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.