What do you think?
Rate this book
The Secret Bunker #1
Darkness Falls
A Cold War bunker now used as a day trip destination for tourists ...
A twin who died in mysterious circumstances ...
A family lured to a special place at a particular time ...
And then the darkness falls.
Separated from his family as the entire planet becomes surrounded by a deathly blackness, Dan Tracy must figure out what's going on below ground.
The bunker is at the centre of a conspiracy to destroy the Earth - but there's something special about Dan and his twin that could stop the terrorists dead in their tracks.
It's a race against time as the process of destruction has already begun ... Who will be left to hear Earth's final screams?
The Secret Bunker: Darkness Falls is the first in a trilogy of books by author Paul Teague
A twin who died in mysterious circumstances ...
A family lured to a special place at a particular time ...
And then the darkness falls.
Separated from his family as the entire planet becomes surrounded by a deathly blackness, Dan Tracy must figure out what's going on below ground.
The bunker is at the centre of a conspiracy to destroy the Earth - but there's something special about Dan and his twin that could stop the terrorists dead in their tracks.
It's a race against time as the process of destruction has already begun ... Who will be left to hear Earth's final screams?
The Secret Bunker: Darkness Falls is the first in a trilogy of books by author Paul Teague
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2014
534 people are currently reading
987 people want to read
About the author
Paul Teague
31 books282 followersHi, I'm Paul Teague, the author of The Secret Bunker Trilogy, The Grid Trilogy and the standalone novel, Deleted.
I'm a former broadcaster and journalist with the BBC, but I have also worked as a primary school teacher, a disc jockey, a shopkeeper, a waiter and a sales rep.
If you love stories like The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, Running Man and The Giver then you’ll enjoy my sci-fi and dystopian stories.
The Secret Bunker Trilogy was inspired by a family visit to a remarkable, real-life secret bunker at Troywood, Fife, known as ‘Scotland’s Secret Bunker’.
It paints a picture of a planet in crisis and is a fast-paced story with lots of twists and turns, all told through the voice of Dan Tracy who stumbles into an amazing and haradous adventure.
The Grid Trilogy takes place in a future world where everything has gone to ruin.
Joe Parsons must fight for survival in the gamified Grid, from which no person has ever escpaed with their life.
The standalone novel Deleted bridges the worlds of The Secret Bunker and The Grid, revealing what happens between Regeneration and Fall of Justice.
It depicts the world as we know it falling under a dark and sinister force - things will never be the same again.
I love dystopian fiction so writing these books has been a great opportunity to finally come up with my own vision of a future world where things are going haywire.
The Secret Bunker website can be found at: https://thesecretbunker.net/
The Grid website can be found at: https://thegridtrilogy.com/
I also write fast-moving and action packed psychological thrillers under the uathor name Paul J. Teague.
You can find out more about those books at: https://paulteague.net/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 27, 2016
Whilst I am fully aware that this is just the first part of a trilogy, sadly I shall not be seeking out the other two parts. I found this a difficult read. There are chapters within chapters, various parts seem to be repeated, and there are various aspects told from different view points. All in all it was a confusing mess. I couldn't get any affinity towards any of the various characters.
The only reason I have given this 2 stars is that I found it an intriguing idea, even if it did fail to deliver for me.
The only reason I have given this 2 stars is that I found it an intriguing idea, even if it did fail to deliver for me.
June 12, 2016
When the darkness falls many questions will be answered. But more will be asked.
3.5 out of 5 stars
A family wins a trip to a secret bunker in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. While there on a seemingly routine trip, things begin to happen and the bunker is locked down. Dan Tracy is locked in when the bunker is put in lock down and is eventually found. But everything inside the bunker has changed and for some reason, he has full access to the entire secret building that he didn't even know existed.
The narration for Darkness Falls was done by Dan McGowan who does a really good job. The novel was choppy and written into really small sections and McGowan's style and poise were the only things that kept me coming back for more.
I almost stopped reading/listening in the first 20 minutes or so. The book. is. so. choppy. Especially on audiobook. I'm 100% okay with short chapters especially when I'm trying to read a book. But this had normal length chapters with really choppy random changes of direction.
The book jumps around a lot, which leads to some really hard reading/listening on my part. And the book just sort of ends. If you've been a follower of my blog for any time you know that I don't mind trilogies but I hate when a book just ends. Especially when I feel like the arc of the story hasn't even begun to be completed. Darkness Falls is another in the "trilogy mindset" that falls a little short to me.
Now, I did actually like the premise of the story, and I definitely want to continue it. I just feel like there are some things that need to be closed up for me to feel like I've read a full book instead of a piece of episodic fiction.
Overall, Darkness falls is able to overcome some of its shortfalls and is a pretty enjoyable read. Just be warned that listening to this on audiobook is rough but not because of the narrator, just the way it was written.
If you enjoyed this review and want to see more like it please check out Brian's Book Blog
3.5 out of 5 stars
A family wins a trip to a secret bunker in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. While there on a seemingly routine trip, things begin to happen and the bunker is locked down. Dan Tracy is locked in when the bunker is put in lock down and is eventually found. But everything inside the bunker has changed and for some reason, he has full access to the entire secret building that he didn't even know existed.
The narration for Darkness Falls was done by Dan McGowan who does a really good job. The novel was choppy and written into really small sections and McGowan's style and poise were the only things that kept me coming back for more.
I almost stopped reading/listening in the first 20 minutes or so. The book. is. so. choppy. Especially on audiobook. I'm 100% okay with short chapters especially when I'm trying to read a book. But this had normal length chapters with really choppy random changes of direction.
The book jumps around a lot, which leads to some really hard reading/listening on my part. And the book just sort of ends. If you've been a follower of my blog for any time you know that I don't mind trilogies but I hate when a book just ends. Especially when I feel like the arc of the story hasn't even begun to be completed. Darkness Falls is another in the "trilogy mindset" that falls a little short to me.
Now, I did actually like the premise of the story, and I definitely want to continue it. I just feel like there are some things that need to be closed up for me to feel like I've read a full book instead of a piece of episodic fiction.
Overall, Darkness falls is able to overcome some of its shortfalls and is a pretty enjoyable read. Just be warned that listening to this on audiobook is rough but not because of the narrator, just the way it was written.
If you enjoyed this review and want to see more like it please check out Brian's Book Blog
July 10, 2017
Darkness Falls seems to be the tale of a teenage boy who gets trapped in a Cold War-era bunker with his family. Seven chapters in (33% of total length) and I'd read enough.
What I liked:
The writing style gave each character a slightly different voice, so figuring out who was "talking" at the beginning of each scene became easier as the pages passed.
What I didn't like:
There were only a few narrating characters who had a name. There was very little dialogue in the portions I read, so the story was mostly "told" from inside the memories and musings of the character du jour. I never felt like I could relate or struggle with the characters, mainly because I had such a little sense of who they were (Dan and Kate seemed to be the only narrators with names).
The asynchronous timeline also inhibited my ability to feel like I was a part of the story. Each scene moved to another POV and moment in time, making it difficult to keep track of who and when I was within the greater story structure.
If you like solving mysteries based on vague clues, you might enjoy Darkness Falls. I for one did not enjoy it, and my frustration overrode my desire to learn the secrets yet to be discovered.
I gave Darkness Falls a generous two stars. I wish Mr. Teague the best of luck in the future.
What I liked:
The writing style gave each character a slightly different voice, so figuring out who was "talking" at the beginning of each scene became easier as the pages passed.
What I didn't like:
There were only a few narrating characters who had a name. There was very little dialogue in the portions I read, so the story was mostly "told" from inside the memories and musings of the character du jour. I never felt like I could relate or struggle with the characters, mainly because I had such a little sense of who they were (Dan and Kate seemed to be the only narrators with names).
The asynchronous timeline also inhibited my ability to feel like I was a part of the story. Each scene moved to another POV and moment in time, making it difficult to keep track of who and when I was within the greater story structure.
If you like solving mysteries based on vague clues, you might enjoy Darkness Falls. I for one did not enjoy it, and my frustration overrode my desire to learn the secrets yet to be discovered.
I gave Darkness Falls a generous two stars. I wish Mr. Teague the best of luck in the future.
July 25, 2020
I wanted to like this book but found it difficult to get into.
The way the story was told was not appealing and I found it quite boring although the idea was good.
The way the story was told was not appealing and I found it quite boring although the idea was good.
February 2, 2020
This was not at all what I expected when I started reading. The plot is vastly more complex, and has a much different driving mechanism, than I was expected based on the book’s description.
There were a lot of rapid shifts in time, place, and POV, and under normal circumstances I might have found that annoying. But in this case, it actually worked well in establishing the unsettling, surreal landscape that the primary character finds himself in, so you know both more and less than he does as you move through the story. And even now I’m not prepared to say that I am positive about anything that I “know,” including who the good and bad guys are. And, since there are times that characters appear to not be acting of their own free will, there’s a possibility that the good guys and the bad guys could be, at different times, the same person.
With a lot of interesting plot twists and unique storytelling methods, this had my far more involved than I’d originally anticipated. As soon as I finish this review, I’m buying the sequel to see what happens next!
There were a lot of rapid shifts in time, place, and POV, and under normal circumstances I might have found that annoying. But in this case, it actually worked well in establishing the unsettling, surreal landscape that the primary character finds himself in, so you know both more and less than he does as you move through the story. And even now I’m not prepared to say that I am positive about anything that I “know,” including who the good and bad guys are. And, since there are times that characters appear to not be acting of their own free will, there’s a possibility that the good guys and the bad guys could be, at different times, the same person.
With a lot of interesting plot twists and unique storytelling methods, this had my far more involved than I’d originally anticipated. As soon as I finish this review, I’m buying the sequel to see what happens next!
July 11, 2019
First page really catches your attention. The rest is just annoying
I wanted to like this book. After reading the first page I couldn’t wait to dive in. But the rest of the book is disjointed, and while some of the flipping back and forth is fine, this much borders on ridiculous. I’m slightly interested to see how the plot plays out, but I’m at page 84 and honestly, it’s too much work to slog through the prose just because I’m slightly interested. I really thought this book was going to be a page turner, and that I would be complaining that I “had to” buy the remaining books in the series because I needed to see how everything plays out. If I’m still thinking about this book next month, perhaps I’ll try to pick it up again, but I doubt I’ll give this book another thought after I finish this review and delete it from my on line library.
I wanted to like this book. After reading the first page I couldn’t wait to dive in. But the rest of the book is disjointed, and while some of the flipping back and forth is fine, this much borders on ridiculous. I’m slightly interested to see how the plot plays out, but I’m at page 84 and honestly, it’s too much work to slog through the prose just because I’m slightly interested. I really thought this book was going to be a page turner, and that I would be complaining that I “had to” buy the remaining books in the series because I needed to see how everything plays out. If I’m still thinking about this book next month, perhaps I’ll try to pick it up again, but I doubt I’ll give this book another thought after I finish this review and delete it from my on line library.
February 6, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. It was confusing at the start, the way the story skipped around, but I soon saw the need for that. A story, a back-story, and a future story all in one, all narrated from the viewpoint of the main character, Dan, a 16 year old boy. Some thought provoking thoughts: "...dead people leave a space, ... and the smallest thing can can let the air rush into that vacuum...filling it ... as if that person had never been gone," and "It's not real (well not yet." The book hinted at the world's possibility of collapsing...just not in the way, you would associate that word with. I got up at 5 a.m. this morning to read it, after falling asleep trying to finish it last night. When I got on here to look for the book, I found that it was not on KU and it was not included in his omnibus of 12 books that are on KU. I guess I will never know what happens.
August 18, 2018
Dan, a 16-year-old boy, gets invited on a free holiday in Scotland along with his family - the only condition is that they visit "The Secret Bunker", a former government surveillance facility. Whle there, an alarm sounds, darkness begins to descend on the planet, and the bunker doors close....leaving Dan's mother outside. What is happening? Who is in charge? And will Dan be able to get his mother to safety?
I bought this book at The Secret Bunker (which is so secret it's advertised all along the motorway). While the central premise is certainly intriguing, the constant changing of point of view makes for a very choppy and uneven story. It's the written equivalent of a badly edited preview for a futuristic thriller - jumpy, choppy, uncertain narrative. Still, the storyline is promising.
I bought this book at The Secret Bunker (which is so secret it's advertised all along the motorway). While the central premise is certainly intriguing, the constant changing of point of view makes for a very choppy and uneven story. It's the written equivalent of a badly edited preview for a futuristic thriller - jumpy, choppy, uncertain narrative. Still, the storyline is promising.
October 15, 2019
Intriguing
I found myself pulled straight into the story, with twins as the main characters, although for some reason I thought the story teller to be female? So when it turned out his name was Dan?? A bit of head scratching 😂 ... Actually it was Nat that was the girl !?.. anyway it's a great combination of sci-fi and possible truth (stranger things and all that?)
The darkness sounds claustrophobic and made me take deep breaths, very atmospheric. And so starts a damned good story... On to the next book
I hate giving to much away ....
I found myself pulled straight into the story, with twins as the main characters, although for some reason I thought the story teller to be female? So when it turned out his name was Dan?? A bit of head scratching 😂 ... Actually it was Nat that was the girl !?.. anyway it's a great combination of sci-fi and possible truth (stranger things and all that?)
The darkness sounds claustrophobic and made me take deep breaths, very atmospheric. And so starts a damned good story... On to the next book
I hate giving to much away ....
July 12, 2020
Often confusing. I'm hoping Mister Teague has developed in the five or six books since this one, but he often makes the fatal error of failing to let the reader know whose perspective we're following after his segment and chapter shifts. Some of the time, it's obvious, but other times, not so much.
That's kind of a deal breaker for me.
I will say, though, that I like the premise, and what characters we do have are decently detailed, even if sometimes I question the level of sophistication of our supposedly 16-year old narrator.
That's kind of a deal breaker for me.
I will say, though, that I like the premise, and what characters we do have are decently detailed, even if sometimes I question the level of sophistication of our supposedly 16-year old narrator.
May 11, 2022
This book is about a boy named Dan and his family who goes on vacation to Scotland three years after they lose Dan's twin Nat to a bunker but things are not what they seem. The bunker is not just a bunker. When they get locked in when darkness falls, everything changes.
The Secret Bunker: Darkness Falls by Paul Teague is what I think a sci-fi novel and the storyline is really good, but the writing is scattered into different povs throughout the chapters; even within the chapters. That's about the only part I don't like about it.
The Secret Bunker: Darkness Falls by Paul Teague is what I think a sci-fi novel and the storyline is really good, but the writing is scattered into different povs throughout the chapters; even within the chapters. That's about the only part I don't like about it.
July 22, 2019
Intrigue, betrayal, a world wide cataclysmic event, secret groups within secret groups, mysterious deaths, mysteries and brain washing tech. Nothing is as it seems. This book has you following a family that accidentally on purpose" got trapped in a secret bunker just when the world went dark. Is this event sinister or beneficial and can the good guys overcome the bad guys? A very interesting read, I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
October 4, 2019
Wow, what a strange story. It's very convoluted, highly unbelievable and just plain uninteresting with chapters so short you can't get into any rhythm with the story. It wandered all over, and then it was over...unsatisfyingly so. It's not a standalone novel, and you would think that with it being as short as it is, that it could have been written into one book. I dare say that parts 2 and 3 will never be read.
January 12, 2020
Can't decide
On one side I like the concept behind this book and the direction of is heading. After all the book should be longer to keep the story going. That's one of the two things I didn't care for. As the action really starts the author stops and puts it in a different book. The other is the way it was written. It's like the ramblings of someone with ADHD and you have to determine what each part fits together with.
On one side I like the concept behind this book and the direction of is heading. After all the book should be longer to keep the story going. That's one of the two things I didn't care for. As the action really starts the author stops and puts it in a different book. The other is the way it was written. It's like the ramblings of someone with ADHD and you have to determine what each part fits together with.
January 23, 2020
This was an intriguing and mysterious story with many strands that gradually made sense. The tale was told between first and third person, was fast-paced and hooked my imagination from the start.
It was good to read a British story, despite some of the spelling and words being American (z rather than s and elevator instead of lift, for example).
However, it was enjoyable and original.
Recommended.
It was good to read a British story, despite some of the spelling and words being American (z rather than s and elevator instead of lift, for example).
However, it was enjoyable and original.
Recommended.
March 8, 2025
I had to start this book over again several times. The author gets too repetitive in some parts and seems to pull concepts and story lines out of no where. I understand this is a fractured narrative but there should still be some thread. Also I didn’t realize Nat was Dan’s twin sister (thought Nat was a boy the whole time) until the last chapter.
Overall a decent read and the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read the second one so I probably will at some point.
Overall a decent read and the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read the second one so I probably will at some point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2017
Part one of this short novel was odd. It seemed to drag whilst jumping all over the place. Very quickly in part two, it all started to make some sort of sense and by the end of this first story in a trilogy, I was well and truly hooked. Stick with it as it is intriguing. No prizes for guessing what I am reading next.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
August 3, 2017
I liked this story but didn't love it.It seemed repetitive and did not keep my interest.A boy ,separated from his family's the only one who can save humanity.Everyone else is in a trance or asleep.Dan McGowan is a good narrator.I was provided this book by the author,narrator or publisher for review.
July 7, 2019
The author misspelled 'judgment', and always used commas to separate two completely different thoughts, instead of a period of semi-colon. The rapidly shifting points of view, with little explanation as to who was doing the narrating, made it very difficult to follow. I had a hard time getting through this one, but the ending made sure that I will read the next one in the series.
February 7, 2020
Like it
This was a very good book. I did enjoy it. However the writing style I did not care for. I don’t know how to describe it other then sometimes during the course of reading the book I could not tell who was “speaking”. It wasn’t very clear and seemed to jump around a lot. While I did enjoy the read, I will not be buying the other books.
This was a very good book. I did enjoy it. However the writing style I did not care for. I don’t know how to describe it other then sometimes during the course of reading the book I could not tell who was “speaking”. It wasn’t very clear and seemed to jump around a lot. While I did enjoy the read, I will not be buying the other books.
April 24, 2020
Riveting page turner
An interesting but strange start to the book that leaves you in no doubt that there's something very strange but yet intriguingly exciting is about to occur.
Told through the thoughts and actions of a teenage boy this book is an excellent introduction for the next 2 books in the trilogy
An interesting but strange start to the book that leaves you in no doubt that there's something very strange but yet intriguingly exciting is about to occur.
Told through the thoughts and actions of a teenage boy this book is an excellent introduction for the next 2 books in the trilogy
October 6, 2020
I spent most of the beginning of this book a little bit lost and confused about what was going on, and whose perspective we were viewing the world through. I'm still not quite sure what the actual story was, however. It jumped around far too much for me to follow entirely.
It wasn't badly written, it just wasn't the writing style I enjoy reading.
It wasn't badly written, it just wasn't the writing style I enjoy reading.
June 30, 2019
Gripping!
The story is mesmerizing. My only nitpick is the point at which it ends, without any real resolution. You have to buy the next two in order to have any sense of comp!Erin
The story is mesmerizing. My only nitpick is the point at which it ends, without any real resolution. You have to buy the next two in order to have any sense of comp!Erin
July 20, 2019
Tedious. Not my usual type of read
I gave up at 28%. I just couldnt get into it because it kept jumping back to twins death and other stuff. Others may enjoy it, but i absolutely hated it and wont be attempting to read any further
I gave up at 28%. I just couldnt get into it because it kept jumping back to twins death and other stuff. Others may enjoy it, but i absolutely hated it and wont be attempting to read any further
November 1, 2019
I hated it!
I hated it because there were no explanation of "why" or "how" anything happened. Mysterious terrorists seeking to sell the Earth's resources? To who? How is the blackness going to restore the Earth? I will not be reading any of the other books, even if offered free.
I hated it because there were no explanation of "why" or "how" anything happened. Mysterious terrorists seeking to sell the Earth's resources? To who? How is the blackness going to restore the Earth? I will not be reading any of the other books, even if offered free.
January 6, 2020
While I found this book confusing at times as it seemed to jump about..I enjoyed the premise of the story and I’m quite intrigued to see where the next two books go! I like the cleverly woven back story too.
June 6, 2017
I really wanted to like it, the premise was good but it just jumped all over the place and the 16 year olds reactions were just too simple.
September 7, 2017
The story was obviously written in a British voice, but the narrator was American. I found myself giggling at the weird disconnect. It took away from the story.
April 20, 2018
I enjoyed the book but not as much as I thought I would.
A lot of repetitiveness.
A lot of repetitiveness.
November 5, 2018
This story kept me engrossed right up to the cliff hanger ending that had to be accounted for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews