What do you think?
Rate this book
Darkstocking: Erotic Grimdark Fantasy Novel
Contains explicit sexual content and disturbing subject matter
In the shadowy depths of 1622 England, where whispers of witchcraft mingle with forbidden desires, Candace Blanchard finds herself poised at the edge of a transformative awakening. Born with an extraordinary beauty cursed by magic, her coming of age spirals into a world steeped in depravity and sadism, a realm where innocence is swiftly lost.
As dark prophecies unfurl, entwined with the Revelation of biblical eschatology, Candace navigates a society fraught with hidden truths and corruption, discovering the intoxicating allure of power and the consequences of insatiable desire. With each encounter, she grapples with the complexities of her Satanic curse of hypersexuality and her supernatural beauty, exploring the tantalizing boundaries of taboo and the thirst for vengeance that stirs within her.
"Darkstocking" invites readers into a spellbinding tale of transformation and the indulgence of lust and power, where beauty becomes both a blessing and a curse, and the line between right and wrong blurs in a world of demons and the occult.
In the shadowy depths of 1622 England, where whispers of witchcraft mingle with forbidden desires, Candace Blanchard finds herself poised at the edge of a transformative awakening. Born with an extraordinary beauty cursed by magic, her coming of age spirals into a world steeped in depravity and sadism, a realm where innocence is swiftly lost.
As dark prophecies unfurl, entwined with the Revelation of biblical eschatology, Candace navigates a society fraught with hidden truths and corruption, discovering the intoxicating allure of power and the consequences of insatiable desire. With each encounter, she grapples with the complexities of her Satanic curse of hypersexuality and her supernatural beauty, exploring the tantalizing boundaries of taboo and the thirst for vengeance that stirs within her.
"Darkstocking" invites readers into a spellbinding tale of transformation and the indulgence of lust and power, where beauty becomes both a blessing and a curse, and the line between right and wrong blurs in a world of demons and the occult.
442 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2025
43 people are currently reading
2613 people want to read
About the author
Tom Klehm
3 books14 followersTom Klehm is a philosopher in Dallas, Texas, an eccentric hermit with an independent worldview. He is a combat veteran of the US Army. His unique experiences and nonconformist nature have shaped his outré perspective of reality.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 16, 2025
AN EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN DARK FANTASY NOVEL
"Darkstocking" by Tom Klehm hits all the beats for a classic dark fantasy novel. Specifically, it's the grimdark tone of the story that is the most well-defined. This author knows the genre inside and out.
Before I say much more, I will say this: some of the content is very disturbing. It is not for the sensitive reader. To his credit, the author offers a fair warning about this, at the beginning of the book.
For those who love the blending of witchcraft and other aspects of the occult, I highly recommend this story. Here you will find the things you love, blended with a heartbreakingly believable story about a cursed and orphaned young woman who suffers her first trauma at the age of fifteen years: the age when most of us humans begin to assert ourselves as adults.
What happens next is a fascinating descent into the underworld of the fantasy realm into which she was born. The entire realm is brought to life with sensory descriptions and characters that are so well drawn they almost leap off the page. My interpretation of the protagonist's plight: the sad and inevitable result of a young person struggling to survive in a realm that is both brutal and unforgiving. My heart broke for her. Until her transformation which was, simply ... wow!
I shall say no more than that.
If you love dark fantasy, this book was written for you. Buy it. Read it. You won't be disappointed.
"Darkstocking" by Tom Klehm hits all the beats for a classic dark fantasy novel. Specifically, it's the grimdark tone of the story that is the most well-defined. This author knows the genre inside and out.
Before I say much more, I will say this: some of the content is very disturbing. It is not for the sensitive reader. To his credit, the author offers a fair warning about this, at the beginning of the book.
For those who love the blending of witchcraft and other aspects of the occult, I highly recommend this story. Here you will find the things you love, blended with a heartbreakingly believable story about a cursed and orphaned young woman who suffers her first trauma at the age of fifteen years: the age when most of us humans begin to assert ourselves as adults.
What happens next is a fascinating descent into the underworld of the fantasy realm into which she was born. The entire realm is brought to life with sensory descriptions and characters that are so well drawn they almost leap off the page. My interpretation of the protagonist's plight: the sad and inevitable result of a young person struggling to survive in a realm that is both brutal and unforgiving. My heart broke for her. Until her transformation which was, simply ... wow!
