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Paint It Black
Enter the darkness within and heed the whispers... for in the shadows, the void hungers.
In Redwood Bay, Jack Miller and Charlie Duvall's chance encounter in a dimly lit bar sparks an unexpected and sinister journey. Drawn together by a shared desire for something beyond the mundane, they embark on a dark, twisted path starting at Jack's foreboding Victorian mansion.
As Charlie settles into her new home with Jack, whispers from the hidden Void within its walls begin to unravel their reality. Seduced by the ancient whispers and the promise of power, Jack and Charlie descend into madness, their minds entwined with the Eldritch horror lurking within.
Driven by the Creature's insatiable hunger, they turn to unspeakable acts, preying on the unsuspecting townsfolk to indulge their newfound craving. With each feeding, they descend deeper into the dark, where Sanity becomes a stranger.
But as the town spirals into chaos and the veil between worlds grows thin, Jack and Charlie must confront the terrifying truth of their existence. Will they succumb to the darkness consuming them, or will they find a way to break free from the clutches of the Eldritch abomination before it's too late?
In Redwood Bay, Jack Miller and Charlie Duvall's chance encounter in a dimly lit bar sparks an unexpected and sinister journey. Drawn together by a shared desire for something beyond the mundane, they embark on a dark, twisted path starting at Jack's foreboding Victorian mansion.
As Charlie settles into her new home with Jack, whispers from the hidden Void within its walls begin to unravel their reality. Seduced by the ancient whispers and the promise of power, Jack and Charlie descend into madness, their minds entwined with the Eldritch horror lurking within.
Driven by the Creature's insatiable hunger, they turn to unspeakable acts, preying on the unsuspecting townsfolk to indulge their newfound craving. With each feeding, they descend deeper into the dark, where Sanity becomes a stranger.
But as the town spirals into chaos and the veil between worlds grows thin, Jack and Charlie must confront the terrifying truth of their existence. Will they succumb to the darkness consuming them, or will they find a way to break free from the clutches of the Eldritch abomination before it's too late?
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2024
57 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 24, 2025
A book so edgy I got a paper cut despite reading the kindle edition. That is the main factor as to if you will enjoy it or not. If you like stories about morally grey to evil characters doing bad things you'll love it. If not its still an interesting read but it's not for everyone
November 18, 2024
I started off really enjoying this. There are similarities to one of my books I've written and I found the whole thing intriguing and down right creepy.
I just struggled around the mid way point. I wasn't sure where it was going and it seemed to lose its way.
The characters were well developed but I didn't overall care for them.
Over though, a very creepy and dark thriller that's worth a read.
I just struggled around the mid way point. I wasn't sure where it was going and it seemed to lose its way.
The characters were well developed but I didn't overall care for them.
Over though, a very creepy and dark thriller that's worth a read.
January 6, 2024
A beautifully written story of a darkness with a vice grip that rips your heart to shreds.
Paint It Black is the first novel but this ultra talented author. I can't wait until the next book is released.
In Paint It Black, we follow Jack, a young man suffering from loneliness, depression, and a sense of isolation. The house he lives in, referred to as The House, seeps a darkness from a Void in the back of a pantry. Jack can feel it. The darkness, something from the pit of The House, has a hold on him, and the grip tightens day by day.
When he meets Charlie, a sexy dancer, new feelings come to life. There are moments when he starts to escape the darkness. But...does The House have another plan?
Paint It Black is beautifully written, intelligent, and thought-provoking. Emslie has clearly poured her heart out into every page. The words drip raw, honest emotion.
The story grips the readers heart from the very start and doesn't let go. As the grip tightens, the story sucks every part of the readers being in, and there is no turning back.
My heart clenched as I read the last scene.
What an amazing debut novel!
Paint It Black is the first novel but this ultra talented author. I can't wait until the next book is released.
In Paint It Black, we follow Jack, a young man suffering from loneliness, depression, and a sense of isolation. The house he lives in, referred to as The House, seeps a darkness from a Void in the back of a pantry. Jack can feel it. The darkness, something from the pit of The House, has a hold on him, and the grip tightens day by day.
When he meets Charlie, a sexy dancer, new feelings come to life. There are moments when he starts to escape the darkness. But...does The House have another plan?
Paint It Black is beautifully written, intelligent, and thought-provoking. Emslie has clearly poured her heart out into every page. The words drip raw, honest emotion.
