REVIEW
and EXCERPT
Darker Places
by Shaun
Allan
Shaun Allan's Darker Places has just been released and is currently on tour with Indie Minions. The tour stops here today
for my review and an excerpt. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
What if you could steal the final moments from the dying? What if you had
the darkest secret, but couldn’t think what it might be? What if you entered
the forest in the deep of the night. Who is the melting man? And are your
neighbours really whom they appear to be?
So many questions.
To find the answers, you must enter a darker place. Thirteen stories.
Thirteen poems. Thirteen more doorways.
Excerpt
Words
“See you
later”
“Bye”
“Love you”
A response,
silently whispered
my mind filling in,
what my mouth forgot to utter.
I mentally answered,
not thinking
the silent words would not carry,
her ears would not hear
But I hoped her heart would.
I hoped her heart would
snatch the thoughts,
hold them close,
keep them safe.
I should have said it.
I should have told her,
a casual, automatic reply
“Love you too”
its habitual use,
not detracting from,
its constant worth.
I should have said,
a hiccup of the heart,
a cardiac fart,
a chance interruption.
Biding its time,
waiting to strike.
Waiting for me to forget,
to rush
“See you later,” she said.
“Bye,” I replied.
“Love you,” she said.
But later, I died.
“Bye”
“Love you”
A response,
silently whispered
my mind filling in,
what my mouth forgot to utter.
I mentally answered,
not thinking
the silent words would not carry,
her ears would not hear
But I hoped her heart would.
I hoped her heart would
snatch the thoughts,
hold them close,
keep them safe.
I should have said it.
I should have told her,
a casual, automatic reply
“Love you too”
its habitual use,
not detracting from,
its constant worth.
I should have said,
a hiccup of the heart,
a cardiac fart,
a chance interruption.
Biding its time,
waiting to strike.
Waiting for me to forget,
to rush
“See you later,” she said.
“Bye,” I replied.
“Love you,” she said.
But later, I died.
Read the short story, "Hunger" on Wattpad.
Praise for the Book
"Darker Places is full of
vignettes of the dark. There are monsters, madness, and mayhem. Each entry is a
short glimpse into horror, and there is likely something for every horror fan.
Some of the poetry reminded me of songs sung around a campfire. The short
stories are a bit more gruesome. And, some of them, will stay with you long
after you finish reading. Shaun Allan is a great asset to the genre." ~ Danielle DeVor
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Darker Places is a collection of thirteen poems interspersed with thirteen short stories,
mainly horror or paranormal, with a hint of humor in some. They focus mainly on
the themes of death, love, loss, hunger, and the passage of time.
The author comes up with some truly memorable lines in both his stories
and poems, but the rhyming in some of the poems is a bit forced; I much prefer
the free verse. The stories are well-written and full of atmosphere but can become
a bit repetitive, with death staring everyone in the face. As such, this
collection is probably best sampled in small doses, much like a box of fine
chocolates. Enjoy!
The poems:
Echo
Words
Moonlight
Summer Loving
Swept Away
The House on the Hill
Little Dead Riding Hood
Phoenix
Gremlins
Time
Never Again
The Face of the Storm
Fallen
The stories:
Hunger
Canvas
The Coming
Secrets
The Masquerade
The Lake
Home
Creature
Soul
The Crow
Footsteps
Stolen Moments
Prelude
About the Author
A writer of many prize winning short stories and poems, Shaun Allan has
written for more years than he would perhaps care to remember. Having once run
an online poetry and prose magazine, he has appeared on Sky television to
debate, against a major literary agent, the pros and cons of internet
publishing as opposed to the more traditional method. Many of his personal experiences
and memories are woven into Sin’s point of view and sense of humour although he
can’t, at this point, teleport.
Freebies
Everyone can download FREE copies of Welcome the Night and Of Mice and Mobiles by Shaun Allan.
Links
