It's October everyone! Leaves are falling, the sky is darkening, and a climate of creepiness is taking over as Halloween makes its approach. So, I've decided (just this minute) to dedicate this entire month to looking over scary books. Let's see which ones leave us shivering under the covers or scare us with how bad they are!
Let's start off with this little gem. Awhile ago, I discovered a band called Nox Arcana, which does scary soundtracks and each album had a story attached to it. The leader of the band, artist Joseph Vargo, teamed up with his writer friend Joseph Iorillo and brought us a short story inspired by Nox Arcana's debut album Darklore Manor along with twelve other short stories of horror.
This book has officially become my horror book standard. Each of the thirteen tales within the pages are dripping with atmosphere, each story has its own thrills. Some are definitely scarier than others, mind you, but each one has its own style and unique setup, without it feeling disjointed. Vargo's demons and ghouls blend perfectly with Iorillo's talent for suspense and mystery and each tale ends on a chilling note.
There's also a lot of variety between these stories, each one taking advantage of classic horror ideas. Evil voodoo women, ancient curses, urban legends, insanity, secret societies and...the bane of my existence...friggin' scary dolls. Ugh. There's something for everyone and each one is a great thrill.
But the real meat of the story comes at the end as we reach the title story, The Legend of Darklore Manor. This story is just a ride from beginning to end, rich with legend and scares and threats that lurk just out of sight in the corner of your eye. It's especially fun to read the story along side Darklore Manor the album, as the pounding music, the creepy sounds, the dark laughter in the track just fuels the imagination and the story becomes complete.
I've read my share of scary story compilations and short stories, but none of them are quite as good as this one. There is a bit of gore, but none of the stories rely on it like most scary movies do. The artwork is also just sublime. Vargo did all of the pictures in this, and each of them are spectacularly creepy and suck you into each new tale. I'm not going to lie, I lost a little sleep over this book. Don't judge me! Look at this thing!
Tell me you wouldn't have a little trouble turning off the light if you thought this thing was lurking in the corners of your room!
Final Verdict
This book is everything you want while you're seeking a good scare this coming October. There's something for everyone and it's all just so perfectly creepy. I'm happy to announce that this book is headed straight for the Shelf of Recommendation!
Have you read the book? What did you think? If you haven't, do you want to read it now? (of course you do!) Any scary books you want me to look over this month? Comment below and tell me what you thought!
Next Time: (singing) Mmm, skinny, chop chop chop.....
No comments:
Post a Comment