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Daemon of the Dark Wood
A man who digs cursed earth, uncovers great sorrow.When the women of Widow's Ridge begin to go missing, a deputy sheriff, a psychiatrist and a community college professor become mired in chilling myth and mystery. When the missing women reappear, the horror of the Helling comes home to roost. EDITORIAL REVIEWS "Daemon of the Dark Wood may be sexually fueled, but make no mistake, its horror roots are firmly grounded. From the first pages of the novel Chandler does an excellent job of creating fear in the reader. The tension is unrelenting throughout; the violence is visceral and often extreme. On top of this, Chandler manages to pull off sex scenes that are both arousing and horrific at the same time. Whether you are straight, gay, or a fetish devotee, readers will find plenty in The Daemon of the Dark Wood to be enthralled, appalled, or horrified by." --Horror World "If the devil is truly in the details then Chandler is a Practiced Master of the Dark Literary Arts." --Walt Hicks, Hellbound Times "It starts off at a leisurely pace, and gradually builds to a frenzy. Chandler offers up wild situations and images that bring to mind Bentley Little. Or maybe even Edward Lee." --Horror Drive-In "Chandler wastes no time when it comes to creating tension and his narrative immediately conjures up a world of screams and fear." --HorrorTalk "Randy Chandler writes with apt audaciousness. He seems truly fond of the salacious wenches he has created. Daemon of the Dark Wood deals with loss of control, but the novel’s author is in masterly command." --Hellnotes "It’s fun, fast, and trashy, but with solid writing chops and great descriptions. Randy Chandler is no hack." --Toxic Graveyard "Daemon of the Dark Wood will please any reader who relishes a well-written tale of ancient knowledge and hidden dangers, and those who fight to keep the human realm free of unbridled evil." --ForeWord Reviews Magazine
250 pages, Paperback
First published February 26, 2012
8 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 28, 2012
Full disclosure: I won this trade paperback via a Goodreads giveaway... I've won several books over the last year but, to be honest, none of them were worth finishing or (especially) reviewing. When I won this book I was intrigued because the premise seemed sound enough, and I immediately thought of "Dark Hollow" by Brian Keene.
I took the book on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas, figuring I'd read a chapter or two by the pool and add it to the 'can't finish' pile when I got home, especially since I figured it was going to be a "Dark Hollow" ripoff.
I ended up reading 200 of the 240 pages poolside, ignoring chicks in bikinis, my annoying teenagers and pesky waiters trying to sell me $7.00 drinks.
The book is excellent! I finished it as soon as I got home, and was glad I did. There's some excellent characters in the book, and even though there are several women that play roles in the plot, the author gives them each such a unique voice that you don't need a scorecard to figure out who is who.
I won't give away any of the actual plot, since the summary tells you all you need to know. I will tell you that the pages are filled with enough blood, sex, old gods and violence to sate even the most hardcore horror reader, yet there isn't one spot where it was gratuitous or gore-for-gore's-sake.
Well-written from an author I'd never read before but will read more of!
And the cover is pretty cool, as well... had several people poolside asking me about the book, which I told them... I even wrote the name and author on the back of some of my own author business cards (they make great bookmarks!) so hopefully more people will read it and see what I'm raving about.
Armand Rosamilia
I took the book on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas, figuring I'd read a chapter or two by the pool and add it to the 'can't finish' pile when I got home, especially since I figured it was going to be a "Dark Hollow" ripoff.
I ended up reading 200 of the 240 pages poolside, ignoring chicks in bikinis, my annoying teenagers and pesky waiters trying to sell me $7.00 drinks.
The book is excellent! I finished it as soon as I got home, and was glad I did. There's some excellent characters in the book, and even though there are several women that play roles in the plot, the author gives them each such a unique voice that you don't need a scorecard to figure out who is who.
I won't give away any of the actual plot, since the summary tells you all you need to know. I will tell you that the pages are filled with enough blood, sex, old gods and violence to sate even the most hardcore horror reader, yet there isn't one spot where it was gratuitous or gore-for-gore's-sake.
Well-written from an author I'd never read before but will read more of!
And the cover is pretty cool, as well... had several people poolside asking me about the book, which I told them... I even wrote the name and author on the back of some of my own author business cards (they make great bookmarks!) so hopefully more people will read it and see what I'm raving about.
