The Children of Darkness is about a society devoid of technology, the result of an overreaction to a distant past where progress had overtaken humanity and led to social collapse. The solution—an enforced return to a simpler time. Three seekers search for the courage to fight the limits imposed by their leaders, along the way discovering their unique talents and purpose in life.
But what are we without dreams?”
A thousand years ago the Darkness came—a terrible time of violence, fear, and social collapse when technology ran rampant. But the vicars of the Temple of Light brought peace, ushering in an era of blessed simplicity. For ten centuries they have kept the madness at bay with “temple magic,” and by eliminating forever the rush of progress that nearly caused the destruction of everything.
Childhood friends, Orah and Nathaniel, have always lived in the tiny village of Little Pond, longing for more from life but unwilling to challenge the rigid status quo. When their friend Thomas returns from the Temple after his “teaching”—the secret coming-of-age ritual that binds young men and women eternally to the Light—they barely recognize the broken and brooding young man the boy has become. Then when Orah is summoned as well, Nathaniel follows in a foolhardy attempt to save her.
In the prisons of Temple City, they discover a terrible secret that launches the three on a journey to find the forbidden keep, placing their lives in jeopardy, for a truth from the past awaits that threatens the foundation of the Temple. If they reveal that truth, they might once again release the potential of their people.
Yet they would also incur the Temple’s wrath as it is written: “If there comes among you a prophet saying, ‘Let us return to the darkness,’ you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the Light.”
Excerpt
Orah had spent that afternoon with Nathaniel sitting on a log by the pond. The leaves in the surrounding forest had completed their autumn change, and stunning hues of red, yellow and orange reflected off the still water. She stared at the colors, struggling to find a way to convince him. After her fifth try, she stood and planted her hands on her hips.
“I forbid you to come,” she said.
“Since when are we in the habit of forbidding each other.”
“Since you’ve come of age and grown too bull-headed to take care of yourself.”
She’d been close with Nathaniel for as long as she could remember. Even as a small boy, he’d wondered what the world must be like beyond their tiny village, but now he was an adult and she on the threshold. She’d always been the mature one, bothered by his childish notions. Time to forego his fantasies and become more responsible.
Yet he resisted, stubborn as always. “What would you have me do, Orah? Cower in my father’s cottage.”
“Not cower but be less conspicuous when the vicar arrives.”
“Only one in three are taken.”
She bent low and pressed her palm to his cheek to force him to face her. “It’s not worth the risk. Have you forgotten the look of those who’ve been taught, the far off gaze, the dreams seemingly ripped away?”
He grasped her wrist and eased her hand aside. “What good are dreams if they stay unfulfilled?”
Professional Reviews
The Children of Darkness
As I flipped to the first page of David Litwack’s "The Children of Darkness," I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect such a riveting and enjoyable ride that gripped me from the very first page and held me captivated long after I completed the last page. Set a thousand years in the future, a group of three determined teenagers are quickly forced to leave their childhood behind as they begin a desperate race to uncover the truth. As Orah, Nathanial, and Thomas become closer to the Keep and the exciting secrets it contains, they also struggle to hide from the vicars and the danger that accompanies their mission. However, none of them expected what they would find and what they would be expected of them next.
"The Children of Darkness" has all of the elements of a great dystopian novel, from a controlling government figure with a warped sense of reality, a cult-like obsession with unique religious practices and beliefs, and strong character development of the three main characters as they make a quick transition from childhood to adulthood. By expertly intertwining all of these elements with a quick-paced plot and several interesting riddles, Litwack has created a novel that is sure to exceed the expectations of all dystopian fiction fans.
These novel has blown past all of my expectations and the characters lingered in my mind long after I completed the book. I look forward to the next portion of the Seekers trilogy, The Stuff of Stars¸ and I will certainly be exploring more works of this talented author.
A must read for lovers of dystopian fiction
This Dystopian fiction novel will captivate both Young Adult and Adult readers alike. David Litwack uses the story to examine how a theocracy works and how, over time, knowledge can be lost. He also examines the question of whether it is better to have free thought or whether safety and security is worth the loss of personal freedoms. This book will stay with the reader long after reading the final page.
This is the first book in "The Seekers" series. The second book, "The Stuff of Stars" is due for release in November 2015. I hate that I have to wait a few more months to read it, but I am glad it is set to be released soon.
This is a dystopian fiction epic set a thousand years in the future. Society is completely devoid of technology. Even simple things like maps have been banned and few people even know what the term means. The populace has returned to a simpler way of life. They refer to the time before as "The Darkness."
Everyone lives by the rules of "The Temple of Light." The belief is that the Vicars and The Temple keep the Darkness from returning by using "temple magic."
What is the truth? Well, you'll need to read THE CHILDREN OF DARKNESS to find out.
Orah, Nathaniel and Thomas have all been friends since childhood. All three live in the tiny community of Little Pond.
When Orah is sent to Temple City to receive a "teaching", Nathaniel decides to follow her and to attempt to save her from the horrors inflicted on those who receive "teachings."
Placed in a prison cell while awaiting the Vicar's decision as to what fate will befall both Orah and Nathaniel, a secret is revealed to Nathaniel. A secret so explosive that it has the potential to change the world forevermore.
Author David Litwack has created a world that is not only amazingly vivid, but is also written with stunning detail.
He has created an entirely new religion and has shown through his fiction that human beings possess the capacity for both great good and great evil.
The long ago past of this story sounds alarmingly like the reality of our current reality. He writes about wars being fought and atrocities committed in the name of religion. This brings to mind the current situation in the Middle East. There are many other similarities to modern times, but I will leave it to future readers to discover exactly what these are for themselves.
THE CHILDREN OF DARKNESS may be a fictional tale, but it is also clearly a warning. It does not preach to the reader, in fact it allows the reader to experience each discovery at the same time as Orah, Nathaniel and Thomas.
"The Children of Darkness" is the first book in "The Seekers" series as I mentioned earlier in this review. This book could have been spread out to become two separate parts of the series, but I liked the fact that the author chose to include so much of the series into a single volume. This book is allowed to come to a proper stopping place. It still leaves the reader wanting to read the next book right away, but the reader does not feel like the story ends abruptly.
I rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars and am very much looking forward to reading Book Two in "The Seekers" series.
Highly Recommended
The Children of Darkness, the first volume of David Litwack’s The Seekers series, is a classic quest story. Three young heroes embark upon a journey to uncover a secret that can save the world. Along the way they meet a wise guide and encounter daunting obstacles that test their courage and resolve. And they return very changed.
This YA novel follows the pattern, but it’s anything but run of the mill. The quality of its intelligence, imagination, and prose raises The Children of Darkness to the level of literature.
Orah, Nathaniel, and Thomas live in a theocracy. The Temple of Light came into existence a after a series of wars almost destroyed humankind, and for a millennium it has kept the peace. The Temple controls every aspect of peoples’ lives. The vicars of the Temple prescribe how many children a family may have, how people cook their food, what musical instruments they play, and, of course, what they’re allowed to think. The rules are enforced by bands of deacons and by “teaching” the young in a process that amounts to torture.
A vicar comes to the village of Little Pond and selects Thomas for a teaching. When he returns, he avoids Nathaniel and Orah because the vicars have forced him to betray his childhood friends. Next Orah is taken for teaching. Nathaniel follows her and the vicar to Temple City and offers to take her place. While he awaits the vicars’ decision in a dungeon, the old man in the adjacent cell tells him of the Keepers, a secret group who through the centuries have passed down coded directions to the Keep, a hidden place where the wonders of the ancient world are preserved. Everything forbidden by the Temple is there.
The old man appoints Nathaniel a Seeker, charged with finding the Keep, and gives him the first part of the code along with clues to the location and identity of the next Keeper. After Nathaniel returns to Little Pond, he and his friends set out to find the Keep.
At first their quest appears altogether noble and right. The Temple of Light is oppressive, cruel, and anti-intellectual. As the wise man explains to them, the aim of teaching is to extinguish the fire in human beings — the spirit that drives individuals to dream and achieve and aspire to greatness. Teaching almost destroys Thomas. But a thousand years ago, humankind almost destroyed itself and the world with the magic in the Keep. For all its shortcomings, the Temple makes it possible for human beings to live in harmony among themselves and with nature. The quest might open Pandora’s Box.
Litwack avoids the usual tropes of YA fantasy. There’s no simpleminded battle between good and evil, no sexual jealousy and tension between friends, and no adolescent bickering. The friends argue about things that matter — how they can best survive, whether the quest is worth the cost.
In The Children of Darkness Litwack has created a fully realized and altogether believable world. The characters, including the functionaries of the Temple, are complex and sympathetic. The conclusion is unexpected yet feels altogether right. Everything is set for the next volume of the series, which I very much look forward to reading.
Highly recommended.
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Reviews for "The Children of Darkness"
Reviewed by Maureen Sobel
12/12/2017
The story has a believable momentum and character development that held my attention throughout the story. A world where technology and the advancement of civilization is taken over by a restrictive religion is believable and the fact that young people start and lead a rebellion shows the indomitable spirit inherent in humanity. The practicality of the narrative was a bit unbelievable but not to detract from the story.
Suite 16 is a collection of sixteen sci-fi/paranormal novellas and the book represents author Jay Dubya's 38th published work, presented in hardcover, in paperback and in Kindle and Nook e-book formats.
