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Darkness Rising
Darkness runs deep ...
Marty Weaver, an emotionally scarred poet, has been bullied his entire life. When he drives out to the lake to tell an old friend that he's fallen in love with a girl named Jennifer, Marty encounters three sadistic killers who have some twisted games in store for him. But Marty has dark secrets of his own buried deep inside him. And tonight, when all the pain from the past is triggered, when those secrets are revealed, blood will flow and hell will rise.
Marty Weaver, an emotionally scarred poet, has been bullied his entire life. When he drives out to the lake to tell an old friend that he's fallen in love with a girl named Jennifer, Marty encounters three sadistic killers who have some twisted games in store for him. But Marty has dark secrets of his own buried deep inside him. And tonight, when all the pain from the past is triggered, when those secrets are revealed, blood will flow and hell will rise.
158 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
51 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Brian Moreland
43 books244 followersBrian Moreland writes dark suspense, thrillers, and horror. He's an avid reader and big fan of movies and series. A native Texan, Brian loves to cook, go hiking in nature, and travel to interesting places around the world. He is enjoying life with family in rural Texas and writing new thrilling fiction. His books include:
THE DEVIL'S WOODS
TOMB OF GODS
THEY STALK THE NIGHT
SAVAGE ISLAND
SHADOWS IN THE MIST
BLOOD SACRIFICES: THREE HORROR NOVELLAS:
THE WITCHING HOUSE
DARKNESS RISING
THE SEEKERS
Friend Brian on Goodreads
Follow on Twitter/X @BrianMoreland
THE DEVIL'S WOODS
TOMB OF GODS
THEY STALK THE NIGHT
SAVAGE ISLAND
SHADOWS IN THE MIST
BLOOD SACRIFICES: THREE HORROR NOVELLAS:
THE WITCHING HOUSE
DARKNESS RISING
THE SEEKERS
Friend Brian on Goodreads
Follow on Twitter/X @BrianMoreland
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 3, 2024
Marty Weavers is the school janitor and called creepy Marty by his tormentors. When he is tortured by three sadists using him for a snuff movie things turn different. Who is Cerulean? How is he connected to Marty's future life? What did Marty's father do that he had to grow up in foster homes? What about his mother? Can Jennifer save him? This was an extremely compelling tale of revenge and childhood horror. Well plotted and told in a fresh and sometimes extremely violent way. A real page turner. This author really knows how to conjure up horror. Highly recommended!
April 4, 2019
"I will not harm others. I will not harm others. I will not harm others."
Marty is a janitor and a poet....and he is in love. Jennifer has taken him from the darkness of his inner self into the light, and all is going well until he meets the rabbit, the toad, and the weasel.
Happiness and hope turn to mortal fear when sadistic games of torture begin....then madness returns with haunted memories that result in deadly revenge....with assistance from a dangerous protector.
DARKNESS RISING is bloody with serial killers, spirits and REALLY creepy soul snatchers, and "They'll be coming for you."
June 29, 2015
4.5 stars.
DARKNESS RISING by Brian Moreland is a horror story that has it all: blood, torture, revenge, bullying, and a few other grisly "surprises" that I won't give away! After a fantastic prologue, I'll admit that I was wondering how the rest of the book would measure up. Once past the first chapter or two, this book kept me on my toes the entire rest of the read. It's rare for me to find a story that I can't outright predict at some point, but Darkness Rising took some unexpected turns that I never saw coming!
The main character, Marty Weaver, is the one that I felt closest to understanding. His life--after a tragedy at the tender age of nine--was spent with abusive foster homes and bullying that seemed to follow him even as he grew up and began working minimum wage jobs. The only thing Marty felt that kept him from losing it completely, was a love of poetry that his mother had instilled in him, and his journal--where he recorded his own poetic thoughts. He remarked to one woman: "Poetry has an invisible power that transcends the soul."
Wow--did it ever!
If you're thinking this is a case of "feel sorry for the poor boy", you couldn't be more mistaken. While that element is present, it's only a small part of the places Brian Moreland's words will take you to.
Trust me when I say, these are NOT places that you'd ever want to go.....
I won't go into spoiler territory here, except to say that if you're a fan of all the "nasty" things I listed above, you will not be disappointed by this book.
Highly recommended!
*I received an advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
DARKNESS RISING by Brian Moreland is a horror story that has it all: blood, torture, revenge, bullying, and a few other grisly "surprises" that I won't give away! After a fantastic prologue, I'll admit that I was wondering how the rest of the book would measure up. Once past the first chapter or two, this book kept me on my toes the entire rest of the read. It's rare for me to find a story that I can't outright predict at some point, but Darkness Rising took some unexpected turns that I never saw coming!
