villain (and the motivations) really early (to its detriment in my opinion).

On a side note, there was also a deeply unsettling implications about consent and appropriateness of Michael riding a horse who is also human (and potential romantic partner) and forcing his will upon her. This just bothered me.

I received a copy of this book as part of a book tour in exchange for a post and review.

rouxellereads's review against another edition

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I really just wasn’t interested in the detective stuff and I didn’t really like the voice of Michael. Everything else was fine

mahaliathenerd's review against another edition

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2.0

This had too much going on to follow, and I thought it would be more about the serial killer but it wasn't.alrhough this isn't a bad novel it just wasn't what I had expected when read the synopsis. With Angels, serial killers, a grumpy detective, and dark atmosphere.

leeleet's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I thought this was so interesting. The world building and the mix of mythology was something I don’t think I’ve seen before. Some it didn’t quite fit together but it was an interesting premise. I do have a few gripes, like the romance. I didn’t really see the chemistry, to me they seemed more like friends and when they started kissing it seemed a little abrupt. Also, Michael’s character was a little inconsistent. I liked him but at times he seemed really callous and uncaring of the plight of the Nephilim. Anaba was great and badass but her romantic feelings for Michael came out of nowhere to my eyes. The fight scenes were cool and it’s refreshing to read a fantasy book about people with wings and have it be an action fantasy and not a smutty romance. Things moved almost to quickly and I really wish there would have been a bit more mystery in who the bad guy was and the motivations. It’s a debut novel with an interesting world and I hope it gets better.

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