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Shadow Witch: Horror of the Dark Forest
Winter has come. Thom Meeks lives with his family in Droman Meadows under the protection of the Kingdom of Mylan. An unusually long winter creates anxiety in the village and some believe it to be the return of an ominous force known as the Shadow. When a pack of dread wolves lays ruin to Droman Meadows, Thom escapes with his wife and four daughters. They set out on the Mylan Road in hopes of finding refuge in the capital, but dark forces emerging from the primeval forest will challenge them for their eternal souls. Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire will love this epic dark fantasy novel from J. Thorn and Dan Padavona. Get it now!
- GenresHorror
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 13, 2015
113 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
J. Thorn
168 books171 followersWant a story that’s rooted in a fundamental aspect of being human?
I believe reading dark fiction can be healing. My overriding mission is to connect with you through my art, and I hope to inspire you to do the same. I’m a word architect and driven visionary. I’m obsessed with heavy metal, horror films and technology. And I admire strong people who are not afraid to speak their mind.
I grew up in an Irish Catholic, working class family and was the first to go to college. I didn’t have expensive toys, so I used my own imagination for entertainment. And then I abused alcohol for entertainment. I spent the first thirty years of my life convincing myself I wasn’t an addict and the last ten worrying about all the potential threats the substances hid from me.
Anxiety and depression are always hiding in the corner, waiting to jump me when I start to feel happiness.
I had to break through family programming and accept the role of the black sheep. In my 30s I started writing horror and formed a heavy metal band while my family rolled their eyes, sighed and waited for the “phase” to end.
I spent years paralyzing myself with self-loathing and criticism, keeping my creativity smothered and hidden from the rest of the world. I worked a job I hated because that’s what Irish Catholic fathers do. They don’t express themselves, they pay the damn mortgage. I may have left my guilt and faith behind long ago, but the scars remain.
My creativity is my release, my therapy and my place to work through it all. I haven’t had a drink in a long time, but the anxiety and depression are always lurking. Writing novels and songs keeps it at bay. I scream over anxiety with my microphone and I turn my guitar up loud enough to drown out the whispers of self-doubt.
I hope to leave a legacy of art that will continue to entertain and enrich lives long after I’m gone. I want others to see that you don’t have to conform to the mainstream to be fulfilled.
Don’t be afraid of the dark. Embrace it.
Experience:
By the end of 2014, J. Thorn will have published over one million words and sold over 100,000 ebooks, worldwide.
J. Thorn is a Top 100 Most Popular Author in Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy (Amazon Author Rank). In March of 2014 Thorn held the #5 position in Horror with his childhood idols Dean Koontz and Stephen King at #4 and #2 respectively. He is an official, active member of the Horror Writers Association and a member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. J. is a contributor to disinformation.com and a staff writer for HeavyPlanet.net as well as a founding board member of the Author Marketing Institute.
Thorn earned a B.A. in American History from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.A. from Duquesne University. He has spent the last twenty years researching mysticism and the occult in colonial American history.
I believe reading dark fiction can be healing. My overriding mission is to connect with you through my art, and I hope to inspire you to do the same. I’m a word architect and driven visionary. I’m obsessed with heavy metal, horror films and technology. And I admire strong people who are not afraid to speak their mind.
I grew up in an Irish Catholic, working class family and was the first to go to college. I didn’t have expensive toys, so I used my own imagination for entertainment. And then I abused alcohol for entertainment. I spent the first thirty years of my life convincing myself I wasn’t an addict and the last ten worrying about all the potential threats the substances hid from me.
Anxiety and depression are always hiding in the corner, waiting to jump me when I start to feel happiness.
I had to break through family programming and accept the role of the black sheep. In my 30s I started writing horror and formed a heavy metal band while my family rolled their eyes, sighed and waited for the “phase” to end.
I spent years paralyzing myself with self-loathing and criticism, keeping my creativity smothered and hidden from the rest of the world. I worked a job I hated because that’s what Irish Catholic fathers do. They don’t express themselves, they pay the damn mortgage. I may have left my guilt and faith behind long ago, but the scars remain.
