Firstly let me start by thanking the great folks at Panther Publishing for the advance copy to review! Horror is not my usual jaunt but having heard about this book and some of the early opinions, I jumped at the chance of being able to review Duncan Thompson’s Shadows of the Woods.
Ok, so let’s start with a general idea of the plot. Four guys go in to the woods for a stag do. Simple right? Wrong! The book starts you with a nice introduction to the story, giving you a sense of what you can expect throughout the remaining pages, and what you can expect is a no holds barred, gore filled, cold blooded horror fest! I mean this book starts right where it means to go on. Within the first few pages you are left as breathless as the characters and just as scared and shocked. From there, with the introduction of the main cast of characters, it just gets colder, more brutal and more awesome!
This book has everything a true horror fan might want. Creepy setting, plenty of spine curling gore, helpless characters being picked off one after the other, truly horrifying imagery brought beautifully to life by the author, dark supernatural and ritualistic undertones and a pace that requires the reader to be in peak physical condition or risk a horrible end for themselves as well as the tormented souls on the page.
The setting is brought to life wonderfully as are the ‘shadows’, of all things. More and more detail is dribbled to us through each chapter with each little bit more disturbing than the last. Im not usually one to be creeped out by a book but the descriptions and tone in Shadows Of The Woods definitely gave me the willies at times!
I must also add that this is not a huge doorstep of a book, which I like. The chapters are on the shorter side which is no bad thing and, as someone with a busy life and a brain that won’t let me stop between chapter headings, this is a win for me. Not only that but mostly the chapters fling you from one character to the next each time. Each chapter leaving you with goosebumps and hairs standing on end before throwing you headfirst in to the next bloodbath. It didn’t take me too long to get through at all and if you’re the type of person who likes to steam through a book in a weekend, this could just be for you. Just don’t read it in the dark, or at the very least, make sure you’ve got a good torch and plenty of batteries to keep the shadows at bay!
If you are looking for something fast paced, with great imagery, plenty of chills, thrills and scares and will keep you flipping the pages either until they run out or your heart gives out, then Duncan Thompson’s Shadows Of The Woods is probably for you.