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The Shadow Fabric
(The Shadow Fabric)
by
Leo remembers little of his past. Desperate for a new life, he snatches up the first job to come along. On his second day he witnesses a murder, and the Shadow Fabric – a malevolent force that controls the darkness – takes the body and vanishes with it. Uncovering secrets long hidden from humankind, Leo’s memory unravels. Not only haunted by the past, a sinister presence w
...more
Kindle Edition, 340 pages
Published
October 31st 2014
by Herbs House
(first published October 18th 2014)
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Start your review of The Shadow Fabric

"One thing is for sure. I will definitely be reading more of Mark Cassell. His writing is extremely good. The way his words flow should put many other authors to shame and to be honest, there are a few who should read this book to see exactly how intelligent writing is done. I think they will pick up some valuable tips."
See here for the full review:
The Shadow Fabric
...more
See here for the full review:
The Shadow Fabric
...more

Every monster in an old fashioned Saturday matinee
Mark Cassell pulls out every stop in his horror thriller The Shadow Fabric, throwing every monster you'd hope to see if you sat down to binge watch a day of horror features. Except vampires. And werewolves. On the other hand, eight million paranormal romances with female leads brooding over vampire v. lycan love turned vampires and werewolves into cuddly plush dolls.
Cassell delivers sorcerers, witches, mad scientists, frankenstein's monsters, rea ...more
Mark Cassell pulls out every stop in his horror thriller The Shadow Fabric, throwing every monster you'd hope to see if you sat down to binge watch a day of horror features. Except vampires. And werewolves. On the other hand, eight million paranormal romances with female leads brooding over vampire v. lycan love turned vampires and werewolves into cuddly plush dolls.
Cassell delivers sorcerers, witches, mad scientists, frankenstein's monsters, rea ...more

Mark Cassell's THE SHADOW FABRIC is an outstanding debut. A well-researched and emotionally involved piece, the novel's exciting characters lead us on a terrifying journey of dark discovery.
The story follows the experiences of our baffled and terrified protagonist Leo as his world and the laws that govern it unravel and break apart. Chunks of Leo's memory are missing and, as they return, gradually reconstruct a puzzle that the author disassembled to create his work. Leo's antagonist is a primal ...more
The story follows the experiences of our baffled and terrified protagonist Leo as his world and the laws that govern it unravel and break apart. Chunks of Leo's memory are missing and, as they return, gradually reconstruct a puzzle that the author disassembled to create his work. Leo's antagonist is a primal ...more

Amazing
Loved this book! Can't wait for the sequel. Vivid characters, a great story and lots of action. Highly recommended by me. ...more
Loved this book! Can't wait for the sequel. Vivid characters, a great story and lots of action. Highly recommended by me. ...more

The Shadow Fabric is a thrilling, fast-paced page turner. An exquisite dark story woven with the brilliant supernatural twist, it leaves no room for error. A mixture of characters that leap off the page with their realistic flaws and personalities.
Mark Cassell has a remarkable way with words and is a riveting story teller and weaver of dark tales. The horror elements were both unnerving and raw, leaving me wanting to find out more yet dare to tread deeper and find the secrets of the Fabric.
Set i ...more
Mark Cassell has a remarkable way with words and is a riveting story teller and weaver of dark tales. The horror elements were both unnerving and raw, leaving me wanting to find out more yet dare to tread deeper and find the secrets of the Fabric.
Set i ...more

It just didn't work for me.
I got about one third of the way into it and just wandered off.
Life's too short. ...more
I got about one third of the way into it and just wandered off.
Life's too short. ...more

It was an interesting journey that led me to purchasing this book and it all started on twitter when something that I had been mentioned in was re-tweeted by a chap named Mark Cassell. As I often do, I decided to look him up and find out who he was and I soon discovered that he was an author and that he had written a novel that was titled The Shadow Fabric and that it seemed to be garnering some rather good reviews on amazon.
Intrigued, I decided to by myself a copy but before I did, I found out ...more
Intrigued, I decided to by myself a copy but before I did, I found out ...more

Wow! Now this here's a book that will make you scared of the dark. Is that a shadow in the corner of the room or a black, venomous tentacle of a shadowy beast that's waiting to impale me and spill my chunky viscera all over my bedsheets? OK, it was actually just a shadow that time!
The story follows Leo, a man who has been involved in a car accident (or so he thinks) that has left him with amnesia. His is helped by a man named Goodwin, a friend of Leo's family who he doesn't remember (or so he th ...more
The story follows Leo, a man who has been involved in a car accident (or so he thinks) that has left him with amnesia. His is helped by a man named Goodwin, a friend of Leo's family who he doesn't remember (or so he th ...more

On the second day of his new job, Leo is witness to a murder. His boss, Victor, stabs his own brother, Stanley, with a mysterious dagger known as the Witchblade. But Stanley suffers from no normal stab wound. Instead he is drawn into what appears to be a black piece of fabric and is consumed. No body is left behind and Leo can’t rid himself of the final, terrifying image of Stanley before he completely vanishes. What madness has Leo gotten himself into by taking a simple job as a chauffeur? The
...more

The evil contained in this book is relentless. Seriously, just when you think that something good has happened, it snatches it away. With fury too. This read takes you through a journey through a somewhat-unreliable narrator, and the all-too-mysterious Shadow Fabric and the revolving world within. I'm pretty sure that there are mysteries that are still left unsolved, even with everything that get explained.
All the characters are distinct, and though each one of them have their own motivation (wh ...more
All the characters are distinct, and though each one of them have their own motivation (wh ...more

The Shadow Fabric is a brilliantly dark and fantastic tale that lays open the mysteries of ancient lore in a subtly Lovecraftian way. Mark Cassell uses steady pacing and slow reveal to carry you ever onward into the mythos he has created. I found myself not only sympathetic towards Leo, but also a bit afraid for and with him. His amnesia lends him an almost naïve countenance that only adds to the chaos of the horrific and mysterious events he finds himself drawn into.
This twisted tale is expertl ...more
This twisted tale is expertl ...more

After being pulled into it's darkness, The Shadow Fabric slowly enfolded me into its depths, and held me there! It's for those that aren't afraid of the dark and want to try and work out a puzzle. It keeps going, each time you think you have reached the crescendo, there is still more to come. A good read, good exceptional writing! Mark is not only a master of expressing a lot in short, succinct sentences, this was one of the 'cleanest' books I have ever read in terms of grammar & typos! Get in e
...more

As soon as I started read The Shadow Fabric I was hooked and couldn't put my book down!
I have read many horror/ supernatural stories but this one just grabbed me and kept me wanting to read more!
Reading about Leo and Victor and being pulled into the darkness of the story kept me gripped till the end.
I highly recommend this book you definitely will not be disappointed. ...more
I have read many horror/ supernatural stories but this one just grabbed me and kept me wanting to read more!
Reading about Leo and Victor and being pulled into the darkness of the story kept me gripped till the end.
I highly recommend this book you definitely will not be disappointed. ...more

Stonking good read
I was a virgin to this author but I am so glad I popped my cherry on this story. Very well written and...not to give the game away...there may be more. You are left dangling at the end with a soreness to get the next book straight away. There are not that many authors that do this. Top banana
I was a virgin to this author but I am so glad I popped my cherry on this story. Very well written and...not to give the game away...there may be more. You are left dangling at the end with a soreness to get the next book straight away. There are not that many authors that do this. Top banana

Entertaining -- and dare I say it -- old school supernatural horror. If you like, say, James Herbert's work then you'll certainly find this a worthy addition to your shelves. Inventive, dark and highly readable.
...more

Apr 09, 2016
Josh
added it
review forthcoming

I’ve owned this book without actually reading it for a long time, I actually bought it at my first Horror Con. Unfortunately, what with most requests for review coming in on Kindle, it’s easy to forget to read the real, physical books on your shelf. The other thing of course, is that when you’ve been asked to read something you seriously neglect yourself in terms of reading what you want to read.
Nevertheless, I have actually read this now, after reading the authors more recent release of Stitche ...more
Nevertheless, I have actually read this now, after reading the authors more recent release of Stitche ...more

The Shadow Fabric by Mark Cassell is an enthralling and chilling tale that holds the same curiosity for me as novelists like Stephen King. From beginning to end my attention was undivided, I have been gripped. Once you delve into the unravelling reality of Leo, accompanying him on his journey of self discovery and witness with him a series of supernatural misadventures, you must seek out answers, too. I was impressed with the tangible, horror-soaked detail, which gave life (or should that be dea
...more

The Shadow Fabric by Mark Cassell, is a chaotic runaway train that is absolutely thrilling to ride. This is exactly the kind of dark and haunting horror that forces my imagination to make the shadows move at night. No one stitches like we who have dwelled in darkness. Well done good sir. A fantastic read. 5 Stars.

Nope....
Didn't much care for this one. Although well written, I don't care for all the good vs. evil that this story is based on especially when the evil is such a nebulous thing. Just doesn't work for me. But if you like stories that will have you avoiding shadows from now on and watching them closely to make certain they don't move on their own, you might enjoy this book. ...more
Didn't much care for this one. Although well written, I don't care for all the good vs. evil that this story is based on especially when the evil is such a nebulous thing. Just doesn't work for me. But if you like stories that will have you avoiding shadows from now on and watching them closely to make certain they don't move on their own, you might enjoy this book. ...more

Not sure about this one!
This story started off at a fast pace and had me enthralled for about the first third of the book. After that I thought the story became drawn out and repetitive. At that stage my attention started to wander and I lost interest in the story. I made it through to the end but didn't enjoy the book. ...more
This story started off at a fast pace and had me enthralled for about the first third of the book. After that I thought the story became drawn out and repetitive. At that stage my attention started to wander and I lost interest in the story. I made it through to the end but didn't enjoy the book. ...more

now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.

HORROR HAS A RISING TALENT: Book Review of Mark Cassell’s, The Shadow Fabric
ABOUT THE SHADOW FABRIC: Leo remembers little of his past. Desperate for a new life, he snatches up the first job to come along. On his second day, he witnesses a murder and the Shadow Fabric – a malevolent force that controls the darkness – takes the body and vanishes with it. Uncovering secrets long hidden from humankind, Leo’s memory unravels. Not only haunted by the past, a sinister presence within the darkness threa ...more
ABOUT THE SHADOW FABRIC: Leo remembers little of his past. Desperate for a new life, he snatches up the first job to come along. On his second day, he witnesses a murder and the Shadow Fabric – a malevolent force that controls the darkness – takes the body and vanishes with it. Uncovering secrets long hidden from humankind, Leo’s memory unravels. Not only haunted by the past, a sinister presence within the darkness threa ...more

I was intrigued by this read from day one. I love when a writer has the ability to weave history and lore into a new tale. I feel as though Cassell took extra time in doing just that. I very much enjoyed the tale of the fabric and its accouterments as seen through the amnesiac eyes of Leo. His journey is filled with suspense and detailed action. There were several passages within this book that are very well written.
That said, it did take me almost halfway through the book to appreciate Leo’s p ...more
That said, it did take me almost halfway through the book to appreciate Leo’s p ...more
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Mark Cassell lives on the south-east coast of England with his wife and a number of animals, including Arnie the bearded dragon. Mark's jobs have included baker, lab technician, driving instructor, actor, and was once a spotlight operator for an Elvis impersonator. Best known for supernatural horror, he has seen almost 50 stories feature in magazines and anthologies by, among others, Crystal Lake
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