Chapters
The Block Runaway Blues: The Completion The Lion at the Gate: Gloria I’m Not Ted: Final Course The Copy Shop Dust Butterfly Island: The Block Runaway Blues
This year’s best horror book is A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor. This collection of 11 short stories is sure to keep you up at night with its dark and sinister themes. ..
The stories here are set in a variety of different locations and times, and while they all share a common goal - to scare the crap out of their readers - they each have their own unique feel and tone. Some are dark and suspenseful, others light and fun, but all are well-written and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The author has crafted a storyteller’s masterpiece, with each tale being a unique and exciting read. The writing is crisp and clear, making for an easy read that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.
Thematically, the stories are all about the power of love and how it can change everything. In “The Love story of Henry VIII”, a man who has been hurt by love finds redemption through the power of his own heart. In “The story of Alice”, a young girl is forced to confront her fear of death in order to save her brother. And in “The story of Jane Austen”, a woman must come to terms with the fact that she may have been too busy living in society’s expectations to find true love. Each story is full of heart-wrenching moments and powerful messages about the importance of finding your own happiness.
The start of this novel is interestingly twisted, with a cruise liner that’s not for the fainthearted. The story dips and weaves through a series of twisted and chilling stories, with everything from an abandoned block of flats and creepy hotels through to a “Fat man” who sings the Blues. All of this is then rounded out with the final tale, Butterfly Island, that finishes proceedings on a high.
Thematically, C.J. Tudor’s novel is rich and full of themes that explore the human condition. Each character is well-drawn and the author manages to create believable characters out of every one of them.
Tudor reflects on the state of the world and her own mindset during a viral outbreak. ..
Each story in the anthology is preceded by a foreword that explains what inspired the author to write about this specific story. This small addition makes each story feel both meaningful and purposeful. ..
This anthology of spooky tales is a great way to get your fix of horror without having to go out and spend money on tickets. Each story is well written and has its own unique feel, making it all the more enjoyable to read. I particularly enjoyed the opening story, which had a definite Bioshock/Fallout vibe to it. The tale was well written and left me itching to know more.
The Sliver of Darkness is a great collection of stories that are definitely worth reading. To even give a synopsis to every story would be a disservice to the great work that Tudor has done here. While not every story shines quite so brightly as the next, this is a worthwhile collection of tales that are absolutely worth reading.
