Professional Reviews For Shadows: The Myth Awakens
Title: Shadows: The Myth Awakens
Author: Daniel Harry
Publisher: Dan’s Scribbling.com
ISBN: 978-0-9600893-1-4
Pages: 317
Genre: Horror / Fiction
Interviewer: Arthur Thares
If you are a fan of horror, you are going to be hooked from the single-page prologue. Author Daniel Harry does what most writers struggle to do by writing a nearly perfect horror novel. The horror genre is rare in the literary world because it takes a special kind of writer to make words instill fear. While you may not be at the edge of your seat for the whole book, you will have nightmares about this perfectly-dreamed-up monster. If the hair on the back of your neck is already standing up, just wait until you find out more.
Harry wastes no time jumping into the action in the prologue, where we first meet the monster. The description of what his victim experiences will equally repulse and attract readers. A monster is loose in an unassuming town where people tend to go missing every few years, but just as soon as it starts, it seems to stop. However, this time, something is different. As the bodies pile up, it’s up to Bob and Archie to figure out how to stop the menace. These two down-to-earth men can’t believe their ears when a tribal medicine man tells them this is no ordinary animal but an ancient evil that can’t be dispatched by mortal means. It is up to Bob and Archie to help the tribal elders defeat what they call a demon and save the town and their loved ones.
Daniel Harry puts on a master class for how to write horror in this novel. He manages to add suspense and a touch of gore without making it too hard to stomach. There is just enough description to be scary without delving into every macabre detail. The story isn’t all monsters all the time, either. Harry does a fantastic job of building out characters that you can relate to, from Bob’s sorrow about the loss of his wife to Archie’s dirty mind. Perhaps the most compelling character at all is Two Dogs, the modern medicine man. As with any good horror story, Harry leaves the reader wanting more with a sense that they may just get their wish.
It is rare for horror fans to get a novel they can really sink their teeth into, but Shadows is about as satisfying as it gets. This book is hard to put down because you have this visceral feeling that you are part of it, and if you don’t finish the story, the monster may be waiting in the dark for you. Shadows has sequel and movie rights written all over it, but for now, if you’re a fan of the horror genre, enjoy this story for the perfection it is. Shadows: The Myth Awakens is a spellbinding debut by Daniel Harry, blending timeless legend with pulse-pounding adventure. Destiny is calling—but so are the shadows.
Book review by Mark Heisey – The US Review of Books –
“The black shape appeared to turn in his direction. The black cowl receded back from the creature’s face, and what appeared was that of nightmares…. The mouth appeared to grin.” When Bob sees on the local news that a young woman has been found murdered in a parking lot with numerous cuts, he knows in his gut that the killer who murdered his wife and six others five years ago is back. Bob’s best friend, Archie-a detective on the Livingston, Texas, police force-confirms his suspicions. The two men are determined to catch the killer this time.
Things begin to grow odd when Bob notices a strange shadow in the backyard and finds the neighbor’s cat mutilated in the same manner as the human victims. Then, Bob sees the death of the next victim, murdered by a horrific shadow creature, play out on his fence much like an old movie is being projected there. He calls Archie, who is astonished and worried about Bob’s mental state, but Archie is also blown away at the details Bob relates that are the same as the crime scene he visits that morning. It turns out that Bob’s home security caught the event on camera, and now Archie must start believing the unbelievable.
The two men are eventually visited by a medicine man named Two Dogs who tells them the shadow creature is ancient. It was once a Native American who murdered those he could. After he died, he became a demon-like creature, driven to kill humans as prey. The creature was locked away deep underground but is obviously free again. Two Dogs is determined to help them and gives Bob a charm and a crossbow with special bolts. The men find it hard to believe the story, but as the bodies pile up, they will look for any means to stop the creature.
The creature Harry has created in this novel is a frightful being. Readers of horror writers like Stephen King or Clive Barker will feel right at home with a being this terrifying and evil. Harry’s descriptions of the monster are well-written, and the reader can easily imagine how frightening it would be to confront it. Also, the mythology behind its existence is nicely done. The book reads much more like a thriller than a horror novel, though. In this sense, it is also reminiscent of Stephen King’s works, as the acclaimed author writes as many thrillers as he does pure horror novels. One can also see the influence of authors like Gillian Flynn and Tana French in Harry’s book. The main protagonists must gather clues, trace patterns, and theorize about how the creature functions and where it might strike next. They attempt to outwit the creature and keep it under surveillance while they formulate a plan to take it down.
Harry’s writing is mostly conversational in style and easy to read. He doesn’t use much figurative language but gives solid descriptions when necessary to make the scenes more vivid. Most of his characters have layers, but at times, the development of these characters comes across more like an information dump than a peek into their history and personality. Still, readers will appreciate that the characters are not one-dimensional. This is a book that will be enjoyed by those who are looking for a crime thriller blended with elements of horror and the supernatural.”