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Throwback Thursday Review: Flash of Darkness

Flash of Darkness audiobook cover. A ghastly figure looms out of the darkness to the left. Flash of Darkness by Toneye Eyenot.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
Duration: 49 mins.

Flash of Darkness is a wickedly entertaining collection of short (flash fiction) horror stories.

The vision of hell laid out in the first story is an interesting one that I hope the author, Toneye Eyenot, revisits. The bartering system, the potential for a “get out of hell free, card”, and the compelling demon who introduces the new soul to its eternal torment were all aspects of the story which I felt begged to be expanded upon. (A sign of a great piece of flash fiction!)

Not all the stories were quite as compelling as the first. The third felt rather laborious - which isn’t usually something one can say about flash fiction - and the last didn't feel like it fit with the others. But overall it was an entertaining collection with more good stories than bad and thankfully none of the bloodsucking nightmares were remotely sparkly, so it was worth listening to just for that.

The narrator Steve Wojtas did a great job. His sneering, supercilious, seductive demon in the first story was very reminiscent of Tim Curry, and was immediately contrasted by his hesitant, vulnerable, and ultimately chilling performance of the character in the second. Though I'm not sure if he can do more than those two accents, both were well suited to their respective stories. His style of narration helped to bring these short stories to life and to fully animate the author’s characters despite the brevity of the format.

I enjoyed the creepy, humorous, twisted tales in this book, and would definitely listen to other short story collections by this author, especially any future collaborations with this narrator. Perhaps I was influenced by the narrator’s performance, but as I was listening to these stories I really felt as though they were being told to me. I have attended several of my local writing group’s shows and these stories reminded me of the more engaging ones, as if the author has written them as performances; as stories that want to be spoken, whispered, or screamed out into the night…

I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys short stories, or horror. It was the perfect book to welcome in the month that brings us Hallowe’en!

*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

view on audible.co.uk
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