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Shadows of the Past

by Richard Schiver (Goodreads Author)

3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 · rating details · 10 ratings · 7 reviews

They hide in the shadows..

“Tell me about the warehouse, Carl.”
“I don't want to go there,” Carl whispered.
“Why?”
“The shadows.”
Sam could feel something crawling around inside him, a thing dark and oily, responding to Carl’s terror. He recalled the solitude of the warehouse. The thoughts that went through his mind upon entering its shadowy interior.
He who walks between the...more

Mass Market Paperback, 248 pages

Published January 2nd 2012 by Abiss Books (first published December 30th 2011)

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Mar 02, 2012 Jamie Stanley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-winner, first-reads-giveaway, first-reads

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. This book is a horror novel that was very well written. At first I had a hard time getting into the book because I felt that it jumped around quite a bit. But once I got in to the novel 5 chapters in, I was hooked. The story starts out with an evil presence that escapes into the world. The main character is Sam who contemplates suicide on a nightly basis. He is suffering from depression and guilt over his wife's death. He comes to realize that this evil p...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Fiona Ingram rated it 5 of 5 stars

When an undergraduate student steals an ancient ceremonial dagger to pay a gambling debt, all hell is unleashed on an unsuspecting and unprepared populace. Found under the ice in Antarctica, the dagger has been dated to many millions of years old. This is no ordinary dagger, but an artifact that predates man’s history, emanating from a primordial past. When the bodies of people who come in contact with the dagger start turning up with strange and devastating wounds, Washington DC Homicide Detect...more When an undergraduate student steals an ancient ceremonial dagger to pay a gambling debt, all hell is unleashed on an unsuspecting and unprepared populace. Found under the ice in Antarctica, the dagger has been dated to many millions of years old. This is no ordinary dagger, but an artifact that predates man’s history, emanating from a primordial past. When the bodies of people who come in contact with the dagger start turning up with strange and devastating wounds, Washington DC Homicide Detective Sam Hardin realizes these crimes are out of the ordinary. But can one take seriously the possibility that the ancient horrors of the past, now part of mythology, have revived and are searching for a special someone, someone that might be the closest person to Sam? This dark malevolence has found a home in an unsuspecting Vietnam veteran, Jack Griffith, taking over his mind and body, and manipulating him to achieve its purpose. In a race against time, Sam and Jack clash, pitting mere mortality and pathetically weak human weapons against something supernatural, overpowering and diabolical. Can Sam save his family, and conquer this evil? Is this the beginning of the end, always predicted in Doomsday scenarios? The fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

A nail-biting, spine-chilling read that will take readers to the edge of their seats! Author Richard Shiver knows how to crank up the tension and bring out the scary monsters. The book had me riveted from page one. The author has an excellent grasp of characterization, bringing each character to life, and getting under their skins, tapping into their worst nightmares and blackest memories. The pace never slackens, racing along with the reader in tow, on a breathtaking and electrifying ride. Masterly descriptions tease the reader’s imagination as the author depicts what happens both internally and externally as characters fight for their souls. I couldn’t put the book down once I had started reading.

Richard Shiver acknowledges the influences of authors H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, and filmmaker John Carpenter, but he has created something new and fascinating in this work. I enjoyed the surprise ending that suggests there could be another book in the making. Fans of horror, thriller, and ancient mysteries will simply love this book. Highly recommended.

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Apr 22, 2012 Mirrani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-and-reviewed

Shadows of the Past brings an alien feel to evil as we follow the existence of a wicked life form, bent on eliminating the human race. Parallel to this is the story of a child who has brain damage from an accident at his birth, who seems to have the gift of bringing people back from near death... at the cost of the lives of another, however. The good and the evil must battle out, but it is those taking care of the good child who must do the battling. The story itself sounds like some kind of twi...more Shadows of the Past brings an alien feel to evil as we follow the existence of a wicked life form, bent on eliminating the human race. Parallel to this is the story of a child who has brain damage from an accident at his birth, who seems to have the gift of bringing people back from near death... at the cost of the lives of another, however. The good and the evil must battle out, but it is those taking care of the good child who must do the battling. The story itself sounds like some kind of twisted science fiction or holy story, but really it is a suspenseful tale of the struggle to reach beyond what you are, survive the end of life as you know it, and save mankind. I could not put it down.

There was some repetition through the story, but it was easy enough to ignore for the most part. I was more distracted by the constant sorrow of the main character, feeling that it was driven home a little too much. Grief lingers, but I think we can understand that without the constant reminders of just how much it does. Also, there were a few elements that were out of place, such as the worry of getting lost while it is snowing and wandering in circles. Depending on how hard it is snowing, wouldn't you be able to avoid your own footprints? I also found it hard to believe that a being out to kill someone wouldn't smash through glass to get at them. Some events like that were simply too convenient.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book that kept me reading to the end. It well matched movies of the same, where you would expect a family to bond through grief as this terrible ordeal occurs to them and to those around them.

Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.(less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Colleen Wanglund rated it 3 of 5 stars

SHADOWS OF THE PAST
By Richard Schiver
(Abis Books 2012/240 pgs./Tp)

Sam Hardin is a detective with the D.C. police department. He is also a man with some deep psychological scars. Sam’s pregnant wife Anne was killed and the baby, Frankie was born with brain damage from the bullet. Four years on and what’s left of his family is falling apart. Teenage daughter Cheryl fears her father’s temper, alcoholism, and the possibility of his suicide. Michelle, Anne’s best friend is the only person keeping it...more SHADOWS OF THE PAST
By Richard Schiver
(Abis Books 2012/240 pgs./Tp)

Sam Hardin is a detective with the D.C. police department. He is also a man with some deep psychological scars. Sam’s pregnant wife Anne was killed and the baby, Frankie was born with brain damage from the bullet. Four years on and what’s left of his family is falling apart. Teenage daughter Cheryl fears her father’s temper, alcoholism, and the possibility of his suicide. Michelle, Anne’s best friend is the only person keeping it together.
Sam is temporarily brought out of the sorrow of his past by an unusual murder at a warehouse. The bodies are mutilated in such a way that no human could be responsible. Sam and his partner Dave are led to a professor of ancient history and a knife that may lie at the center of it all. The bodies continue to pile up and Sam is thrust into a fight for the very survival of the human race, a fight that his son Frankie seems to have some important part in.
I enjoyed reading SHADOWS OF THE PAST. The story is an engaging one that for the most part is well-written and suitably frightening. Character development is good and we are given enough of Sam’s past to pity him, while at the same time wanting to tell him to get it together already! That being said, I did have some issues with the book. I wanted more details about the knife and the site it was found at. There was a conversation that the knife and the civilization that made it were thousands of years older than humans. Who were they and why did they think they could take back the Earth? I also didn’t completely understand the significance of the knife. Was it the knife that brought the entity back or the finding of the site in Antarctica? I also thought the revelation of abuse in Michelle’s past seemed unimportant, and more of an afterthought to give her character more depth. There was also an issue with Cheryl and her possible involvement in a crime, but there was no real resolution to that.
The ending is a little predictable, but still very good and even after all of my bitching, it leaves things open a bit. Maybe there’s a sequel with more background of the evil entity? I would like reading more about this advanced civilization that disappeared and could supplant humans as the top dog on the food chain. Just a little more meat is all I ask. Overall SHADOWS OF THE PAST is a very good read and I do recommend it…I just wish it didn’t have all of the loose ends.
Colleen Wanglund
I'll give it 3 and a half stars...but Goodreads doesn't have that feature.(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 T.W. Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

First admission, I have never read Lovecraft. I know that might seem blasphemous, but it just never came up on my radar. I have read Neil Gaiman, and I would place Mister Schriver's talents in league with Gaiman's. He shines in his ability to let dialogue propel a story. That is trickier than it may seem, but the talented writers do it with an effortless grace. The conversations reveal details without becoming narratives.

The story has a realistic but fantastic bent to it that makes me feel terri...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Pamela K. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book free from LibraryThing for an honest review.

Years after his wife's death, Sam Hardin is still overcome with grief. So much so, that he ignores his children and wishes for his own death.
An ancient being is released into the world, and is searching for Sam's son.

I enjoyed the story. It has just the right amount of horror, family dynamics, and retribution. Sam learns how much life and his family means to him, when he has to fight off the monster threatening his family. There ar...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Lisa Schuch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rick Schriver’s “Shadows of the Past” is a well written tale of the age old battle between good and evil. Through a supernatural aspect, the story takes it to an entirely new level. This is definitely not a story that has been done over and over again.
The way the author’s words flow freely makes for an easy read. With well-rounded characters, you will find yourself drawing parallels to your own life. As the story progresses, the readers will no doubt see that all the character’s have something...more

1 like · like · see review

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Virtual Writers, ...: Shadows of the Past	1	6	Feb 16, 2013 03:49am
Goodreads Authors...: They have watched from the shadows.	1	6	Jan 31, 2013 04:36am
Indie Book Club: 12-21-12	2	8	Jun 06, 2012 07:55am
Goodreads Authors...: They watch from the shadows.	1	7	Mar 01, 2012 03:57am

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