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Michael David Ares

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Dayfall: A Novel Paperback – March 31, 2020

by Michael David Ares (Author)

3.7 22 ratings

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Michael David Ares' Dayfall is a dark, twisting, neo-noir thriller set on an earth where the sun is rising again for the first time in decades..

FEAR THE DAY

In the near future, patches of the northern hemisphere have been shrouded in years of darkness from a nuclear winter, and the water level has risen in the North Atlantic. The island of Manhattan has lost its outer edges to flooding and is now ringed by a large seawall.

The darkness and isolation have allowed crime and sin to thrive in the never-ending shadows of the once great city, and when the sun finally begins to reappear, everything gets worse. A serial killer cuts a bloody swath across the city during the initial periods of daylight, and a violent panic sweeps through crowds on the streets. The Manhattan police, riddled with corruption and apathy, are at a loss.

That's when the Mayor recruits Jon Phillips, a small-town Pennsylvania cop who had just single-handedly stopped a high-profile serial killer in his own area, and flies him into the insanity of this new New York City. The young detective is partnered with a shady older cop and begins to investigate the crimes amidst the vagaries of a twenty-four hour nightlife he has never experienced before.

Soon realizing that he was chosen for reasons other than what he was told, Jon is left with no one to trust and forced to go on the run in the dark streets, and below them in the maze of the underground. Against all odds he still hopes that he can save his own life, the woman of his dreams, and maybe even the whole city before the arrival of the mysterious and dreaded event that has come to be known as…DAYFALL.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Tor Science Fiction
Publication date

March 31, 2020
Dimensions

4 x 0.75 x 6.75 inches
ISBN-10

1250208521
ISBN-13

978-1250208521
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The pacing and suspense will keep readers up long into the endless night." ―Booklist

"Writers have been trying for years to mash up the thriller and dystopic genres, with varying results, but nobody has done it better than Michael Ares in his stunning novel DAYFALL. This is a deeply entertaining book. I'm looking forward to more from the talented Mr. Ares." ―K. W. Jeter, bestselling author of Farewell Horizontal and The Kingdom of Shadows

"Dayfall delivers, big-time. Michael Ares’ careful imagining of a post-apocalyptic world where people still kill and detectives need to stop them, makes for perfect edge-of-your-seat reading." ―Matthew Costello, bestselling author of Star Road

"New York City has literally been transformed, and one detective is in the middle of it all. Michael David Ares has created a world that brings Blade Runner to mind, and although the plot will have your spine tingling, it is the detective in this one that will have fans lining up to see what comes next. Dayfall is strong, intense and beyond memorable." ―Amy Lignor, bestselling Author of the Tallent & Lowery series

About the Author

Michael David Ares is an entrepreneur and educator who has started four community service businesses while writing and editing books for other people on the side. He is now a full-time author, and lives with his family in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Michael is the author of Dayfall.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Science Fiction (March 31, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250208521
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250208521
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4 x 0.75 x 6.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #6,097,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #18,290 in Serial Killer Thrillers
- #33,244 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Books)
- #34,869 in Supernatural Thrillers (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.7 22 ratings

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Michael David Ares

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MICHAEL DAVID ARES is an entrepreneur and educator who started four community service businesses while writing and editing books for other people on the side. He is now a full-time author, and lives with his family in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Dave (that’s the name he answers to) has always loved noir fiction, especially the Philip Marlowe books by Raymond Chandler, and has had a lot of experience with the dark side of our nature. Many years of community service, the challenges of raising seven children, and his own miserable failures have left him with a pessimistic view of humanity (apart from Divine intervention, that is). He has also enjoyed science fiction with a psychological bent, like the works of Alfred Bester and Philip K. Dick, so it’s no surprise that a neo-noir novel with sci-fi elements would come out of him (see Dayfall).

Among other projects, Dave is currently plotting the planned sequels to Dayfall, which will be set in London, Paris, Berlin, and Moscow, as the sunlight returns to those cities for the first time.

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5

22 global ratings

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Richard Hutton

Dayfall sums up all the things I like about this writer

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2018

Verified Purchase

I have read Michael David Ares books in the past and have been very impressed with his story telling and writing style. Dayfall sums up all the things I like about this writer. This is a fast paced thriller with multiple layers of mystery and intrigue. It is a great read under 300 pages. The characters are well defined without being over explained. The story line rides on the edge of true science in the not to distant future where you, as a reader, believe these things could really happen! The book lights up the minds-eye to a futuristic New York city crippled by a nuclear fallout and the human condition. From this darkness, an ordinary guy (Jon Phillips) is tasked with saving the city within 48 hours. Can he do it?
I recommend this book to anyone who would like to experience a quick and entertaining metal escape throughout New York to see how the light will overcome the darkness.