The main character, Marty Weaver, is the one that I felt closest to understanding. His life--after a tragedy at the tender age of nine--was spent with abusive foster homes and bullying that seemed to follow him even as he grew up and began working minimum wage jobs. The only thing Marty felt that kept him from losing it completely, was a love of poetry that his mother had instilled in him, and his journal--where he recorded his own poetic thoughts. He remarked to one woman: "Poetry has an invisible power that transcends the soul."
Wow--did it ever!
If you're thinking this is a case of "feel sorry for the poor boy", you couldn't be more mistaken. While that element is present, it's only a small part of the places Brian Moreland's words will take you to.
Trust me when I say, these are NOT places that you'd ever want to go.....
I won't go into spoiler territory here, except to say that if you're a fan of all the "nasty" things I listed above, you will not be disappointed by this book.
Highly recommended!
*I received an advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
October 3, 2020
Brian Moreland can't write a bad book I'm discovering. Yet again he took me into a world of horror and terror in this book. Dark places where you do not want to go. If you have not experienced his horror books yet then it's time to do so. I'm a big fan.
This is the story of revenge. Extreme revenge. A young man. A poet who has suffered ridicule his whole life finally rises to say "enough".
I don't want to spoil the plot at all. The book is fast paced from start to finish, it had he entranced but also wanting to not look from page one until the end. It's graphic, scary and really brilliantly done.
if you don't like fear in your books or are scared to feel scared then this is not for you, but for the rest of us, the fans of horror, terror and scary stuff this is exactly what we need.
I was on the edge of my seat, edge of the bed, wherever I was, I was on edge. It was so tension and creepy-moment filled. Horror at it's finest. I love Brian Moreland's books. Can't wait for more from this talented author.
This one gets 5 big paw prints from Booklover Catlady and comes with my recommendation.
For more of my reviews:
https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
Follow me on Twitter! I talk back!
https:www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
I received a copy if this book to review from the author and publisher via NetGalley.
This is the story of revenge. Extreme revenge. A young man. A poet who has suffered ridicule his whole life finally rises to say "enough".
I don't want to spoil the plot at all. The book is fast paced from start to finish, it had he entranced but also wanting to not look from page one until the end. It's graphic, scary and really brilliantly done.
if you don't like fear in your books or are scared to feel scared then this is not for you, but for the rest of us, the fans of horror, terror and scary stuff this is exactly what we need.
I was on the edge of my seat, edge of the bed, wherever I was, I was on edge. It was so tension and creepy-moment filled. Horror at it's finest. I love Brian Moreland's books. Can't wait for more from this talented author.
This one gets 5 big paw prints from Booklover Catlady and comes with my recommendation.
For more of my reviews:
https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
Follow me on Twitter! I talk back!
https:www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
I received a copy if this book to review from the author and publisher via NetGalley.
January 11, 2021
This story was really good!
A little backstory:
Marty Weaver is a young man that gets picked on by everyone around him, but things start looking up for him when he meets the girl of his dreams, Jennifer. He also loves to write poetry out by a lake that he frequents and pours his heart out to the lake.
Marty has a secret which is like a dark half of himself that forms from the lake and takes revenge on the bullies around him. When three psycho killers come across him out at the lake and start bullying Marty, they end up regretting ever messing around with him as the lake spews forth the creature!
Revenge is sweet in this book!
Four stars on this one.
A little backstory:
Marty Weaver is a young man that gets picked on by everyone around him, but things start looking up for him when he meets the girl of his dreams, Jennifer. He also loves to write poetry out by a lake that he frequents and pours his heart out to the lake.
Marty has a secret which is like a dark half of himself that forms from the lake and takes revenge on the bullies around him. When three psycho killers come across him out at the lake and start bullying Marty, they end up regretting ever messing around with him as the lake spews forth the creature!
Revenge is sweet in this book!
Four stars on this one.
October 25, 2015
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
College janitor, Marty, has a dark past, he uses poetry to control the anger he feels at his traumatic and abusive childhood. He visits a local lake to recite his poetry and comes across three sadistic killers who have been hired to make snuff movies by a local mobster. Tragedy strikes and Marty calls up his protector Cerulean to help him right the wrongs that have been done to him.
I'm a big fan of revenge tales and this one was pretty great with the first half being exactly what I was expecting. The second half dealt more with his childhood, specifically what happened with his mum and dad and for me the story veered off a little and lost a bit of the pacing that had worked so well in the first half. The second half also worked in more of his relationship with college student Jennifer whom he is in love with, whilst touching I'm not sure how well it worked with the overall tone of the book and it felt a little disjoined. These are not big issues and I still enjoyed the read immensely.
The characterisation was good and for such a short read I think the author did a great job in fleshing out the main character, making him sympathetic and believable, I felt very much invested in seeing where the story would take him.
A fast paced read with plenty of gore and a story that surprised me in how it played out. I'd definitely recommend this to horror fans.
College janitor, Marty, has a dark past, he uses poetry to control the anger he feels at his traumatic and abusive childhood. He visits a local lake to recite his poetry and comes across three sadistic killers who have been hired to make snuff movies by a local mobster. Tragedy strikes and Marty calls up his protector Cerulean to help him right the wrongs that have been done to him.
I'm a big fan of revenge tales and this one was pretty great with the first half being exactly what I was expecting. The second half dealt more with his childhood, specifically what happened with his mum and dad and for me the story veered off a little and lost a bit of the pacing that had worked so well in the first half. The second half also worked in more of his relationship with college student Jennifer whom he is in love with, whilst touching I'm not sure how well it worked with the overall tone of the book and it felt a little disjoined. These are not big issues and I still enjoyed the read immensely.
The characterisation was good and for such a short read I think the author did a great job in fleshing out the main character, making him sympathetic and believable, I felt very much invested in seeing where the story would take him.
A fast paced read with plenty of gore and a story that surprised me in how it played out. I'd definitely recommend this to horror fans.
September 24, 2015
Why did I read Darkness Rising?
The reviews. It's hard to pass up a new horror release that is getting great reviews.
The Strengths
I love imaginative horror. Now, there is a lot of gory slasher horror in Darkness Rising, too, but there is also some of that coveted original horror I don't find very often.
The main character becomes something awesome.
Love and light. I love when light is well placed in a horror novel. Light reminds us of how dark the darkness can be, and darkness reminds us of how much we need the light.
The Weaknesses
The characters were very immature. The college setting felt far more like grade school. It wasn't just the young adults, though, it was everyone. The killers, the victims, the bystanders, the coworkers. Unfortunately this spilled over into the horror, too, and it made a lot of the shock gore and drug use come off as annoying.
The exposition. The dialog in this book killed me. There is no way the characters (especially in the circumstances they were in) would have spent that much time telling each other information they would already know.
There was also a lot of inconsistency regarding the main character and the dark entity Cerulean.
Would I recommend Darkness Rising to others?
Yes. In the end, the good outweighed the bad in Darkness Rising. There were flaws for me, but some of the good was so good I'd recommend it to horror fans.
The reviews. It's hard to pass up a new horror release that is getting great reviews.
The Strengths
I love imaginative horror. Now, there is a lot of gory slasher horror in Darkness Rising, too, but there is also some of that coveted original horror I don't find very often.
The main character becomes something awesome.
Love and light. I love when light is well placed in a horror novel. Light reminds us of how dark the darkness can be, and darkness reminds us of how much we need the light.
The Weaknesses
The characters were very immature. The college setting felt far more like grade school. It wasn't just the young adults, though, it was everyone. The killers, the victims, the bystanders, the coworkers. Unfortunately this spilled over into the horror, too, and it made a lot of the shock gore and drug use come off as annoying.
The exposition. The dialog in this book killed me. There is no way the characters (especially in the circumstances they were in) would have spent that much time telling each other information they would already know.
There was also a lot of inconsistency regarding the main character and the dark entity Cerulean.
Would I recommend Darkness Rising to others?
Yes. In the end, the good outweighed the bad in Darkness Rising. There were flaws for me, but some of the good was so good I'd recommend it to horror fans.
December 31, 2015
Marty Weaver is the poetry man. Marty has been bullied and pick on all his life. Marty has demons from the past that he wants to keep under control. The way Mary does that is by writing poetry. Marty works at a local college as a janitor. Here Marty meets the girl of his dreams. Jennifer is really the first girl that Marty has ever care about. Marty hopes that there is a chance that Jennifer likes him also. Marty ends up tutoring Jennifer in Shakespeare and they get to know each other a little better. Marty drives to a local lake, where he runs into three sadistic killers who are making a snuff film. Marty is killed by the three psycho's and he is buried at the lake. Little did the killers know, that Marty had a friend who was watching them. Marty is out to seek revenge on the three that took his life. Each one will die a gruesome and very painful death. This is a fast paced horror novella that keeps you on your toes. Brian Moreland is one of the rising stars in the horror field. I highly recommend this book!
October 7, 2015
Revenge! Monsters! A love cut short! Supernatural beings controlling humans like the meat puppets we are! Darkness Rising is hands down my favorite horror book of the year. Brian Moreland never disappoints. He knocked it out of the park with this dark gem.
April 6, 2022
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
After having just finished reading Moreland’s ‘The Witching House,’ I dove directly into his novella ‘Darkness Rising,’ excited to see what this one would bring.
Where ‘The Witching House’ was about two couples exploring an old house with a dark history, ‘Darkness Rising’ is an emotions based story about a man who has suffered horrific abuse, trying to find a place in this world.
I found that there were essentially three stories interwoven together and while I enjoyed this one overall, I think one of the three just didn’t really work that well for me.
What I liked: The story follows Marty, a janitor at a college, who one day meets Jennifer, a student there, and they hit it off discussing poetry. They end up spending a fair deal of time together, but because of Marty’s poor upbringing and horrendous history and Jennifer being from a well off family, he can’t bring himself to ask her out, for fear of heartbreak.
This aspect, this plot point, was the highlight for me. Moreland references Shakespeare a number of times, and while it wasn’t exactly the same, this plot loosely resembled Romeo and Juliet. We even had a few side subplots of a Senator’s daughter shaming them for hanging out together and got to see how the written word connected them.
The other storyline that worked for me was Marty trying to come to terms with the atrocious childhood he had. His father was a murderer and a rapist and we see how this has greatly affected Marty, not only psychologically but socially as well. Moreland did a really fine job of making Marty a character you rooted for and really wanted him to overcome his anxieties and have a life he deserved with Jennifer.
The ending of this one, the epilogue is powerful and poignant and will bring some readers to tears even. It was such a nice way to wrap those two plots together and I was so happy to see that.
What I didn’t like: Frankly, the extreme horror plot of the trio donning masks and killing people for the Serbian guy and ultimately killing Marty and having him return as a weird ghost-like creature didn’t work for me at all. I think if it had been pulled out and separated as its own story and was unrelated to the Marty aspect I would’ve really dug it, but within the confines of this book itself, just wasn’t for me. And how it got tied into Marty’s father really felt a bit forced.
Why you should buy this: This is a short, quick, brutal read, with an extreme horror story within that’ll make those readers happy. As for myself, I preferred the human relationship story and the dynamic between these two who were so different but were connected so well, that you just wanted to see them become a couple.
Moreland always brings the goods and this one was a fun read.
After having just finished reading Moreland’s ‘The Witching House,’ I dove directly into his novella ‘Darkness Rising,’ excited to see what this one would bring.
Where ‘The Witching House’ was about two couples exploring an old house with a dark history, ‘Darkness Rising’ is an emotions based story about a man who has suffered horrific abuse, trying to find a place in this world.
I found that there were essentially three stories interwoven together and while I enjoyed this one overall, I think one of the three just didn’t really work that well for me.
What I liked: The story follows Marty, a janitor at a college, who one day meets Jennifer, a student there, and they hit it off discussing poetry. They end up spending a fair deal of time together, but because of Marty’s poor upbringing and horrendous history and Jennifer being from a well off family, he can’t bring himself to ask her out, for fear of heartbreak.
This aspect, this plot point, was the highlight for me. Moreland references Shakespeare a number of times, and while it wasn’t exactly the same, this plot loosely resembled Romeo and Juliet. We even had a few side subplots of a Senator’s daughter shaming them for hanging out together and got to see how the written word connected them.
The other storyline that worked for me was Marty trying to come to terms with the atrocious childhood he had. His father was a murderer and a rapist and we see how this has greatly affected Marty, not only psychologically but socially as well. Moreland did a really fine job of making Marty a character you rooted for and really wanted him to overcome his anxieties and have a life he deserved with Jennifer.
The ending of this one, the epilogue is powerful and poignant and will bring some readers to tears even. It was such a nice way to wrap those two plots together and I was so happy to see that.
What I didn’t like: Frankly, the extreme horror plot of the trio donning masks and killing people for the Serbian guy and ultimately killing Marty and having him return as a weird ghost-like creature didn’t work for me at all. I think if it had been pulled out and separated as its own story and was unrelated to the Marty aspect I would’ve really dug it, but within the confines of this book itself, just wasn’t for me. And how it got tied into Marty’s father really felt a bit forced.
Why you should buy this: This is a short, quick, brutal read, with an extreme horror story within that’ll make those readers happy. As for myself, I preferred the human relationship story and the dynamic between these two who were so different but were connected so well, that you just wanted to see them become a couple.
Moreland always brings the goods and this one was a fun read.
July 15, 2015
A twisted tale of violence, love, tragedy, and revenge.
Marty likes poetry and is in love with a girl named Jennifer. Marty’s dad is a serial killer. About the only thing they have in common is the dark presence they both have inside. A guide for one and a demon for the other.
Fast and brutal and unexpectedly touching in parts. I really enjoyed this one from Brian Moreland. It even has a nice twist or two woven in there. Well done and a solid 4 Stars.
*I received an advance review copy of this release from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Marty likes poetry and is in love with a girl named Jennifer. Marty’s dad is a serial killer. About the only thing they have in common is the dark presence they both have inside. A guide for one and a demon for the other.
Fast and brutal and unexpectedly touching in parts. I really enjoyed this one from Brian Moreland. It even has a nice twist or two woven in there. Well done and a solid 4 Stars.
*I received an advance review copy of this release from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2015
In this fast-paced horror novella by Brian Moreland, poet and college janitor, Marty Weaver, has a massive crush on a lovely student, but fears telling her his feelings in case she rejects him. But Marty has dealt with pain and suffering his entire life, and before he can share his love for her, tragedy strikes again.
But this time, Marty is sucked into a maelstrom of horror that changes him forever.
Easily the darkest novel he's written to date, Moreland solidifies his spot as one of horror fiction's brightest dark stars.
Highly recommended!
But this time, Marty is sucked into a maelstrom of horror that changes him forever.
Easily the darkest novel he's written to date, Moreland solidifies his spot as one of horror fiction's brightest dark stars.
Highly recommended!
June 28, 2015
I don't think Moreland can write a bad book. Seriously, everything the man puts out is awesome. This tale is no different. From the first page I was hooked and couldn't read fast enough. Moreland takes a wicked revenge tale and supes it up, and then when you think things are resolved and you wonder where he's going with it, he delivers the goods. Filled with brutal violence, great prose, nasty characters and ones you root for, Darkness Rising is a must read!!!!
June 26, 2015
review to follow. A very solid 4 star title.
February 26, 2019
Every so often you go into the book setting your expectations just right. This was such a case. I expected a sort of B movie level of horrifically themed entertainment and the book delivered. So, to reinstate the case, definitely not a literary work and there’s a sort of guts and gore driven cheesiness to it, but the author pretty much saved it from becoming yet another cheap thrill by creating an interesting and (especially this) visually compelling demon in Cerulean. The basic story of a lonely outsider being killed for no reason and coming back to avenge himself isn’t in any way new or original, but a vendetta bound angry wraith made of papers and words is. That’s quite striking, in fact. The reason he comes back this way is because in life he was a poet or…well, he wrote genuinely terrible poetry, so technically he was. Not sure if that’s a deliberate choice or author’s limitations showing, but yeah, there’s some appalling poetry featured here. His revenge will be not so much poetic as straight up brutal, but who doesn’t like a revenge story. So yeah, an average at best story and writing saved by an intriguing concept and some genuinely creative ideas. For all its brutality, the story actually ended up positively romantic. How poetic is that. The guy gets the girl, even though her own poems are even crappier than his, they are fated together. Adorable, like a Valentine’s Day scary story. Very quick and pretty entertaining read.
September 20, 2025
A fairly standard revenge-by-the-bullied decent person story, made slightly worse by the lack of detail sketched in by Moreland in terms of the afterlife and the way this world operates. It had its moments, but developments happen way too fast and in a way that feels crow-barred in, and the main character is difficult to like as he's such a wet blanket.
2.5 (Rounding up to 3) Brothers From Beyond for Darkness Rising.
2.5 (Rounding up to 3) Brothers From Beyond for Darkness Rising.
September 30, 2015
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
n Darkness Rising, Marty Weaver has been bullied his entire life, and not just by his peers, but by ust about everyone. His past was filled with tragedy, and the only source of light in his life is his love for Jennifer, the first girl who ever seemed interested in him, and who might even love him back. Second to that is his love for poetry – he’s been writing poems as a way to get rid of the pain he feels over his past and over being bullied. But when he drives to a nearby lake and runs into three sadistic killers who want to kill him, shoot it on camera, and have some sadistic fun while doing so, something dark erupts from within Marty, and the demons of his past have come back with a vengeance. One may ask themselves te question who is more twisted that night at the lake: the killers, or Marty.
For a novella, this book packs a whole lot, and brings an awful lot of depth to its main character, Marty. He is so realistic one could almost picture him as a real person. In comparison, the killers are too thin, too easily falling back into stereotypes. We’re given little reason as to why they’re doing the killing (well, we are giving a reason, but not what would bring them to do such a thing) and they seem just too evil just for the purpose of being evil, not for any deeper reason.
The plot is original though, I have to credit that, and I didn’t know what to expect half the time. The prose is haunting in a good way, and as a whole, the novella is definitely impressive. If you’re a fan of horror that doesn’t shy away from some gore, then give this book a shot.
n Darkness Rising, Marty Weaver has been bullied his entire life, and not just by his peers, but by ust about everyone. His past was filled with tragedy, and the only source of light in his life is his love for Jennifer, the first girl who ever seemed interested in him, and who might even love him back. Second to that is his love for poetry – he’s been writing poems as a way to get rid of the pain he feels over his past and over being bullied. But when he drives to a nearby lake and runs into three sadistic killers who want to kill him, shoot it on camera, and have some sadistic fun while doing so, something dark erupts from within Marty, and the demons of his past have come back with a vengeance. One may ask themselves te question who is more twisted that night at the lake: the killers, or Marty.
For a novella, this book packs a whole lot, and brings an awful lot of depth to its main character, Marty. He is so realistic one could almost picture him as a real person. In comparison, the killers are too thin, too easily falling back into stereotypes. We’re given little reason as to why they’re doing the killing (well, we are giving a reason, but not what would bring them to do such a thing) and they seem just too evil just for the purpose of being evil, not for any deeper reason.
The plot is original though, I have to credit that, and I didn’t know what to expect half the time. The prose is haunting in a good way, and as a whole, the novella is definitely impressive. If you’re a fan of horror that doesn’t shy away from some gore, then give this book a shot.
April 10, 2016
Marty has been abused and ridiculed his whole life. His father murdered his mother when he was young. As a result, Marty was bounced around from foster home to foster home. Abused at each stop, Marty is a wreck emotionally and unable to share his true feelings. His only solace is in the poetry he composes in his journal, a present from his mother long ago. Working as a custodian at the local college, Marty meets Jennifer in one of the dorms that he cleans and offers his assistance when he discovers that she is struggling in Poetry and Literature. A friendship blossoms but Marty is too afraid to share his true feelings for Jennifer. Instead, he writes poems and goes to a desolate shore of one of the nearby lakes where he has pleasant memories of his mother bringing him there when he was a child. This becomes his special place where he can truly express his feelings and read his poems outloud to the empty lake. Then one day, he is attacked by three assailants who have gruesome plans for him. What they don't know is that Marty has something special in store for them too.
Another great tale by Moreland who has quickly become my favorite discovery of 2016. He does a really nice job developing Marty into being a likable character without drifting into making him appear pathetic. The setting is vividly laid out so that you feel like you can see the lake, smell the air, and hear the screams. Highly recommended.
4 1/2 Snuff Films out of 5
** This ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
Another great tale by Moreland who has quickly become my favorite discovery of 2016. He does a really nice job developing Marty into being a likable character without drifting into making him appear pathetic. The setting is vividly laid out so that you feel like you can see the lake, smell the air, and hear the screams. Highly recommended.
4 1/2 Snuff Films out of 5
** This ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
October 19, 2015
Brian Moreland’s Darkness Rising sucked me in right from the very beginning, with a cold open revolving around the brutal murder of a couple by the lake. Their assailants are a trio of crazies clad in animal masks, a la You’re Next, armed with knives and a video camera to record their depravity.
Cut to: hapless, love-struck, and oft bullied Marty, a janitor at the local university who tutors his object of affection in Shakespeare and poetry. She’s way out of his league, and he confines his expressions of desire to the poems he writes in his private journal, reading them to himself at the lake. Ah, the lake…
All the pieces were there – poor Marty, his lover from a distance, Jennifer, and the mad sickos who use the lake as their twisted playground for depravity. I thought I knew where this story was going, thought I knew what to expect.
And boy was I wrong.
Moreland flips the script on its head rather nicely, shocking me out of my own complacency and delivering a ridiculously solid horror novella to while away the day with. I was more than a little disturbed at some of the character’s backgrounds and history, which is exactly what you want in this type of story, but there’s never an excess of detail or overwrought, trying-too-hard fumbling attempts to shock or turn the material toward the extreme (at least for my tastes).
Darkness Rising is a terrific, well-paced story of woe, revenge, and redemption that even manages to say and symbolically convey a few neat things about the act of writing, while delivering some satisfying twists and surprises. Read it!
[This review is based on an advanced copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.]
Cut to: hapless, love-struck, and oft bullied Marty, a janitor at the local university who tutors his object of affection in Shakespeare and poetry. She’s way out of his league, and he confines his expressions of desire to the poems he writes in his private journal, reading them to himself at the lake. Ah, the lake…
All the pieces were there – poor Marty, his lover from a distance, Jennifer, and the mad sickos who use the lake as their twisted playground for depravity. I thought I knew where this story was going, thought I knew what to expect.
And boy was I wrong.
Moreland flips the script on its head rather nicely, shocking me out of my own complacency and delivering a ridiculously solid horror novella to while away the day with. I was more than a little disturbed at some of the character’s backgrounds and history, which is exactly what you want in this type of story, but there’s never an excess of detail or overwrought, trying-too-hard fumbling attempts to shock or turn the material toward the extreme (at least for my tastes).
Darkness Rising is a terrific, well-paced story of woe, revenge, and redemption that even manages to say and symbolically convey a few neat things about the act of writing, while delivering some satisfying twists and surprises. Read it!
[This review is based on an advanced copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.]
June 17, 2015
I had the privilege to read Darkness Rising in advance of its release in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining and thrilling story. Brian Moreland does a fantastic job creating a tale in which demons from both this world and beyond are developed with vivid and imaginative detail.
What struck me most about Darkness Rising was Moreland's ability to shift gears from a revenge tale to an otherworldly horror show then to a love story all in the same novella. Moreland packs a lot into this one. I highly recommend Darkness Rising to anyone wanting an exciting and genre transcending read!
What struck me most about Darkness Rising was Moreland's ability to shift gears from a revenge tale to an otherworldly horror show then to a love story all in the same novella. Moreland packs a lot into this one. I highly recommend Darkness Rising to anyone wanting an exciting and genre transcending read!
September 13, 2020
Hot 🥵 horror
Great storyline. Takes you into another part of horror. Painting the scenes in detail which builds up the tension and finally outcome.
Great storyline. Takes you into another part of horror. Painting the scenes in detail which builds up the tension and finally outcome.
February 26, 2019
Excellent horror story of love, death, revenge, bullying, psychotic serial killer dads and psychotic serial killer snuff movie makers. Poets and college campuses and janitors. Papier-mâché ghosts. A tentacled demon oddly named Cerulean.
I loved the story behind this book. Kudos for imagination and non-stop action and a beautiful love story on top of some very disturbing and gruesome killings.
The writing of the story, however, felt choppy, and the dialogue stiff and a bit awkward in places. I felt as if I were reading the writing, the words that is, rather than being sucked into a the story that exists as a space inside my head without the mechanics of the language interfering.
Well, maybe that didn't make any sense. But it did to me. Kudos to the author for an awesome story!
I loved the story behind this book. Kudos for imagination and non-stop action and a beautiful love story on top of some very disturbing and gruesome killings.
The writing of the story, however, felt choppy, and the dialogue stiff and a bit awkward in places. I felt as if I were reading the writing, the words that is, rather than being sucked into a the story that exists as a space inside my head without the mechanics of the language interfering.
Well, maybe that didn't make any sense. But it did to me. Kudos to the author for an awesome story!
November 5, 2021
Fun face paced read. Starts off a bit like a loner/stalker book, which it sort of is lol. But boy does it keep getting dark and more twisted as you go. Next thing you know there are demon hound things coming for the souls killed by a ghost/demon himself. Then you find out his dad is part of it too! Just kept going down the rabbit hole!
August 16, 2015
Review from Horrorunderground.org
Darkness Rising
Samhain Publishing
Author: Brian Moreland
Poor Marty Weaver. Marty has lived a horrible life. After suffering the loss of his mother at the hands of his disturbed father, Marty bounced around foster homes and was dealt even more tragedy. Now as an adult, he works as a custodian at a local university and spends his spare time with Jennifer, to which he loves more than anything, teaching and sharing poetry with her. During a fateful encounter one night at the lake, Marty comes across three killers looking to make their next snuff film. What unfolds is a tale of love, vengeance, brutality, and beauty.
This is a novella unlike anything else I have read. The premise is simple, the writing is not. Moreland weaves a beautifully dark horror story that is as shocking as it is wonderful. The prose in this novella is as poetic as the writings of Marty Weaver. Just as things feel like they are wrapping up, Moreland introduces new plot elements that keeps you craving more, all the way to the finish line. Things are never quite as they seem as characters come and go, die, live, and are reborn.
The creature and narrative surrounding the hell that pulls up from the lake is horrifying. The form known as Cerulean is terrifying and brutal. Marty is tragic and relatable. The heroes and villain of this story are well defined and it is clear who you are to be rooting for.
Moreland has assembled a masterpiece novella that I cannot recommend enough. The thin line between horror and beauty in this story is one that must be read. Upon first reading, this I easily one of my favorite horror release of the year. On second reading, it may be one of my favorite of the decade.
Darkness Rising
Samhain Publishing
Author: Brian Moreland
Poor Marty Weaver. Marty has lived a horrible life. After suffering the loss of his mother at the hands of his disturbed father, Marty bounced around foster homes and was dealt even more tragedy. Now as an adult, he works as a custodian at a local university and spends his spare time with Jennifer, to which he loves more than anything, teaching and sharing poetry with her. During a fateful encounter one night at the lake, Marty comes across three killers looking to make their next snuff film. What unfolds is a tale of love, vengeance, brutality, and beauty.
This is a novella unlike anything else I have read. The premise is simple, the writing is not. Moreland weaves a beautifully dark horror story that is as shocking as it is wonderful. The prose in this novella is as poetic as the writings of Marty Weaver. Just as things feel like they are wrapping up, Moreland introduces new plot elements that keeps you craving more, all the way to the finish line. Things are never quite as they seem as characters come and go, die, live, and are reborn.
The creature and narrative surrounding the hell that pulls up from the lake is horrifying. The form known as Cerulean is terrifying and brutal. Marty is tragic and relatable. The heroes and villain of this story are well defined and it is clear who you are to be rooting for.
Moreland has assembled a masterpiece novella that I cannot recommend enough. The thin line between horror and beauty in this story is one that must be read. Upon first reading, this I easily one of my favorite horror release of the year. On second reading, it may be one of my favorite of the decade.
September 1, 2015
I received a copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this book.
Darkness Rising starts off with a bang and never slows down! This book ranges from gruesome and terrifying to bittersweet sadness as it carries you along to a fantastic ending. Marty is haunted by a tragic past yet still manages to find beauty and hope in the world which makes it easy to care about and root for his character. This makes the vile acts committed by Tara and her crew of thugs or the shadowy creatures found within these pages even more horrific. Be warned, Brian Moreland doesn't pull any punches with his descriptions making this book disturbing, gory and a great read. Horror fans will find plenty of chills in this fast paced 4 star tale.
Darkness Rising starts off with a bang and never slows down! This book ranges from gruesome and terrifying to bittersweet sadness as it carries you along to a fantastic ending. Marty is haunted by a tragic past yet still manages to find beauty and hope in the world which makes it easy to care about and root for his character. This makes the vile acts committed by Tara and her crew of thugs or the shadowy creatures found within these pages even more horrific. Be warned, Brian Moreland doesn't pull any punches with his descriptions making this book disturbing, gory and a great read. Horror fans will find plenty of chills in this fast paced 4 star tale.
July 17, 2015
Marty is a guy who everyone picks on. All he wants for himself is a decent life. But he grew up in foster homes and loves poetry; he's working as a janitor with dreams of putting himself through college...
But this IS after all the horror genre. There's poetry, yes, but plenty of gore. There's a love story, but there's a revenge story to back it up. Brian Moreland is at his wicked best with this novella that will keep your heart racing right up to the jaw-dropping climax where you'll smack yourself in surprise.
I received an e-book from Samhain in exchange for my review. I highly recommend this to all occult and horror fans. Enjoy!
But this IS after all the horror genre. There's poetry, yes, but plenty of gore. There's a love story, but there's a revenge story to back it up. Brian Moreland is at his wicked best with this novella that will keep your heart racing right up to the jaw-dropping climax where you'll smack yourself in surprise.
I received an e-book from Samhain in exchange for my review. I highly recommend this to all occult and horror fans. Enjoy!
December 19, 2015
Darkness Rising is one of the best novellas I've read this year. Some may be put off by its episodic structure, but it worked for me and kept the premise fresh. The imagery is as deliciously grotesque as anything on Hannibal, or in Clive Barker's work. What really makes this story soar, though, is the scarred romantic that is Marty, who I had as much sympathy for as any protagonist in recent memory.
5 stars, highly recommended!
5 stars, highly recommended!
July 28, 2015
Fast-paced and gritty, Moreland's newest novella is a joy to read. This has got it all, a revenge story with tinges of romance, dark fantasy, and even a bit of twisted superhero action mixed in, and Brian manages to pull it all together perfectly. At times gory, this story also deals with some deep psychological issues that are expertly tied into the narrative. High recommend.
July 9, 2015
A very good horror novella
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/darkne... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/darkne... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
June 16, 2017
Great Story!
I felt so bad for Marty for all that has happened in his life. His mother being murdered, foster parents sexually abusing him and being bullied his whole life. He has had this inner demon that then comes out and he takes his vengeance out on those that have harmed him. I found this book to be heartbreaking and exciting. The book really took a turn that I really didn't see coming at all
I felt so bad for Marty for all that has happened in his life. His mother being murdered, foster parents sexually abusing him and being bullied his whole life. He has had this inner demon that then comes out and he takes his vengeance out on those that have harmed him. I found this book to be heartbreaking and exciting. The book really took a turn that I really didn't see coming at all
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