The story grips the readers heart from the very start and doesn't let go. As the grip tightens, the story sucks every part of the readers being in, and there is no turning back.
My heart clenched as I read the last scene.
What an amazing debut novel!
May 25, 2025
This was weird.
August 20, 2025
I grabbed this for a horror themed "stuff your kindle day" last year, and honestly this is one of the better stories I managed to grab. I often find that books from this event are very hit or miss for me, and I think this was more of a hit than a miss.
Paint It Black was actually a pretty fun read, it was really slow in the beginning but it felt easier to engage after the first few chapters. I found that the characters of Charlie and Jack were really engaging and felt fleshed out, and that their relationship was well written.
However, I do think that this story had a lot of issues as well, and it made me want to DNF it a few times because of it.
First off, I feel like this story can't decide if it wants to be a dark romance or a supernatural horror. The story starts off with the Void and Jack's relationship to it, but as the story goes on there's more emphasis on the killings and the romance rather than the supernatural horror lurking in the house. There's instances of Jack using his powers that are connected to the house, but it's so infrequent until 80% of the way into the book where he starts using it on every other page. On top of that, while a lot of the moments helped you care about Charlie and Jack's relationship, it felt too frequent to tell a good story. There were so many detours with them having a date, going to Charlie's club, and sex scenes that it almost made you forget this was a horror book a lot of the time. It could be argued that it was the point, to try and see the light at the end of the tunnel, but in the way it's written this doesn't feel like a justifiable answer.
Another issue I had was the pacing. For a majority of the book it felt like it was moving at a snail's pace, especially since it did the same cycle of killings over and over again. This made the story feel really drawn out, which sucks because there is so much that happens in the last 90% of the book that doesn't feel like real, genuine pay-off because of how slow the rest of the story was.
This leads into my last critique of this story's issue with plot threads. Jack and Charlie's relationship takes up so much of the book that it leaves little room for anything else, especially anything interesting that ends up coming up. For example, Charlie brings in a random college kid she met to have a seance in the House. It goes very bad very quickly with only one person in the group surviving, and you think it's going to be a major plot point because it seems like they let him live, right? But that entire idea seems to go completely nowhere except for one instance where they receive odd photographs specifically from this guy. Aside from that, there's no closure on that storyline. It just ends because the book is ending. And the same thing goes for the ending itself. The ending to this story doesn't feel like a natural progression. It builds up this idea that Jack is becoming more cynical and more of a cold-blooded killer, but there is hardly any pay off. In the end, killing a random guy who tried mugging a woman off the street is what drives him to kill Charlie and himself, but it feels so anticlimactic. Especially considering, up to this point, all his killings were random and there was no actual suspicion that he would be caught. The story just ends that way because it needed an ending, which was really frustrating.
Overall, I wish that this story had some minor improvements done to it, because I think it would've been a phenomenal story otherwise.
Paint It Black was actually a pretty fun read, it was really slow in the beginning but it felt easier to engage after the first few chapters. I found that the characters of Charlie and Jack were really engaging and felt fleshed out, and that their relationship was well written.
However, I do think that this story had a lot of issues as well, and it made me want to DNF it a few times because of it.
First off, I feel like this story can't decide if it wants to be a dark romance or a supernatural horror. The story starts off with the Void and Jack's relationship to it, but as the story goes on there's more emphasis on the killings and the romance rather than the supernatural horror lurking in the house. There's instances of Jack using his powers that are connected to the house, but it's so infrequent until 80% of the way into the book where he starts using it on every other page. On top of that, while a lot of the moments helped you care about Charlie and Jack's relationship, it felt too frequent to tell a good story. There were so many detours with them having a date, going to Charlie's club, and sex scenes that it almost made you forget this was a horror book a lot of the time. It could be argued that it was the point, to try and see the light at the end of the tunnel, but in the way it's written this doesn't feel like a justifiable answer.
Another issue I had was the pacing. For a majority of the book it felt like it was moving at a snail's pace, especially since it did the same cycle of killings over and over again. This made the story feel really drawn out, which sucks because there is so much that happens in the last 90% of the book that doesn't feel like real, genuine pay-off because of how slow the rest of the story was.
This leads into my last critique of this story's issue with plot threads. Jack and Charlie's relationship takes up so much of the book that it leaves little room for anything else, especially anything interesting that ends up coming up. For example, Charlie brings in a random college kid she met to have a seance in the House. It goes very bad very quickly with only one person in the group surviving, and you think it's going to be a major plot point because it seems like they let him live, right? But that entire idea seems to go completely nowhere except for one instance where they receive odd photographs specifically from this guy. Aside from that, there's no closure on that storyline. It just ends because the book is ending. And the same thing goes for the ending itself. The ending to this story doesn't feel like a natural progression. It builds up this idea that Jack is becoming more cynical and more of a cold-blooded killer, but there is hardly any pay off. In the end, killing a random guy who tried mugging a woman off the street is what drives him to kill Charlie and himself, but it feels so anticlimactic. Especially considering, up to this point, all his killings were random and there was no actual suspicion that he would be caught. The story just ends that way because it needed an ending, which was really frustrating.
Overall, I wish that this story had some minor improvements done to it, because I think it would've been a phenomenal story otherwise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
Paint It Black by Kaos Emslie feels like an intersection between gothic horror and cosmic horror. Probably the best comp I'd have for a story like this is Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt due to the relevance and foreboding nature of the House. Yes, the House is capitalized, as is the Void, and both are given their own font style separate from the rest of the piece, which is just one of many interesting and creative formatting choices Emslie exercises in this book.
The story itself follows Jack, who's suffering from awful nightmares involving the fate that befell his parents in the House, and his partnership with Charlie, who's immediately intrigued by the history of the House. How their romance develops gave me shades of Maeve Fly and other dark romances, but with a hint of vigilante justice. It's something you don't usually see in a book involving extradimensional monsters.
Where I think this book really succeeds is as a mood piece. It's dark, it's dour, and the prose will be relatable to anyone who's struggled with depression, anxiety, or early-twenties existential dread. There are entire passages that switch from prose to insightful, well-crafted poetry.
I understand this book is part of a series. While I certainly would read more, I'd have to prepare myself for another wallop of dread that oozes from Emslie's prose.
The story itself follows Jack, who's suffering from awful nightmares involving the fate that befell his parents in the House, and his partnership with Charlie, who's immediately intrigued by the history of the House. How their romance develops gave me shades of Maeve Fly and other dark romances, but with a hint of vigilante justice. It's something you don't usually see in a book involving extradimensional monsters.
Where I think this book really succeeds is as a mood piece. It's dark, it's dour, and the prose will be relatable to anyone who's struggled with depression, anxiety, or early-twenties existential dread. There are entire passages that switch from prose to insightful, well-crafted poetry.
I understand this book is part of a series. While I certainly would read more, I'd have to prepare myself for another wallop of dread that oozes from Emslie's prose.
September 28, 2023
Make sure to check trigger warnings. There is definitely a lot of blood and gore throughout the book. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. There were times when I wanted to put the book down but I couldn’t until I figured out what happened next and some nights I even stayed up late to read one more chapter
This book is about a poet named Jack Miller, who brings Charlotte “Charlie” Duvall to his house because of some dreams she was having. Jack knows that there is something in the pantry, called the Void. The Void is hungry, and it craves blood.
Charlotte meets this guy Layken at the university library as she is researching the house as well as both of hers and Jack’s ancestors. Layken wants to bring a group of friends to the house to have a séance but when they show up to the house to do the séance, all hell breaks loose.After that night, the house craves a lot of blood.
I definitely was not expecting the ending.
This book is about a poet named Jack Miller, who brings Charlotte “Charlie” Duvall to his house because of some dreams she was having. Jack knows that there is something in the pantry, called the Void. The Void is hungry, and it craves blood.
Charlotte meets this guy Layken at the university library as she is researching the house as well as both of hers and Jack’s ancestors. Layken wants to bring a group of friends to the house to have a séance but when they show up to the house to do the séance, all hell breaks loose.After that night, the house craves a lot of blood.
I definitely was not expecting the ending.
April 21, 2024
This was a very good for a debut novel. I could have easily read this in one sitting, but life kept getting in the way and it took me several days. While I wasn’t reading it I couldn’t help thinking what was going to happen next. The plot kept you guessing until the séance and then everything hits the fan more than it already had. The romance was sufficient enough and felt appropriate, not out of place or too much in your face. I started getting some correct vibes of how the story was going to end, but I kept hoping I was going to be wrong. That ending is something else. Can’t wait to read more!