My creativity is my release, my therapy and my place to work through it all. I haven’t had a drink in a long time, but the anxiety and depression are always lurking. Writing novels and songs keeps it at bay. I scream over anxiety with my microphone and I turn my guitar up loud enough to drown out the whispers of self-doubt.
I hope to leave a legacy of art that will continue to entertain and enrich lives long after I’m gone. I want others to see that you don’t have to conform to the mainstream to be fulfilled.
Don’t be afraid of the dark. Embrace it.
Experience:
By the end of 2014, J. Thorn will have published over one million words and sold over 100,000 ebooks, worldwide.
J. Thorn is a Top 100 Most Popular Author in Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy (Amazon Author Rank). In March of 2014 Thorn held the #5 position in Horror with his childhood idols Dean Koontz and Stephen King at #4 and #2 respectively. He is an official, active member of the Horror Writers Association and a member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. J. is a contributor to disinformation.com and a staff writer for HeavyPlanet.net as well as a founding board member of the Author Marketing Institute.
Thorn earned a B.A. in American History from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.A. from Duquesne University. He has spent the last twenty years researching mysticism and the occult in colonial American history.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 29, 2019
Halloween nears, so I figured was a good time to turn my attention to something in the horror genre. And I couldn’t help but put a book that is self-described as “Game of Thrones meets The Blair Witch.” at the top of the list for this year’s scare.
Shadow Witch: Horror of the Dark Forest is the only novel co-authored by J. Thorn and Dan Padavona (that I’m aware of). It follows Thom Meeks and his family as they struggle to survive an unnaturally long winter in the small, isolated village of Droman Meadows. But darkness descends as dread wolves attack and destroy the town, forcing Thom to escape into the forest with his family… But there’s something supernatural in the forest—something evil.
I loved the prose in this story. The tone and language were pitch-perfect, eliciting dread, fear, and anxiety. The descriptions and the distant, omniscient approach to the narrative made me feel like I was watching an actual horror film.
As I reached the middle of the story, it began to sag a little because I didn’t particularly enjoy Thom’s family. I had difficulty separating his four daughters. I easily forgot who the oldest was or which one was the twin. This happens to me with a distant narrator.
This story is more Blair Witch than Game of Thrones. It’s a pre-industrial, secondary world setting, but it doesn’t follow many of the high fantasy tropes that make other novels in the genre identifiable. The story’s scope much smaller, and there’s little if any sense of adventure. But, that’s not what most people are looking for in a horror novel, so that’s not an issue for me.
If you’re looking book this week to get into the season’s spirit, give Shadow Witch a try! Oh! And Dan Padavona is Dio’s son! So if you’re into metal music (like me), that’s just one more reason to give it a shot.
Shadow Witch: Horror of the Dark Forest is the only novel co-authored by J. Thorn and Dan Padavona (that I’m aware of). It follows Thom Meeks and his family as they struggle to survive an unnaturally long winter in the small, isolated village of Droman Meadows. But darkness descends as dread wolves attack and destroy the town, forcing Thom to escape into the forest with his family… But there’s something supernatural in the forest—something evil.
I loved the prose in this story. The tone and language were pitch-perfect, eliciting dread, fear, and anxiety. The descriptions and the distant, omniscient approach to the narrative made me feel like I was watching an actual horror film.
As I reached the middle of the story, it began to sag a little because I didn’t particularly enjoy Thom’s family. I had difficulty separating his four daughters. I easily forgot who the oldest was or which one was the twin. This happens to me with a distant narrator.
This story is more Blair Witch than Game of Thrones. It’s a pre-industrial, secondary world setting, but it doesn’t follow many of the high fantasy tropes that make other novels in the genre identifiable. The story’s scope much smaller, and there’s little if any sense of adventure. But, that’s not what most people are looking for in a horror novel, so that’s not an issue for me.
If you’re looking book this week to get into the season’s spirit, give Shadow Witch a try! Oh! And Dan Padavona is Dio’s son! So if you’re into metal music (like me), that’s just one more reason to give it a shot.
May 20, 2019
2.75/3 ★
I sort of enjoyed this one? The story was okay - it started off good but then got a bit repetitive - and the writing really could have been better, but it kept me hooked enough to read it to the end and I enjoyed some of the more horror-esque elements to it. If the writing was better (not as clunky, and properly edited) I might have enjoyed this a bit more.
I sort of enjoyed this one? The story was okay - it started off good but then got a bit repetitive - and the writing really could have been better, but it kept me hooked enough to read it to the end and I enjoyed some of the more horror-esque elements to it. If the writing was better (not as clunky, and properly edited) I might have enjoyed this a bit more.
May 4, 2020
I will admit that I didn't enjoy this story as much as others by J. Thorn, but it was well written if a little off track at times.
It was a creepy tale of monsters and villains and a witch of the shadows, with reasonable characters. There were some great descriptions at times, however, there was something missing to keep me properly hooked...I finished it because I couldn't review until I had.
Overall, it was entertaining but needed more.
Worth a look...pure horror lovers will enjoy it, I think.
It was a creepy tale of monsters and villains and a witch of the shadows, with reasonable characters. There were some great descriptions at times, however, there was something missing to keep me properly hooked...I finished it because I couldn't review until I had.
Overall, it was entertaining but needed more.
Worth a look...pure horror lovers will enjoy it, I think.
August 13, 2020
First and foremost, if you have trouble sleeping and easily have nightmares, this is not the book for you! I feel these authors truly brought the nightmare experience to life and had my heart clenching for the MC and his family. In my minds eye, the past was about to rear it’s ugly head on the MC like a hurricane. There is more to this story than you are lead to believe, so, if you are daring, pick this one up for an awesome scare, then read it again during Halloween! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
August 28, 2018
Sorry, but having read Crawlspace, Storberry and The Face of Midnight, I was a bit disappointed in this one. The level of writing here just wasn't up to par, in my opinion. Plus, there were too many dream sequences (a pet peeve of mine) and too much time spent with different characters/groups of characters running around lost in the forest. On the other hand, the dread wolves were brutal and horrific and the villainous Shadow Witch herself was quite dark, menacing and terrifying.
October 11, 2017
Loved it
Kept me on the edge of my seat, couldn't put it down until I finished, then was sad when it was finished. I love horror and fantasy and this is one of the best I have read. Would recommend to anyone that loves horror and fantasy. Thank you
Kept me on the edge of my seat, couldn't put it down until I finished, then was sad when it was finished. I love horror and fantasy and this is one of the best I have read. Would recommend to anyone that loves horror and fantasy. Thank you
July 6, 2017
Scary
Well written, I read it within a few hours. Couldn't put it down. It was scary. I wish the very absolute end was a little clearer. It was a frightening read.
Well written, I read it within a few hours. Couldn't put it down. It was scary. I wish the very absolute end was a little clearer. It was a frightening read.
October 21, 2018
The perfect Halloween read.
March 17, 2015
Shadow Witch is a great read with horror and fantasy elements that blend perfectly. The story is chocked full of suspense and mystery all within a world as engaging as Middle Earth or Westoros. J Thorn and Dan Padanova have created a well written story that is perfectly paced and has the potential to open up into a larger series of books that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and wanting more.
I would highly recommend grabbing a copy of Shadow Witch and will be looking forward to the next installment.
I would highly recommend grabbing a copy of Shadow Witch and will be looking forward to the next installment.
March 14, 2015
What an amazing read. This story will engulf you in an amazing world of horror and adventure. I'm a huge fan of both these writers, so when I saw that they were writing a book together, I was more than excited. I love Dan's pacing and how well he can build tension, and I love J.'s character development and world building, and both of their strengths have a head on collision in this enthralling read. If you're a fan of dark fantasy, you'd be making a mistake by passing over this book
July 22, 2016
Could be 5 stars if the ending was different.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews