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04/18/2026 - Danielle's Dark Corners

  • Writer: Danielle Yvonne
    Danielle Yvonne
  • 7 hours ago
  • 9 min read

Happy Saturday! Today I wanted to skip an intro completely because these five books are too incredible to even waste time with this nonsense. So, on that note, ENJOY!



VICAR OF FISTS

by John Baltisberger


"I finally let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Goddamn. I wondered if I should stop thinking goddamn so much now that I was the pope. Probably, but still, that ass, GODDAMN! I shook my head and followed her out of the shop like a good dog."


VICAR OF FISTS by John Baltisberger is probably the most fun I have had reading a book in a while. He is a hell of a writer, and this was a hell of a book. Bizarre. So incredibly Bizarre and unique in all the best ways possible.

 

Baltisberger gives this little blurb in the author notes in the beginning and it’s quite perfect to describe what you’re getting yourself into when you open this book: “What if, I suggested, you had to fight the pope? And if he lost, then what if there was a Hunger Games-esque battle royale for the title of new pope? I always try to take a mostly normal setting and inject some weird shit into it. This time, there's some magic, some sex, some miracles, and of course, a steel cage fight with a bishop and a cardinal punching each other in the nuts. Wholesome family fun.”

 

Like, what?! Lol. It’s so unhinged but it’s honestly told brilliantly. As I mentioned above, Baltisberger is an extremely talented author so if anyone can tell a story about killing the pope while keeping it perfection, it’s him. He truly nailed this story, and I couldn’t recommend it more if I tried. I adored his writing before this, but VICAR OF FISTS definitely made him a new auto-buy author for me!


SYNOPSIS:

Kevin Welch was just a small-time thug until a brutal encounter made him the pope!


Now being hunted through the streets of Rome by clergy intent on taking his place as pontiff, Kevin finds a possible, though unlikely ally in an enigmatic and alluring hitwoman, but it seems she would just as soon kill him as help him, so can he actually trust her? Does he have a choice?


Kevin just wanted to get his life back, and the only thing standing between him and that life is a cadre of bloodthirsty bishops and cardinals, furious nuns, hallucinogenic manifestations of Satan... and his own ineptitude.





SKATE OR KILL

written by Ryan Danley

narrated by Wrath James White


"They had been told to play outside.


Adults said they rotted their brains watching TV. Got soft on video games.


So, they listened.


They went outside."


SKATE OR KILL was a book I read quite some time ago. I actually had been meaning to review it for quite some time now. So, when the audiobook became available, I decided to revisit the book. And I loved it just as much the second time that I did the first. Danley is a really talented writer and while I am not usually an audiobook girl, I could listen to Wrath James White talk about anything. He did a phenomenal narration job.


This book is on the shorter side, which I actually enjoy. I think it fits the story perfectly. No fluff. No nonsense. Just a straight-up super solid transgressive horror with Splatterpunk and extreme elements throughout.


It’s violent. It’s depraved. It’s really everything you could want from a transgressive book and it’s easy to binge in one sitting because the writing style simply makes it that way. This is the second time I have read something by Danley, and I can’t wait to read more.


This is the first time I listened to a book narrated by Wrath James White, but it certainly will not be the last.


There’s not a ton I can say without spoiling the entire book. But I highly recommend both the book and the audiobook!


SYNOPSIS:

Slate, Gordo and Kade just want to skate.....


“Skate or Kill is a nonstop ride of teenaged depravity. Ryan Danley comes out swinging with this killer debut that demonstrates his unique and powerful style, emphasizing the ‘punk’ in splatterpunk. If you love films like Kids, Havoc, and Gummo, then this is a must-read!”

—Oscar Brady, author of Bunny Room




THE WORM TONGUE GOSPELS

by Dan Shrader


"If you are reading these words now, then sooner or later, you will come to understand the terrors that lie ahead. Opening this cursed tomb and venturing into these depths awakens an eerie force, something ancient. The tunnels themselves seem to sing a mournful, haunting melody."


I actually have no idea where to start with this one. I always talk about Shrader in such a favorable light that I often wonder if people will even take my reviews seriously. I find that for each one of his books, I tend to mention that it’s his best one yet or my favorite one yet, so it’s hard for me to make that claim right now knowing that I will probably make it again in the future… but I am okay with that. I will not skip a chance to praise the book of an author just because I have done it before and will probably do it again. Not when a book deserves it. Especially this one.


This one is special. This one is the most unique of his entire catalogue. This one is actually different than anything I have ever read… by any author… ever. It’s beautiful and full of grief and hits on so many different subjects that it would be hard to review it the way I want without making it novella length.


If you are familiar with Shrader’s other books, then you have probably heard of Tower Valley. What I love about that gem of an easter egg is that if you know, you know, but if you don’t, you don’t have to; you can jump right into this book and not miss a beat. The characters and the way they were curated are meticulous. The way this entire book was done is absolutely brilliant and something I think will stick out in the sea of horror books within the community. 


This is Shrader at his best and I can’t explain it any other way. I can, but I honestly don’t want to because the book speaks for itself. I remember when Dan started talking about the concept and sharing ideas with me. Then he started releasing it chapter by chapter on Substack. And now we’re here and I couldn’t be more thrilled for him as an author and for the readers to finally get their hands on this as a full book.


