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Twisted Dark #1.5
Twisted Dark, Volume 5
Step further into the dark side of humanity, as Neil Gibson returns with his fifth volume of acclaimed series Twisted Dark. In this penultimate volume, watch as the stories of El Nudillo, Liam Chapman, and Mark Cole gradually weave closer and closer together.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 10, 2026
Five volumes in, and Neil Gibson is playing a very long game — and it's paying off.
What began in Volume 1 as a collection of seemingly unrelated dark vignettes has, by this penultimate instalment, revealed itself to be something far more intricate: a slowly tightening web in which characters and storylines converge with the quiet, inevitable logic of a trap being sprung. Volume 5 makes that architecture impossible to ignore. The stories of El Nudillo, Liam Chapman, and Mark Cole — each compelling in isolation — begin to pull unmistakably toward one another, and watching their worlds edge closer carries a mounting tension that is genuinely hard to shake.
Gibson has always rewarded patient readers, but this volume feels like the moment the series cashes in on years of careful setup. Re-readers of the earlier volumes will find details snapping into focus that previously seemed incidental. First-timers will feel the ground shifting beneath them in ways they can't quite articulate yet. Both experiences are equally satisfying.
The darkness, as promised, deepens. Each step further into Gibson's universe is a step further from reassurance, and Volume 5 offers very little of that commodity. What it offers instead is craft — precise, purposeful, and quietly merciless.
With the finale now in sight, the anticipation is almost unbearable. Almost. Gibson has earned that feeling, one twisted story at a time.
What began in Volume 1 as a collection of seemingly unrelated dark vignettes has, by this penultimate instalment, revealed itself to be something far more intricate: a slowly tightening web in which characters and storylines converge with the quiet, inevitable logic of a trap being sprung. Volume 5 makes that architecture impossible to ignore. The stories of El Nudillo, Liam Chapman, and Mark Cole — each compelling in isolation — begin to pull unmistakably toward one another, and watching their worlds edge closer carries a mounting tension that is genuinely hard to shake.
Gibson has always rewarded patient readers, but this volume feels like the moment the series cashes in on years of careful setup. Re-readers of the earlier volumes will find details snapping into focus that previously seemed incidental. First-timers will feel the ground shifting beneath them in ways they can't quite articulate yet. Both experiences are equally satisfying.
The darkness, as promised, deepens. Each step further into Gibson's universe is a step further from reassurance, and Volume 5 offers very little of that commodity. What it offers instead is craft — precise, purposeful, and quietly merciless.
With the finale now in sight, the anticipation is almost unbearable. Almost. Gibson has earned that feeling, one twisted story at a time.
June 17, 2020
The links are becoming more apparent yet the originality remains. Whilst each story remains self-contained, the richness is enhanced by the stack of tales upon which it, or its supporting characters, a fleshed out in. This is an ever increasing pyramid of giant tales.
Fun? Still to twisted to call this fun but a great read because of it.
The illustrations manage to capture the feel of each tale and have a pace and immediacy to them. Each artist brings their own talent. Each one combining well with the writing to impress the tale upon the reader.
I particularly like that often the reader is fully made aware of the horrors before them but through signalling more than graphic depictions. Both word and stroke are combined to make clear what is left opaque. That is the masterstroke of the telling of any grim tale.
Fun? Still to twisted to call this fun but a great read because of it.
The illustrations manage to capture the feel of each tale and have a pace and immediacy to them. Each artist brings their own talent. Each one combining well with the writing to impress the tale upon the reader.
I particularly like that often the reader is fully made aware of the horrors before them but through signalling more than graphic depictions. Both word and stroke are combined to make clear what is left opaque. That is the masterstroke of the telling of any grim tale.
September 11, 2020
One of the best in the series so far. Still a couple of duds in there, but more interesting than the other books. Also, some actual genuine links between the stories in this book... about time.
May 24, 2015
Disappointing instalment from a usually fantastic series.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews