05/09/2026 - Danielle's Dark Corners

Happy Saturday!

Today I come with two books over 400 pages, and one that’s not too far behind.

So once again for this week, let’s skip the cute intro and just dive right in!

I DON'T RECOGNIZE THIS WORLD ANYMORE

by Kristopher Triana

"Penitentiary is derived from penance. You know, like monks who do their penance in a temple or monastery or wherever. You serve your time to become worthy of righteousness." He smirked. "I used to think that defined just the inmates. Now think it applies to us too. The COs, the captains, the wardens anyone inside these walls.”

I can't recognize my own face

Alive, I'll never get out of this place

Nothing brings joy and at last I am sure

I don't recognize this world anymore

Well, I am going to go ahead and start this review with an insane confession. Triana is an author I know quite well… as far as meeting him a bunch of times, owning almost all of his books, etc. Hell, he doesn’t even ask me to spell my name when he’s signing a book for me anymore. BUT this is the first time I’ve read one of his full-length novels, and this is the first time I am reviewing one of his books. So, this feels like a lot of pressure, lol. I have finally been chipping away at my own TBR, and I was thrilled to finally get to this one.

Sitting at just over 400 pages, I had no idea what to expect. I just knew it was girthy. I did not read the synopsis. I did not read other reviews. Nothing. And damn, I was blown away. As I said, this book is just over 400 pages, and I binge-read the heck out of it in one weekend. I don’t usually talk about plots much in my review as not to give away spoilers, but I think this one deserves to be talked about a bit. In all honesty, I am often hesitant to take on a book dealing with the prison system, etc., and that’s simply because I know the ins and outs due to my prior career and I find books are usually way off track. Nope, not this one. I have a feeling that Triana did quite a bit of research when it came to this because it felt pretty dang authentic. I want to say that it gives Wentworth or Orange Is the New Black vibes, but it's more realistic. If you’re a fan of either of those shows, you’ll definitely love this book.

I DON’T RECOGNIZE THIS WORLD ANYMORE has a lot of substance to it. The characters and their development are top tier. Especially the MMC. It was reading a descent into his madness, but I found myself relating to him or feeling sympathy for him in many ways. It’s one of those “how far would you go for something you love” type things. Which I hope makes sense, lol. It is transgressive AF. It’s quite brutal in areas. It builds and builds and builds, then BOOM. When it pops and goes off, it goes HARD. And I mean that in the best way possible. Another thing I want to note is how well I think Triana does dialogue. It’s pretty heavy with dialogue, but it was done really well. Also, the first-person inner thoughts were top tier. Honestly, I don’t know what I can say that hasn’t been said before. I see why Triana is so beloved around here and why his books do as well as they do. He is a fantastic writer and if this book is any indication of what his others are like, then I am in for a whole lot of five-star reads in my future.

Synopsis:

Most people who go to prison don’t go willingly. The same cannot be said for corrections officers, who take on one of the most dangerous jobs in America.

Liam Donnelly’s new profession requires him to spend most of his time in a women’s correctional institution. Norrington houses the worst female offenders in the country, but with his dog in need of cancer treatment, Liam is desperate for cash, and works whatever overtime shifts the captain offers. But it’s simply not enough.

When inmate Zoe Hallister is brought to Liam’s unit, he begins a criminal partnership with her, running dope, cellphones, and other contraband into the prison. Zoe even pairs him with a drug dealer on the outside—her unstable cousin, Dennis.

Tensions rise as the privately-owned prison fills with narcotics. Violent attacks increase. Predators thrive. Prisoners reconnect with their old gang members. Liam knows things are getting too dangerous, but his feelings for Zoe continue him down a dark path. Soon he realizes he’s not as in control of the situation as he thought he was, and finds himself in a world he no longer recognizes as Zoe drives Norrington into chaos.

Grab your copy here.

BREED

by Owl Goingback

“The women watched in horror as the thing they had accidentally summoned changed shapes, transforming from a rolling cloud of blackness to a monster that resembled a maddening cross between an octopus and a giant spider, to the dark figure of a man with tentacle arms, and back again to a shapeless mass of darkness. This was no helpful spirit, coming to serve them as a guide. It was a thing of pure evil, conjured from the very bowels of hell.”

If I had a nickel every time I started a review with how I went into the book blind, I would have a life-changing amount of money at this point. And yes, it’s true for this one too. BUT I will be honest and say that when I saw the title, my wheels started turning. With the kind of stuff I typically read, you never know. And well, my assumptions were right… kind of. But in a way that I wasn’t expecting. And I mean that in the best way possible. This was such a solid horror book. I didn’t have to put a lot of brain power into it when I was reading, and that was actually a pleasantly surprising change. That being said, there’s a whole lot of stuff that happens within these 300+ pages.

I saw that this book was originally published over twenty years ago, and you can tell, but I mean that as a compliment because it still holds strong as hell all these years later. It has an 80’s B-movie campy vibe, which isn’t something I often delve into, but based on the way this was written, you best believe I added more of Owl Goingback’s books to my Kindle immediately after finishing this one. One thing I loved about this story was the pacing. The pacing was perfect in my opinion. I like short scenes between different characters that cause a buildup of suspense and make me want to keep reading and reading. And that’s exactly what BREED did for me. The characters were awesome. There’s some humor mixed in, especially the entertaining bantering between characters. There’s Native American folklore, which is always something I love reading about. It’s got a bit of a creepy vibe going on with the monster. There are quite a few really gruesome scenes that might even have some readers grossed out to the max, but I was here for it, especially given the detailed writing style that brought all the imagery in my head right to the forefront.

BREED is a really fun, really entertaining, really well written horror book. One that I can see readers who follow my reviews would really enjoy, and a nice change from what my “usual” is. I loved it. I really did. It had everything I could have wanted, and more. Owl Goingback may be a new-to-me author, but I have a feeling that I will be reading much more of his work and be quite acquainted with his books by the end of the year.

Synopsis:

The quaint Florida town of St. Augustine is a magnet for tourists. But one site is off-limits even for the locals.

Built on the site of an ancient Indian village, Tolomato Cemetery has been closed for years. But now a slaughtered Wiccan priestess has been discovered on the grounds. Human remains have been found in a nearby Dumpster. And a cryptic message is haunting a woman's sleepless nights--a warning that the doors between two worlds have been opened.

Whatever's buried in Tolomato Cemetery is more than legend.

It's alive.

Grab your copy here.

TRY NOT TO DIE: IN SLATTERY FALLS

by Brennan LaFaro

“Just because no one else knows how haunted it is,” he says, “doesn’t mean the craziness that goes on inside those walls is any less crazy.”

Full transparency. I SUCK at these books. If there’s a “bad” or “wrong” choice to be made, don’t worry, I will be the one who makes it. And I mean that with my whole heart because when I tell you that I did not intentionally mean to click the option that would soon lead to my death, thus causing me to go back and choose differently EVERY SINGLE TIME, I mean every freaking time. This book sits at over 400 pages, and I swear I read 800. Not because it felt long, but because I refused to do the survivor route right from the start. Apparently, I like to see how many times I can die instead. There are quite a few, if you were wondering, lol.

Anyway, onto the really good stuff, and this one feels tough simply because I don’t even know what to highlight first. I was already a huge fan of LaFaro’s writing before this, so reading an interactive book with familiarity (SLATTERY FALLS) was awesome. Also, no, you do not need to be familiar with or read the SLATTERY FALLS series before this. You won't be lost, and you will still have a fantastic reader experience. LaFaro’s storytelling ability is really awesome. And so is his range. The SLATTERY FALLS series could definitely be marketed to a younger reader but also be enjoyed just as much by someone my age.

I recently read his last release, THE DENZIENS, and whoa, that one was so much different than this and definitely more for an 18+ reader, BUT it was executed perfectly. LaFaro really is an incredibly talented author and deserves every piece of hype he gets—and in my opinion, we should be talking about him more and praising his ability to curate the stories he tells.

There’s also something really special about this book, and that’s the pictures/maps/illustrations inside. Why? Because LaFaro’s son is the one who drew them. And little tidbits of random information like that just make the book even better. This is an author that I cannot recommend enough. But this book in particular is one I highly encourage people to take a chance on. It’s great for those who may not have a high attention span due to the interactive nature of the story. I mean, I really would recommend this one to anyone. I actually wish my son were older because I think he would have a blast with something like this. I said earlier that I didn’t know where to start, and I still feel that way, but I think I know why. This book is really just that well done. I have nothing more to highlight, per se, because the entire book is a highlight. There’s not a miss to be had. I really look forward to seeing all the posts about this book and I really look forward to seeing what LaFaro has up his sleeve next, because my best assumption is that it will be yet another homerun right out of the park!

This book will be released on June 16^th but is available for pre-order using the link below. I also added a link to the complete SLATTERY FALLS series in case you wanted to take a peek at those before this one is officially released.

Synopsis:

Welcome to Slattery Falls.

Home to the most haunted house on the East Coast…that no one’s ever heard of.

Step inside and find out why.

You are Matty Hargrove, a high school senior determined to become a great horror writer. When your classmate, Nate Tedeschi, offers a chance to explore the infamous Weeks House, you’d be a fool to resist—especially with his twin sister Bex tagging along.

But the moment you enter, it becomes clear something is wrong.

The house isn’t empty.

It never was.

For years, something inside has been watching… waiting… feeding.

And now, it has you.

Every decision you make will determine your fate.

Some choices might keep you alive, at least for a little longer.

Most will lead to brutal, unforgettable deaths.

Can you uncover the truth behind Slattery Falls…or will you become just another victim of the house?

Set in the terrifying world created by Brennan LaFaro, this interactive prequel connects to the events of Slattery Falls and beyond—where the hunters become the hunted, and the evil of the Weeks House refuses to die.

If you’ve visited Slattery Falls before, you’ll discover new secrets.If this is your first time…

choose carefully.

More than a dozen ways to die.

Only one path leads to survival.

And whatever you do…

don’t go in the basement.

Preorder your copy here.

Check out the complete Slattery Falls series here.