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The Long Shadows of October
When Joe and Danny take on the job of housesitting Snowden Manor, they fail to realize they won’t be in the house alone. Inside the walls swarms a specter made of equal parts ghost, succubus and witch, and she uses the manse as a prison for souls. Now that October’s supermoon is falling over the mountains, she is ready to rise and reclaim her flesh.
Kayla has a crush on Joe, so when he asks her to come to a party at the manor she accepts his invitation. But no sooner do they get there than strange things start to unfold. People go missing, a mysterious dog appears, and then the boys begin to change . . .
Wraiths warn Kayla to save her friends before they’re devoured by the seductive witch. But she must hurry. For as Halloween approaches, the manor becomes a vessel for the black magic of the mountains, and the shadows that rule the woods return home.
Kayla has a crush on Joe, so when he asks her to come to a party at the manor she accepts his invitation. But no sooner do they get there than strange things start to unfold. People go missing, a mysterious dog appears, and then the boys begin to change . . .
Wraiths warn Kayla to save her friends before they’re devoured by the seductive witch. But she must hurry. For as Halloween approaches, the manor becomes a vessel for the black magic of the mountains, and the shadows that rule the woods return home.
248 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2019
25 people are currently reading
1113 people want to read
About the author
Kristopher Triana
68 books2,166 followersKristopher Triana is the author of Gone to See the River Man, Full Brutal, They All Died Screaming, Shepherd of the Black Sheep, Toxic Love, and more.
His fiction has appeared in countless magazines and anthologies and has been translated into multiple languages, drawing praise from Publisher's Weekly, Cemetery Dance, Rue Morgue, Scream, The Ginger Nuts of Horror and others.
Full Brutal won the Splatterpunk Award for Best Horror Novel of 2019, and Triana won the award again in 2022 for The Night Stockers, which he cowrote with Ryan Harding.
He lives in Connecticut.
His fiction has appeared in countless magazines and anthologies and has been translated into multiple languages, drawing praise from Publisher's Weekly, Cemetery Dance, Rue Morgue, Scream, The Ginger Nuts of Horror and others.
Full Brutal won the Splatterpunk Award for Best Horror Novel of 2019, and Triana won the award again in 2022 for The Night Stockers, which he cowrote with Ryan Harding.
He lives in Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 18, 2021
Anche se tre sarebbero stati l'ideale, due sarebbero bastati, e sapeva che quei ragazzi, essendo più giovani di Billy, sarebbero stati più adatti alle sue necessità.
«Grazie.»
Si allontanò con un cenno di saluto e si diresse verso i ragazzi che la stavano guardando con silenziosa trepidazione. Si domandò se avessero origliato. In ogni caso Gladys sapeva di averli in pugno prima ancora di chiedere.
Quando Joe ed il suo migliore amico Danny assumono l'incarico di sorvegliare Snowden Manor per conto dell'anziana proprietaria via per affari, non hanno idea di cosa li aspetti.
Perché l'antica magione è infestata, e quella che doveva essere una scatenata festa di Halloween finirà col diventare una terribile orgia di sesso e sangue.
Non disdegno di leggere ogni tanto qualche racconto splatterpunk od extreme horror, sottogeneri dell'horror caratterizzati dalle loro abbondanti dosi di sex and gore, purché storia e personaggi siano interessanti.
Da un romanzo come questo, incentrato sulla casa infestata dallo spirito di un demone succubo, mi aspettavo che ci fosse naturalmente del sesso più o meno esplicito, ma non che questo andasse ad occupare oltre metà del racconto, trascendendo qualche volta quasi nel porno più becero ed andando a scapito di trama e caratterizzazione dei personaggi.
Fortunatamente un paio di brutali scene orrorifiche ben scritte da far accapponare la pelle, gli intriganti retroscena sul passato di Hazel e l'ottimo finale, hanno salvato questa lettura, che avrei probabilmente apprezzato di più venti se non trenta anni fa, dalla mediocrità più completa facendole invece strappare una discreta sufficienza.
Quella sera sarebbe stato un Halloween molto speciale.
Complimenti comunque alla Dunwich Edizioni per il suo coraggio nel proporre autori estremi come Bryan Smith e Kristopher Triana, di cui sicuramente leggerò altro in futuro, qui da noi in Italia.
Tre stelle.
July 24, 2020
Review Originally in Scream Mag May/June 2020
One could say that there is a shortage of succubus stories out there. But then again, how many succubus stories do we need? It all depends on the quality of the story. Given the nature of a succubus (female demons that prey on vulnerable men through sexual intercourse), a whole novel about such things could teeter over the edge of horror fiction into erotica and that may or may not be enticing for some readers.
For me, I’m looking for character development as the chief component of a good book. If characters are paper-thin or lifeless, I’m not likely to commit or engage enough in the story to enjoy it. Gratuitous sex scenes or violence only take a reader so far if there’s no substance or context to stay invested.
The Long Shadows of October is about some young men who get the offer of a lifetime from a mysterious, elderly woman: Come stay at my mansion for a couple of weeks while I’m on vacation. Invite your friends over, party, use all the amenities and I’ll pay you a handsome sum.
Obviously, they jump at the chance and waste no time having some girls over to enjoy the mansion’s pool and hot tub.
Clearly, this is the perfect set up for horror. You have a house full of teenagers too distracted by their sexual escapades to notice that there is some seriously strange stuff going on around them. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any of the characters even remotely interesting enough to care about what was bound to happen to them. In fact, I found that I was feeling annoyed by the young men and their conversations about getting laid. The language was juvenile to the point of inducing eye rolls within three chapters. I’m sure it’s authentic, perhaps teenage boys really talk that way all the time, but the problem is with me; I don’t want to read about it. I think there’s a way to translate to the reader, the sexual appetites of the characters without detailing it ad nauseam. This isn’t to say there isn’t an audience for this kind of book, I one hundred percent think this will stick the landing for most extreme horror fans.
Around the halfway mark, the sex takes a back seat and the storyline moves at a more accelerated pace but I think it was too little, too late for this reader. I do want to mention that Kristopher Triana is an amazing, talented author. Before this book, I read GONE TO SEE THE RIVER MAN and I absolutely loved it. 5 full skulls. So I was a bit disappointed in this one, but not enough to deter me from reading anything he releases. Get Triana’s books on your “to buy list”.
One could say that there is a shortage of succubus stories out there. But then again, how many succubus stories do we need? It all depends on the quality of the story. Given the nature of a succubus (female demons that prey on vulnerable men through sexual intercourse), a whole novel about such things could teeter over the edge of horror fiction into erotica and that may or may not be enticing for some readers.
For me, I’m looking for character development as the chief component of a good book. If characters are paper-thin or lifeless, I’m not likely to commit or engage enough in the story to enjoy it. Gratuitous sex scenes or violence only take a reader so far if there’s no substance or context to stay invested.
The Long Shadows of October is about some young men who get the offer of a lifetime from a mysterious, elderly woman: Come stay at my mansion for a couple of weeks while I’m on vacation. Invite your friends over, party, use all the amenities and I’ll pay you a handsome sum.
Obviously, they jump at the chance and waste no time having some girls over to enjoy the mansion’s pool and hot tub.
Clearly, this is the perfect set up for horror. You have a house full of teenagers too distracted by their sexual escapades to notice that there is some seriously strange stuff going on around them. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any of the characters even remotely interesting enough to care about what was bound to happen to them. In fact, I found that I was feeling annoyed by the young men and their conversations about getting laid. The language was juvenile to the point of inducing eye rolls within three chapters. I’m sure it’s authentic, perhaps teenage boys really talk that way all the time, but the problem is with me; I don’t want to read about it. I think there’s a way to translate to the reader, the sexual appetites of the characters without detailing it ad nauseam. This isn’t to say there isn’t an audience for this kind of book, I one hundred percent think this will stick the landing for most extreme horror fans.
Around the halfway mark, the sex takes a back seat and the storyline moves at a more accelerated pace but I think it was too little, too late for this reader. I do want to mention that Kristopher Triana is an amazing, talented author. Before this book, I read GONE TO SEE THE RIVER MAN and I absolutely loved it. 5 full skulls. So I was a bit disappointed in this one, but not enough to deter me from reading anything he releases. Get Triana’s books on your “to buy list”.
October 13, 2019
"Tonight was going to be a very special Halloween."
I really loved the idea of The Long Shadows of October. It starts off really well, and I loved the succubus story.
I had a hard time maintaining interest at some points - there was often more sex than horror, and it felt like overkill at times. I just get bored reading about it when it's the same thing throughout the book, but that may just be me. There were also some odd language choices like breasts being "bashful" and "engorged" that kind of made me roll my eyes.
My favorite character in this book was Horace, the dog. He was awesome (especially when the teenage boy characters were insufferable).
I loved the witchcraft aspect, and the characters becoming powerful women, but I hated how it was all wrapped around the effect they had on men and how they were affected by men. Everything was about male attention, and I just wanted better for the women because I liked them 😂.
Although I had some issues, this was still a pretty fun Halloween read.
CW - homophobia, self-harm, sexual assault
I really loved the idea of The Long Shadows of October. It starts off really well, and I loved the succubus story.
I had a hard time maintaining interest at some points - there was often more sex than horror, and it felt like overkill at times. I just get bored reading about it when it's the same thing throughout the book, but that may just be me. There were also some odd language choices like breasts being "bashful" and "engorged" that kind of made me roll my eyes.
My favorite character in this book was Horace, the dog. He was awesome (especially when the teenage boy characters were insufferable).
I loved the witchcraft aspect, and the characters becoming powerful women, but I hated how it was all wrapped around the effect they had on men and how they were affected by men. Everything was about male attention, and I just wanted better for the women because I liked them 😂.
Although I had some issues, this was still a pretty fun Halloween read.
CW - homophobia, self-harm, sexual assault
June 1, 2022
Read this a long time ago .
The book and story was good. Probably the most tame of Triana.
Think haunted house, witches, spirits, evil entities . Mix in a little sex scenes and some gore
Cool overall story very descriptive!
The book and story was good. Probably the most tame of Triana.
Think haunted house, witches, spirits, evil entities . Mix in a little sex scenes and some gore
Cool overall story very descriptive!
October 17, 2021
What an amazing and perfect read at this time of year! ! I really loved everything about this book, and that ending… just awesome!
October 29, 2022
2.5/3 ⭐️
Degli adolescenti a guardia di un maniero.
Streghe, anime perse, potere e sesso di grana grossa.
Non male.
Degli adolescenti a guardia di un maniero.
Streghe, anime perse, potere e sesso di grana grossa.
Non male.
February 3, 2022
Another awesome book from Triana. I only have one more book left until I have read all his books. I have his new book on preorder that comes out the 14th of this month. This story is a unique haunted house story. There is some self harm in this novel. This story is filled with sex and gore.
October 4, 2023
This might be generous idk lol
March 9, 2025
Le lunghe ombre di Ottobre - Kristopher Triana
Terzo romanzo di Triana che leggo, dopo Full Brutal e Dall'uomo del fiume e, nonostante sia quello che mi ha convinto meno dei tre, posso subito dire che Triana è sempre e comunque un must read.
Protagonista di questa storia è Snowden Manor, antica e lussuosa villa di campagna. La vecchia proprietaria deve allontanarsi per alcune settimane e affida l'incarico di custodi della dimora a 3 giovani ragazzi. I tre, esaltati dall'occasione di avere a loro disposizione una stupenda villa piena di lussi, si adopereranno subito per organizzare delle simpatiche festicciole in compagnia di alcune amiche. Perché si sa, i ragazzi hanno in mente sempre e solo una cosa (no, non il calcio, miao!). La vecchia signora Snowden però ha tenuto nascoste alcune cosette: la villa infatti non è del tutto disabitata, o quantomeno chi la occupa non è del tutto vivo e nemmeno del tutto morto. Avete mai incontrato una prigione di anime? Eccovi serviti!
Ho apprezzato molto questa particolare rivisitazione della casa infestata, diversa dal solito fantasma o simili. La trama è decisamente coinvolgente, con poche pause e una tensione costante lungo tutto l'arco narrativo. Ho apprezzato meno invece un espediente che ha permesso ad una delle ragazze di tirare le fila del mistero. Ho avuto l'impressione del classico deus ex machina necessario per sviluppare la trama in base all'idea che ormai l'autore si era fatto. Ritengo che una soluzione diversa avrebbe reso molto più fluida la narrazione, senza forzature.
Un aspetto che sono costretto ad evidenziare, per darvi la giusta idea su questo romanzo è quello sessu4le: non sono sicuro se definirlo o meno un er0tic h0rr0r in quanto non sono presenti scene così esplicite, ma questa componente è costante, al limite con l'esagerato. In fatto di avere a che fare con ragazzi così giovani (e infuocati) forse giustifica vagamente questo aspetto 😅
Al netto dello scivol(ino) descritto sopra, ho comunque apprezzato la lettura e penso che il romanzo possa appassionare molti amanti del genere. Periodo di lettura consigliato: halloween 😁
Voto: 7,5/10
Terzo romanzo di Triana che leggo, dopo Full Brutal e Dall'uomo del fiume e, nonostante sia quello che mi ha convinto meno dei tre, posso subito dire che Triana è sempre e comunque un must read.
Protagonista di questa storia è Snowden Manor, antica e lussuosa villa di campagna. La vecchia proprietaria deve allontanarsi per alcune settimane e affida l'incarico di custodi della dimora a 3 giovani ragazzi. I tre, esaltati dall'occasione di avere a loro disposizione una stupenda villa piena di lussi, si adopereranno subito per organizzare delle simpatiche festicciole in compagnia di alcune amiche. Perché si sa, i ragazzi hanno in mente sempre e solo una cosa (no, non il calcio, miao!). La vecchia signora Snowden però ha tenuto nascoste alcune cosette: la villa infatti non è del tutto disabitata, o quantomeno chi la occupa non è del tutto vivo e nemmeno del tutto morto. Avete mai incontrato una prigione di anime? Eccovi serviti!
Ho apprezzato molto questa particolare rivisitazione della casa infestata, diversa dal solito fantasma o simili. La trama è decisamente coinvolgente, con poche pause e una tensione costante lungo tutto l'arco narrativo. Ho apprezzato meno invece un espediente che ha permesso ad una delle ragazze di tirare le fila del mistero. Ho avuto l'impressione del classico deus ex machina necessario per sviluppare la trama in base all'idea che ormai l'autore si era fatto. Ritengo che una soluzione diversa avrebbe reso molto più fluida la narrazione, senza forzature.
Un aspetto che sono costretto ad evidenziare, per darvi la giusta idea su questo romanzo è quello sessu4le: non sono sicuro se definirlo o meno un er0tic h0rr0r in quanto non sono presenti scene così esplicite, ma questa componente è costante, al limite con l'esagerato. In fatto di avere a che fare con ragazzi così giovani (e infuocati) forse giustifica vagamente questo aspetto 😅
Al netto dello scivol(ino) descritto sopra, ho comunque apprezzato la lettura e penso che il romanzo possa appassionare molti amanti del genere. Periodo di lettura consigliato: halloween 😁
Voto: 7,5/10
January 15, 2021
Brilliant! And what a finale! Loved it!
March 14, 2021
I'd been hearing about Kristopher Triana for months before taking the plunge on an ebook that sounded intriguing and set during Halloween for the most part. Then it seems lately his name exploded, largely due to his latest release and not soon after, his own entry into the Splatter Western series from DHP.
I can certainly see why. The dude has some horror chops. Brutal and unflinching ones.
The aforementioned horror novel centers around teenage senior Kayla and her crush on town bad boy Joe. Joe and his high school football player buddy take a job watching over the Snowden Manor while the elderly lady of said manor is away on business. Only thing they don't know is that the place is very haunted, among other things. Dark magic abounds and soon Joe and company fall deeply under its sway.
Lust and death converge, and the halls will flow with blood!
Not for the faint hearted casual horror fan, and this is one of his tamer novels too!
Highly recommended!
I can certainly see why. The dude has some horror chops. Brutal and unflinching ones.
The aforementioned horror novel centers around teenage senior Kayla and her crush on town bad boy Joe. Joe and his high school football player buddy take a job watching over the Snowden Manor while the elderly lady of said manor is away on business. Only thing they don't know is that the place is very haunted, among other things. Dark magic abounds and soon Joe and company fall deeply under its sway.
Lust and death converge, and the halls will flow with blood!
Not for the faint hearted casual horror fan, and this is one of his tamer novels too!
Highly recommended!
August 27, 2025
It's not good.
TW: self-harm, Sexual themes, sexual assault, and some really weird homophobia
Having enjoyed "Gone to see the River Man" and its sequel (albeit less than the former), I wanted to read more of Kriatopher Triana's books. The synopsis of this one sounded interesting, a succubus haunts a house and terrorizes the house sitters. It's poorly executed though, I almost DNF'd, but i pushed through it; and what we come away with is a story that drags on too long, doesn't make sense, and is full of pointless and unlikable characters, most of which are underage.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Anyways, I'll go through the characters: there's Joe, a horny, manipulative, misogynistic punk teenager; he's definately the most obnoxious character in the book, his POV sections are what almost made me DNF. He's also weirdly homophobic, but its never explained why or adressed. Like, I get that he's not supposed to be likable or a good person, but all the misogyny was just gross to read. Call me "sensitive" or "offended", but i just don’t like reading that kind of stuff.
Next, there's Danny, our other teen-boy house sitter. He plays football and has a girlfriend he's cheated on multiple times, there's not much else to mention about him.
There's Kayla, a girl with self-harm issues who ends up being the hero of the story, there's not much to say about her other than I think her "empowerment" character arc felt shallow and came off as very "written-by-person-who-has-never-been-a-teenage-girl-and-also-hasn't-deconstructed-the-objectification-of-teenage-girls." The core problem of her character arc is that her sexuality is contingent on how men see her, and how she affects men; rather than being something that comes from within. It takes female sexuality, and makes it man-centered. Sorry if that's confusing, that's the best way I can explain it.
Writing this, I almost forgot about Robbie, who is just really uninteresting. There's also Maxine, who is kind of pointless. Of course, we can't forget the succubus witch villian, who does have some commentary on purity culture and religion.
Lastly, there's Linda, who is kind of the inciting incident in this story, but doesn't do much beyond that. She's a teenager who's turned to sex work as a means of getting out of her current living situation; and honestly? I was hoping she was gonna be the protagonist. She has personality, motivation, and would be an interesting foil to the witch (or Kayla, who is basically her polar opposite)
Moving onto the plot, the plot is fairly simple, as previously stated. A succubus witch tries to take the souls of the teen boys house-sitting a mansion, and the two girls (Kayla and Maxine) have to save them. What follows is pretty linear, but things start to go downhill halfway through the book when the titular "shadow people" are introduced. They're "ghosts of people who are still alive", but its also implied that some of them don't have souls, but also, some of them are of dead people. If you're confused by all that, it's ok. The entire concept makes NO F*CKING SENSE.
The shadow people just kind of show up and loredump when it's convenient; its a really contrived way to give the protagonist information, which brings us to a major issue with this book: telling and not showing.
The witch's backstory is given to us via shadow-people-exposition. Not in an interesting way, they just straight up tell Kayla the entire story. And while we do occaisionally learn some stuff from the witch's own POV, I think it would've been interesting to see the book cut back and forth between the main plot and the witch's backstory, giving us more details and SHOWING us what her life was like instead of just spelling it out.
Additionally, we aren't shown Kayla's "empowerment" journey, we're just told via exposition that she started acting more confident, wearing less, flirting more, and dropping that she's never had sex into every conversation. We aren't shown what emotions she went through, what she had to learn, or what it took for her to go from a shy, insecure girl with self-harm issues to a confident, "sexually awakened" woman. (I use "woman" weakly here, since I'm pretty sure she's underage.)
Despite being too long for what it is, it ultimately feels like the OUTLINE of a story, with only some of the plot points actually illustrated. There's parts that straight up don't make sense, like a dream being mentioned as if we're supposed to already know what it is, when it was NEVER mentioned before. My theory there is that Triana wrote the dream sequence, but ended up cutting it and forgot to edit out the lines referring to it later on. The ending makes no sense either, since it goes against all of the character motivations the book set up, making them pointless. It negates everything the characters did and brings everything back to square one. It really pissed me off tbh, I felt like me reading it was a waste of time too. I almost feel like this book needs a rewrite, because I think the concept can be done justice, but this book completely missed the mark with it.
Note: how could I forget Horace, the best character in the book and his cute doggy POV sections providing enough brain-bleach to make this shlock fest readable.
Also, the gore is meh. You'll find better elsewhere.
**ADDITIONAL NOTE: I saw a review on here that said this book feels like it shouldn't take place in the 2020s; the modern references feel really jarring, and it feels like it should take place in the 80s, 90s, or early 2000s at most, based on the way the characters talk and act. I completely agree.
TW: self-harm, Sexual themes, sexual assault, and some really weird homophobia
Having enjoyed "Gone to see the River Man" and its sequel (albeit less than the former), I wanted to read more of Kriatopher Triana's books. The synopsis of this one sounded interesting, a succubus haunts a house and terrorizes the house sitters. It's poorly executed though, I almost DNF'd, but i pushed through it; and what we come away with is a story that drags on too long, doesn't make sense, and is full of pointless and unlikable characters, most of which are underage.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Anyways, I'll go through the characters: there's Joe, a horny, manipulative, misogynistic punk teenager; he's definately the most obnoxious character in the book, his POV sections are what almost made me DNF. He's also weirdly homophobic, but its never explained why or adressed. Like, I get that he's not supposed to be likable or a good person, but all the misogyny was just gross to read. Call me "sensitive" or "offended", but i just don’t like reading that kind of stuff.
Next, there's Danny, our other teen-boy house sitter. He plays football and has a girlfriend he's cheated on multiple times, there's not much else to mention about him.
There's Kayla, a girl with self-harm issues who ends up being the hero of the story, there's not much to say about her other than I think her "empowerment" character arc felt shallow and came off as very "written-by-person-who-has-never-been-a-teenage-girl-and-also-hasn't-deconstructed-the-objectification-of-teenage-girls." The core problem of her character arc is that her sexuality is contingent on how men see her, and how she affects men; rather than being something that comes from within. It takes female sexuality, and makes it man-centered. Sorry if that's confusing, that's the best way I can explain it.
Writing this, I almost forgot about Robbie, who is just really uninteresting. There's also Maxine, who is kind of pointless. Of course, we can't forget the succubus witch villian, who does have some commentary on purity culture and religion.
Lastly, there's Linda, who is kind of the inciting incident in this story, but doesn't do much beyond that. She's a teenager who's turned to sex work as a means of getting out of her current living situation; and honestly? I was hoping she was gonna be the protagonist. She has personality, motivation, and would be an interesting foil to the witch (or Kayla, who is basically her polar opposite)
Moving onto the plot, the plot is fairly simple, as previously stated. A succubus witch tries to take the souls of the teen boys house-sitting a mansion, and the two girls (Kayla and Maxine) have to save them. What follows is pretty linear, but things start to go downhill halfway through the book when the titular "shadow people" are introduced. They're "ghosts of people who are still alive", but its also implied that some of them don't have souls, but also, some of them are of dead people. If you're confused by all that, it's ok. The entire concept makes NO F*CKING SENSE.
The shadow people just kind of show up and loredump when it's convenient; its a really contrived way to give the protagonist information, which brings us to a major issue with this book: telling and not showing.
The witch's backstory is given to us via shadow-people-exposition. Not in an interesting way, they just straight up tell Kayla the entire story. And while we do occaisionally learn some stuff from the witch's own POV, I think it would've been interesting to see the book cut back and forth between the main plot and the witch's backstory, giving us more details and SHOWING us what her life was like instead of just spelling it out.
Additionally, we aren't shown Kayla's "empowerment" journey, we're just told via exposition that she started acting more confident, wearing less, flirting more, and dropping that she's never had sex into every conversation. We aren't shown what emotions she went through, what she had to learn, or what it took for her to go from a shy, insecure girl with self-harm issues to a confident, "sexually awakened" woman. (I use "woman" weakly here, since I'm pretty sure she's underage.)
Despite being too long for what it is, it ultimately feels like the OUTLINE of a story, with only some of the plot points actually illustrated. There's parts that straight up don't make sense, like a dream being mentioned as if we're supposed to already know what it is, when it was NEVER mentioned before. My theory there is that Triana wrote the dream sequence, but ended up cutting it and forgot to edit out the lines referring to it later on. The ending makes no sense either, since it goes against all of the character motivations the book set up, making them pointless. It negates everything the characters did and brings everything back to square one. It really pissed me off tbh, I felt like me reading it was a waste of time too. I almost feel like this book needs a rewrite, because I think the concept can be done justice, but this book completely missed the mark with it.
Note: how could I forget Horace, the best character in the book and his cute doggy POV sections providing enough brain-bleach to make this shlock fest readable.
Also, the gore is meh. You'll find better elsewhere.
**ADDITIONAL NOTE: I saw a review on here that said this book feels like it shouldn't take place in the 2020s; the modern references feel really jarring, and it feels like it should take place in the 80s, 90s, or early 2000s at most, based on the way the characters talk and act. I completely agree.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2020
I loved this! I wanted to get to this last month but I wasn’t able to. The Long Shadows of October was so much fun to read! Two male teens are offered a housesitting job that they can’t refuse. On their first night there, they realize they aren’t the only ones in Snowden Manor.
Everything about this book was great, but my favorite aspect of the book was all the perspectives (especially Horace’s)!
I’m looking forward to reading more of Triana’s work because this was fantastic!
Everything about this book was great, but my favorite aspect of the book was all the perspectives (especially Horace’s)!
I’m looking forward to reading more of Triana’s work because this was fantastic!
November 16, 2022
This is the 4th book I've read by Trianna and so far, it's my least favourite. It was a good read, but I felt it dragged in parts and there was nothing particularly new in the story. Trianna seems to be one of those authors that can't write a bad book, but that being said, I won't remember this one in a week or two.
June 3, 2024
I can’t believe I was able to force my way through this garbage. Telling not showing. Errors abound. Erotica/smut is absolutely not for me. 10/10 don’t recommend. I wish I had the energy to actually write a thoughtful review, but I’ve decided to put as much effort into this review as the author did into this book… and just… not.
October 18, 2021
A fun Halloween page turner.
October 17, 2024
Conflicted with this one. Did I enjoy reading it? Sure. Did I agree with the decisions the author made, particularly at the end? Definitely not.
August 27, 2025
2.75
Big MEH
Big MEH
November 11, 2020
Recensione completa su Peccati di Penna
Questo romanzo è un horror particolare, forte, a volte però più che truce l'ho trovato delirante perché alcune scene descritte sembrano frutto di allucinogeni; ma ciò denota solo molta fantasia da parte dell'autore nell'ideazione e bravura nelle descrizioni.
L'incipit ci serve sul piatto adolescenti e una vecchia casa enorme che da subito si mostra per quel che è: un regno di terrore con rumori e strane apparizioni.
Ciò che mi ha colpito di questo testo è la capacità di Triana di caratterizzare gli adolescenti, in particolare ho trovato azzeccati i dialoghi.
La narrazione è in terza persona formula necessaria per seguire le vicende e staccarsi, quando necessario, da un personaggio a favore di un altro. Vi sono tanti elementi sovrannaturali: la creatura, la casa prigione di anime, la montagna intrisa di magia nera, le ombre, gli spettri "messaggeri" e in questa abbondanza mi sono trovata a pensare: anche questo?
...continua
Testo fornito dall'editore.
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Questo romanzo è un horror particolare, forte, a volte però più che truce l'ho trovato delirante perché alcune scene descritte sembrano frutto di allucinogeni; ma ciò denota solo molta fantasia da parte dell'autore nell'ideazione e bravura nelle descrizioni.
L'incipit ci serve sul piatto adolescenti e una vecchia casa enorme che da subito si mostra per quel che è: un regno di terrore con rumori e strane apparizioni.
Ciò che mi ha colpito di questo testo è la capacità di Triana di caratterizzare gli adolescenti, in particolare ho trovato azzeccati i dialoghi.
La narrazione è in terza persona formula necessaria per seguire le vicende e staccarsi, quando necessario, da un personaggio a favore di un altro. Vi sono tanti elementi sovrannaturali: la creatura, la casa prigione di anime, la montagna intrisa di magia nera, le ombre, gli spettri "messaggeri" e in questa abbondanza mi sono trovata a pensare: anche questo?
...continua
Testo fornito dall'editore.
Blog | FB | Twitter | IG 1| IG 2 | Tumblr | Pinterest
May 8, 2022
Kristopher Triana's 'The Long Shadows of October' deserves cult status. Not only is it an exciting horror story, it is also a must-read about sexuality, awareness, magic and dogs.
For starters, the story is very reminiscent of the horror movies of the eighties and nineties. The references to horror films from this period reinforce this. In combination with the atmosphere, characters, theme and story, all elements are present in my opinion to see this page turner as a cult classic.
Also the antagonist is great! In my experience, Hazel deserves a spot between Pennywise, Freddy Kruger and Jason Meyers. She embodies the dark aspects of wisdom and female sexuality in a sensual macabre way. Triana makes Hazel more complex by adding her background to the story. In my experience, this reinforces its lurid dynamism and makes it the embodiment of the theme.
"The Long Shadows of October" I think is about suppressing sexuality and how this puts one in a state of non-being. This is a theme that is important to both Kayla and Hazel. There are several reasons for this. The individual choices made by the women in this regard create an extremely exciting conflict. Kayla's awareness process is special in this, because she grows above her insecurity and comes so close to her true self.
What makes the story masterful and worthy of a classic is that, in my opinion, there are different possibilities for making an analysis, namely Jungian and ontological.
In my experience, the story contains several symbols that refer to the collective unconscious, so a Jungian interpretation is in order. Hazel is an important example of this. She is primarily an evil witch, but doesn't her knowledge also show the wisdom about nature? She is a succubus, a sensual female demon who has intercourse with men. Doesn't she also refer to insecurity and the taboo that rests on sex? And she is a ghost, something that haunts like a remnant of the past. The van Hazel family can write about this from different perspectives. Other symbols are the ghosts and the dog. I think an analysis of all these symbols and their semantics makes for an intriguing essay.
And then the ontological analysis. There are two interesting points in the story that I strongly associated with Martin Heidegger's philosophy, namely the relationship between man and nature and the movement between being and not being. Heidegger's letter on humanism is at times diametrically opposed to thoughts in this book, but it also gets to the heart of the matter. In the essay 'On the essence of the truth' there are enough handles to make a study about the story from the second point.
Furthermore, because of the theme, I associated 'The Long Shadows of October' with the work of Aino Kallas and Jonathan Janz. Aino Kallas ha a leading motive in her work which she called the slaying eros, which centers on the destructive power of love. Triana deals with this in a physical way in his book and Janz in 'The House of Skin' in a more sensual way. This intertextuality adds even more value to the book for me.
The literary ambiguity in the story is strong. The story shows the ambiguity of father, mother, witch, daughter, ghosts and friendship in a sinisterly masterful way. What I really enjoyed is the natural forces from the mountain. Triana thus gives the story an ironic twist, showing that nature always finds a solution.
And so I come to the conclusion that 'The Long Shadows of October' is worthy of cult classic status because of its intertextuality, literary ambiguity, diverse possibilities for interpretation, and the dynamic gruesome great antagonist. #thelongshadowsofoctober #kristophertriana #grindhousepress
For starters, the story is very reminiscent of the horror movies of the eighties and nineties. The references to horror films from this period reinforce this. In combination with the atmosphere, characters, theme and story, all elements are present in my opinion to see this page turner as a cult classic.
Also the antagonist is great! In my experience, Hazel deserves a spot between Pennywise, Freddy Kruger and Jason Meyers. She embodies the dark aspects of wisdom and female sexuality in a sensual macabre way. Triana makes Hazel more complex by adding her background to the story. In my experience, this reinforces its lurid dynamism and makes it the embodiment of the theme.
"The Long Shadows of October" I think is about suppressing sexuality and how this puts one in a state of non-being. This is a theme that is important to both Kayla and Hazel. There are several reasons for this. The individual choices made by the women in this regard create an extremely exciting conflict. Kayla's awareness process is special in this, because she grows above her insecurity and comes so close to her true self.
What makes the story masterful and worthy of a classic is that, in my opinion, there are different possibilities for making an analysis, namely Jungian and ontological.
In my experience, the story contains several symbols that refer to the collective unconscious, so a Jungian interpretation is in order. Hazel is an important example of this. She is primarily an evil witch, but doesn't her knowledge also show the wisdom about nature? She is a succubus, a sensual female demon who has intercourse with men. Doesn't she also refer to insecurity and the taboo that rests on sex? And she is a ghost, something that haunts like a remnant of the past. The van Hazel family can write about this from different perspectives. Other symbols are the ghosts and the dog. I think an analysis of all these symbols and their semantics makes for an intriguing essay.
And then the ontological analysis. There are two interesting points in the story that I strongly associated with Martin Heidegger's philosophy, namely the relationship between man and nature and the movement between being and not being. Heidegger's letter on humanism is at times diametrically opposed to thoughts in this book, but it also gets to the heart of the matter. In the essay 'On the essence of the truth' there are enough handles to make a study about the story from the second point.
Furthermore, because of the theme, I associated 'The Long Shadows of October' with the work of Aino Kallas and Jonathan Janz. Aino Kallas ha a leading motive in her work which she called the slaying eros, which centers on the destructive power of love. Triana deals with this in a physical way in his book and Janz in 'The House of Skin' in a more sensual way. This intertextuality adds even more value to the book for me.
The literary ambiguity in the story is strong. The story shows the ambiguity of father, mother, witch, daughter, ghosts and friendship in a sinisterly masterful way. What I really enjoyed is the natural forces from the mountain. Triana thus gives the story an ironic twist, showing that nature always finds a solution.
And so I come to the conclusion that 'The Long Shadows of October' is worthy of cult classic status because of its intertextuality, literary ambiguity, diverse possibilities for interpretation, and the dynamic gruesome great antagonist. #thelongshadowsofoctober #kristophertriana #grindhousepress
October 2, 2023
This is a pretty fun succubus horror. There's a POV from a dog that I actually really loved and felt was executed really well. I also liked how the POV would shift characters throughout the whole book, but also feels like the main character shifts a bit at different points of the story.
It takes place in modern times, but it's way more reminiscent of the 90s to me. I think it's something about writers who grew up as teenagers in the 90s never really write modern teenagers the way a younger audience would connect with. I don't actually mean that as a critique because I really enjoyed the vibes of the whole thing, but every once in a while a reference to something present-day would kind of throw me because in my mind I was reading this like it was late 90s/early 00s. Like, Joe straight up read like a Greaser to me, and Kayla could have been Neve Campbell in Scream for all I cared lol. So I kind of wish the book had been a little more vague about the time period, honestly.
It takes place in modern times, but it's way more reminiscent of the 90s to me. I think it's something about writers who grew up as teenagers in the 90s never really write modern teenagers the way a younger audience would connect with. I don't actually mean that as a critique because I really enjoyed the vibes of the whole thing, but every once in a while a reference to something present-day would kind of throw me because in my mind I was reading this like it was late 90s/early 00s. Like, Joe straight up read like a Greaser to me, and Kayla could have been Neve Campbell in Scream for all I cared lol. So I kind of wish the book had been a little more vague about the time period, honestly.
October 4, 2023
Kristopher Triana is a good writer - some of the stuff here is beautifully written and immaculate. There are some great fall and Halloween vibes here. But that's basically where my praise ends, the plot and characters and story here are just so poorly done. Mess.
January 31, 2020
Halloween
Great book about witches and their bizarre night moon rituals. Lots of erotic sex and depraved killings and exciting adventures.
Great book about witches and their bizarre night moon rituals. Lots of erotic sex and depraved killings and exciting adventures.
October 30, 2024
Ghost, Succubus, Witch… oh yes.
There’s little I love more than reading the backlist of an author’s whose work I respect and admire. It’s so delightful to me to see how their writing changes with each new book they start to create. I started my Triana journey with his most popular book, Gone to See the River Man, and was hooked ever since. One of the best things about his writing is his ability to create horror, splatterpunk and dark crime with visceral imagery, extreme bloody descriptions that crawl under your skin, layered with storytelling that makes you root even for the most vicious of characters.
The Long Shadows of October is my latest read by him and is one of his earliest works. I love ghosts, witches and succubusses (succubi?) so how could I not? Plus I had to read at least ONE book with October in the title this month, now didn’t I? In terms of Triana books I’ve read, this one is pretty tame by nature. It’s mostly a lot of sex for these damn boys with girls who are just… being girls. But it’s a lot of this specter/ghost/witch/succubus and the strange things that go bump in the night (that aren’t these teens) and these were my favorite parts. I really liked the ending of this one but what did I really love? Horace, the dog. Can we get some more of him please?
If you want a cute Halloween story to add to your collection, look no further – especially if you like kids getting their comeuppance for throwing a party in a manor they’re being paid to house sit. 😉
There’s little I love more than reading the backlist of an author’s whose work I respect and admire. It’s so delightful to me to see how their writing changes with each new book they start to create. I started my Triana journey with his most popular book, Gone to See the River Man, and was hooked ever since. One of the best things about his writing is his ability to create horror, splatterpunk and dark crime with visceral imagery, extreme bloody descriptions that crawl under your skin, layered with storytelling that makes you root even for the most vicious of characters.
The Long Shadows of October is my latest read by him and is one of his earliest works. I love ghosts, witches and succubusses (succubi?) so how could I not? Plus I had to read at least ONE book with October in the title this month, now didn’t I? In terms of Triana books I’ve read, this one is pretty tame by nature. It’s mostly a lot of sex for these damn boys with girls who are just… being girls. But it’s a lot of this specter/ghost/witch/succubus and the strange things that go bump in the night (that aren’t these teens) and these were my favorite parts. I really liked the ending of this one but what did I really love? Horace, the dog. Can we get some more of him please?
If you want a cute Halloween story to add to your collection, look no further – especially if you like kids getting their comeuppance for throwing a party in a manor they’re being paid to house sit. 😉
May 20, 2020
Want a horny teenage romp? Read this book.
Truthfully, there were times when I put this one down and wasn’t sure whether I’d pick it back up. Too much sex motivation for me to care about the main characters, and the lore seemed to fold in on itself - I wasn’t sure if the author wanted to obey his own rules. I wouldn’t say it’s about “female-empowered sensuality” as it claims on the blurb on the back - more about females realizing their sexuality could cause men to do whatever they wanted.
The book also doesn’t do a great job of treating queer characters fairly. One character teases his brother about being a “faggot,” but then later lets a female character be bisexual to... I’m not sure what the point of that was, actually, but it didn’t seem very fair to queer readers.
In either case, I was still entertained. Triana did make me feel like I was in the midst of fall with the smell of dirt and the crunch of leaves around me. I would rate it 2/5. If you love an old school grindhouse book with sex, witches, and drugs, this’ll do.
Truthfully, there were times when I put this one down and wasn’t sure whether I’d pick it back up. Too much sex motivation for me to care about the main characters, and the lore seemed to fold in on itself - I wasn’t sure if the author wanted to obey his own rules. I wouldn’t say it’s about “female-empowered sensuality” as it claims on the blurb on the back - more about females realizing their sexuality could cause men to do whatever they wanted.
The book also doesn’t do a great job of treating queer characters fairly. One character teases his brother about being a “faggot,” but then later lets a female character be bisexual to... I’m not sure what the point of that was, actually, but it didn’t seem very fair to queer readers.
In either case, I was still entertained. Triana did make me feel like I was in the midst of fall with the smell of dirt and the crunch of leaves around me. I would rate it 2/5. If you love an old school grindhouse book with sex, witches, and drugs, this’ll do.
August 28, 2022
The premise of The Long Shadows of October is simple – Joe Grant and Danny Knox are looking for some quick cash so that they can get Joe’s little brother, Robbie, laid. When the opportunity to housesit Snowden Manor for $500 a week falls into their laps, they jump at the chance. Old Mrs. Snowden even tells them they can have friends over, just so long as they stay at the house as much as possible over the two weeks that she’ll be gone. Things start getting weird the first night the guys invite girls over – Maxine, Danny’s girlfriend, and Kayla, Joe’s new girl. It’s almost as if the house wants the girls out of it.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Long Shadows of October. It’s a solid haunted house story with enough of an edge to separate it and elevate it over others in the genre. I’ve seen it faulted for its lack of character development, but here’s the thing – it’s not really a story about the characters, it’s a story about the house and what’s in it. The one character who needs to be strong and well-rounded is and the others are exactly what they need to be.
Full Review: https://tatteredandbroken.com/2022/08...
I thoroughly enjoyed The Long Shadows of October. It’s a solid haunted house story with enough of an edge to separate it and elevate it over others in the genre. I’ve seen it faulted for its lack of character development, but here’s the thing – it’s not really a story about the characters, it’s a story about the house and what’s in it. The one character who needs to be strong and well-rounded is and the others are exactly what they need to be.
Full Review: https://tatteredandbroken.com/2022/08...
October 15, 2023
Halloween vibes
Haunted manor
Chilly October days
Succubus witch
Cravings for virgins
Demon rottweiler who calls the witch succubi, master.
Lots of sex
This was my first Triana book and I know he has better books out there because I hear nothing but good thing about him. I don't think this is a good first read for an introduction to the author.
I liked this book but I didn't love it. It lacked a lot of character development and details. It definitely needed more of something.
I feel like my favorite part of this book was Horace's scenes. The things the teens seen throughout the book were great but needed much more detail. I will be giving him another go with a more recent piece of work ♥
Haunted manor
Chilly October days
Succubus witch
Cravings for virgins
Demon rottweiler who calls the witch succubi, master.
Lots of sex
This was my first Triana book and I know he has better books out there because I hear nothing but good thing about him. I don't think this is a good first read for an introduction to the author.
I liked this book but I didn't love it. It lacked a lot of character development and details. It definitely needed more of something.
I feel like my favorite part of this book was Horace's scenes. The things the teens seen throughout the book were great but needed much more detail. I will be giving him another go with a more recent piece of work ♥
August 2, 2024
While each of Triana's books is certainly unique, I'm still somewhat surprised by this one. Kristopher Triana is great at changing up his writing style while still making it a signature Triana Terror; however, "The Long Shadows of October" just did not vibe with me.
The premise is cool—a witch in a haunted mansion goes all Manson. It even perfectly captures how randy teenage boys are and the crazy lengths they would be willing to go to for—well, you catch my drift.
The book just got a little too fantastical for me. I love fantasy, but it just did not gel well with me here. If you are into tropes such as deadly desire, witchy wiles, and/or supernatural fantasy, then this is the book for you!
The premise is cool—a witch in a haunted mansion goes all Manson. It even perfectly captures how randy teenage boys are and the crazy lengths they would be willing to go to for—well, you catch my drift.
The book just got a little too fantastical for me. I love fantasy, but it just did not gel well with me here. If you are into tropes such as deadly desire, witchy wiles, and/or supernatural fantasy, then this is the book for you!
November 21, 2023
The Long Shadows of October by Kristopher Triana is such a fun and easy Halloween book to read. This is about these high school students who got this lucrative house-sitting job of watching over the Snowden Manor while the owner is away on business. What they don't know that inside this manor there is a succubus ghost witch who plans to destroy all of them. And then enters the main female character Kayla who is brave, smart, and determined to free her friends from the spell of this witch. This book was a fast-paced page turner for me with a perfect mix of tension, horror, betrayal, teenage elements, and gore. A 4.5 starrer.
November 3, 2024
TW: sexual content, sexual assault, child death, rape, drowning, imprisonment, confinement, child abuse, mental illness
I liked the beginning, though the plot started to lose me around the halfway mark. This book follows more of a traditional horror path, instead of Triana’s usual extreme horror or splatterpunk path. This book follows several teens, and a Succubus witch who wants to suck them dry of their life force. It’s very sexual horror, of course, but I found the magic plot a bit lacking and the witch fantasy element under explained. It also wasn’t as gory as I was hoping. Not a bad book, just not what I expected.
I liked the beginning, though the plot started to lose me around the halfway mark. This book follows more of a traditional horror path, instead of Triana’s usual extreme horror or splatterpunk path. This book follows several teens, and a Succubus witch who wants to suck them dry of their life force. It’s very sexual horror, of course, but I found the magic plot a bit lacking and the witch fantasy element under explained. It also wasn’t as gory as I was hoping. Not a bad book, just not what I expected.
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