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Descent Into Darkness
What keeps you awake at night?
Murder and monsters...
Demons and forces of evil...
Ghosts and urban legends...
Dive into the darkness with twenty tales of terror that will keep you awake long after the lights go out.
A horror anthology featuring featuring several best-selling and award-winning authors from around the globe, "Descent into Darkness" contains a variety of terrifying short stories and novellas.
Murder and monsters...
Demons and forces of evil...
Ghosts and urban legends...
Dive into the darkness with twenty tales of terror that will keep you awake long after the lights go out.
A horror anthology featuring featuring several best-selling and award-winning authors from around the globe, "Descent into Darkness" contains a variety of terrifying short stories and novellas.
Baba by Tony Urban
Blood Note by Sylvester Barzey
Nail Gun Glissando by Steve Vernon
The Evil in Devil’s Creek by Paul B. Kohler
What’s Been Keeping Me Awake by Amanda Luzzader
Mark of Perdition by R. L. Blalock
The Sun Makes Me Turn Purple by Gretta Penelope
Send in the Clowns by David J. Schmidt
The Nine Lives of Captain Osborne by E.E. Isherwood
They Want to Die, Let ‘em by L J Parker
Simon Says by Rachel McClellan
The Door by Delia Rai
Thirteen Horses by C.A. Verstraete
Zombie Apocalypse by Max Lockwood
Fetch by Joe Jackson
Knock, Knock by Cindy Carroll
His Model Son by Brian J.W. Lee
Ascension by G M Sherwin
Through a Dark Wood by Shayne Rutherford
Lock and Key by Patrick Logan
714 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2017
95 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Tony Urban
64 books203 followersA professional photographer, writer and fan of general weirdness (both real and imagined), Tony has traveled tens of thousands of miles seeking out everything from haunted locations, UFO crash sites and monsters like Bigfoot and the Mothman. In a previous life, he worked in the independent movie industry but he finds his current career much more exciting.
Tony's first writing memory involves penning a short story about taking a road trip with his best friend and his dog (two different creatures) to watch KoKo B Ware in a professional wrestling event in Pittsburgh. He wrote that epic saga while in the 3rd grade and it was all downhill from there. His first books were a series of o)eat travelogues but recently his zombie apocalypse series, "Life of the Dead" has been a bestseller online and grossed out readers all over the world. His ultimate goal in life is to be killed by a monster thought by most to be imaginary. Sasquatch, werewolves, chupacabras, he’s not picky. If that fails, he’d enjoy making a living as a full time writer. Which of those two scenarios is more likely is up to the readers to decide.
Please sign up for my mailing list at:
http://eepurl.com/P8lc9
Tony's first writing memory involves penning a short story about taking a road trip with his best friend and his dog (two different creatures) to watch KoKo B Ware in a professional wrestling event in Pittsburgh. He wrote that epic saga while in the 3rd grade and it was all downhill from there. His first books were a series of o)eat travelogues but recently his zombie apocalypse series, "Life of the Dead" has been a bestseller online and grossed out readers all over the world. His ultimate goal in life is to be killed by a monster thought by most to be imaginary. Sasquatch, werewolves, chupacabras, he’s not picky. If that fails, he’d enjoy making a living as a full time writer. Which of those two scenarios is more likely is up to the readers to decide.
Please sign up for my mailing list at:
http://eepurl.com/P8lc9
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 19, 2017
I've been craving short stories lately and this book with its more than seven hundred pages delivered just that.
I was given this ebook by my fellow vampire enthusiast from instagram @booksinbangkok because her short story The Door appeared in this anthology. So let's jump into Delia's piece first. I was reading it and thinking just how comfortable the story was - an interview with an author in his overflowing library - a perfect setting for a bookworm, right? And then the story started unfolding but nothing really creepy happened. Or so I thought. Because just as I was finished with it, something clicked into place and I had that lightbulb-above-my-head moment. The horror came after finishing the story when my brain worked out all the consequences and did all the math. That was brilliant. She tricked me into thinking this was just a mild scary story but then it dawned on me and I was spooked a lot more. Her style is great and I can't wait to read more of her fiction.
When it comes to the other authors, there were some I didn't like much but the ones I liked were more plentiful. It's just like any other anthology - you can't like everything, that's impossible.
When it comes to the selection of the stories, I appreciated that the classic monsters gave way to more modern embodiments of fear - mostly the horror was more about what's within or around us than what supernatural world has to offer (I'm not saying there weren't any weird creatures because there were some). And sure, some stories were rather dystopian/apocalyptic but that was OK with me. Though I can see why pure horror addicts would complain here.
The most disturbing tale, which will probably haunt me in my sleep, included clowns. I'm not really afraid of clowns but in this case the visuals I was given are more than I asked for.
So if you want to read some new voices of horror fiction and dare to take a step into the darkness, this is what you can grab.
I was given this ebook by my fellow vampire enthusiast from instagram @booksinbangkok because her short story The Door appeared in this anthology. So let's jump into Delia's piece first. I was reading it and thinking just how comfortable the story was - an interview with an author in his overflowing library - a perfect setting for a bookworm, right? And then the story started unfolding but nothing really creepy happened. Or so I thought. Because just as I was finished with it, something clicked into place and I had that lightbulb-above-my-head moment. The horror came after finishing the story when my brain worked out all the consequences and did all the math. That was brilliant. She tricked me into thinking this was just a mild scary story but then it dawned on me and I was spooked a lot more. Her style is great and I can't wait to read more of her fiction.
When it comes to the other authors, there were some I didn't like much but the ones I liked were more plentiful. It's just like any other anthology - you can't like everything, that's impossible.
When it comes to the selection of the stories, I appreciated that the classic monsters gave way to more modern embodiments of fear - mostly the horror was more about what's within or around us than what supernatural world has to offer (I'm not saying there weren't any weird creatures because there were some). And sure, some stories were rather dystopian/apocalyptic but that was OK with me. Though I can see why pure horror addicts would complain here.
The most disturbing tale, which will probably haunt me in my sleep, included clowns. I'm not really afraid of clowns but in this case the visuals I was given are more than I asked for.
So if you want to read some new voices of horror fiction and dare to take a step into the darkness, this is what you can grab.
October 23, 2017
Thank you so much to one of the authors (Delia Rai) for the ebook copy in exchange for my honest review!
Do you want to get into the Halloween spirit? Do you love creepy and unsettling short stories? Well, the next book you need to pick up is DESCENT INTO DARKNESS. This is a horror anthology with a collection of 20 stories from authors all over the world. "What keeps you awake at night?" These stories are full of eerie tales that will keep you looking over your shoulder at night. Topics such as murder, demons, ghosts, monsters, and urban legends make their appearance. I love seeing authors' takes on urban legends and seeing where they'll take them, or what their unique spin will be. We all know the gist of the story, but you never truly know how it'll be told - after all, that's how urban legends are, ever-changing.
There are so many great stories in this collection that it's hard to pick some to spotlight. Anthologies are always interesting to me because you get to see each author's writing style and voice on the same topic. Horror is a genre that I think is a difficult one to get a genuine scare out of (too many over-used similarities and cliches done wrong), and this collection did not let me down! I'm also a sucker for short stories. I know a lot of people don't like them because they want more out of it - more character development, more background, etc. However, I appreciate how an author can pack a punch in a short amount of time and leave an impact.
Overall, if you're a horror fan and enjoy a great short story, then this is a no-brainer. These are definitely authors I'll be keeping an eye for with future work! I loved the variety in stories and writing styles.
I give this 5/5 stars!
Do you want to get into the Halloween spirit? Do you love creepy and unsettling short stories? Well, the next book you need to pick up is DESCENT INTO DARKNESS. This is a horror anthology with a collection of 20 stories from authors all over the world. "What keeps you awake at night?" These stories are full of eerie tales that will keep you looking over your shoulder at night. Topics such as murder, demons, ghosts, monsters, and urban legends make their appearance. I love seeing authors' takes on urban legends and seeing where they'll take them, or what their unique spin will be. We all know the gist of the story, but you never truly know how it'll be told - after all, that's how urban legends are, ever-changing.
There are so many great stories in this collection that it's hard to pick some to spotlight. Anthologies are always interesting to me because you get to see each author's writing style and voice on the same topic. Horror is a genre that I think is a difficult one to get a genuine scare out of (too many over-used similarities and cliches done wrong), and this collection did not let me down! I'm also a sucker for short stories. I know a lot of people don't like them because they want more out of it - more character development, more background, etc. However, I appreciate how an author can pack a punch in a short amount of time and leave an impact.
Overall, if you're a horror fan and enjoy a great short story, then this is a no-brainer. These are definitely authors I'll be keeping an eye for with future work! I loved the variety in stories and writing styles.
I give this 5/5 stars!
October 14, 2017
This time around I am giving a great big shout out to four of the authors from the Descent Into Darkness. R. L. Blalock, Tony Urban, Max Lockwood, Patrick Logan
Mark of Perdition by R.L. Blalock
Reads like a full length novel. You don't feel cheated. You don't feel as if there are holes in the story. It keeps you hanging on wanting to know what is going to happen next. Why is Cas going through all of this? Is it all for real? Is she losing her mind? Is it all a nightmare real or imagined? I feel what Cas feels in the heat of the moment. R.L. makes you feel just what her characters are feeling and you get lost in the moment sort of to speak.
Sneak Peak:
The flow of the food over her taste buds brought back a flood of memories. Her parents had always insisted that dinner be eaten at the dining room table. It wasn’t until she had moved out on her own that she had realized how much she enjoyed the family meals. Everyone would gather around the table and her parents would inquire about school and their day. Usually the conversation followed these mediocre happenings of the day. As ordinary and uninteresting as these conversations were, it kept them connected.
Baba by Tony Urban
Three teenagers Phil, Kenny and Mo take off on a trip in the mountains looking for a woman’s body that Phil witnessed being murder while on a hunting trip with his father.
I really enjoyed reading this little short as it reminded me of Stephen King’s story written as “The Body” but the movie was called “Stand by Me”. I have seen where Tony’s stories have been compared to Stephen King before in his series Life of the Dead. I can’t wait to read more of Tony’s work as I do have all three of the Life of the Dead novels.
Sneak Peak:
“I asked my Grampa about this place last night.”
“You didn't tell him?” Phil asked and I could hear the alarm in his voice.
“No. Of course not. I didn't tell him what you saw, just asked if he knew anything about the mountain. Pop told me that when he was a kid the carnival used to set up on the farm. And he said a couple girls went missing and were later found dead.”
“Your grandfathers really old, right?” Phil asked.
“Seventy-five. Or six.”
“And this was when he was young?”
I nodded.
“So, there's a hundred-year-old killer gypsy out here? That's what you're thinking?”
Zombie Apocalypse by Max Lockwood
Sergio and Carl are in the military. They were on deployment when the zombie outbreak occurred. Sergio and Carl are staying with Carl’s sister Pip when the zombies show up. Pip is having a home coming party for her brother Carl. A friend of Pip’s Jennifer is at the party and Carl and Pip kind of sort hit it off.
I love the world that the author created for the zombies and all the characters too. I loved following along with Carl, Sergio, Pip and Jennifer as they fought off the zombies.
Sneak Peak:
On his back, he crab walked toward the door as he kicked the zombie back. He knew he was done for. Just as it was about to descend upon him, Carl heard a whoosh of air as a long blade flew over his head and sliced cleanly into the zombie’s neck.
The decaying head toppled onto the ground in front of him and he nudged it away with his foot.
“What—” Carl panted, trying to make sense of what just happened.
He spun around to see Jennifer holding some type of sword.
Lock and Key by Patrick Logan
Three guys Tony, Robbie and Charles break into a house while the couple is at home and in bed. They get more than they bargain for upon entering the home. Monsters under the bed, anyone? Or are the under the bed?
These three guys really cracked me up. They did some pretty dump things if you ask me, that is, if they have plans to leave the people alive. Reminded me of that tv show called Dumbest Criminals or something like that.
Sneak Peak:
“Fuck, let’s just get out of here,” Tony said, suddenly struck by a strange sense of fear. “We’ve got the cash, and Charles is making a fucking racket down there. Let’s just go before the cops come, Robbie. If my parole—”
“Shut the fuck up, Tony!”
Tony’s eyes widened.
“Don’t use my name!” he hissed.
Mark of Perdition by R.L. Blalock
Reads like a full length novel. You don't feel cheated. You don't feel as if there are holes in the story. It keeps you hanging on wanting to know what is going to happen next. Why is Cas going through all of this? Is it all for real? Is she losing her mind? Is it all a nightmare real or imagined? I feel what Cas feels in the heat of the moment. R.L. makes you feel just what her characters are feeling and you get lost in the moment sort of to speak.
Sneak Peak:
The flow of the food over her taste buds brought back a flood of memories. Her parents had always insisted that dinner be eaten at the dining room table. It wasn’t until she had moved out on her own that she had realized how much she enjoyed the family meals. Everyone would gather around the table and her parents would inquire about school and their day. Usually the conversation followed these mediocre happenings of the day. As ordinary and uninteresting as these conversations were, it kept them connected.
Baba by Tony Urban
Three teenagers Phil, Kenny and Mo take off on a trip in the mountains looking for a woman’s body that Phil witnessed being murder while on a hunting trip with his father.
I really enjoyed reading this little short as it reminded me of Stephen King’s story written as “The Body” but the movie was called “Stand by Me”. I have seen where Tony’s stories have been compared to Stephen King before in his series Life of the Dead. I can’t wait to read more of Tony’s work as I do have all three of the Life of the Dead novels.
Sneak Peak:
“I asked my Grampa about this place last night.”
“You didn't tell him?” Phil asked and I could hear the alarm in his voice.
“No. Of course not. I didn't tell him what you saw, just asked if he knew anything about the mountain. Pop told me that when he was a kid the carnival used to set up on the farm. And he said a couple girls went missing and were later found dead.”
“Your grandfathers really old, right?” Phil asked.
“Seventy-five. Or six.”
“And this was when he was young?”
I nodded.
“So, there's a hundred-year-old killer gypsy out here? That's what you're thinking?”
Zombie Apocalypse by Max Lockwood
Sergio and Carl are in the military. They were on deployment when the zombie outbreak occurred. Sergio and Carl are staying with Carl’s sister Pip when the zombies show up. Pip is having a home coming party for her brother Carl. A friend of Pip’s Jennifer is at the party and Carl and Pip kind of sort hit it off.
I love the world that the author created for the zombies and all the characters too. I loved following along with Carl, Sergio, Pip and Jennifer as they fought off the zombies.
Sneak Peak:
On his back, he crab walked toward the door as he kicked the zombie back. He knew he was done for. Just as it was about to descend upon him, Carl heard a whoosh of air as a long blade flew over his head and sliced cleanly into the zombie’s neck.
The decaying head toppled onto the ground in front of him and he nudged it away with his foot.
“What—” Carl panted, trying to make sense of what just happened.
He spun around to see Jennifer holding some type of sword.
Lock and Key by Patrick Logan
Three guys Tony, Robbie and Charles break into a house while the couple is at home and in bed. They get more than they bargain for upon entering the home. Monsters under the bed, anyone? Or are the under the bed?
These three guys really cracked me up. They did some pretty dump things if you ask me, that is, if they have plans to leave the people alive. Reminded me of that tv show called Dumbest Criminals or something like that.
Sneak Peak:
“Fuck, let’s just get out of here,” Tony said, suddenly struck by a strange sense of fear. “We’ve got the cash, and Charles is making a fucking racket down there. Let’s just go before the cops come, Robbie. If my parole—”
“Shut the fuck up, Tony!”
Tony’s eyes widened.
“Don’t use my name!” he hissed.
October 29, 2017
Usually with anthology I don't write reviews for each book. I only do it for boxset's. I'll give star's at the end of each short story. Now with that being said. I like to thanks R.L. Blalock for giving copy to read.
Mark of perdition was little different from you're other writing but still good.
Also like to say blood note by Sylvester barzey and send in the clowns by David J. Schmidt crazy insane and twisted love both of them.
And hand few of other Author's going to check out their work.
Baba by Tony Urban ~ 4 star's ~
Blood Note by Sylvester Barzey ~ 5 star's!!! ~
Gun Glissando by Steve Vernon ~ 3 Star's ~
The Evil in Devil’s Creek by Paul B. Kohler ~ 5 Star's ~
What’s Been Keeping Me Awake by Amanda Luzzader ~ 4 Star's ~
Mark of Perdition by R. L. Blalock ~ 4.5 star's ~
The Sun Makes Me Turn Purple by Gretta Penelope ~ 3 star's ~
Send in the Clowns by David J. Schmidt ~ 5 star's ~
The Nine Lives of Captain Osborne by E.E. Isherwood ~ 5 star's ~
They Want to Die, Let ‘em by L J Parker ~ 4 star's ~
Simon Says by Rachel McClellan ~ 4 star's ~
The Door by Delia Rai ~ 4.5 star's ~
Thirteen Horses by C.A. Verstraete ~ 3.5 star's ~
Zombie Apocalypse by Max Lockwood ~ 5 star's ~
Fetch by Joe Jackson ~ 5 star's ~
Knock, Knock by Cindy Carroll ~ 4 star's ~
His Model Son by Brian J.W. Lee ~ 5 star's ~
Ascension by G M Sherwin ~ 4.5 star's ~
Through a Dark Wood by Shayne Rutherford ~ 5 star's ~
Lock and Key by Patrick Logan ~ 4 star's ~
"I voluntarily read and reviewed this book for an honest opinion "
Mark of perdition was little different from you're other writing but still good.
Also like to say blood note by Sylvester barzey and send in the clowns by David J. Schmidt crazy insane and twisted love both of them.
And hand few of other Author's going to check out their work.
Baba by Tony Urban ~ 4 star's ~
Blood Note by Sylvester Barzey ~ 5 star's!!! ~
Gun Glissando by Steve Vernon ~ 3 Star's ~
The Evil in Devil’s Creek by Paul B. Kohler ~ 5 Star's ~
What’s Been Keeping Me Awake by Amanda Luzzader ~ 4 Star's ~
Mark of Perdition by R. L. Blalock ~ 4.5 star's ~
The Sun Makes Me Turn Purple by Gretta Penelope ~ 3 star's ~
Send in the Clowns by David J. Schmidt ~ 5 star's ~
The Nine Lives of Captain Osborne by E.E. Isherwood ~ 5 star's ~
They Want to Die, Let ‘em by L J Parker ~ 4 star's ~
Simon Says by Rachel McClellan ~ 4 star's ~
The Door by Delia Rai ~ 4.5 star's ~
Thirteen Horses by C.A. Verstraete ~ 3.5 star's ~
Zombie Apocalypse by Max Lockwood ~ 5 star's ~
Fetch by Joe Jackson ~ 5 star's ~
Knock, Knock by Cindy Carroll ~ 4 star's ~
His Model Son by Brian J.W. Lee ~ 5 star's ~
Ascension by G M Sherwin ~ 4.5 star's ~
Through a Dark Wood by Shayne Rutherford ~ 5 star's ~
Lock and Key by Patrick Logan ~ 4 star's ~
"I voluntarily read and reviewed this book for an honest opinion "
April 27, 2018
Scarry
Some of the stories were really scary, some not. Was a good read. Found some new authors through the book that i will try out.
Some of the stories were really scary, some not. Was a good read. Found some new authors through the book that i will try out.
March 30, 2018
Fair
I wouldn't call these horror stories. Most barely raised an eyebrow. A couple stood out and there was only one I couldn't finish because I got tired of the political soapbox being used. Mostly though they needed a good editor because every story had a few typos ; not a deal breaker but certainly not professional.
I wouldn't call these horror stories. Most barely raised an eyebrow. A couple stood out and there was only one I couldn't finish because I got tired of the political soapbox being used. Mostly though they needed a good editor because every story had a few typos ; not a deal breaker but certainly not professional.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews