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brandonstanwyck's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
inkslinger's review
3.0
ARC provided by Flame Tree Press and Catherine Cavendish via Random Things Tours. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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01-25: 'In Darkness, Shadows Breathe' by Catherine Cavendish is a Gothic tinted timeline shifting novel that begins by following a woman named Carol, who's mostly alone in life.
While living in an upscale apartment for six-months at a deal of a price for basically looking after it for the owners, strange occurrences start to develop around her. Threatening messages appear on the walls, designer kitchenware belonging to the regular occupants is found in pieces, and an eerie image repeatedly manifests at the door and windows. Accused by neighbors of having a rowdy party, Carol sets out to get some answers.. and in the process makes a new friend that sympathizes with her plight and tries to help her.
Vanessa, the other main character, is going through some trying experiences of her own. With her health in jeopardy, she undergoes a dramatic procedure that keeps her in the hospital for some time.. where she too finds herself tormented by some seemingly otherworldly encounters.
The questions posed are largely in regards to how the two women are connected and why.
Structurally speaking, the story is non-linear.. but framed easily enough for anyone to follow. There's quite a collection of common Gothic horror tropes throughout the book, directing the reader along at their own pace and there are no huge surprises here. Everything is very much as it seems.
There are some interesting elements employed, certainly.. Vanessa's medical condition is extreme and some may find the descriptive nature of what she's suffering to be a bit too much for them.. but it was also probably the most unusual aspect of the story. For the most part, in the time-slipping scenes.. there's reference to what's going on.. without too many graphic details.
I will say the novel is a bit clumsily written and suffers from an overburdening of convenience. Every time the author introduces some piece of evidence or some new experience, along comes a character to explain exactly what it is, what it means, if and when it's happened before, and so on.. in graceless information downloads.
The overall concept is clever enough, if somewhat unoriginal.. but could be executed better. The base catalyst driving the incidents.. is actually pretty unique in its way of recurring across dimensions. Other than that, I'd say anyone looking for a quick read with a bit of a creep factor could probably happily pick this up and breeze through it in a couple of hours.
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brennanlafaro's review against another edition
4.0
I won’t pretend to be a Cavendish expert, but I’ve come to expect certain things from her work. Namely atmosphere and English seaside settings. While In Darkness, Shadows Breathe holds on tight to the atmosphere, the setting takes us in a different and entirely unexpected direction.
We follow Carol at first, and though we stay rooted in the character, Cavendish plays with the idea of time as a linear construct to develop a sense of paranoia and unease, the likes of which we strive for in horror. Quality horror is not simply ghosts in your bedroom at night or a monster jumping out from behind a corner. It’s creating an atmosphere that leaves the reader uncomfortable. Unsettled and unsure of what to believe. It lays the foundation beautifully for what’s to come.
Part two comes in and not only are we following a different character, but we’ve switched from third-person to first. Another device dropped in subtly to create a feeling of disconnect. We get to know Vanessa and places and people begin to reoccur. Inevitably, the two stories collide head-on.
While I admit I don’t always read Acknowledgements, these ones are worth reading. Cavendish details a personal struggle that she worked into this book, and it serves to enhance the vibrancy and emotional toil the character in question faced. You can argue the work speaks for itself, and I won’t fight you on it, but knowing the behind-the-scenes account for how a character was fleshed out and brought to life tends to enhance the experience for me.
It’s hard to pick a stronger book between In Darkness, Shadows Breathe and last year’s The Malan Witch, but luckily I don’t have to, and neither do you. The story in this book is really good, but the writing is great. If you like stories that instill a sense of paranoia and mistrust using a variety of storytelling and literary devices, this is for you.
I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration.
I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration.
ericarobyn's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish is a very unsettling story set in a hospital with a doorway that only appears to certain women, and a tunnel that leads to the place of nightmares.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
In part one, In Darkness, our main character is a woman named Carol who leads a quiet and lonely life. Only a couple days after moving in to her temporary rental, odd things being to occur. Soon, we realize that Carole is flashing between the current time and the nineteenth century. Things only got more and more bizarre from there! When Carol finally confided in a neighbor, that’s when we finally started to get some answers, but was it already too late?
In part one, In Darkness, our main character is a woman named Carol who leads a quiet and lonely life. Only a couple days after moving in to her temporary rental, odd things being to occur. Soon, we realize that Carole is flashing between the current time and the nineteenth century. Things only got more and more bizarre from there! When Carol finally confided in a neighbor, that’s when we finally started to get some answers, but was it already too late?
In part two, Shadows Breathe, our main character is a woman named Vanessa, or Nessa, who has learned that her cancer has spread and that she needs major surgery. As she is recovering from the surgery, she begins to have what she thinks are hallucinations due to her pain medicine. Over time, it becomes clear that she’s not just dreaming these things up. Someone is after her, but can she get away?
My goodness were these two halves of the book perfectly organized! I loved that they were both a bit similar when it came to a few elements and that there was some overlap, but for the most part, they each took their own path!
Both of the women we center around in these stories were absolutely incredible. I really felt for them immediately after meeting them. They are definitely the type of characters that I felt protective of and kept wishing everything would work our and that they would be okay.
The two main settings within the hospital were such polar opposites that it made the flashes between the two even more unsettling. One seemed to be bright, clean, and friendly, while the other was dark, filthy, and brutal. Each time the characters found themselves in the darker place, I was equally anxious and intrigued to see what was going to happen. Then when they were back in the light, I just wanted them to get answers from the nurses that seem to know more than they were letting on!
Catherine Cavendish’s writing style is just so lovely. I really enjoyed that each part of this novel were slow burning in the beginning, but once the spark caught in each, the flames quickly took over and that made it very difficult to put the book down.
My Favorite Passages:
In the daylight, her nocturnal experiences paled and became unimportant, a product of a befuddled brain. That’s all it was.
The dream had been so real. She shuddered at the memory and recalled the acrid stench of ammonia. Surely you weren’t supposed to be able to smell anything in a dream?
Despite the horror around me, I felt strangely calm. Then I heard a scratching sound. Someone turning the key in the lock. The door creaked as it was pushed open.
It is strange how tenuous your hold on reality can become when you’re desperate.
My Final Thoughts:
This novel was so unsettling. I’m not a fan of hospitals to begin with, so I was already on edge while reading. But let me tell you, if I’m in a hospital anytime soon and I hear the words “you’re next,” I’ll likely pee my pants.
If you enjoy gothic horror with a supernatural element and strong female characters, this is a must read for you!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Vomit
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