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Wendell

Flashes of greatness but not enough of them

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2018

Dayfall takes place in the near future after a nuclear event has plunged much of the northeastern United States into a perpetual nuclear winter. Naturally, eternal night has changed nearly every aspect of life in the huge metropolis of New York City, resulting in a nightlife which never ends and a crime rate that never stops rising.

Enter small town cop Jon Phillips. This idealistic guy has always dreamed of being a big city detective, hunting down criminals, and generally being a hero. Finally, he gets his chance when Mayor Rialle King of New York reaches out to him helping to hunt down about a serial killer who is stalking the shrouded streets of the Big Apple.

Soon, Phillips is paired up with an experienced and (supposedly) uncorrupted veteran cop named Frank Halliday. The two attempting to navigate the political environment (A mayoral election is ongoing, and a millionaire is gunning for King’s job.), rise above the law enforcement corruption, navigate the criminal underbelly, sidestep the fearmongering groups worried about the coming of “Dayfall”, and somehow, someway, catch the worse serial killer ever to haunt the streets of New York before everything comes crashing down.

After writing the above summary I have to admit Dayfall sounds like a damn good novel. A story concept which appears to be tailor made for speculative fiction, because what reader can resist a murder mystery set in a post-apocalyptic real world. At least, I couldn’t resist it. Unfortunately, the finished product left a bit to be desired.

First, this is the author’s debut novel, and it does show. The writing just a bit off at times, a bit clunky, a little too minimalistic. The characters were too one dimensional. The dialogue a bit flat. The plot twists a little too easy to guess. And while Michael David Ares definitely has talent, amazing ideas, and shows flashes of greatness, he isn’t quite there yet.

Second, the world building isn’t to the level necessary for this kind of speculative fiction tale. Yes, the murder mystery, serial killer plot is the focus of the book, but I for one looked forward to seeing the world. The idea of a darkness shrouded New York with soaring crime and perpetual nightlife intrigued me. I imagined a lot of real differences between the city I’ve visited a few times and a post-nuclear event Big Apple. Regrettably, the author doesn’t spend much time developing the environment. Certainly, there are a few moments here and there, which are truly great, but there are not enough of these moments, not enough differences between real life NYC and Dayfall NYC to really capture my imagination.

To sum up, this is an okay novel. It is a quick read, has a good bit of action and intrigue, a lot of mystery, and is very easy to follow and enjoy. If you are a fan of murder mystery told in future settings, Dayfall will probably be right up your alley, as long as you don’t expect too much from it or anticipate anything other than a light, entertaining read.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone

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Julia

? Sequel planned

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2018

Verified Purchase

Well paced and sets itself up for a sequel.
I like his dsecription of the action in the city.

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Brian

A Mystery with a Post-Apocalyptic Backdrop

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2018

2.75 out of 5 stars

There were a few things in Dayfall that I loved and some things that I did not like at all. Ares has a “no BS” way of writing. Things happen and they happen for a reason – but we aren’t given a ton of detail on why and even sometimes when.

The biggest thing that drew me to this book was the world. Sadly, Ares didn’t do a good job building up the world too much. There was maybe a page or so in the book that explained what caused the 24-hour darkness over certain areas of the US. I don’t know why he didn’t feel the need to go into more detail around it – but in my head, if I was writing a genre-bending book like Dayfall – I would give each genre a fair shot. This is a mystery book with a post-apocalyptic backdrop. I really wanted it to be a mystery book that had post-apocalyptic parts to it.

The action scenes were well done and easily some of my favorite parts of this book. Ares wrote them in a way that you knew exactly what was going on and followed it from beginning to end. A lot of them had that Bourne-movie feel where you weren’t sure how it was going to end but you knew you had to watch/read each fight.

Overall, Dayfall hits and misses. It’s kinda a bummer for me. The book showed such great premise but fell through on execution.

The irony is that Ares could build on how this book ended and have a really interesting Post-Apocalyptic world. Even if he wanted to keep up the mystery genre – the world is interesting and I want to read more inside it.

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