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Blackwood Estates
SOMETHING HAS TAKEN THE CHILDREN OF BLACKWOOD ESTATES. Philip Nada was broken by his own success. Once happy but poor, he's wealthier than he knew possible, but forced to raise his disabled son alone in the big empty house in Blackwood Estates. As he goes through the motions, expecting nothing, a terrifying supernatural phenomenon steals his boy from him. But it isn't just his son, it's every single child at home in Blackwood Estates when their subdivision is encircled by a mysterious cloud of fog.
These children are no longer children. They are possessed of something impossible, something from a different time, and a space unimaginable. Something hungry for blood, and insatiable for murder. By day they hunt, but by night they hide, terrified of something even worse, something without form, something that hunts the Outer Dark, and now the interior of their diminishing world.
Phil must find strength to save his son from this otherworldly possession, and lead the survivors away from the damned world of Blackwood Estates. Away from help or hope, they find themselves in a fight to the death with an intrusion from another space and another time.
Phil will have to join forces with an unlikely set of allies, but can a broken man find the strength to defend what little he has left?
These children are no longer children. They are possessed of something impossible, something from a different time, and a space unimaginable. Something hungry for blood, and insatiable for murder. By day they hunt, but by night they hide, terrified of something even worse, something without form, something that hunts the Outer Dark, and now the interior of their diminishing world.
Phil must find strength to save his son from this otherworldly possession, and lead the survivors away from the damned world of Blackwood Estates. Away from help or hope, they find themselves in a fight to the death with an intrusion from another space and another time.
Phil will have to join forces with an unlikely set of allies, but can a broken man find the strength to defend what little he has left?
- GenresHorror
146 pages, Paperback
Published September 4, 2020
2 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 5, 2020
An exciting entry into the world of modern day cosmic horror, with a nod to the classics, some gore, some possession, and some psychological horror as well; BLACKWOOD ESTATES! What's not to like?
Phil Nada is now a single father with an autistic son. He's a writer, which allows him to work from home with the help of an aide to care for his boy. Benny, Phil's dog, helps keep them all safe, or so he thinks. One day while Scotty is in the aide's care, Phil takes Benny for a walk and shortly afterward, things will never be the same again. Will Phil, his son and Benny survive? You'll have to read this to find out!
I'm new to William Holloway's work, but based on this book, I will gladly try out more in the future. I found myself engulfed in this tale right from the start. Being novella length it flew by quickly, and it was so filled with tension, I did not want to put it down. Phil, Scotty and even Benny the dog, are characters you can definitely root for, so when all of them are in peril you just have to find out what happens next! (BLACKWOOD ESTATES was the reason for a few overly long breaks, sorry boss!)
It's gory, it's scary, it's somewhat realistic, there are spiders, cannibal kids, madmen and chaos. As that old song goes, "Who are the people in your neighborhood? In your neighborhood?...." Though in this case, it's probably best you stay home and lock all your doors and windows. In this neighborhood, neighbors can be deadly!
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3osnA8k
*Thank you to the author for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
Phil Nada is now a single father with an autistic son. He's a writer, which allows him to work from home with the help of an aide to care for his boy. Benny, Phil's dog, helps keep them all safe, or so he thinks. One day while Scotty is in the aide's care, Phil takes Benny for a walk and shortly afterward, things will never be the same again. Will Phil, his son and Benny survive? You'll have to read this to find out!
I'm new to William Holloway's work, but based on this book, I will gladly try out more in the future. I found myself engulfed in this tale right from the start. Being novella length it flew by quickly, and it was so filled with tension, I did not want to put it down. Phil, Scotty and even Benny the dog, are characters you can definitely root for, so when all of them are in peril you just have to find out what happens next! (BLACKWOOD ESTATES was the reason for a few overly long breaks, sorry boss!)
It's gory, it's scary, it's somewhat realistic, there are spiders, cannibal kids, madmen and chaos. As that old song goes, "Who are the people in your neighborhood? In your neighborhood?...." Though in this case, it's probably best you stay home and lock all your doors and windows. In this neighborhood, neighbors can be deadly!
Highly recommended!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3osnA8k
*Thank you to the author for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
December 17, 2020
It was my distinct pleasure to have my Cosmic Horror cherry popped by William Holloway, and his newest offering “Blackwood Estates”. And like the saying goes, “You’ll never forget your first time”. Well, that’s the damn truth, because this story is OUTSTANDING.
My first experience with WH will NOT be my last, as his writing style is so flowing and fluid, just page after page of horrific stimuli, the pacing never eased up, once he drops you into it, you ain’t getting out. Just the way I like it. I read this sweet baby in one sitting, only pausing to pee and to let the pug out.
Awesome PC’s and NPC’s abound, but the cast isn’t too expansive, I had no trouble keeping track of who was who, and never felt confused or out of sync with the story, if that makes any sense. I’m not the smartest cookie, sometimes I get overwhelmed reading books where you need a damn notebook to keep track of the characters, but this was absolutely perfect.
Another thing that’s perfect? He NAILED the gore-score, the application of gut wrenching blood and carnage is spot-on, it’s so wet, so juicy, but he didn’t overkill it, ya know? I wouldn’t say this is splatterpunk, but it’s definitely hardcore when it needs to be. My jaw remained on the floor consistently throughout the entire tale.
And... the big one. The reveal. You’ll know it when you get there. I recommend you be sitting on a towel when it happens. Just epic. EPIC!
I’m slapping this baby with the highest permitted rating, easy.
5/5 Skulls ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
My first experience with WH will NOT be my last, as his writing style is so flowing and fluid, just page after page of horrific stimuli, the pacing never eased up, once he drops you into it, you ain’t getting out. Just the way I like it. I read this sweet baby in one sitting, only pausing to pee and to let the pug out.
Awesome PC’s and NPC’s abound, but the cast isn’t too expansive, I had no trouble keeping track of who was who, and never felt confused or out of sync with the story, if that makes any sense. I’m not the smartest cookie, sometimes I get overwhelmed reading books where you need a damn notebook to keep track of the characters, but this was absolutely perfect.
Another thing that’s perfect? He NAILED the gore-score, the application of gut wrenching blood and carnage is spot-on, it’s so wet, so juicy, but he didn’t overkill it, ya know? I wouldn’t say this is splatterpunk, but it’s definitely hardcore when it needs to be. My jaw remained on the floor consistently throughout the entire tale.
And... the big one. The reveal. You’ll know it when you get there. I recommend you be sitting on a towel when it happens. Just epic. EPIC!
I’m slapping this baby with the highest permitted rating, easy.
5/5 Skulls ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
January 18, 2021
This book was creepy as hell. It has a Mist vibe with the characters being trapped and separated from the rest of reality and subsequently attacked by unknown entities of incredible power and forced to flee and hide. This is just one helluva ride. Drops you into a hellish situation, cranks the knob up on the action, terror, and gore then whips the horse until the finish line.
October 15, 2020
Fresh off the press for your horror reading pleasure comes “BLACKWOOD ESTATES” by Texas author William Holloway. This is NOT your average, campy, cookie cutter horror book. This is the real deal. I have not read a horror book this good in a long time, by a new author. This novel blew me away and I absolutely can say that I enjoyed every single second of it. William takes his main character, Philip Nada, on the ride of a lifetime and let me be the first to say that poor Phil neither deserved nor liked it. But as horror often shows us, time and time again, bad things happen to good people.
The story starts out with Phil taking his dog for a walk. Just a nice walk through the community of Blackwood Estates where he lives with his autistic son, Scotty. Scotty is currently at home with his caregiver and his mother, whom has shown up for her weekly visit. Not willing to deal with his ex-wife, Phil takes the dog out for a nice breather, but they barely get halfway down their favorite trail before the screaming begins. Phil’s dog Benny is on high alert, trying to get Phil to follow his lead, but of course, as a man will, Phil wants to investigate. Of course, he should. Someone could be hurt. But what he finds, is not what he expects.
Something is wrong with the children. ALL of the children of Blackwood Estates seem to have gone completely and utterly mad. When the children stop screaming, the Estates are covered by a thick fog, the air has gone dry and when Phil reaches home, his ex-wife is gone, Scotty’s caregiver is hanging on by a thread and Scotty, well, Scotty is not quite Scotty anymore.
I will stop there, as I do not wish to give away any of the terror that oozes from this book. This novel is saturated with horror, dripping in blood and more Lovecraft than I have seen in most modern horror stories.
Keep an eye on this new author. He’s talented, He is original and he is sure to knock your socks off!
The story starts out with Phil taking his dog for a walk. Just a nice walk through the community of Blackwood Estates where he lives with his autistic son, Scotty. Scotty is currently at home with his caregiver and his mother, whom has shown up for her weekly visit. Not willing to deal with his ex-wife, Phil takes the dog out for a nice breather, but they barely get halfway down their favorite trail before the screaming begins. Phil’s dog Benny is on high alert, trying to get Phil to follow his lead, but of course, as a man will, Phil wants to investigate. Of course, he should. Someone could be hurt. But what he finds, is not what he expects.
Something is wrong with the children. ALL of the children of Blackwood Estates seem to have gone completely and utterly mad. When the children stop screaming, the Estates are covered by a thick fog, the air has gone dry and when Phil reaches home, his ex-wife is gone, Scotty’s caregiver is hanging on by a thread and Scotty, well, Scotty is not quite Scotty anymore.
I will stop there, as I do not wish to give away any of the terror that oozes from this book. This novel is saturated with horror, dripping in blood and more Lovecraft than I have seen in most modern horror stories.
Keep an eye on this new author. He’s talented, He is original and he is sure to knock your socks off!
May 12, 2021
Well, that was epic!! It grabbed me from the very beginning and didn't let go. So much so, that I read this in one sitting!! An eerie, tense, cosmic horror which reminded me a bit of The Mist and War of the World's! This was my first book by William Holloway and it definitely won't be my last!! 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
August 19, 2021
Can't wait to read more from this author!
October 12, 2020
This was a fun read. A suburban neighborhood gets isolated from the rest of the world and the children become possessed by people traveling through dimensions. A father, his german shepherd and his autistic son must battle for survival against the unknown forces.
This book was at times shocking as it moved between philosophical discussions and extreme violence. I liked Phil and his point of view. He was a good father dealing with an impossible situation. The dog was amazing and a big part of the story. His neighbor, Esme, I absolutely hated. And Lloyd...what a huge surprise. I enjoyed this book.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
This book was at times shocking as it moved between philosophical discussions and extreme violence. I liked Phil and his point of view. He was a good father dealing with an impossible situation. The dog was amazing and a big part of the story. His neighbor, Esme, I absolutely hated. And Lloyd...what a huge surprise. I enjoyed this book.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
November 22, 2020
A perfect modern day nightmare as horrific forces descend on a normal neighborhood and people, with all their good and bad bits, secret lies and secret heroism, are thrown together in hopes of surviving.
June 21, 2021
Dynamite comes in small packages and this short book is dynamite. The story gripped me like the best prose by Stephen King or Brian Keene. It reminded me distinctly of Keene's Darkness at The Edge of Town and A Gathering of Crows as well as King's The Mist. Holloway's economic, hard-hitting style sets a dazzling pace. The story features cannibalistic children possessed by a group of 19th century crazy occultists, a sexually deviant black magician, and titanic caterpillars puked from the darkest bowels of the multiverse and radiating suicide-inducing auras. Spatter this sickness with Holloway's personal brand of transcendent, atavistic, haunting imagery that seems to be glimpsed through the gates of madness, and you get TNT, an explosive that will blow away fans of extreme and cosmic horror alike.
October 13, 2020
I received a copy of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. I don't want to post any spoilers, but I can tell you, I absolutely loved it. Cosmic horror at its best! Great characters, solid storyline, and SUSPENSE combine to create one AMAZING book! Good job William!!!
October 4, 2020
Blackwood Estates is a psychological cosmic horror that will take you down some dark rabbit holes. The story takes place in a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of Austin proper. I am familiar with the area, so that helped me to really visualize the setting. The story centers on a single Dad, his Autistic son and their German Shepherd.
Holloway does a fantastic job of setting up the characters so it makes you feel like they are your neighbors. I mean, we all have those neighbors, right. The characters are relatable and you can identify what he describes in any suburban setting. The horror I was ready for, but brutality was something I was not expecting, and I loved it! The twists and turns kept me guessing the entire story. It really plays on your mind and have no clue how it’s going to end until it does. The cosmic element is craftily woven into the story and it flows and makes sense. I need to put more William Holloway on my TBR list. This was a fresh and different type of story that I really enjoyed!
Holloway does a fantastic job of setting up the characters so it makes you feel like they are your neighbors. I mean, we all have those neighbors, right. The characters are relatable and you can identify what he describes in any suburban setting. The horror I was ready for, but brutality was something I was not expecting, and I loved it! The twists and turns kept me guessing the entire story. It really plays on your mind and have no clue how it’s going to end until it does. The cosmic element is craftily woven into the story and it flows and makes sense. I need to put more William Holloway on my TBR list. This was a fresh and different type of story that I really enjoyed!
October 21, 2020
Something for Everyone
My first thought when reading Blackwood Estates was that William Holloway knows his horror.
All the elements are here—Lovecraftian, Victorian, body horror, suburban horror, possession, psychological horror, even a healthy dose of the post-apocalyptic. There’s terror here in all its forms, drawn from a legacy of dark fiction. Something for every lover of the genre.
Maybe it’s my imagination, but I spotted the influence of many a classic horror writer—H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Brian Lumley and James Herbert, although I think fans of Brian Keene will be particularly thrilled.
It takes skill and confidence to blend these disparate elements successfully, but the author manages it with style, creating a satisfying vision that’s all his own. I loved the parched wasteland that Blackwood Estate becomes, with its predatory children and stalking nightmares.
The book itself is beautiful too.
This is the first thing I’ve read by William Holloway. It won’t be the last.
My first thought when reading Blackwood Estates was that William Holloway knows his horror.
All the elements are here—Lovecraftian, Victorian, body horror, suburban horror, possession, psychological horror, even a healthy dose of the post-apocalyptic. There’s terror here in all its forms, drawn from a legacy of dark fiction. Something for every lover of the genre.
Maybe it’s my imagination, but I spotted the influence of many a classic horror writer—H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Brian Lumley and James Herbert, although I think fans of Brian Keene will be particularly thrilled.
It takes skill and confidence to blend these disparate elements successfully, but the author manages it with style, creating a satisfying vision that’s all his own. I loved the parched wasteland that Blackwood Estate becomes, with its predatory children and stalking nightmares.
The book itself is beautiful too.
This is the first thing I’ve read by William Holloway. It won’t be the last.
August 20, 2021
Wow!! This was my first time reading this author and I was blown away!!
It was terrifying in the best way! I love the dad/son/dog relationship and it made me super invested in the outcome of the story. And the ending was such a gut punch but at the same time satisfying if that makes sense?
The storyline was also very original, which is so hard to do in any genre but especially in horror. This was unlike anything I had ever read and it was so entertaining. I was pulled into the story quickly and couldn’t put it down once I started.
I am so glad I got a chance to read and review! Definitely 5 stars for me! Can’t to read more from Mr. Holloway.
It was terrifying in the best way! I love the dad/son/dog relationship and it made me super invested in the outcome of the story. And the ending was such a gut punch but at the same time satisfying if that makes sense?
The storyline was also very original, which is so hard to do in any genre but especially in horror. This was unlike anything I had ever read and it was so entertaining. I was pulled into the story quickly and couldn’t put it down once I started.
I am so glad I got a chance to read and review! Definitely 5 stars for me! Can’t to read more from Mr. Holloway.
October 4, 2022
Amazing story.
This is my first 5 star review since joining Goodreads, and without a doubt, one of the best stories I've read in many years. Every aspect was excellent: characters, plot, pacing, etc. Blackwood Estates has it all. Lovecraftian fiction the way it should be done. If you are an aspiring author, pay attention. And try a little harder.
I'm on my way now to order all the William Holloway stories I can find. Well done!
This is my first 5 star review since joining Goodreads, and without a doubt, one of the best stories I've read in many years. Every aspect was excellent: characters, plot, pacing, etc. Blackwood Estates has it all. Lovecraftian fiction the way it should be done. If you are an aspiring author, pay attention. And try a little harder.
I'm on my way now to order all the William Holloway stories I can find. Well done!
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March 8, 2021Cut of from reality, a heatwave descends over a Texas housing estate.
This is a short but intense read. Well written and edited, the protagonist is a likable character and so is his dog. There is one particularly nasty character who does some very nasty things. Definitely worth a read if you like Lovecraftian cosmic horror. Don't read it if you don't like spiders.
This is a short but intense read. Well written and edited, the protagonist is a likable character and so is his dog. There is one particularly nasty character who does some very nasty things. Definitely worth a read if you like Lovecraftian cosmic horror. Don't read it if you don't like spiders.
April 5, 2021
An interesting story with echoes of The Mist to be sure.
The horror aspect of this novel was perfect if you are looking for a good introduction to cosmic horror that is a bit more reader friendly than you might find with Lovecraft.
That being said some of the metaphors became overused and clunky.
Overall, well worth an afternoon read on a Sunday.
The horror aspect of this novel was perfect if you are looking for a good introduction to cosmic horror that is a bit more reader friendly than you might find with Lovecraft.
That being said some of the metaphors became overused and clunky.
Overall, well worth an afternoon read on a Sunday.
October 24, 2021
Loved this Cosmic Horror Novella. Great characterization, a plot that moves at a good clip and it's dark...very dark. Beautifully written, I read it in one satisfying sitting and it was time very well spent. I will definitely read more from this author.
November 11, 2024
It had a lot of problems. Dnf’d it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews