The Darkness In The Woods - Kasey Hill, and Elias Raven 5/5 stars
I received a copy of The Darkness In The Woods in exchange for an honest review
The Darkness In The Woods is the sort of horror novel that doesn't tread a lot of new ground, but works amazingly well for what it is. We've read stories like this before, and we know exactly what to expect, but sometimes, the best horror comes from the familiar. I know exactly what you're thinking. if it's unoriginal why are you giving it five stars? I'm glad you asked and I was going to tell you anyway. It's an occult/paranormal novel, and it's set up pretty well. You have a great back story that ties everything together, and let's be honest, if you have a story set in the woods with any sort of family drama ending in tragedy, shenanigans always ensue.
What starts off as simple little horror novel twists itself into something creepy, and let's be honest here and admit that the characters don't really matter in a novel like this. They are there for one reason, and one reason only. To keep the plot moving. The faster it moves, the less we care about them. We have campers there to let us know when bad things are about to happen. They do this job well. When things go sideways they act accordingly, and I expect them to. Believe me when I say things do go sideways thanks to Gavin and his decision to read from an old spell book. What I love is how it all unfolds. We know how it's all going to end, but the fun is getting there. A great horror novel doesn't try and pretend to be something it's not. It takes all of its influences and blends them together to create something exciting.
The reason I gave this as many stars as I did is simple. It's a great horror novella that adds so much into its small page count. With Darkness, it's all about atmosphere, and using what you can't see to scare you. As a horror writer myself, I enjoy talented authors, and that's what we're dealing with here. These are people that know how to structure a story so that it slowly builds tension until the final moments of the book. Getting to the finish line is what matters, and it doesn't matter how many times we've read this type of story. If it keeps you turning pages, that's what matters most. Effective horror doesn't care about creating something you haven't read before. It's more about taking what's around and using what works, and discarding what doesn't. This is a novella that makes horror fans, and keeps the genre alive. I had a blast reading this one and I hope these two collaborate again in the future.
I received a copy of The Darkness In The Woods in exchange for an honest review
The Darkness In The Woods is the sort of horror novel that doesn't tread a lot of new ground, but works amazingly well for what it is. We've read stories like this before, and we know exactly what to expect, but sometimes, the best horror comes from the familiar. I know exactly what you're thinking. if it's unoriginal why are you giving it five stars? I'm glad you asked and I was going to tell you anyway. It's an occult/paranormal novel, and it's set up pretty well. You have a great back story that ties everything together, and let's be honest, if you have a story set in the woods with any sort of family drama ending in tragedy, shenanigans always ensue.
What starts off as simple little horror novel twists itself into something creepy, and let's be honest here and admit that the characters don't really matter in a novel like this. They are there for one reason, and one reason only. To keep the plot moving. The faster it moves, the less we care about them. We have campers there to let us know when bad things are about to happen. They do this job well. When things go sideways they act accordingly, and I expect them to. Believe me when I say things do go sideways thanks to Gavin and his decision to read from an old spell book. What I love is how it all unfolds. We know how it's all going to end, but the fun is getting there. A great horror novel doesn't try and pretend to be something it's not. It takes all of its influences and blends them together to create something exciting.
The reason I gave this as many stars as I did is simple. It's a great horror novella that adds so much into its small page count. With Darkness, it's all about atmosphere, and using what you can't see to scare you. As a horror writer myself, I enjoy talented authors, and that's what we're dealing with here. These are people that know how to structure a story so that it slowly builds tension until the final moments of the book. Getting to the finish line is what matters, and it doesn't matter how many times we've read this type of story. If it keeps you turning pages, that's what matters most. Effective horror doesn't care about creating something you haven't read before. It's more about taking what's around and using what works, and discarding what doesn't. This is a novella that makes horror fans, and keeps the genre alive. I had a blast reading this one and I hope these two collaborate again in the future.
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