October 8, 2024
I'm not quite sure how to rate this book -- On the one hand, it's creepy, dark, gory, and different from what I typically see when reading this genre, so I appreciate the author's take, and I enjoyed their writing style. I loved the imagery of the Creature when they overtook Jack (specifically) -- absolutely terrifying. On the other, I found some sections repetitive, and I felt a bit lost by the ending (but I think I'm in the minority on that second part).
Overall, if you're looking for a quick horror story and don't mind gore, this one might be a good option to give a try!
Overall, if you're looking for a quick horror story and don't mind gore, this one might be a good option to give a try!
May 19, 2025
This book kept you on your toes with the interesting premise and shows you just how much the darkness can take over if you let it.
We meet Jack who lives in The House where the void resides the back of his kitchen pantry and Charlie, an exotic dancer, who has dreams that lead her to The House. She doesn’t know why she is drawn to The House, but she’s curious nonetheless.
Charlie and Jack end up forming a unique bond and realize that The House wants something from them. From there, they do some pretty dark stuff for the house and Paint It Black keeps you in its grip right up until the very end.
We meet Jack who lives in The House where the void resides the back of his kitchen pantry and Charlie, an exotic dancer, who has dreams that lead her to The House. She doesn’t know why she is drawn to The House, but she’s curious nonetheless.
Charlie and Jack end up forming a unique bond and realize that The House wants something from them. From there, they do some pretty dark stuff for the house and Paint It Black keeps you in its grip right up until the very end.
April 19, 2024
At the beginning I thought the book was kinda confusing, because you get really thrown into the story and it takes a moment to get into the story. So at first it seemed a bit opaque to me.
But the longer I've been reading, the more I got catched from the story. It's getting better and better and you didn't know what would come next.
It was a gripping story until the end!
For everyone who is a fan of Horror, Gore and Blood I can really recommend this book.
But the longer I've been reading, the more I got catched from the story. It's getting better and better and you didn't know what would come next.
It was a gripping story until the end!
For everyone who is a fan of Horror, Gore and Blood I can really recommend this book.
July 21, 2024
🏠⚫️🤕
got this on a stuff you kindle day, i’ll almost always give eldritch horror a chance. this had some really interesting parts (seance very cool, the investigation at the end was shaping up to be great) but it mostly was violence for violence’s sake and the interaction between two unlikely partners. i couldn’t grasp the direction and motive, just felt kinda hollow. maybe you’ll like this it you’re a splatterpunk person but not really for me, i need plot and purpose.
got this on a stuff you kindle day, i’ll almost always give eldritch horror a chance. this had some really interesting parts (seance very cool, the investigation at the end was shaping up to be great) but it mostly was violence for violence’s sake and the interaction between two unlikely partners. i couldn’t grasp the direction and motive, just felt kinda hollow. maybe you’ll like this it you’re a splatterpunk person but not really for me, i need plot and purpose.
July 21, 2024
2,5⭐
Zacatek byl zajimavy, postupne se odhaluji postavy i temnota, ktera je obklopuje. Nektere pasaze byly lepsi nez ty druhe. Celkove příběh nebyl spatny, ale z toho, co uz jsem cetla mi tohle proste nevyrazilo dech, i kdyz nektere casti vam vylozene rozmlatili kebuli. Byl to zajimavy pohled do temnoty a duchovna. Nejvíc mi vyrazil dech asi ten konec ten byl povedeny, ale cele mě to tak nějak nepresvedcilo.
Zacatek byl zajimavy, postupne se odhaluji postavy i temnota, ktera je obklopuje. Nektere pasaze byly lepsi nez ty druhe. Celkove příběh nebyl spatny, ale z toho, co uz jsem cetla mi tohle proste nevyrazilo dech, i kdyz nektere casti vam vylozene rozmlatili kebuli. Byl to zajimavy pohled do temnoty a duchovna. Nejvíc mi vyrazil dech asi ten konec ten byl povedeny, ale cele mě to tak nějak nepresvedcilo.
August 13, 2024
3.5⭐
Lovers x Killers + Haunted(?) House?
I was so excited for this book, so I'm very disappointed that it didn't reach my expectations. I honestly see the vision of what this book could've been, the potential it has. 😭
I didn't connect with any of the characters at all, although I liked Charlie free-spirit; I didn't feel the main characters connection either.
It sucks because I really wanted to enjoy this book. However, I would recommend this to people who enjoy short horror stories.
Lovers x Killers + Haunted(?) House?
I was so excited for this book, so I'm very disappointed that it didn't reach my expectations. I honestly see the vision of what this book could've been, the potential it has. 😭
I didn't connect with any of the characters at all, although I liked Charlie free-spirit; I didn't feel the main characters connection either.
It sucks because I really wanted to enjoy this book. However, I would recommend this to people who enjoy short horror stories.
December 14, 2023
This book was very creepy and it definitely kept my interest. The romance in this book is very respectful considering that this is a horror novel. The gore was great and I loved that there was some vigilante action in here. I only wish I understood a little more of the world.
April 9, 2024
This was so good . If you enjoy dark romance and horror books this one is for you! Classical horror is new to me and my first from this author and I actually enjoyed it.
May 28, 2024
This book was dark, I found it to be a good read but dark. Be prepared for that. Other then that Jack & Charlie are great characters. Story line was interesting, not at all what you expected.
July 6, 2024
This was my 2-3 horror read and now I can’t/wont turn back!!! I really enjoyed the writing style
December 6, 2024
The story seems to jump around so much that I found myself lost as to what was happening. But it was interesting enough to keep me reading and wondering what is really going on.
January 5, 2025
The story jumped around a lot. It was hard to keep up sometimes.
January 17, 2025
Creepy, in a good way.
August 8, 2024
Paint It Black is a great idea, but not performed to my liking.
A significant part of the story is set on continually describing and confirming certain physical traits of our two main characters, the 21-year-old female stripper with a lip ring and tattoos and the similarly-aged man with band t-shirts, black pants, and combat boots.
While the almost-Lovecraftian entity of the house is interesting, too little time is spent developing this third main character to make it a solid story, and the murders of the house prove to be of little consequence when our male protagonist can simply Command people to become willing victims.
It reads like violence for the sake of violence, which I am all for if only done creatively.
It reads like a less clever version of Death Note, with no formidable antagonist to our murderous protagonists. Ultimately there is no actual resistance to Jack & Charlie, which makes for a bland read.
A significant part of the story is set on continually describing and confirming certain physical traits of our two main characters, the 21-year-old female stripper with a lip ring and tattoos and the similarly-aged man with band t-shirts, black pants, and combat boots.
While the almost-Lovecraftian entity of the house is interesting, too little time is spent developing this third main character to make it a solid story, and the murders of the house prove to be of little consequence when our male protagonist can simply Command people to become willing victims.
It reads like violence for the sake of violence, which I am all for if only done creatively.
It reads like a less clever version of Death Note, with no formidable antagonist to our murderous protagonists. Ultimately there is no actual resistance to Jack & Charlie, which makes for a bland read.
August 13, 2024
I dont think the writing style is for me. It seemed like the author tried to get us to like and relate to the main characters but it never worked for me. Which made the gory bits feel disconnected.
Read
August 7, 2024Deep, dark, and thought-provoking
Jack and Charlie were never meant to be. This life was orchestrated by Beings that never should have been. They have an effect that is too big to stop.
Ill be thinking about this story for days to come.
Jack and Charlie were never meant to be. This life was orchestrated by Beings that never should have been. They have an effect that is too big to stop.
Ill be thinking about this story for days to come.
July 29, 2024
I wanted to like this, but I just felt no connection to the characters or what was going on. Neither of them were likable enough for me to care to read the next book.
April 15, 2024
A great premise with a strong execution.
Paint It Black traversed the line of classic paranormal horror with a dose of modern gore. Personally, I would give this book a 3/5 skulls on the darkness meter. It featured a heaping spoonful of unaliving, while also displaying a plot line. Nicely done.
Paint It Black traversed the line of classic paranormal horror with a dose of modern gore. Personally, I would give this book a 3/5 skulls on the darkness meter. It featured a heaping spoonful of unaliving, while also displaying a plot line. Nicely done.
April 10, 2024
Kept me guessing.
This was a surreal horror mystery from start to finish. I was never sure what would happen next.
Well written and kept me reading because I had to know how it would end.
This was a surreal horror mystery from start to finish. I was never sure what would happen next.
Well written and kept me reading because I had to know how it would end.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews