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A review by tobin_elliott
Whispers from the Black: Volume Two by Stuart Knott, Stuart Knott
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This second set of Whispers from the Black somehow feels far darker than the first collection, and no, that's not a complaint.
Knott is a great writer, and he knows the things that scare you, horrify you. He's very good at digging under your fingernails, prising them up with painful ease, then scraping out all your fears to show you.
Each story here is good, but there's one that takes up almost half the book, "The Acolyte," and it's...freaking...insane. This is the story that shows you all the things Knott can do. Imagine a collaboration between Clive Barker and James Herbert, and you're coming close. This could easily have been an entry into Barker's HELLRAISER series, with a couple of name changes. It's dirty, it's violent, it's horrible, it's disgusting...and it's absolutely brilliant.
I love reading different indie authors—being one myself—as much for the stories as to see the decisions they make, the paths they chose to take their stories down. Knott consistently chooses paths I wouldn't. And I enjoy that, because he can pull off the things I could never do justice to. That adds a whole other level of enjoyment for me.
When I read Knott, I always know I'm in the hands of a fantastic storyteller.
Knott is a great writer, and he knows the things that scare you, horrify you. He's very good at digging under your fingernails, prising them up with painful ease, then scraping out all your fears to show you.
Each story here is good, but there's one that takes up almost half the book, "The Acolyte," and it's...freaking...insane. This is the story that shows you all the things Knott can do. Imagine a collaboration between Clive Barker and James Herbert, and you're coming close. This could easily have been an entry into Barker's HELLRAISER series, with a couple of name changes. It's dirty, it's violent, it's horrible, it's disgusting...and it's absolutely brilliant.
I love reading different indie authors—being one myself—as much for the stories as to see the decisions they make, the paths they chose to take their stories down. Knott consistently chooses paths I wouldn't. And I enjoy that, because he can pull off the things I could never do justice to. That adds a whole other level of enjoyment for me.
When I read Knott, I always know I'm in the hands of a fantastic storyteller.