I shall say no more than that.
If you love dark fantasy, this book was written for you. Buy it. Read it. You won't be disappointed.
November 26, 2025
This was a unique storyline and I enjoyed the characters. I loved the character growth and the writing style was easy to understand. It was very repetitive at times when she reinforced her name and her purpose, which I think could’ve been redacted and the whole book could’ve been shortened. But, I enjoyed it!
*Editing this to a 4/5 star because I would truthfully read the next book in this series and thoroughly enjoy it.
*Editing this to a 4/5 star because I would truthfully read the next book in this series and thoroughly enjoy it.
December 2, 2025
Sucks you in and keeps you reading.
November 15, 2025
As I read this dark escape into Darkstockings life and adventure to find her true identity ,there were quite a few twist and turns to avenge her story. As it was warned in the beginning there is a lot of sexual details brought into her life along the way. Due to this I would rate this a 3. This book is not for everyone. But if you can handle the dark side and a little Witchery with a lot of sex. This is the book for you.
December 18, 2025
Kept me turning pages
Tom Klehm’s Darkstocking is extremely dark with supernatural mystery. Candace’s sensual encounters were bold, vivid, and completely absorbing. With a setting in 1622 England, the book has twists and turns that make the story unforgettable. If you enjoy fantasy with a darker edge, this book is for you!
Tom Klehm’s Darkstocking is extremely dark with supernatural mystery. Candace’s sensual encounters were bold, vivid, and completely absorbing. With a setting in 1622 England, the book has twists and turns that make the story unforgettable. If you enjoy fantasy with a darker edge, this book is for you!
Read
November 2, 2025I signed up for a giveaway of this book expecting it to be hilariously bad and occasionally hot, so thanks to Goodreads for the free copy, and congratulations to this man for meeting my expectations.
Impossible to assign a numerical rating to this. The author should be punched in the nuts for using the same phrases over and over and OVER again (things like “she was no longer Candace; she was DARKSTOCKING, vixen of the infernal” gets dropped in once or twice every chapter, and “the curse that had once seemed like such a terrible burden had, at least for tonight, proven to be quite profitable” gets used twice within two or three paragraphs).
But, on the other hand, kudos for the surprise cameo by …. (wheeze)… Rene Descartes.
Impossible to assign a numerical rating to this. The author should be punched in the nuts for using the same phrases over and over and OVER again (things like “she was no longer Candace; she was DARKSTOCKING, vixen of the infernal” gets dropped in once or twice every chapter, and “the curse that had once seemed like such a terrible burden had, at least for tonight, proven to be quite profitable” gets used twice within two or three paragraphs).
But, on the other hand, kudos for the surprise cameo by …. (wheeze)… Rene Descartes.
October 8, 2025
I was provided a free copy of this book for the purpose of review. I'm providing a list of potential trigger warnings at the start since there is a lot of content that people should be aware of before going in.
TW
*Violence, blood, gore
*Sexual assault/sexual abuse
*Anima cruelty/animal death
*Kidnapping
*Incest
*Non-con/dub-con
*Suicide
Just to note that there are certainly more things to look out for, these were just the things that stood out to me while reading.
Darkstocking follows Candace Blanchard, a young woman who was spent her entire life sheltered by her mother on the outskirts of a small English town. Candace has heeded her mother's warnings about staying covered when she leaves the house, and she never strays far. One day as she's out fishing she removes her cloak thinking it couldn't possibly hurt. There's no one even around to see, right? Soon, her life has changed completely and she's embroiled in the occult in ways she could never imagine.
I really like books steeped in the occult. I always find them interesting, especially historically. That part of the setting I enjoyed. I also really liked some of the erotic scenes. Another reviewer mentioned that one of the scenes marked something off her smutty bingo card, which definitely happened with me too. A few of the erotic scenes in the latter half of the book were really something and exactly what I expected from a book labeled as erotica.
The part that didn't connect with me was the characters. The only character we really get to know at all is the main character, Candace. There are a few other supporting characters that we meet briefly, but almost all of them serve as information conduits and we don't see much of them as people outside of that. One of the characters the comes back the most often, Marchosias, was really primed to have a bigger role in my mind so I was disappointed his role fell kind of flat.
There were also some very weird moments of perspective shift. The whole book is told in third person limited perspective, except for a few longer moments at points that zoom way out and talk about far reaching consequences of things that just happened. It's really jarring when it does happen and it ruined a lot of the tension in those moments for me. One moment in particular where a character *might* have been killed had the tension robbed from it because the zoomed out narration immediately told us he wasn't killed and that we would be seeing him again.
The erotic scenes were really hit or miss for me. There were some scenes I felt were described really well that were exactly what I was looking for when I picked the book up (some of the bar scenes late in the book). There were others, especially early in the book, that were borderline fade-to-black and didn't really capture the sense of dread I was expecting from the content matter. The early book non-con scenes felt glossed over in a way that removed the stress of the fantasy.
This is a hard book to recommend, because I feel like it would be hard to find the right audience. The erotica is a big focus in the book and there are definitely a few triggers that are going to turn off a lot of readers. The combination of non-con and incest in the trigger warnings I think will severely limit the audience. I appreciate the opportunity to review this book from NetGalley.
TW
*Violence, blood, gore
*Sexual assault/sexual abuse
*Anima cruelty/animal death
*Kidnapping
*Incest
*Non-con/dub-con
*Suicide
Just to note that there are certainly more things to look out for, these were just the things that stood out to me while reading.
Darkstocking follows Candace Blanchard, a young woman who was spent her entire life sheltered by her mother on the outskirts of a small English town. Candace has heeded her mother's warnings about staying covered when she leaves the house, and she never strays far. One day as she's out fishing she removes her cloak thinking it couldn't possibly hurt. There's no one even around to see, right? Soon, her life has changed completely and she's embroiled in the occult in ways she could never imagine.
I really like books steeped in the occult. I always find them interesting, especially historically. That part of the setting I enjoyed. I also really liked some of the erotic scenes. Another reviewer mentioned that one of the scenes marked something off her smutty bingo card, which definitely happened with me too. A few of the erotic scenes in the latter half of the book were really something and exactly what I expected from a book labeled as erotica.
The part that didn't connect with me was the characters. The only character we really get to know at all is the main character, Candace. There are a few other supporting characters that we meet briefly, but almost all of them serve as information conduits and we don't see much of them as people outside of that. One of the characters the comes back the most often, Marchosias, was really primed to have a bigger role in my mind so I was disappointed his role fell kind of flat.
There were also some very weird moments of perspective shift. The whole book is told in third person limited perspective, except for a few longer moments at points that zoom way out and talk about far reaching consequences of things that just happened. It's really jarring when it does happen and it ruined a lot of the tension in those moments for me. One moment in particular where a character *might* have been killed had the tension robbed from it because the zoomed out narration immediately told us he wasn't killed and that we would be seeing him again.
The erotic scenes were really hit or miss for me. There were some scenes I felt were described really well that were exactly what I was looking for when I picked the book up (some of the bar scenes late in the book). There were others, especially early in the book, that were borderline fade-to-black and didn't really capture the sense of dread I was expecting from the content matter. The early book non-con scenes felt glossed over in a way that removed the stress of the fantasy.
This is a hard book to recommend, because I feel like it would be hard to find the right audience. The erotica is a big focus in the book and there are definitely a few triggers that are going to turn off a lot of readers. The combination of non-con and incest in the trigger warnings I think will severely limit the audience. I appreciate the opportunity to review this book from NetGalley.
October 9, 2025
Bold, Unapologetic, and Darkly Imaginative – A Gritty Erotic Fantasy That Pulls No Punches
Darkstocking by Tom Klehm is not your typical fantasy novel—and that’s exactly its strength. This is a bold, genre-bending work that dives headfirst into the murky waters of grimdark storytelling, laced with unapologetic eroticism, moral ambiguity, and richly imagined world-building. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for readers who enjoy the grittier side of fantasy with an edge of sensuality, this book delivers a memorable and provocative experience.
From the first chapter, Klehm makes it clear that we’re not in a sanitized version of a medieval world. The tone is unapologetically grim, often brutal, and yet layered with nuance. The characters are complex, driven by desire, fear, power, and survival. No one is truly innocent, and that makes the relationships and motivations feel all the more real.
The erotic elements are woven throughout the narrative in a way that feels purposeful—used not just for shock value, but to deepen character dynamics, reflect power structures, and underscore emotional intensity. That said, this aspect of the book is explicit, and readers should be aware that this is very much a mature, adult fantasy.
The plot itself is well-paced, with moments of tension and intrigue that kept me turning the pages. The world Klehm has built is harsh and often unforgiving, but also fascinating—there’s a certain dark poetry to the way it unfolds. Political power plays, betrayals, dangerous magic, and raw human desire all intertwine, creating a story that feels both intimate and epic.
The writing style is sharp, atmospheric, and often beautiful in its brutality. Klehm clearly has a command of language and tone, especially in crafting vivid, sometimes haunting imagery. Still, there were a few moments where I found myself wishing for more clarity or emotional connection to certain characters—it occasionally felt like the sheer intensity of the world overshadowed the emotional arcs.
That said, Darkstocking is a strong, confident novel that knows exactly what it is—and leans into its unique blend of grimdark and eroticism with skill. It won’t be for everyone, but for readers drawn to the darker corners of fantasy with a raw, sensual edge, this book will absolutely hit the mark.
I'm giving it four stars for its originality, daring tone, and atmospheric storytelling. It’s a standout in a niche genre, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Tom Klehm writes next.
Darkstocking by Tom Klehm is not your typical fantasy novel—and that’s exactly its strength. This is a bold, genre-bending work that dives headfirst into the murky waters of grimdark storytelling, laced with unapologetic eroticism, moral ambiguity, and richly imagined world-building. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for readers who enjoy the grittier side of fantasy with an edge of sensuality, this book delivers a memorable and provocative experience.
From the first chapter, Klehm makes it clear that we’re not in a sanitized version of a medieval world. The tone is unapologetically grim, often brutal, and yet layered with nuance. The characters are complex, driven by desire, fear, power, and survival. No one is truly innocent, and that makes the relationships and motivations feel all the more real.
The erotic elements are woven throughout the narrative in a way that feels purposeful—used not just for shock value, but to deepen character dynamics, reflect power structures, and underscore emotional intensity. That said, this aspect of the book is explicit, and readers should be aware that this is very much a mature, adult fantasy.
The plot itself is well-paced, with moments of tension and intrigue that kept me turning the pages. The world Klehm has built is harsh and often unforgiving, but also fascinating—there’s a certain dark poetry to the way it unfolds. Political power plays, betrayals, dangerous magic, and raw human desire all intertwine, creating a story that feels both intimate and epic.
The writing style is sharp, atmospheric, and often beautiful in its brutality. Klehm clearly has a command of language and tone, especially in crafting vivid, sometimes haunting imagery. Still, there were a few moments where I found myself wishing for more clarity or emotional connection to certain characters—it occasionally felt like the sheer intensity of the world overshadowed the emotional arcs.
That said, Darkstocking is a strong, confident novel that knows exactly what it is—and leans into its unique blend of grimdark and eroticism with skill. It won’t be for everyone, but for readers drawn to the darker corners of fantasy with a raw, sensual edge, this book will absolutely hit the mark.
I'm giving it four stars for its originality, daring tone, and atmospheric storytelling. It’s a standout in a niche genre, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Tom Klehm writes next.
October 7, 2025
Do you have books that sometimes feel like a struggle to read because you don't "connect" with the characters? This book took me longer to read than normal & I think that's why. I also don't like books written in third person. I feel some of it could be chopped to make it a novella (to me she didn't need three separate gifts & all the mentions of her changing forms) & it would have been better. I don't know why, but I feel like if she was going to shed her old name as she became her new persona, the moniker Darkstocking wouldn't really strike fear...but again, it's 1622. I personally like Vix, short for Vixen, as she is also referenced as part of a longer name.
When I originally picked this in NetGalley after reading the blurb, I was drawn to demons, witches, curses, female vengeance & violence, lusty times. Those parts were fine. I read a lot of paranormal romance, so I'm thinking this is going to be darker & so be it. The trigger warnings were very clear, including religious references & taboo things. I'm not going to yuck someone's yum because everyone likes different things, but there were a couple things that didn't sit well with me to personally give it a higher rating. Since the book is already published, I'm not hiding spoilers. I'm also not going to go into detail, but the sisters having their "anointing" ceremony at age 13, not for me. Also priest suicide, not for me. Again - due to the occult, it's not like there is really any line that can't be crossed, but that's not my flavor. I didn't like in the last chapter how they flipped the script regarding her mom's character (also who uses "script flipped" in 1622 England?).
Some authors seem to try to throw in deep thoughts/hidden messages in their books. Is beauty a curse? Is desire a curse? Is power a curse? Is drinking that bad? I don't know, I just read for escape.
If anyone else has read this all the way through - at the end, I thought she'd end up with Marchosias. He seemed to be a consistent character who didn't really do (yes, bad double entendre) anything.
I will give it a bit of credit because I haven't personally read a glory hole scene in a story (& I've read a lot of stories - some on my TBR may have them), so mark that off my smutty bingo card. I also think this is the author's first book in this type of genre, so I always try to give kudos to that as well. Thanks for the opportunity, NetGalley and the publisher.
When I originally picked this in NetGalley after reading the blurb, I was drawn to demons, witches, curses, female vengeance & violence, lusty times. Those parts were fine. I read a lot of paranormal romance, so I'm thinking this is going to be darker & so be it. The trigger warnings were very clear, including religious references & taboo things. I'm not going to yuck someone's yum because everyone likes different things, but there were a couple things that didn't sit well with me to personally give it a higher rating. Since the book is already published, I'm not hiding spoilers. I'm also not going to go into detail, but the sisters having their "anointing" ceremony at age 13, not for me. Also priest suicide, not for me. Again - due to the occult, it's not like there is really any line that can't be crossed, but that's not my flavor. I didn't like in the last chapter how they flipped the script regarding her mom's character (also who uses "script flipped" in 1622 England?).
Some authors seem to try to throw in deep thoughts/hidden messages in their books. Is beauty a curse? Is desire a curse? Is power a curse? Is drinking that bad? I don't know, I just read for escape.
If anyone else has read this all the way through - at the end, I thought she'd end up with Marchosias. He seemed to be a consistent character who didn't really do (yes, bad double entendre) anything.
I will give it a bit of credit because I haven't personally read a glory hole scene in a story (& I've read a lot of stories - some on my TBR may have them), so mark that off my smutty bingo card. I also think this is the author's first book in this type of genre, so I always try to give kudos to that as well. Thanks for the opportunity, NetGalley and the publisher.
December 6, 2025
I wasn’t disturbed or offended, before any of the 5 star reviewers try to come at me for my rating.
I was bored up Until the Plymouth pub scenes. It picked up a bit at that point.
I think the writing was overall redundant/ repetitive in the descriptions and felt like it fell flat overall.
I’d like to know more about Leidas actual reasoning of stealing her daughter away
I feel like Lucia was shady, and feel that there should’ve been more behind the interwoven details of the fabric in the robe that she was donned with that maybe kept her a prisoner magically to force the last chapter/ ceremony go against her will vs her just being a willing participant to explain why her mom wanted to protect her.
I guess I just wanted more
Glad I only paid 2.99 for it
I was bored up Until the Plymouth pub scenes. It picked up a bit at that point.
I think the writing was overall redundant/ repetitive in the descriptions and felt like it fell flat overall.
I’d like to know more about Leidas actual reasoning of stealing her daughter away
I feel like Lucia was shady, and feel that there should’ve been more behind the interwoven details of the fabric in the robe that she was donned with that maybe kept her a prisoner magically to force the last chapter/ ceremony go against her will vs her just being a willing participant to explain why her mom wanted to protect her.
I guess I just wanted more
Glad I only paid 2.99 for it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2025
This review contains spoilers.
Long live the Domina Necatrix!
First things first. This book is offensive. That's the whole point. Tom Klehm said f--- your feelings, and I love it. This novel is a big middle finger to Christianity. If you see negative reviews, remember that. This book likely offended the reviewer's precious Christian morals, so they will attack it in any way they can. As a result, this book will never be popular. It's not meant to be. It was written to piss you off. This is why I can honestly say that this is likely my favorite novel of all time, not to mention the intricate weaving of history and biblical prophecy that Klehm so masterfully does, which I'll explain in detail.
