
Gods of the Dark Web
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for £6.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Sean Duregger
-
By:
-
Lucas Mangum
About this listen
From the author of Engines of Ruin comes a dark suspenseful novel for fans of Black Mirror, Edward Lee, and cosmic horror.
The internet is a scary place. Beneath Facebook and Twitter is another world. One in which anything can be obtained - for a price. A community of black markets, depraved pornography, and death. This is the dark web.
Leon was just curious. He had heard the stories of the secrets and forbidden fetishes that the dark web offered. He was an activist, protesting against war and hate. But after a protest became violent, he felt he needed protection. Being a teenager with no way to buy a gun legally, he had no choice but to turn to the dark web.
This rash decision sends Leon spiraling down into a dark side of humanity that most don’t know - or even want to know - exists. A world of murder, torture, and cannibalism. But behind all that there is something worse. Something stalking him and intent on ruining every aspect of his life.
Now, Leon is fighting for his life and reputation as he is being hunted by vile and arcane forces. They are the gods of the dark web.
©2018 Lucas Mangum (P)2020 David N. WilsonInstead – after a brief, brutal teaser – we are introduced to that character of Niles Highsmith, true crime writer with his own tragic past, and his search for his younger brother who we met in the opening teaser.
Niles journey takes us through his brothers shadowy world, meeting characters of dubious virtue along the way as Niles grows closer to the mystery of the dark web which swallowed his brother into its writhing depths.
One of the strongest aspects of the book was Mangum's ability to quickly produce well rounded characters that seemed to have life outside of the story, something many authors neglect, and the brave stance he takes with these characters. There are no heroes in Gods of the Dark Web, and Niles flaws make it – at times – very difficult to sympathise with him in his journey. A debilitating darkness has infested Niles, perhaps this is due to recent tragic events in his life, or perhaps this darkness is an inherent part of his personality; the latter seems more likely as his brother Leon also travels very dark roads in life.
Gods of the Dark Web is a dark book, one of those books that fits in the genre often referred to as “extreme horror”, a genre which – though I am a fan of horror – I rarely like. Too often stories I have read in this sub-genre degrade to freak-show mechanics where each scene seeks to top the last in its portrayal of perversion.
A reader does have to have a strong stomach with God's of the Dark Web, I would be lying if I told you that you wouldn't, but the violence portrayed did not seem gratuitous to me but rather a necessary evil essential to dragging the reader into the correct – self-recriminating – state of mind for the end message to work.
Over all I enjoyed Gods of the Dark Web far more than other books in the sub-genre, well, as much as someone CAN enjoy such a story of course, but this isn't to say I don't have criticisms; though they are small ones.
Personally I think I would have benefited with a little more scene-setting, perhaps a little more time engaging with the world around the characters, making the worlds beats and flavours more immediate. It would have helped me ground the internal worlds of the characters more into our common world, making the story more immediately affecting for me as a reader.
I also found the narrator an inconsistent one, at times wonderful, with a broad grasp of the characters and a deft “hand” at the dialogue but lacking with scenes that tended to be a little more exposition heavy. In fairness I imagine such a scene would test any narrator, but they are still necessary scenes and still a valid part of any story.
If you do intend to give Gods of the Dark Web 136 minutes of your time (or 109 pages) you should be warned that this is a violent tale that will unsettle you in some scenes and a reader with a more delicate stomach may be remembering those scenes long after they close the book.
Of course much like the characters in Gods of the Dark Web; that last sentence will be a warning to some and an invitation to others, just be sure you know which you are before you answer the call.
Be Sure You Know What You Are...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
great stuff
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Interesting concept
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Amazing
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Dark Web
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
Overall, it is a twisted and disturbing story... but in a good way I guess? I mean do expect horror and gore going in. And if this is what you're looking for, this book doesn't disappoint.
Also, there is a very nice twist in the end that I did not see coming that I quite enjoyed.
I don't believe this book does anything wrong, but I would have liked to:
1. Have it be, just a LITTLE bit longer. Maybe have another twisted dark web video more? Another bad experience? Maybe having a nasty visit? Something. But not too long. It is nice to see some books keeping short and nice, it was that this was a bit too much on the short side.
2. Learned a bit more about the characters. There is some character development, but not much. I guess this may work for you as it does focus on the dark web stories and experience, but I would have liked to learn more about the psyche of the protagonist a bit more. What's going in his mind with the videos? See some more internal conflict. Again there is some of this, but not enough in my opinion.
Overall, you will very much enjoy this book if you like gory horror books. The score is more to reflect that it's your favourite burger from your regular corner burger place and not the Michellen-starred dining experience.
Short but nice
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A solid short horror story that's equal parts brutal and intense. Whilst it's not my cup of tea, it was good regardless, and the narrator was okay.
A solid story with well-rounded spooks
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Due to this I expected further disappointment from this tale as, while the synopsis was really interesting, I figured it'd be another wet fish of a tale... How wrong was I.
A tremendously dark tale of true body horror with a side-salad of Lovecraft all mashed together with the threats posed by our secondary existence in the internet.
Beautifully descriptive in all it's bare-nerve horror and fantastically narrated by Sean Duregger this tale drew me in and held me by the throat through the entire single-sitting listen I did and boy was it a fun ride.
Horror's back baby and Lucas Mangum's at the top with the greats!
Stunningly dark story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Another quality presentation from the fine folk at Crossroad Press. Recommended.
Quality Horror Novella Well Narrated
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.