The Mines

by Daniel Yuschick

Always interested in the macabre and obscure, Tas loves traveling to explore abandoned and dangerous dark tourism destinations. She’s fascinated by learning the often untold and violent histories of forgotten places. When a journal from the diamond mining ghost town, Kolmanskop, Namibia, mysteriously lands on her desk, she has the chance to learn her darkest one yet. It’s been her dream to bring lost stories to life at the history museum and Kolmanskop touts a wealth of secrecy buried beneath its sands. Secrets Tas wants to uncover.

But if dreams can come true, what about nightmares?

Dean’s debilitating anxiety attacks are triggered by his increasingly realistic dreams in which he feels conscious and alive. Only when those dreams start playing out in real life does he question whether they dictate his future or if he’s still in control. He’s terrified of the answer and crippled with the very real possibility that his nightmares will soon fester to life.

Especially, the nightmare with Tas.

Hardcover

First published August 11, 2019

About the author

Daniel Yuschick writes horror that hits fast, cuts deep, and embraces its roots. His novels are rooted in dark tourism and set in real places with real-life lore. With relentless pacing and a refusal to look away from the genre's darkest corners, his books are built for readers who want to feel every page. His debut novel, The Mines, is available now.

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Daniel Yuschick for providing me with a copy of The Mines in exchange for an honest review.

The best stories are always the ones you have to discover.

One that I didn’t even realize was building until shit started hittin’ the fan & I actually felt myself tear up once or twice. Me, crying during a horror novel? More likely than you think. Yuschick sneaks in & gets you connected with the characters, only to rip ’em apart later (am I being literal or nah? Read the book to find out 😉 ).

Of course, there are some characters that I absolutely hated & yes, I’m lookin’ directly at you, Mike. No matter how many times Mike calms down & tells Sydney that he loves her & he’s so sorry & he’ll start treating her better, he’s still an abusive POS & that’s that on that. It’s a continuous cycle. Daniel Yuschick wrote such a realistic abusive relationship & throughout, I found myself questioning what is the point in all this? Strangely enough, by the time The Mines reached it’s conclusion, it all just made sense why.

Yuschick also nails it in terms of realistic anxiety representation, especially as seen in Dean. As someone who’s dealt with panic attacks, I definitely related to Dean throughout The Mines & he quickly became one of my favorite characters in this read.

One of my favorite aspects of The Mines is within the journal belonging to Heinrich that Tas receives. While she’s reading it, we are a presented with a narrative of what was going on during Heinrich’s time in the mines. I love the blend of perfectly writing the past in a modern-day horror story.

& whew, let me address the horror elephant in the room. The creatures roaming the mines are absolutely, without a doubt, terrifying. I imagined them to be very similar to those in A Quiet Place. & the death scenes? Absolutely, without a doubt, covered in gore. So much gruesome, so much good.

I found Tas to be such an inspiration when it comes to travel. She’s not afraid to pick up & just go & wow, I wanna live my life like that. I doubt I’d roam any dark mines anytime soon, but dark tourism is such an attractive concept. & reading The Mines made me want to it that much more.

This review feels a bit unorganized, so here’s the gist of it: Daniel Yuschick’s The Mines may feel slow in the beginning, but don’t let go of those mining hats, because it’s gonna get wild. It all pays off in the end & you’ll most likely find yourself connecting with the characters. If you’re an empathetic person, prepare for possible waterworks. The Mine‘s creatures are actually quite terrifying & there’s quite a bit of bloodshed. I totally recommend reading The Mines by Daniel Yuschick!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly quick read. While I felt it was a bit slow in the beginning, it picked up speed to keep me going. I like that the place where all the action takes place is real and enjoyed seeing the pictures of the abandoned town after googling it. This helps make a story more interesting. The characters were okay - I didn't like or dislike any of them. Okay, I disliked Mike. I think most people would. If you are looking for a classic monster in the dark story, this is a good one to choose.

[Essi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not usually the biggest fan of horror fiction but The Mines' character driven horror kept me intrigued and entertained right til the haunting end. It mixes fact to fiction in an interesting way to the point where even the fiction seems entirely believable and definitely makes you want to google Kolmanskop. It’s not your run of the mill scary splatter gore (not that I would really even know what that would be) but an engaging read on relationships, mental health issues and seeking adventure. And Yuschick’s ability to describe an abusive relationship is truly impressive.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars out of 7.9. Good book it is readable

[Nathan Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly told story, the characters and their intertwined lives draw you in from the start. To the extent that once the horror starts to build you want to scream at the page telling them to turn back.

[Summer D Chiari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great horror story

Very gripping and well written. Totally worth a read. I enjoyed it immensely. I hope there’ll be more to come from this great new author.