Post-apocalyptic fiction has been done. Many, many times. Usually when I see a new title come out, I tend to groan, but still begrudgingly give it a shot. Sometimes it is worth it. Other times, it is not.

When I saw that Ronald Malfi, one of my favorite authors, was doing one, I was intrigued. He had impressed many times in the past, but I was curious as to his take on the genre. What fresh new things would he bring to it?

The magic of Malfi books is that he is able to get right down to the heart of the characters; he shows them from the heart, who they really are, and breathes life into them in such a way that most authors can only dream of. A post-apocalyptic book by him isn’t a wide-ranging tale of a cast of characters fighting to survive…it’s a small story, that takes on big implications.

That’s exactly what The Night Parade is; though the story is wide ranging, at its core, it’s about David Arlen wanting to keep his daughter Ellie safe. He will do whatever it takes to keep her away from harm, for better or for worse.

On top of that, Ellie is…different. Ellie may hold the key to stopping the madness. Or perhaps, not? Perhaps the forces pursing them need her for other nefarious purposes. However, it doesn’t matter to David, because he will fight to keep her away from them, and the horrors of the world in decline around them.

Wanderer’s Folly, the disease in the book that is wracking havoc on the world, is quite different than the rest. It affects the mind, causing paranoia and hallucinations. There are no zombies here…just humans stuck in a grip of fevered madness. Though no explanation is given, I feel that is for the best. When the Folly strikes, you don’t know how someone will react. Even those unaffected by it tend to make bad choices in this world that Malfi creates, showing that you can’t always trust the healthy folks, either.

Ellie is painted as a typical 8-year-old, in such a way that Malfi understands their mind better than most. Her actions, and reactions, are perfectly suited for her character, especially when she learns a truth that her father has kept from her. On top of that, David is an incredibly sympathetic character, a desperate man whose actions may not be the best, but are done out of love.

Overall, this is a wonderfully depressing novel, but in the best way possible. Malfi continues to astound with fantastic stories and his realistic characters. If you’re looking for something that isn’t your typical end of the world tale, The Night Parade is definitely for you.