Armand Rosamilia
June 23, 2012
4.5 Stars
Mythology. Folklore. I love it. DOTDW started out a little slow for me, but more than made up for it by the halfway point. All of Mr. Chandler's characters enhanced the read in their own special way, which is quite a feat. The thing I really loved about this book, was the authors' ability to 'educate' me about the history of the Woods and the creature Pan by a Professor and psychiatric patient in the story without boring me or lecturing. Even though I knew this was horror and the women were under the power of an overly sexual god, the things that transpired still shocked me. This read does have gore, strong sexual elements, some bestiality, and pure gross out moments that kept me flipping the pages into the wee hours of the morn. The only complaint would be the over-use of certain words and uncontrollable urination. Highly recommended read for those that like the darker side of horror. Will definitely look into his other read! Job well done~
Mythology. Folklore. I love it. DOTDW started out a little slow for me, but more than made up for it by the halfway point. All of Mr. Chandler's characters enhanced the read in their own special way, which is quite a feat. The thing I really loved about this book, was the authors' ability to 'educate' me about the history of the Woods and the creature Pan by a Professor and psychiatric patient in the story without boring me or lecturing. Even though I knew this was horror and the women were under the power of an overly sexual god, the things that transpired still shocked me. This read does have gore, strong sexual elements, some bestiality, and pure gross out moments that kept me flipping the pages into the wee hours of the morn. The only complaint would be the over-use of certain words and uncontrollable urination. Highly recommended read for those that like the darker side of horror. Will definitely look into his other read! Job well done~
October 23, 2012
Imagine you're sitting around watching TV one night and then you hear an inhuman screech. A screech which fills you with dread and empties your bladder at the same time. Welcome to Widow's Ridge!
An interesting mix of mythology, small town secrets and unquenchable lust. Combine the ancient myths of Pan and Dionysus and then plop them down in town and see what happens.
The characters in this story are realistic and likable. You can't help but to feel for them when the action starts going down. (Forgive the pun!)
This story was a bit slow getting started but then just pulls you in as the chaos begins to spread throughout the town. I thought it was exciting and after the beginning, the pace picks up and screams all the way to the end. This was a fun read and I recommend it. Thanks to Mr. Chandler for offering this story for free. You have won yourself a fan!
An interesting mix of mythology, small town secrets and unquenchable lust. Combine the ancient myths of Pan and Dionysus and then plop them down in town and see what happens.
The characters in this story are realistic and likable. You can't help but to feel for them when the action starts going down. (Forgive the pun!)
This story was a bit slow getting started but then just pulls you in as the chaos begins to spread throughout the town. I thought it was exciting and after the beginning, the pace picks up and screams all the way to the end. This was a fun read and I recommend it. Thanks to Mr. Chandler for offering this story for free. You have won yourself a fan!
March 18, 2013
Loved how the Daemon turned a bunch of grown men into homosexuals...great laugh there!
January 6, 2013
Having just read several really excellent well written and genuinely scary horror novels, this was not really impressive. The book started out fairly promising and then pretty much became an uber gory oversexed blood bath. And yes, of course, those things are to be expected of the genre and particularly of a book about Pan, but it was just really over the top, enough to desensitize the reader and coupled with mostly bland characters, the book mostly fails to engage. I mean, it's entertaining, it keeps you turning the pages, it's a pretty spectacular decadently vile debauchery extravaganza...just don't expect any cerebral horror or depth or exceptional writing here. At some point one of the characters changed ages from 42 to 39. Magical aging. Also, the author seems to have a serious pee fetish. I'm pretty sure every female character in the book at some point pees herself. So that's...something. As a free kindle read, this was a serviceable way to pass the time.
November 8, 2024
Won this from one of the giveaways. I had a small bit of trouble initially getting into the story and towards the end of the book I thought that the author became overly fond of using ejaculation as a descriptor. All in all a good story and apart from the above I did enjoy the book.
August 11, 2018
An engaging horror-thriller novel that explores a creature living in the hills of rural Georgia. The subject of an older-than-time demi-god making mischief among a population of locals intrigued me, but failure to develop a protagonist took something away from an otherwise intriguing concept.
Chandler’s style is straightforward. Unlike a great deal of horror fiction, Chandler’s style complements his story. The dialog is good, the setting is realistic, and the addition an erotic element adds interest to the storyline.
I commend this book to readers of horror fiction who will find Chandler’s presentation to be head-and-shoulders above much of today’s horror fiction.
Chandler’s style is straightforward. Unlike a great deal of horror fiction, Chandler’s style complements his story. The dialog is good, the setting is realistic, and the addition an erotic element adds interest to the storyline.
I commend this book to readers of horror fiction who will find Chandler’s presentation to be head-and-shoulders above much of today’s horror fiction.
November 1, 2019
When talking about fear, dread of a strange beast prowling the woods at night is as old as it gets. However, the evil creature in the shadowy forest can take on a plethora of identities and the resulting stories can be as varied as the horror genre itself. In Randy Chandler's Daemon of the Dark Wood, what hunts in the night is scary, powerful, supernatural and really, really old.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
February 10, 2023
This book was on my wish list for several years and I received it as a gift this past Christmas. Needless to say I was a little disappointed. The premise of the story was great, it was what made me want to get the book in the first place., but that is about as far as it goes for me. The characters' dialogue would at times completely pull me completely out of the story, it just didn't sound believable.
