10/11/2025 - Danielle's Dark Corners

Happy Saturday!! Today's reviews are all over the place, as usual. A couple of Godless finds, an Elton Skelter gem that I actually got through my library, and a KJK anthology that may have just charted to the top of my favorite reads of 2025. I have a lot to say about all of these, so let's jump into it!

IN PERFECT SILENCE

By Z. G. Heneiddio

“Evil scoundrel! Hellish charlatan! How dare you, a creature lower than a worm, deceive the great palace of my mind! Disastrous was the day hell spat you out, and what a grand festival will be celebrated when your ashes finally return to the dirt. You paint yourself the purest of whites only to better rob the grass of the sun wherever you go! How long did you think your deception would last? Would you have waited days, weeks, months, before revealing what a vile urchin—God’s one and only true whore—you truly are?”

This book is such a gem. I always make it known that I go into books blind without reading the synopsis. I knew this one was satirical from the title, and satirical it was. Probably one of, if not my favorite, satirical horror to date. I am a huge fan of Gothic Horror, Poe, Shelley, their prose, etc., and that’s EXACTLY what this book gives. The writing style is AMAZING!!

I keep bringing up the satire part because it’s crucial to the story. The main character is hands down the most heartbroken and insufferable man to every man. I mean, you want to gag from how self-depreciating and ridiculous this person is. But it’s also beautifully told, and it got quite a few smiles and chuckles out of me. That being said, I have to reiterate that the prose and the writing style for this story are incredibly well done. I would have read 1000 pages, but with it only being just under 50, there isn’t a whole lot I can say without ruining the plot. I can say that a man has his heart broken, has a terrible view of women because of it, and takes an obsessive type of love to moths… yes, moths.

I HIGHLY recommend this! It’s a perfect binge read! It is only available on Godless, which I linked at the bottom; there isn’t even a Goodreads for it, just a heads up. But please do yourself a favor and grab this. It's really a gem, and I would love to see it talked about more!

SYNOPSIS:

Inspired by the cosmic horror of Lovecraft and the poetic prose of Poe and Shelley, this satirical gothic novella delves into the mind of a man consumed by his hate-fueled obsession with legacy—and moths.

In a world where his misogynistic views have turned away all women, desperation to preserve his legacy leads him to chase rumours of a gigantic moth-like monster, in the hope of ensuring his name is remembered in history forever.

In Perfect Silence serves to condemn the rampant patriarchal mindset that has unfairly treated women for centuries, as well as to critique the pursuit of fame and glory over humanity in the scientific world.

“As a man I lived, a monster I became, and hollow I shall die...”

GODLESS: https://godless.com/collections/the-drop-all-new-shit/products/in-perfect-silence-by-z-g-heneiddio

CASUAL

By Koji A. Dae

“As you may know, flogging involves a series of three implants: casual with the connect software, an ocular implant to record what a feeler sees, and a pulse implant to record blood pressure and rhythm throughout the experience."

Oh wow. This book blew my socks right off. It is an incredible novel. I love dystopian horror, and this is definitely dystopian horror. Taking on the themes of body autonomy and mental health? Yes. 10/10. Not only is it all of those things, but it is also told incredibly well. I absolutely adore the writing style here. This is a pretty good-sized book. I think it’s around 300 pages, but I binge-read the hell out of it and was sad when it was over.

Dae is a new-to-me author, but someone who has now become an auto-buy author for me. I don’t like to judge a book by its cover, but when I saw this one, I knew it was going to be a good one and have my head spinning and brain on overload with thoughts… and I was right as could be! I have even gone and bought the physical copy of this one because, yeah, it’s one of those books that should be on everyone’s shelf and really hits hard… especially in the world we are currently living in.

So yes, I clearly recommend this book to EVERYONE. This is one of those times where the subject matter is at the forefront and needs to be read by all. It’s available on both Godless and Amazon, so pick your poison and go get this asap!

SYNOPSIS:

Valya’s neural implant is amazing.

Its game-like app, CASUAL, has managed her depression and anxiety, stabilized her mood, and helped the infertile Valya get pregnant. But new laws forbid her from using the device when she's sole caregiver for her infant. Her gaslighting ex won't help her, and she can't afford a nanny, so her obstetrician insists that Valya wean off CASUAL before giving birth.

Despite a will to quit and a supportive new love interest in her birthing class, disabling CASUAL turns Valya's anxiety into full-blown panic attacks. Her psychiatrist offers to enroll her in a controversial clinical trial that would place a tandem implant in the baby and allow Valya to keep hers active. Valya must decide whether she should attempt parenting without CASUAL or install a minimally tested device in her vulnerable child.

Casual is a stark and cutting glance at a near future that looks uncannily like our present, exploring themes of bodily autonomy and the struggle for mental health in a world increasingly divided.

“Complex, compelling, and incredibly imagined. Akin to classic dystopian literature like 1984 and Brave New World. It left me reeling."

Ivy Grimes, author of Glass Stories

“Up there with Atwood, Bradbury, Dick, and Gibson. Dae’s novel seems both inevitable and horrifying. A must-read for the moment.” Literary Hub, The Most Anticipated Books of 2025

Godless: https://godless.com/products/casual-by-koji-a-dae?_pos=1&_sid=cc1b44a06&_ss=r

Amazon: https://a.co/d/1WN1njx

NEXT OF KIN

By Elton Skelter

"He looks so sad, but he’s lit with this angelic glow I want to inhale. He is this tragic, beautiful thing; nothing will give me greater pleasure than destroying it. I can’t say I won’t enjoy it because I will. This could be my greatest achievement, my pièce de résistance, my magnum opus."

Holy Hell. This book. This is the one. When I saw my Libby had this available, I never checked a book out from the library so fast. Elton Skelter is an author I just started reading this year, and after just one short story, I became a huge fan. Every time I read a book by them, I know my entire life is going to be destroyed and I'll be left staring at the wall for ten minutes, but goodness do I love those types of stories… and this one was even more amazing than I could’ve imagined.

Serial killer POV. Victim POV. Then add some effed up love. It’s like American Psycho had a baby with Romeo and Juliet. Which is funny, because when I saw the synopsis say the same thing, I was like “YEP, NAILED IT!”

I am unsure how this book isn’t being spammed in every horror book group/social media in general, because it really is such a unique take on popular topics amongst readers. And it’s written brilliantly. Elton Skelter is a master at their craft and an author I implore everyone to check out. This is one of those times that the words I have to say could never do this book the justice it deserves.

SYNOPSIS:

Even the worst of us need someone to come home to. And Jacob Mallory is the worst of all. Jake, a thrill-seeking psychopathic serial killer, has lived under the radar for years, operating within the city of New York, making kill after kill and emboldened by his lack of capture. But Jake has one big surprise coming his way. When he gets a call from the hospital to pick up a vulnerable patient, one who claims that Jake is his emergency contact, he feels like he's won the lottery. But is there more to Nathan McGuire than meets the eye? And will this supposedly vulnerable young man make or break the city's most notorious uncaught killer?

American Psycho meets Romeo and Juliet, and this satirical horrormance will have you rooting for the bad guy as he makes space in his heart for something more. Even if that something proves to be his undoing. Everybody needs someone to come home to, and what is life without family? The family you choose is the one you deserve.

Amazon: https://a.co/d/4ZeerFa

THE HORROR COLLECTION: HELL EDITION

Curated by: Kevin J Kennedy

OH HI, this anthology just made top anthos of the year for me!!! I have always been someone who found it really important to review every story when it comes to anthologies, then this year I started veering slightly away from that concept… simply because of time. Welp, every single story in this anthology was a standout, which made it impossible to even come close to just choosing a couple to talk about. So, I am taking it back to how I always did things. Buckle up, we’re going one by one, and it’s going to get long! But totally worth it, promise!

THE CITY OF SIXES

By Edward Lee

“But die he had, and for a lifetime of wincingly outrageous sins and wickedness, he’d been Damned to Hell. 

So here he was. 

A nightmare, that’s all, he convinced himself.  A red sky?  Office buildings leaning over at sixty degree angles?  And– 

SWOOSH 

A black bat with a six-foot wingspan and a vaguely Human face glided by just over his head.”

Starting off super strong with this story! It gave me unhinged Beetlejuice vibes with all of the characters, and that alone was a 10/10 for me. Lots of creatures. Male pregnancy. Going to the bathroom from places that I don’t even want to say. This is Hell’s newest fistulation and transversion prefect and trust me… ANYTHING is possible!

LOVE; IN PIECES

By Gord Rollo

"The loneliness is destroying me, but not nearly fast enough. Find me. Rescue me or kill me; I don’t care which..."

This story is set within the realm of Edward Lee’s Infernal Hell series of horror novels. And it is INCREDIBLE! I LOVED this story! This is a new-to-me author and someone I will definitely be looking into. I loved the tone and just the entire vibe of the story. It was brutal and hellacious with an undertone of undying love. And wow, beautiful. Heartbreaking. Perfect.

CODE BLACK

By Bryan Alaspa

“They always come to that point. All of you who spend so much time taking lives and ruining lives always come to this moment when it’s far too late. Far, far too late.”

Fantastic storytelling. You can feel the anxiety of the main character. There are a couple of super creepy kid scenes too, and super creepy kids always get me! I loved the concept of this one and the way that it was told. Definitely a vibe and a great one from the bunch. Just think about all the terrible things you’ve done in life and going room to room and watching each event unfold again.

A GOOD MAN GOES TO HELL

By Bill Davidson 

“Boring?” 

“Mind numbingly, dull, dull, dull. And not just dull for a little while, that’s the kicker. Dull for absolutely ever. Every day the same. Constant burning and torment for ever and ever and eveeeer.”

This story was really fun! Once you’re dead, you can go wherever you want… BUT, you bring hell WITH YOU!! Such an awesome concept, especially with the characters curated. There was an amazing plot twist at the end as well. Thoroughly enjoyable!

THE BONE ARENA

By Jeffrey Thomas 

“Though stronger than human beings, with greater healing abilities, Demons could be wounded...injured...and mortally so, because they had no souls, and were thus not immortal like the humans who in death had gone on to Hades as the Damned, or to Paradise as Angels. Unlike these former mortals, Demons could truly die. They were the real mortals.”

This story was really cool. Think warriors/combat/battles/arenas – fighting with swords and such. Oh, and demons that can TRULY die. This was an awesome concept and executed beautifully. I would have loved to read an entire novel in this universe!

WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY

By Viggy Par Hampton

“I don’t know how many times I’ve boarded that plane. How many times I’ve fermented in my own stink between David and Ansley. How many times I’ve finally leaped out of that open boarding door, only to find myself back at the beginning, with nowhere else to go.”

A plane ride that brings you Hell… and then you have to see all the people you couldn’t stand when you were alive… from HS exes to recent coworkers. How brutal would that be?! I loved this story and the way it was told. The FMC was almost super freaking relatable in every way. The tone and the vibe were great. I can see this one being a reader favorite!

BAD PLACE ALONE

By Thomas Smith

“Ladies and gentlemen,” their host said, “I brought you all here under false pretenses. In short, I lied.” He stopped to let his words sink in. “And thanks to your guilt and greed, it was really very easy. So, let us start over, beginning with the introductions. 

Phenomenal story. Really had me in a chokehold straight from the beginning, and it didn’t let go until the end. Loved everything about this one. The greed. The gluttony. The imagery and tone. Superbly well-rounded from start to finish. I will absolutely be checking out more of Smith’s writing.

HOLLOW

By David-Jack Fletcher

“I’m empty. I’m hollow. I’ve got nothing inside me, not even bones. Nothing, that is, except love. I don’t even know what that is, don’t remember how I learned about it. I don’t think I’m even supposed to be able to feel it.”

Fletcher is an author I just started reading this year, and I LOVE his writing style/tone. This story was no different. It was super unique with the succubus addition, along with the put you in your feels vibe. I can definitely see this being a standout for a lot of readers as well. Would love to see him take this vibe on for a longer story. The subject was truly written incredibly. 

CHURCH OF THE DAMNED

By Brian Moreland                     

“The only difference this body felt from his earth body was he no longer had a heartbeat. He checked his neck for a pulse and got nothing. Aside from his heart being dead, his lungs still breathed and he was just as vulnerable to pain, suffering, and bloodshed here as he had been among the living, perhaps even more so judging by the intensity of his throbbing wounds.”

Moreland did a really cool concept with this one. It takes place in an Appalachian town, which is always a 10/10 for me in a story. Then add religion and a pastor who ends up in Hell, and you get the recipe for an awesome plot… and the writing style/tone/vibe all hit PERFECTLY. The characters were fantastic. The twists and turns were also fantastic. Yet another really well-rounded story, and I loved that it was on the longer end.

THE CHARNEL GROUNDS

By Ryan Colley

“No time to wonder, no space for thought. I didn’t know how I had gotten there. I didn’t know if this was a dream or a nightmare or something worse. I only knew the sack, the pain, the suffocation again. Still.”

This was the longest story in the bunch, and one hell of a way to end this anthology. Colley curated a fantastic short chapter style story that was gripping and binge-worthy. I could feel the anxiety of the perpetual cycle of dying over and over again. This story was a TOTAL VIBE. Colley is a brand new author to me, but that’s certainly going to change. I won’t choose favorites out of all the stories, but this one would definitely be at the top if I were!

SYNOPSIS:

Hell has many doors… and Kevin J. Kennedy just tore them all open.

Ten masterfully twisted minds each offer their own chilling vision of damnation, sin, and suffering. These aren’t just stories—they’re warnings. Tales so disturbing, you’ll be praying your soul is clean.

So ask yourself: Have you lived a good life?

Enter, if you’re brave enough… but don’t expect to come back the same.

Amazon: https://a.co/d/2cFaOFH