06/13/2026 - Danielle's Dark Corners

Happy Saturday! What do today’s Uncomfortably Dark reviews have in common? The three authors are incredibly talented and amazing people. And all three of their books are an easy five stars. Without a doubt. Enjoy!

THE DEAD HEART

by Lucas Milliron

"Dead men didn't argue. They never complained about their shortcomings or apologized for cumming too quickly. They never spilled seed or forgot to pull out or try their bullshit machismo banter. The dead played best, the silent, submissive partners who didn't even deserve to breathe in her presence."

Okay, so I never look at other reviews about a book I'm about to review until after I finish and post mine but for some reason with this one, I felt compelled to look. And I really thought there would be a ton of reviews, so I was shocked there weren’t. THE DEAD HEART was actually recommended to me by another author (Jason Nickey) at Scares That Care this year. Lucas happened to have one copy left, so I grabbed it up.

So, what does all of this have to do with anything? EVERYTHING. Why? Because this book was absolutely brilliant and the vibe sort of reminded me of his story in the FULL THROTTLE anthology (writing style/tone-wise), which is up for a Splatterpunk Award this year and was a standout story for me when I read the anthology. And I am still shocked that more people aren’t talking about it, or maybe I’m the one late to the party when it comes to THE DEAD HEART, but still, lol.

It’s definitely different than some of his other writings. COCKSOCKER is one of my favorite books and has the best opening line to a book ever. It’s a great read. But this one? This one is a different side of Milliron’s writing and it’s a tone/vibe/prose that I am obsessed with. When I seek out horror books, this is an example of something I love reading most.

THE DEAD HEART has an unhinged plot but is told in a way that has me in a chokehold from start to finish. And trust me, I know it seems weird that I am over here praising the hell out of a book that heavily involves necrophilia, but it’s way more than that. As the synopsis says, it’s also a tale of redemption. I will never forget the line of “Long live the queen,” and not think of this book! Anyway, I couldn’t recommend it more if I tried. Milliron in general is an author I can't recommend enough! Easy five stars for me!

Synopsis:

A Tale of Resurrection and Necrophilia.

Wilbert’s a kind recluse, happier in his woodshop than the company of people. After the accidental resurrection, he’s ready to take his secret to the grave.

A champion dead lifter and veterinarian, Arielle’s taste in men is has left a trail of corpses in her wake. While indulging her lust for macabre, she discovers powers that allow her to explore beyond the limitations of life and flesh.

We all have skeletons in our closets, some more alive than others.

Not every secret can be taken to the grave.

Available on:

Godless

Amazon

TURN

by Megan Stockton

“Most people don’t believe until something makes them.”

500 pages of Megan Stockton was the greatest joy to ever hit my Kindle. I literally squealed when I saw how long it was because I knew I would be hooked from the start and binge-read the hell out of it, and that’s exactly what happened. TURN was incredible. This was a completely new vibe for me when it comes to everything I've read by her—and I need more, because it was awesome.

The characters need to be highlighted. I have no idea what her system is when it comes to characters, but she is damn good at curating them. I was fully invested in every aspect of their story. I also loved the back-and-forth chapters from both their POV’s. TURN has a fast-paced vibe which is something I really enjoy at times. That, paired with the dueling chapters and the overall concept, not to mention the clear and deliberate attention to detail, was fantastic. Many times, I find books in that general format tend to have an awesome plot or plot twist, etc. that makes it stand out, not necessarily the writing itself, but TURN breaks the mold on that one.

This book has it all. There is no doubt in my mind that this will end up in my top reads of the year; she may have had two on it last year, lol. So yeah, I highly recommend everyone to get their hands on this asap, it would actually be a great Pride month read too. So go get it and read it in June or July or February. Just read it!

Synopsis:

Newlyweds Holden and Ezra escape to a remote Tennessee cabin for their honeymoon for a week of no emails, no neighbors, and no obligations.

When the power fails, Holden heads into the dark to fix it and comes back with something in him slightly… wrong. As the storm bears down and the woods press closer, hunger begins to live behind his eyes, and desire curdles into something sharper, less human.

They came here to celebrate forever. Now the honeymoon has become a siege and Ezra is trapped between the thing circling the cabin outside and whatever is waking up under Holden’s skin. He is forced to decide how far “for better or worse” really goes when the person you love might be the thing you should fear.

Available on Amazon.

NOTHING LEAVES WHOLE (Those Who Live in Darkness Book 2)

by Dan Shrader

Welp, there’s a first time for everything, and this is the first time that I am completely unsure of how to start, structure, or even do a review for a book by Shrader. And what’s even more wild is that I had already read a majority of these stories when they were originally published. I even broke out my notes and original reviews for the stories so that I could compare them to the new ones I took, reading them after they’ve been remastered. And I’ll be honest, I was shocked that each one felt new, and just the overall concept of having a returning character come back and play a host, along with intermissions. Such nostalgic Tales from the Crypt vibes in all the best ways possible. I have always made it known that collections aren’t my favorite books to read. I have no reason to feel this way, I have read a ton of amazing collections, and I will continue to do so I just tend to gravitate towards longer novels. That being said, the way this was done, as I mentioned above, was so unique and well thought out. I don’t think I could be more impressed than I have been since even hearing about it. Truly.

Ok... time for the really good stuff.

If I go in depth with each story, this review will need to count towards your reading goal for the year, so I will touch upon them all, even if just a quote, so I don’t completely lose everyone's attention.

Starting from the top, Shrader lets the readers know what's up, and you should believe every word:

“NOTHING LEAVES WHOLE is my revised short story collection, and it's not your typical "best of" compilation. Oh, no… this is a remastered, reimagined, and brutally enhanced journey through six of my most depraved tales that were previously published before—all stitched together with a host…”

Then there’s the host, Mr. Moonlight. Mr. Moonlight, and from what I remember, was introduced to us in the KILL ALL GODS anthology that came out last May. The story was actually called MR. MOONLIGHT. And from both my memory and my notes, the story was foul as hell. So it’s no surprise that it rolled over into this role too.

There are six stories altogether--

DEADSIDE MANNER:

“Everybody thinks they know darkness,” Tyler once told her. “They watch horror movies and listen to metal and think that’s enough. But this? This is real. This is how people open doors they aren’t supposed to open.”

-          Witchy. Gritty. Lusty. TWISTY AF!

SEEKING COMPANION:

“Before graduating to cannibalistic murder and necrophilia, Jacob found himself craving something more than sweets. His appetite for one particular item was something money couldn’t buy and, in a way, was his gateway to adult fantasies and crimes. Jacob had a fascination with scabs.”

-          Foul. Lol. Absolutely foul.

THE LITTER CRITTERS:

-          This one was also foul. And it felt like a fever dream!

BACKWOODS GOTHIC:

“Then a car full of teenagers vanished out there in 1968. 

Never found. 

The only thing search teams recovered was an old oak tree near the swamp with words carved deep into the bark: 

CEEP UR PRETY FASES OWT!”

-          This was a standout story for me in the anthology; it was originally published in two years ago, SHOCKING SOJOURNS. Fantastic freaking story.

KINK SOCIETY:

-          This was featured in the book THE CUCK CHAIR featuring Shrader, Nickey, and Bray. They all showed up for this, lol.

-          Dan’s story was and still is wild as hell!

-          The synopsis for that story is: Sex ads are all Billy has now that momma died. Calling one up leads him down a dark and sexually charged path.

-          ENOUGH SAID, lol.

I know I said collections weren’t my instant go-to in general when it came to books, but this one is really freaking good and I highly recommend it! It might be taking the number one spot for my favorite collections by Shrader and will definitely make it in a top reads list!

Synopsis:

Prepare to embark on a spine-tingling journey through the sinister nightmares that await you in this special edition of Those Who Live in Darkness Vol. II.

Mister Moonlight will serve as your host, broadcasting from his smelly basement studio, eager to unveil six haunting tales from the local region.

Each story is uniquely unsettling, weaving through shadowy Halloween graveyards and chilling children's television shows, to the grotesque worlds of cannibals, cults, even featuring animals such as cows and cats.

Between these macabre narratives, your three-fingered, chain-smoking guide will lead you through the depths of Hell with his own twisted commentary—certainly not for the faint of heart.

Available on Amazon.