July 25, 2016
The good folks at Comet Press have seen fit to release yet another great horror novel for us voracious horror fiends to devour. This time we get Daemon of the Dark Wood by Comet Press alum Randy Chandler. Just about every short story collection they've released has had a story from him in it, and honestly that's been my only exposure to his work. Full disclosure, his stories never really grabbed me in the numerous fantastic collections Comet Press has released. I can't honestly say why but those stories didn't connect with me. Daemon of the Dark Wood did connect with me. In a big way. In fact, I'm thinking about going back and re-reading his shorts and giving them a second appraisal. It's that good.
Daemon of the Dark Wood is about a small rural town that has come under attack from a creature, or quite possibly ancient god, that has the ability to drive the women insane with lust. The carnal kind and the blood kind. It's up to the sheriff, a psychologist and an anthropologist to figure out how to stop it before the women kill every man in town. Oh yeah, it's also up to a octogenarian too.
So ok, the book is about Pan, a satyr. The king of the satyrs. And before you get your nerd rage boiling, I'm aware that Brian Keene also wrote a book about a satyr (Dark Hollow) and no I don't think this book is ripping him off. First of all the whole vibe of this one is totally old school 80s splatter punk with some spooky 70s style creepy going on as well. Secondly, no one owns the rights to mythical creatures. I say, bring em on. I'll read five more books about satyrs, leviathans, centaurs, and/or minotaurs before I'll read one more damn zombie or vampire book. Seriously, can we just stop with the zombies already? The sponge has turned to dust at this point.
But what about the book? Like I said it's full on old school gore and sleaze and reminds me of Edward Lee at the top of his game. The best part is the book tries to put on a respectable front but as the story proceeds it becomes sleazier and sleazier as the satyr's powers grow. I had a blast reading this. It's fast paced, fun, and exciting. The characters are all varied and likeable, though I would say there are a few too many. If you've enjoyed anything else Comet Press has released, or Leisure for that matter, you'll dig Daemon of the Dark Wood. It's fun, fast, and trashy, but with solid writing chops and great descriptions. Randy Chandler is no hack. Hopefully we'll get a sequel, I'd love to revisit the dark woods and see what else crawls out.
Daemon of the Dark Wood is about a small rural town that has come under attack from a creature, or quite possibly ancient god, that has the ability to drive the women insane with lust. The carnal kind and the blood kind. It's up to the sheriff, a psychologist and an anthropologist to figure out how to stop it before the women kill every man in town. Oh yeah, it's also up to a octogenarian too.
So ok, the book is about Pan, a satyr. The king of the satyrs. And before you get your nerd rage boiling, I'm aware that Brian Keene also wrote a book about a satyr (Dark Hollow) and no I don't think this book is ripping him off. First of all the whole vibe of this one is totally old school 80s splatter punk with some spooky 70s style creepy going on as well. Secondly, no one owns the rights to mythical creatures. I say, bring em on. I'll read five more books about satyrs, leviathans, centaurs, and/or minotaurs before I'll read one more damn zombie or vampire book. Seriously, can we just stop with the zombies already? The sponge has turned to dust at this point.
But what about the book? Like I said it's full on old school gore and sleaze and reminds me of Edward Lee at the top of his game. The best part is the book tries to put on a respectable front but as the story proceeds it becomes sleazier and sleazier as the satyr's powers grow. I had a blast reading this. It's fast paced, fun, and exciting. The characters are all varied and likeable, though I would say there are a few too many. If you've enjoyed anything else Comet Press has released, or Leisure for that matter, you'll dig Daemon of the Dark Wood. It's fun, fast, and trashy, but with solid writing chops and great descriptions. Randy Chandler is no hack. Hopefully we'll get a sequel, I'd love to revisit the dark woods and see what else crawls out.
May 30, 2015
Well. That was... interesting. I thought the subject matter of Pan being based on a real creature pretty cool, but it started off slow and dragged for a bit too long before escalating to the crazy climax.
There aren't many grammar issues and wrong word choices that I noticed, but there are redundancies and mixed metaphors that caught my eye. It needed to be cut down some, and it definitely needed a proofreader. Remember those? Those were the good old days.
And it left me with questions. Now I am perfectly okay with being left to my own imagination on some things by the end of a novel but there are good questions to be left with, and then there are bad ones.
The characters each had their own distinct voices for the most part, so I thought the author did a good job with that. Maybe it's because there are so many characters, but I wasn't that attached to any of them besides the old lady. She was kind of cool.
What was the point of
January 17, 2016
Had high hopes and 12 hours in airports and planes. Ended poorly on both ends. Sorry. Not my cup of tea
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews