A review by oddly
Walk the Darkness Down by John Boden
4.0
Walk the Darkness Down may appear to be a slim volume, but don’t let that appearance fool you. This is a big story.
I’ve never really been a fan of westerns, but the horror western, now there is something I can sink my teeth into—or perhaps it’s the other way around.
This story follows four different characters, all men who are looking for something, looking to fill that empty hole in their lives to make them complete. For Jones it’s revenge on the man who killed his mother. Keaton and Jubal are both running away from something, unable to quite face the truth and unwilling to fully leave it behind. For Levi, it’s anger resolving into purpose, the hunt for a doorway at the expense of anything in his way.
This story has grit to it, but it still flows, sand in an hourglass leading all the characters to each other. When their paths converge, you definitely won’t want to look away, but I felt that this story was more about the winding roads that bring them together. It’s about the experiences they have on their journeys, experiences that change them, unburden hardened hearts, and make them see from a different perspective.
Their experiences and willingness to let those experiences change them is their strength and the weakness of those who resist it.
Boden is a wonderfully evocative writer and this novella proves that there are much bigger stories and worlds brewing in him. I look forward to being a part of that journey.
My thanks to the author for sending the Night Worms copies of this one to read and review.
I’ve never really been a fan of westerns, but the horror western, now there is something I can sink my teeth into—or perhaps it’s the other way around.
This story follows four different characters, all men who are looking for something, looking to fill that empty hole in their lives to make them complete. For Jones it’s revenge on the man who killed his mother. Keaton and Jubal are both running away from something, unable to quite face the truth and unwilling to fully leave it behind. For Levi, it’s anger resolving into purpose, the hunt for a doorway at the expense of anything in his way.
This story has grit to it, but it still flows, sand in an hourglass leading all the characters to each other. When their paths converge, you definitely won’t want to look away, but I felt that this story was more about the winding roads that bring them together. It’s about the experiences they have on their journeys, experiences that change them, unburden hardened hearts, and make them see from a different perspective.
Their experiences and willingness to let those experiences change them is their strength and the weakness of those who resist it.
Boden is a wonderfully evocative writer and this novella proves that there are much bigger stories and worlds brewing in him. I look forward to being a part of that journey.
My thanks to the author for sending the Night Worms copies of this one to read and review.