I've read other reviews about this book on Amazon, and I'm seeing many say that the primary plot is vengeance. False. It seems they did not read the last four chapters of the book. Vengeance is a subplot to the primary plot: The fulfillment of prophecy. Everything that happens in the book is for this purpose.
Tom Klehm creates a prophecy written in Latin called the Codex Tenebris. It mimics Bible verses about the prophecy of the birth of Jesus Christ and twists them into a blasphemous Satanic equivalent. Instead of Jesus Christ being the Savior, the Domina Necatrix, aka Darkstocking, is the Liberator. Instead of being conceived by the Holy Spirit, she is conceived by a powerful demon of hell. Klehm weaves history and historical figures into the plot. The Codex Tenebris was written by Montanus, an actual heretical prophet of the 2nd century. The mother of Darkstocking is the firstborn child of King James and Queen Anne of England. She was a secret miscarriage brought back to life by demonic power in 1590. The demons in the book are actual demons found in The Lesser Key of Solomon, also known as the Lemegeton: Sitri, Marchosias, and Vassago. The Stella Tenebris is the Satanic equivalent to the Star of Bethlehem, the supernova in 1604 known as Kepler's Supernova. Darkstocking is the fulfillment of this prophecy and becomes the Domina Necatrix, the path maker for the Antichrist. This prophecy lays the foundation for an entire series of books, hence the series name The Codex Tenebris.
Also, people assume that when they see the word "Erotic" in the description that they will find romance. Newsflash: There is no romance in this book!
Tom Klehm has created a gothic masterpiece. Is it perfect? no. What makes it so is how original, raw, unforgiving, and brutal it is. Love it or hate it, there is nothing else quite like it.
Hail Sitri! Hail Satan!
Long live the Domina Necatrix!
First things first. This book is offensive. That's the whole point. Tom Klehm said f--- your feelings, and I love it. This novel is a big middle finger to Christianity. If you see negative reviews, remember that. This book likely offended the reviewer's precious Christian morals, so they will attack it in any way they can. As a result, this book will never be popular. It's not meant to be. It was written to piss you off. This is why I can honestly say that this is likely my favorite novel of all time, not to mention the intricate weaving of history and biblical prophecy that Klehm so masterfully does, which I'll explain in detail.
I've read other reviews about this book on Amazon, and I'm seeing many say that the primary plot is vengeance. False. It seems they did not read the last four chapters of the book. Vengeance is a subplot to the primary plot: The fulfillment of prophecy. Everything that happens in the book is for this purpose.
Tom Klehm creates a prophecy written in Latin called the Codex Tenebris. It mimics Bible verses about the prophecy of the birth of Jesus Christ and twists them into a blasphemous Satanic equivalent. Instead of Jesus Christ being the Savior, the Domina Necatrix, aka Darkstocking, is the Liberator. Instead of being conceived by the Holy Spirit, she is conceived by a powerful demon of hell. Klehm weaves history and historical figures into the plot. The Codex Tenebris was written by Montanus, an actual heretical prophet of the 2nd century. The mother of Darkstocking is the firstborn child of King James and Queen Anne of England. She was a secret miscarriage brought back to life by demonic power in 1590. The demons in the book are actual demons found in The Lesser Key of Solomon, also known as the Lemegeton: Sitri, Marchosias, and Vassago. The Stella Tenebris is the Satanic equivalent to the Star of Bethlehem, the supernova in 1604 known as Kepler's Supernova. Darkstocking is the fulfillment of this prophecy and becomes the Domina Necatrix, the path maker for the Antichrist. This prophecy lays the foundation for an entire series of books, hence the series name The Codex Tenebris.
Also, people assume that when they see the word "Erotic" in the description that they will find romance. Newsflash: There is no romance in this book!
Tom Klehm has created a gothic masterpiece. Is it perfect? no. What makes it so is how original, raw, unforgiving, and brutal it is. Love it or hate it, there is nothing else quite like it.
Hail Sitri! Hail Satan!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews