The Broken Darkness is a collection of short horror stories based on the hidden corners of the character's psiche and soul, where they basically have to fight their worst fears and their unresolved trauma. I'd like to point out that this is also a debut novel from Theresa Braun.

So, I'm not a big fan of Horror, but this year I wanted to explore more genres so this felt like the perfect try.
I would say that at times the stories can be a bit predictable, I guess everything becomes sligtly predictable when you read too much, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable.
Theresa's writing is already great, she can bring you really into the scenes she wrote, and inside the narrator/protagonist head, and that for me is a bit too much since, as I said, I'm not a huge fan of Horror. I didn't feel spooked, or terrorized, but I definetly had chills. Like when watching your big old splatter horror film.

All in all I feel like this could be a good starting point for those who would like to get into horror, and have more stomach than me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC copy of The Broken Darkness.

This was fine. The Broken Darkness is a collection of short horror/thriller stories that are meant to explore the human psyche and reveal the darkness within ourselves. I was really hoping to like it more, but, as I said, it was fine.

I have the same opinion about it as I did with Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. There are some cool concepts and ideas explored in the stories. However, I feel they could've been even better if they were full-length books of their own. I also expected to, at least, be a little creeped out by some of the stories, but none of them really got under skin nor made me paranoid. And that's what I want from horror stories. Lastly, a lot of the short stories ended up being very predictable as well as anticlimactic at times, and I prefer when these kinds of stories are able to put me edge and throw me for a loop.

I would recommend readers who are starting to get into horror/thriller to pick this up because it is a good starter. There are themes in here that may be disturbing to some readers, so please look into the trigger warnings before picking this up. Like I said, there are some intriguing concepts in some of the stories that will likely grasp other people's interests. And those reasons are why I'm giving The Broken Darkness 3 stars.

(This same review has been posted to Goodreads and Amazon and will be posted to my Instagram)

Perfect book for Halloween season! The short stories were fantastic and terrific!! Most gave me the chills!! Love when a book of this genre makes me feel like this, it means it's getting to me and there's nothing better! Really wished I kept this reading for the spooky season

With most books of short stories, not every book will be a hit but I felt like the majority fell a bit flat for me, either they dragged a little bit or were so short you didn’t get a chance to fully get absorbed into the book. The overall premise of every story was good and interesting, each one had a unique supernatural/paranormal element and did create that spooky vibe, but some just didn’t feel like it worked in the format of a short story. Saying this, I did enjoy the writing style and the stories I did enjoy were really well written and interesting, I just didn’t enjoy the book as a whole.

While somewhat uneven in context and depth, Theresa Braun spins an entertaining weave of stories about what may be lurking in the dark.

Thank you NetGalley et al. for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Broken Darkness by Theresa Braun is a book compromised of 13 short paranormal dark horror stories. I’m not typically a dark horror reader but the premise of the book was interesting and boy did Theresa deliver!

The book is a complied record of 13 different stories, each revolving around a different person and plot. However, each story is a dark modern paranormal short story. These stories ranged from truly dark and slightly twisted and demented scenes to quick fast-paced thrillers. I had quite a few favorites from the book from stories that truly got my heart-thumping and my mind racing. Truly, the darkest of all the stories were the ones that had an incredibly realistic feel to them- the ones that you could imagine yourself in.

Theresa did such a great job with hooking readers into each story. At no point does the book feel disjointed or abrupt with the frequent story changes. The stories range from super short and quick reads but she does feature several longer stories with more elaborate plots. I found that I enjoyed both books! Truly, the book was so fun to read and every single story was captivating and intriguing from the start.

If you are a horror/thriller lover, this is definitely such a great book for a quick and fun read!

If interested, check out my review and thoughts on Goodreads!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5356324406

Thank you to NetGalley and Theresa Braun for sending me an eARC of The Broken Darkness by Theresa Braun. These opinions are completely my own!

Here is what I wrote on Goodreads & Tumblr :)

Big thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC <3

Usually, I don’t enjoy short story collections, but The Broken Darkness was definitely a surprise!

Every tale was perfectly crafted and very unique.

Each story had its own hero, its own universe, and its own sense of horror/fantasy, all with that little twist that makes it so special.

It’s not easy to describe what the Broken Darkness is about without spoiling its content, but do know that !yes! There are ghosts, vampires, witches (and so many more characters ❤).

I definitely recommend this book!

As an anthology of horror/thriller-ish stories some of them no doubt are better than others but the vast majority are top notch. There are all unique stories that left me excited for the next one.

A unique book that features thirteen short stories filled with supernatural dark mysteries that grabs your attention and never lets go.

I haven’t been able to choose a favorite story, they were all so captivating from start to finish. I’m such a mood reader and this book had it all; paranormal appearances, guardian angels, spicy scenes, karma, love and death.

The author’s writing reminds me of Simone St. James with her detailed descriptions of the supernatural atmosphere. She balances the characters and their brokenness so vividly that it makes me want more from the stories.

3.25/5 stars! This collection of 13 short stories with horror and supernatural themes was interesting. If you're a huge fan of the genre, you'll likely really enjoy the book. As a casual reader of these topics, I found myself bored during about half of the tales. A few of the stories were standouts, (looking at your "Dying for an Invitation and Homecoming), but the rest were just average to me

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

3 stars
I found this to be an enjoyable book of shorts. Like with all short story books some are better than others. Some were a bit predictable, and there wasn’t any one standout. The writing is quite good, I just hoped for a bit more on the scary/soooky side. I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for more by Theresa A. Braun

As a side note that cover is gorgeous!

3.5 Stars
This anthology contains 13 horror/paranormal short stories. Like most collections of short stories, some stories are going to be better than others. There were four stories that I absolutely enjoyed, while the rest were either too predictable or lacked depth.

Overall, it was still a fun and enjoyable read. If you're a fan of horror or paranormal stories, this is worth checking out.

1. Dead Over Heels ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story starts with Veronica getting ready for her first date with Sebastian. Knowing Veronica is a paranormal enthusiast, Sebastian chose a restaurant known for having paranormal activities. While on their date, something unexpected happened. They brushed it off and never talked about it again. Until a few months later when curiosity got the better of them. They decided to return to the same restaurant hoping for a repeat. This time around, their lives will be changed forever.

2. Collecting Empties ⭐⭐.5

A super short story about a woman and her one-night stand with Mr. Blue Eyes.

There's nothing else I can say without spoiling it.

3. The Celestial Assignment ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

It's about an angel getting his wings. His latest assignment- becoming Celeste's guardian angel.

Another good one. After decades of watching Celeste, he finally sees the error of his ways.

4. Guilty As Cell ⭐⭐⭐

This one gave me One Missed Call vibes.

5. Lost Time ⭐⭐.5

Another super short read.
This one is about a driver who randomly stumbled upon a creepy dark figure on the side of the road.

6. Heathen ⭐⭐.5

Devlin had gotten in trouble at his previous school for Satanism. Tired of his antics, his mother sent him to the Academy of Holy Angels. News of his Satanism made its way through the school. A group of students caught wind of the news and decided to take matters into their own hands.

7. Stillborn ⭐⭐⭐.5

Sylvia, a new nurse, had caught the eye of Dr. Reynolds. After only working for a few weeks, Dr. Reynolds chose Sylvia to become his primary assistant for all his deliveries. While running errands for him, she discovered his sickening side activities.

I like the little surprise at the end.

8. Legend Trippers ⭐⭐⭐

It's about the legend of The Goat Man. A creature that lures people to their death by calling them to the train tracks.

9. Dying For An invitation ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From a young age, Dacie had always felt a presence around her. When she was young, this presence would comfort and even play with her. Fast forward to almost twenty years later. After a death in the family, she once again finds herself being comforted by this presence. Was it a ghost? Or was it something more sinister biding its time?

10. Homecoming ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's about a couple who traveled to Ireland for vacation. What they didn't know was the ashrai folklore was real.

11. Stay Tuned ⭐⭐.5

Ironically, I completely tuned out the second half of the story.
From what I gathered, there's a team of videographers dishing out their version of vigilante justice.

12. While My Guitar Gently Weeps ⭐⭐⭐

Another quick read. This time it's about a guy who unknowingly entered a haunted bar. Not long after getting his drink, he managed to connect with a stranger. They got to talking and ended up with a bargain. A dangerous bargain.

13. Heirloom ⭐⭐⭐.5

A magical ring. An heirloom mirror. A portal that transports to different dimensions/past lives?

I like the idea and concept but I had some issues with the flow and clarity of the story. It was a bit confusing.


***I would like to thank NetGalley, Theresa Braun, and Gorgon Blood Press for graciously sending me a copy of the novel to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.**

This is my first book that I’ve read by Theresa Braun, but I can tell you that it won’t be my last.


So normally I don’t use emojis when writing my reviews, but I have to say for the first half of the book I was between looking like this 😳 and being Kermit with the popcorn because WOW did things get crazy!! I couldn’t put the book down and my mouth was constantly ready to drop!

The way Theresa writes is so beautiful that I found myself in the characters shoes feeling what they felt in each and every scene. I felt like I was a character in that book because I could visualize everything that she described. I am absolutely hooked on her writing and I truly can’t wait to read more by her!! I think I may have found a new favorite author!

I broke my number one rule (for myself) with this book.

I read the Goodreads reviews before I started it.

So why is this a rule? Well my friends, I got my hopes up - and I’m disappointed.

This was a basic collection of ghostly stories. While good, that’s just it, they’re nice and basic ghost stories. Admittedly I was hoping for a solid scary one in the bunch and for me, I didn’t get that. I do see why this is enjoyable and rated so highly but for me it’s a miss.

Lesson learned : don’t break rule number one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook!

DEAD OVER HEELS
Journey to find true love! Using magic and ritual! Veronica already go through dates to dates to find the one. When she think finaly find him, another mystery reveal..

COLLECTING EMPTIES
Side effect of too much drinking, make stupid mistake without feel guilty.

THE CELESTIAL ASSIGNMENT
New guardian angel, get assignment to guide girl and reflect this girl love life as a lesson. This is interesting story, watchnsomeone live from different pov. I curious did he meet her again??!

GUILTY AS CELL
Andrew feel guilty and i curious Jorge helping him or..?

LOST TIME
He got possessed?!!

HEATHEN
The rebel Devlin with his different thinking make him trouble in school, the teacher call him Heathen. One night he discover that something shocking his believe. I want more his story!!

STILLBORN
She is an Alien? Have mission to save earth? With her friend?

LEGEND TRIPPERS
There is legend like this in my country. You cant hear anything until the train hit you, get hypnotize to stay at the rail.

DYING FOR AN INVITATION
Ahh.. i think its love.. i wonder why Darcie not questioning the being with her grandma and then her? Weak moment i guess.

HOMECOMING
I amaze how storng his love, not care if this creature only doplenger as long he be with her.

STAY TUNED
What..i need more back story about him!

MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS
This is one of another story about musician give up their soul for become famous.

HEIRLOOM
I love how she stand for herself and turn the role around. Taking jer power and become his nightmare.

I enjoy all the stories make me womder what next? What happend after that? I love how author bring all about spritual things.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheBrokenDarkness #TheresABraun #GorgonBloodPress #XpressoBookTours #NetGalley #ARC