Rating: 
Summary: Decent, but with serious flaws.
Review: This is not a "cook-book" of rituals and spells, but a limited study of what makes up the "dark" aspects of Paganism and spirituality. Several of the chapters read like lectures--and if you object to being lectured by an author, give this book a pass.The good: The author gives frank warnings of the pitfalls of "Darksider" practices, warning of the unstable types that exist in every group. Coughlin also gets credit for dealing with the subject of Satanism in a reasoned, mature manner, without judging. He is also up front in stating that since his focus is on the "dark" portions of the text may read as dismissive of "Light Paganism" and its benefits. It's refreshing to see an author's prejudices set out from the beginning, instead of hidden behind flowery prose. Coughlin spends some time on "Dark Deities", using his own categories. He spends the most time on deities he's personally familiar with. Perhaps the most useful portion of the book deals with the Jungian concept of the Shadow, and the dangers of "overindulging" in dark-questing. He provides some techniques for engaging the Shadow, in order to bring it into alignment with the Self. The bad: Coughlin continually refers to other chapters, even those coming later in the book. This is rather jarring. He employs a subtle social Darwinism in his writing, "not all are created equal." Yet for all his talk of balance, he makes no mention of compassion and learning to live with others who are different. He seems to take the approach that those who are "different" whether "Darksiders" or "Light" are better off living in a segregated world instead of learning how to work together. This is not a message I believe a Pagan seeking "Balance" should endorse. Secondly, Coughlin has no stated psychiatric credentials, so please take his words on mental conditions as *opinion*, not fact. Some of his theories can be very dangerous if misapplied, and do nothing to promote understanding for those suffering. While the Jungian portions are the best part...it's also entirely possible to obtain Jung's own works in any decent library, and read his theories. I would consider this book a third-level resource, to supplement other material, rather than a primary source.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book that will get you thinking
Review: What I like about this book is the author's upfront honesty. this is a book about magickal theory and exploring your dark side. The author never sets out to do a book that's focused on practice. He wants you to critically think and explore the concepts that he touches on, but in a manner that I believe gives a lot of respect to the reader.
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