This will make my top five indie horror reads of 2026. I am sure of it. So positive that I am willing to make the claim in April. If you’re new to Shrader… start here. If you’re not new to Shrader… read this. It will be released on April 30th, but is available for preorder now!  


SYNOPSIS:

Down there, something is listening.


Beneath Towers Valley lies a sealed network of tunnels older than the town itself—older than the asylum that burned, and the disappearances no one dares to speak of. Those who go looking for answers don’t come back. Those who do aren’t the same.


Christian went down there to die.


Instead, he found a book bound in human flesh that should not exist. Every page is a confession. Every confession is a warning. And once opened, the book does not let its reader go.


This is only the beginning as the book unfolds a series of tales darker than he could have ever imagined. The tunnels are alive and a beast is awoken once again.


THE WORM TONGUE GOSPELS is a relentless descent into cosmic body horror, occult dread, and small-town damnation—perfect for readers drawn to transgressive horror, subterranean nightmares, and stories where the worst fate isn’t death… it’s being chosen.


Remember, you were never lost... He will make sure you always come home...




BEYOND REPAIR

by Matthew Salinas


"The increasing disparity of wealth had forced those unable to afford things into ironclad contracts of extortion. That, combined with the government’s inability to protect the less wealthy and ambivalence towards the business conducted by the wealthy, led to the proposal of 'alternative forms of collateral'. Lobbyists and greed took care of the rest."


Holy moly. This book is intense and way too relevant. It’s an amazing book and Salinas is an incredible writer, but I’d be lying if his dystopian themes, which are again, super relevant, didn’t creep me out the way they have my brain going down a million rabbit holes. I mean this in the best way possible but wooooo, it’s creepy, lol.

 

BEYOND REPAIR sits around 45 pages and is an easy binge-in-one-sitting type of book because you need to know what’s going to happen next. And the vibe is just one that you hate and love at the same time. I know that sounds so weird but given the context of the book which the synopsis does a good job at covering. You just gotta trust me on this one!

 

I am keeping this one short because right after reading this, I immediately delved into the second book, which starts right back up with one of the MMC’s here. That being said, I highly recommend the hell out of this book, and I almost think it should be required reading given the political climate of the world. Truly.


SYNOPSIS:

Bill works full-time, plays by the rules, and still drowns in debt. When the final notice comes, it’s not a court summons—it’s a knock at the door after dinner. The collection agency doesn’t want money. They want blood. Flesh. Pain. And they want it now.


Lucas, the man sent to collect, never wanted this job. But in a world where the cost of living is your soul, he’ll do anything to keep his wife and daughters fed—and safe from the same fate. As Bill is dragged into a nightmarish system where debt is paid in gore and suffering, Lucas must confront the horrors he's become complicit in.


Beyond Repair is a razor-edged splatterpunk novelette drenched in violence and dread, but pulsing with heart. Beneath its crimson-soaked surface lies a chilling reflection of real-world despair: wage slavery, predatory debt, and the human cost of survival. For fans of visceral horror with a conscience—this is capitalism with the mask torn off.





BEYOND REPAIR PART 2

by Matthew Salinas


"Redemption was as silly a notion as damnation. There were no Gods in the heavens or demons in the underworld. No, business on Earth was being conducted as it always had been. Vile, little men sitting in air-conditioned offices making decisions that impacted the entirety of the world, done so in a manner befitting of ordering a meal. Sure, there were customizations to be made and recommendations to be ignored, but they   all  served the same purpose: self-gratification."


 

As I said in my review about the first book, I almost think this should be required reading given the political climate of the world, especially in America. I mentioned how I had almost a love/hate relationship with it because I adore Salinas writing, but the topics are hard because of their relevance.

 

Part two brings back one of the MMCs from part one and is about twice is long, which I was really excited about because while the first book is perfect at its length, I am a huge fan of Salinas, so give me every page possible that he’s written. Even at 100 pages, this was still a binge in one sitting, read for me like most of his books are.

 

BEYOND REPAIR PART 2 has a lot going on in it, but I still want to keep my review on the shorter end because I don’t want to give away any plot spoilers and I really want to encourage you to read part one first. It isn’t exactly necessary, but it will definitely give you the best reading experience.

 

I am not a huge synopsis gal, but this one explains it all perfectly. It’s available on Godless now and available on Amazon for preorder. Book one is also available on both Amazon and Godless. However you decide to grab it, just make sure you do. And then we need to petition Salinas to do nothing more than continue writing his amazing tales that send me on a whirlwind of deep thoughts every single time.


SYNOPSIS:

As Lucas's humanity slips further away, he finds himself on the verge of giving in to the violence all around him. With his home life falling apart, his family afraid for their lives, and the growing weight of guilt for all that he's done bearing down on him, he just wants to end it all.


Bill lives and breathes. A shattered shadow of the man he used to be, there is only one purpose for his painful existence, revenge. With his every waking moment haunted by the visage of Lucas and his body forever scarred, Bill cannot escape what happened to him. However, after catching wind of others like him, he finds an opportunity too good to pass up.


Their paths are set to intertwine again. Filled with social commentary, brutal violence, and existential indifference, come find out what's the worst that can happen when you're already Beyond Repair?



Owner: Candace Nola

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