Things from the Dark

by K.K. Monroe

What gestates in black spots, in thoughts, in the darkness of the human heart?

KK Monroe’s unsettling character-driven tales peel back layers of the psyche, spinning sticky webs of surrealistic horror.

Slow burn sizzle captures the mood and vibe of this deeply atmospheric, vintage ode to the sly unwinding of fear. Settle in, dim the lights, play some creepy tunes while luxuriating in this debut collection of quiet, cosmic horror.

Contains 2 full novellas and 3 shorter stories.

Unwittingly, the veil lifts between Life and Death in The Reckoning, a literary framing device plucked from the ether of existential dread.

Plunge into a bottomless, icy horror which conceals secrets older than time in The Lady in the Lake.

Record-high temperatures assault the city. As the mercury bulb of a man’s regimented mind, bursts, the devils will come out to play in The Mechanism.

Join a ruminating nightwatchman on his nightly walk through an Appalachian mortuary in The Red Light. Aside from the usual culprits, something isn't right. Or is it just the overworking of an old man's imagination?

Journey beneath a centuries old plantation manor in search of an unimaginable creature with an unusual appetite, but Be Careful of What You Find.

**Mature content, be advised**

Depictions of horror, bad language and, on occasion, explicit spice.

Not extreme horror or splatter-punk.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction

197 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2022

About the author

KK Monroe grew up terrified of what lived in her overhead bedroom vent—and the rest is history, so to speak! First-born American to Serbian parents raised under an oppressive communist regime, her life as a kid didn’t involve censorship of books or movies. As a result, KK lane-hops genres in both her reading and writing interests. Her short fiction works have appeared in Screams from the Dark Ages Anthology, Cosmic Horror Monthly, with more forthcoming releases this year. You can find KK's cosmic, quiet horror collection THINGS FROM THE DARK on Amazon.

Reviews

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories really sounded appealing based on the synopsis and awesome cover. The author definitely eased into the tales, so be prepared for slow burning short stories. I really felt like I wasn’t the right audience to appreciate some of them, but also felt trimming some of the fluff (repetitive dialogue/monologue, more clear cut sequences vs surreal/dream action) could make them more appealing for a general audience.

“Things from the Dark”- great prose, but it felt a little too short. I want to know more about what the narrator saw/experienced before she was brought back.

“The Lady in the Lake”- I enjoyed the heck out of this tale, but felt it took awhile to get to the pivotal moment, and then it’s over. The folklore/myths/legends being explored more in dialogue, or in actions by the characters would’ve been helpful for the reader to get a deeper understanding of what could potentially be about to happen.

“The Mechanism”- the author has a great concept here, literally “hell on earth”, but the reader is stuck with a small cast of characters in an interrogation room. I found this story kind of a let down- I want to know what’s actually happening in the city. A narrator experiencing these horrors first hand would’ve been much more intriguing and captivating. This story definitely made the momentum to keep reading slow down.

“The Red Light”- this tale was very eerie at times. I got tired of the narrator’s repetitive monologue and testicular cancer comments. This story would be half the length it felt like if these were trimmed down. Then when things get super interesting/exciting the story ends.

“Be Careful of What You Find”- my favourite entry by far! This had great pacing, interesting characters, and a spectacular creature. I was totally enthralled and wanted to know more about the “ewok”, the house, the boys, the creepy forest, etc. This story redeemed the others I didn’t connect with and bumped my rating up as well.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

 I really enjoyed this! My favorite story in this is 'The Lady In The Lake' because the ending was haunting but all the stories are well written and are worth reading. If you enjoy horror stories, I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to K.K. Monroe, Victory Editing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh man, this was a tragic case of author/reader mismatch. Things from the Dark is a diverse selection of short stories ranging from a near death experience, to an SCP Foundation-style laboratory, to a brush with hellfire. My favourite story by far was the final one, a creature feature called Be Careful of What You Find. It's also the one that had the most straightforward, concise narrative. The remaining four stories all had at least some element of dreams/visions/hallucinations and the airy, confusion of time and space that come with that. Unfortunately, that's simply not what I prefer in horror stories so I didn't enjoy them as much as the other reviewers. If that if your kind of horror, then this collection might be right up your alley!

[Milt Theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This turned out to be VERY hard to read for me. I really liked the concepts, the premises, and the endings, but I had great trouble going through the stories themselves. I'm not 100% sure why: the author is obviously talented, but I felt that the stories took too long to get to the point (perhaps the fact that these aren't short stories per se, but quite wordy novelettes, contributed to the sense of stalling overall). Something was awry with the pacing, and a sense of shouting "I have a story to tell!" from the roofs brought the writing into hugely uncomfortable territory for me as a reader: everything felt forced and, well, a bit too passionate and angry. I never managed to care. Take “The Lady in the Lake” for example: this is almost a novella, but eventually nothing happens. The author presents the basic premise and the MC's emotions time and time again, but the result remains unconvincing: was it supposed to be folk horror? Well, there was no detailed legend or myth presented as such; was it supposed to be a haunted lake type of story? Well, there's a creature towards the end, not a ghost, and no actual haunting was presented. I would have appreciated some definite context for the stories rather than the forced attempts to create confusion and mess with the readers' mind.

[Paul Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love horror. All types. Shlock horror. Creepy horror. Jump scare horror. Slow burn horror.

This anthology of 5 falls into the latter category and was a joy to consume. They are slow burn, they're intelligent, and they crank up the tension exactly how I like it. Slow and low but then BLAM you get the good stuff.

The Lady In The Lake was the stand story for me - a long meandering walk towards a dark conclusion where people you know you don't really like are definitely going to have bad things happen to them - BUT it's dished it out in little morsels and skillfully done.

Throughout there's swearing and sex and adult themes - but unless you're still reading Goosebump then that's a good thing, right?

And yeah, it IS a good thing. I adore anthologies between big reads and this one hit the mark perfectly. Get this, get some creepy music on, light some candles and luxuriate in the creepy dread that always pays off.

Top marks, thank you

[Cait Ness · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you netgalley for providing an eARC! this book was not for me, unfortunately. the stories were hard to engage with, and the writing style just didn’t fit with me. the synopsis sounded so intriguing and i was so excited for a book like this, but it just fell flat for me

[TriggerWarningTales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want a few scary stories before bed? I think this one will help you out!

Filled with 5 stories to keep you reading, each one packs its own little punch. You'll meet some great characters, my favorite being Norm. (You'll meet him later.)

I enjoyed this 5 story book. Most of the stories are easy to follow. I'm sure you'll find a favorite amongst them! I would recommend it.

[Kathryn Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

These 5 unique horror tales are a slow burn into human madness in various forms. K. K. Monroe writes an atmosphere where you’re teleported into the story, you can seep into the surroundings and feel the madness consuming the characters.

Things From the Dark 4.5⭐ this left me wanting more from the story
The Lady of the Lake 5⭐ stood out above them all. This is the kind of slow-burn horror I want more of. This story makes me excited to read more of K. K’s writing.
The Mechanism 3.5⭐ the slow madness of burning was wonderful, I really wanted to know what else was going on outside the interrogation room.
The Red Light 3⭐ to much talking about ball cancer and pissing. Definitely got better as the story went on, and the narrator got deeper into the facility…
Be Careful What You Find 4.5⭐️ what a couple of crazy kids. I hope Jelly goes back and get what he wants.

[Cynthia A. Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short stories! Loved it !

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

I mostly picked this book up due to the interesting synopsis and cover. I had never heard of the author before. I also knew that I would be getting slow horror and when it worked, it worked. Unfortunately, at points the stories weren't just slow, but glacial. K.K. Monroe shines in their use of interesting plots and very detailed character studies, but if you're looking for horror that will actually unsettle you deeply or that delves into the gorey details, you might have to look elsewhere.

I quite enjoyed the introductory short story "The Reckoning", which somewhat functions as a framing device following a woman waking up in the hospital after an accident. I really enjoyed the prose here. The story is a bit short and I think some more padding could have been interesting here, but it is an interesting start! (tw death, car accident). (4/5)
The Lady in the Lake follows a stressed lawyer when her equally busy laywer boyfriend invites her to his father's cabin near a lake for a getaway. Immediately nightmares start haunting her. Unfortunately this one was quite aprubt and did not manage to build tension as much as I had hoped it would. Most of the scary moments happened in dreams and were so disjointed from what we were presented during the day, that they did not really manage to scare me and the end did not hit as hard as I hoped it would. (tw murder, death, drowning). (2/5)
The Mechanism is at parts incredibly good (the radio show parts, the world building) and then unfortunately kinda ruins that by having an incredibly boring MC and a story that moves very, very slowly until it reaches the big reveal. If this story had been a bit snappier, I think I would have really enjoyed it! I did enjoy the prose and the descriptions of the world a lot. (tw child murder, murder, police brutality, mass murder, death). (3/5)
The Red Light is another story that could be really scary and has a great set up, but is really dragged down by its narrator and its plodding pace. The narrator has an incredibly repeptitive monologue and I got tired of his focus on his "balls cancer" and the "burning in his pecker", as well as his constant repeptition of "Nooooo, sireeee, Bob" very, very fast. Unfortunately this one is by far the story I enjoyed least and it is the longest in the collection. The horror is underexplored (in fact we don't get told about the scariest moments. And we had to work to get there! That felt like an incredible letdown), the narrator is annoying, and the pace is glacial. I think this story could have been cut down by... half? without loosing any important moments of the story or used that extra space to explore the horror more. The end was unsettling and intruiging, but I know I would have enjoyed it more if the rest of the story hadn't been such a slog to get through. (tw cancer, death, mass death). (1/5)
Be Careful of What You find is the last story and compared to the others before it, a short one. It follows a teenanger obessessed with death and corpses, who wants to capture something. A short story that manages to present interesting characters and an interesting monster, all presented with good pacing. Not as scary as I had expected, but I had fun reading it. (4/5)

[Joanne Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things from the dark, is an Anthology of Horror stories, that does not fail to disappoint.
Five amazing stories, that unleashes fear, terror and atmospheric gory!
Each tale has a different story from The Lady in the Lake, that it’s an amazing Horror of a slow burn tale involving a woman that has gone to the summer cottage of her dreams, with the man of her dreams, but he does not exactly feel the same even though he gives her a reason to believe he does. Unbeknown to her, there’s a pull from the house that will see him give everything to it, even his Fiancé.

Then we have The Mechanism, which is my personal favourite. Relishing the heat from hell in one unlucky town, that last 24hours. The heat exceeds everything that has ever been recording and people are reacted with unprecedented effects, unravelling the story of what can happen if the heat is so unbearable, so twisted, it will eat you up from inside and play terrible tricks to the mind.

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone that loves Horror! This would be perfect to read at Halloween for all those thrill seekers! Beautifully written and will take the reader to the depths of the dark, very atmospheric and does not disappoint in the scare factor. I enjoyed every story, and I will be reading this again when those dark nights roll on.

My favourite book of the year so far!

[Krystle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from NetGalley for this review.

Things from the Dark is a collection of SLOW BURN horror stories, many of which include mature content. There are some stories that I loved, some that didn't hit for me, and some that I had hoped for more. KK Monroe writes vividly and excels in nightmares and distorted reality sequences.

The collection starts off with "The Reckoning" to set the tone. This is one where I would have liked to see a little more - the prose was beautiful, but I want know more about what the character had experienced.

"The Lady in the Lake" is another story I really liked, fantastic concept and fun piece, but I would have liked to know more regarding the myth/legend behind what was going on here.

My favorite was the creature feature at the end, "Be Careful of What You Find". This one was almost reminiscent of Goosebumps, but a little more graphic.

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Check out more reviews on discussions on Instagram @KrystleHope
For my book podcast check out @MustLoveBooksPodcast

[Victoria Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the writing style of this author. I would reread passages because it just sounded so good! The stories themselves I have a hard time expressing how I felt about them. Full disclosure, I didn't read all of the stories. The first two were great as they were being spun. I was sucked in, involved, having that feeling of dread where you KNOW something is bound to happen and you can't wait for that gasping tip over the edge into the wild chaos of the downhill slope to the ending.. but that never came. The stories were an amazing build up and then I felt they just.. ended. I would say maybe the stories need to be fleshed out more but the short stories themselves did have bulk. I will absolutely be looking for more from this author and it's CLEAR there is big talent, but the stories themselves fell flat for me of the ones I read. Maybe one day I will pick it back up and finish the other stories.

[AgoraphoBook Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things From The Dark

K.K. Monroe 


3 / 5


Ok. So ... 

This author is obviously extremely talented. 

And it's also clear that these stories originate from a raw, vulnerable, personal place. 


But unfortunately the stories (for the most part) were too slow for me. 

Don't get me wrong, there is an eerieness that's settled over you by the end of them ... But I personally struggled through them; one in particular was slower than molasses in January ... and despite it being a short story, it took me five days to finish. 

I'd nearly forgotten the beginning by the time I reached the end. 


I do love me a slow burn ... But several of these seemed to move so slowly, they kinda fizzled out for me, personally. 


I thought the writing was absolutely beautiful though. I will definitely read more from this author in the future. 


I encourage you to pick up a copy and see what you think for yourself with this one, especially if you're a fan of slow burn horror.

[Jesse Bollinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things From the Dark
By: K.K. Monroe
Rating: 5 stars!

I don’t know if I have the words to adequately describe how wonderful the short story collection was. Every single story was unique and terrifying in its own way. The atmosphere that was built was phenomenal. I could truly see everything in my mind that was being described. It blows my mind that this is a debut collection. Or at least I think it’s a debut collection because I couldn’t really find anything else. This seems like someone who has been writing for years! If you want some terrifying and unique stories with great atmosphere check this one out. This is become one of my favorite short story collections ever! I just can’t get over how great this was.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review: Things from the Dark by K.K. Monroe

Things from the Dark by K.K. Monroe offers a collection of intriguing and eerie tales, each with its unique spin on the horror genre. While I found several stories captivating, there were aspects that left me wanting more or feeling slightly confused.

"Be Careful of What You Find": This story stood out with its fascinating depiction of the monster and the dynamic personalities of the kids. The mystery surrounding their situation was engaging, though I wish there had been more exploration of the family that owns the house. The story mentions that they visit only occasionally—do they know what lurks in the tunnels under the basement? This question lingered in my mind, and I would have appreciated more background to enhance the suspense.

"The Red Light": I enjoyed parts of this story, especially the morgue setting, which always adds a chilling atmosphere. However, the narrative felt a bit confusing at times.

"The Mechanism": This one was my favorite! The psychological tension was palpable, and though the repetitive descriptions of the protagonist's were occasionally frustrating, they effectively contributed to the story's unsettling atmosphere. It was easy to imagine the character's mental state deteriorating as everything around them fell apart, making this story both engaging and thought-provoking.

"The Lady in the Lake": Unfortunately, this story felt quite predictable. The ending left me puzzled, particularly when the lead character saw something that didn’t seem to make sense. The twist didn’t land as strongly as it could have, and I was left feeling more confused than shocked.

"The Reckoning": This short story served as a nice introduction to the collection. It was interesting and set the tone for the rest of the book, though it didn’t stand out as much as some of the other tales.

Overall, while I enjoyed certain aspects of Things from the Dark, I found that some stories included unnecessary details—like mannerisms, and eating habits—that didn’t add much to the narrative or play a significant role when it mattered. Despite these drawbacks, Monroe's ability to craft a chilling atmosphere and intriguing mysteries kept me engaged throughout the book.

[Penny Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old school, cosmic horror, these are classic in form — ever so slow burning stories, which end on a smash, or twist! That’s how they used to write them. Boy, this new author sure can write. The descriptions and characterization are rich and lovely. Some of the stories wander squarely into literary territory. I truly loved them all, yet each one was unique and remarkably different. As a whole, these aren’t simplistically written horror stories. This isn’t splatterpunk or extreme horror, set to shock with gore and SA horror p*rn. This is something entirely different. This collection crept up on me, disturbed me in my brain, gave me chills. I bought the book based on its description. I enjoyed the atmospheric, character centric stories quite much. 5/5

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is an unwinding of fear with this collection of atmospheric horror tales where ordinary is anything but ordinary. There is nothing is as it seems. There are five unique tales. The horror is surreal. Be wary of the wicked spine-chilling stories. It left me wondering how the author composed these stories. I did enjoy it but be aware that these stories have horror themes that also includes such as bad language, depictions and more.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Nikki B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things From the Dark is a compilation of thrilling scary stories. The stories started off great... but I think I was just expecting more from them. They fell al little flat for me.. but that doesn't mean the stories still weren't great for what they were. I did get some creeps and chills with a couple... and it still gives great spooky, halloween vibes. If that's the vibe you're going for, I would definitely give this a shot. I would definitely be checking out other work from this author in the future.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this simmering collection of mainly not so short cosmic horror stories. Each story is based on an incredibly interesting and intelligent concept with rich characterizations that sucks you in…slow and steady, building dread, creepiness, plenty of chills, psychological eeriness, with some disturbing, unexpected turns that completely intrigued me. They’re shorts so there are some lingering questions but that’s assumed, though each one could be a full length novel I’d enjoy. Wonderfully written.

[sugarnsass_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review of Things From The Dark by K.K. Monroe

3.5⭐️ read
This Author is unquestionably talented but I was expecting and needing more. The Lady in the Lake was drawn out and confusing about what the author was going for; Legend? Supernatural? Creature?; only to end anticlimactically for me. However, my fear of deep water has certainly intensified; so if that was the purpose…nailed it! My absolute favorite from this collection was ‘The Reckoning.’ This short story read like a poem of Regret, Desperation, Fear, and Hopelessness in life and death. I loved the descriptive writing and the authors ability to illicit dread and quite frankly desired to see more of this style of writing throughout the book. A good debut read with slow build up, great writing.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

🚤🌡️💥

i think the reason this didn’t work for me was it focused too much on the eerie atmospheric component and not as much on the story? certainly creative but the writing (dialog especially) was a little tough to get through. i found myself being confused a majority of the time and trying to ascertain what was just in the character’s head (which i can see and appreciate that being the point). i think this has a lot of potential but the execution unfortunately didn’t hit for me.

[Tiffannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is super talented, and I love the short stories within this book. I was drawn to them, and they all had unusual concepts. Monroe puts in a lot of detail and draws the reader in, and that's where you start to feel for the main characters of the different stories. One complaint I have, though, is that the stories took too long to get into, and I think for me, I'm not used to slow burn horror. However, there were plenty of twists and turns I didn't see coming and kept me on the edge. These stories were haunting and beautiful, and I highly recommend checking them out. Also, happy release day 🖤

[Leighah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange collection of stories. The stories themselves were great. It was more the writing style that wasn't for me. It was kind of like stories and poetry mixed together. I found myself losing track of the tale because of all the extra information. If you like stories that have a lot of metaphors and philosophy attached you will probably enjoy this.

[Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I didn’t hate this, but I didn’t love it. I felt the strongest story was the first, and they got progressively weaker from there. The first story felt like something I would have read from a Stephen King collection (compliment) and the last felt like a Goosebumps story (also a compliment).

I wouldn’t necessarily buy but I would pick up from the library.

[eiei · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cosmic, atmospheric horror realm where fear unfurls like ink on parchment. Each story peels back layers of the psyche, weaving sticky webs of surreal horror. From “The Reckoning” to “The Red Light,” Monroe’s tales are a haunting dance with the unknown. However, beyond pacing, the book leaves us yearning for deeper emotional impact.

[Taylor Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monroe is a very compelling writer and I look forward to reading more of her work! I enjoyed each story in the collection, especially “The Lady in the Lake.” In this particular piece, the relationship between the two central characters was well-written and the story was devastating. This collection is worth adding to your TBR!

[Indieterror13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cosmic horror is my absolute jam, and this book did NOT disappoint. I loved the stories. My only complaint was I wanted more; but they're short stories, so that's how it works. You don't get any more. I'm very excited to see more from this author!

[Janelle Halstead · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last story was the most interesting to me. Definitely slow burns.

[Jess]

DNF