Book Review: The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes
The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned at the end of the world, it’s that hope is stronger than despair.”
The Nightmare Virus is exactly the kind of book I’ve been hungering for without being able to describe. This is fast-paced, high octane dystopian science-fantasy with incredibly high stakes and some captivating allegorical themes. The writing flowed wonderfully, there was a ton of believable character development, and the faith element mattered deeply to the plot. The story itself was fantastic and, while I could draw some comparisons to other stories I’ve loved, it also felt wholly unique. It felt familiar and true while still being a story unlike any other I’ve experienced. I loved everything about it.
Cain Cross is running out of time. He and his brother, Nole, have been working tirelessly on a cure for the Nightmare Virus—a mutation of the dream serum that took the world by storm. This serum, which originally promised such beauty to the world, is now consuming everyone on the planet. Those infected find themselves taken by a nightmarish mist and trapped in a dark, tarry nightmare tunnel for an hour on their first day. The nightmare keeps them for another hour each day, until they reach day 22, after which they never wake. Nole is taken by the nightmare, leaving Cain alone to finish their work, their chase for the cure.
When Cain becomes infected, he manages to escape the dark tunnel and finds himself in a whole new world: Tenebra, the Nightmare realm. In order to become a citizen of Tenebra, Cain must survive the gladiatorial games within the massive coliseum. From here, things shift. We see the hidden war raging through Tenebra, that of light seeking to push back the darkness, and darkness straining to consume all light. For there are others in Tenebra, those who are not bound by the same rules. When Cain finds himself caught in the between the two powers, he will have to choose which side will have his allegiance. But his time is running out in the real world, as he nears his final waking days before the Virus claims him completely, so he will have to make his decision fast.
Emotions reign in this world. Those who make it out of the tunnels are quickly categorized; most people are Fears, but Cain is one of the rare Angers. His rage fuels him, and enables him to shape nightmist, the substance of Tenebra. Cain has to fight to find a balance between controlling his anger and using it. Another important struggle he faces is a desperate thirst for light. The way his infection with the Virus has affected him, he can no longer experience sunlight in the real world. And there is no sunlight in Tenebra. The knowledge that it’s missing contributes to the hunger for it. This physical representation of the difference between light and darkness, and our hunger for light when there is none to be found, highlights the war between hope and desperation. Because, while the nightmare world had no sun, Light still found its way in. And though the tone of the nightmare realm was one of desperation, hope could not be completely eradicated. There are other great themes here, as well, like discourse over society’s desensitization to violence, an exploration of the different ways we grieve and how important it is to have others who grieve with you, the importance of fighting for the good of others and facing the consequences of your own poor choices. This is a meaty story that doesn’t depend on adrenaline alone, though it has that in spades.
Early on, I found the story a bit reminiscent of Ready Player One: there is a technological advancement that quickly addicts the world to a particular method of escapism, which suddenly twists into that same world’s downfall. I was also reminded of Inception and Gladiator, for obvious reasons. There were pop culture references that made me happy, touching on Zelda and Harry Potter, Doctor Who and The Princess Bride. This even felt a bit like a LitRPG. But the actual plot of the book felt incredibly original. This insidious virus, paired with the battle between the Emperor of Tenebra and the Spores he could not tame, made for an incredibly layered and fast-paced story. I found Cain sympathetic if exasperating in the beginning, and I loved witnessing his growth. The world building was excellent; Brandes rendered her nightmare-scape and the Light piercing through it in ways that were so easy to visualize and believe, despite their fantastical roots.
All of these elements, paired with the clever and intentional weaving of faith into all of them, made for a brilliant story. There were so many layers to the religious subtext, so many nods to Scripture and Christian history. And I really respect how much faith mattered to the story. It was integral to the plot. Some stories are Christian because the author found a way to work Christ in. This story is Christian because it couldn’t exist without Him. Faith was both the backbone and the nerve system of this book, supporting it and running through every inch of it. I was so inspired by how Brandes exemplified the messages of The Nightmare Virus through her own crafting of it: she was truly creating with her Creator.
I truly loved everything about The Nightmare Virus. Full stop. No notes. Brandes immediately captivated me with her writing and her world, and I’m excited to read more from her. This is a story that the world desperately needs, and one I’m so glad to have read.
You can order this book from: Blackwell’s | Bookshop.org (Support independent bookstores!) | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Audible | Libro.fm (Another way to support independent bookstores!)