(Originally posted on 4/3/2025)

DARK BLOOM is a horror story that I would compare, movie-wise, to Stake Land. But it’s also a deep delve into the human condition and the psychological despair and distrust caused by severe abuse and the worry, self-doubt, and redemption that can arise from it, as we’re taken on a journey into the mind of Kate, a woman who relives her pain in a way that is accessible to most any reader. You feel for her. One wants her to find peace in herself and find trust but aren’t sure if it is possible, as horror after horror reinforces her trauma.

I am usually not one for the trope of the hard military man with a soft core, but, even so, Nick ended up speaking to me, as the author gives us deep insight into his psyche, and one yearns for he and Kate to find happiness. Nick is believable, and he is a perfect foil for the depravity one finds that others have succumbed to in a world gripped by anomie. And, yet, one still clearly comprehends Kate’s reticence.

I will fully admit my bias here, as this is the same “genre” I tend to write, but DARK BLOOM, which verges on literary fiction over genre, was hard to put down. While the gory horror plot remains present, it takes a backseat to the psychological horror that pervades the reader’s mind and never lets go. When I review a book, which isn’t often, I apply the same critical eye that I use for my own writing, and, although there are some minor issues that stood out to me as I read, they were quickly swallowed up by the storyline and forgotten. It flows, and even the numerous flashbacks serve to add tension and do not detract from the progression.

DARK BLOOM is an exceptional debut that I recommend, and I look forward to reading the sequel.