The Broken Darkness

Rating: 4 out of 5

"Sometimes things are out of our control or beyond our understanding."

In her debut collection, Theresa Braun explores the inner workings of the human heart and what it is we most desire--forgiveness, acceptance, love, fame, or merely to escape who we really are. Whether we are battling ghosts, demons, mythical monsters, the past or other dimensions, we are really facing the deepest parts of ourselves. These thirteen tales of horror may appear to be a matter of good versus evil, but they are all a reflection of the hidden corners of the soul that are often shades of broken darkness. The characters in these stories must face their inner and outer terrors, or else suffer the consequences.

I was not fully prepared for the level of darkness this book took but I was not disappointed at all. I don't do many short stories but I enjoyed each one of these. Some of them I think I would have loved to see as a longer book! I got a lot of spooky vibes from this book and it would be a good one to read during spooky season. Each story is incredibly different with the topic and even the tone of the story. The stories have ghosts, possessed technology, guardian angels, murderers, aliens, demons, vampires, past lives and other dimensions.

One theme that occurs throughout most of the stories in some form or another is love. We see different interpretations of it and even different ways that people show their love. Or how love causes them to act in a way they wouldn't normally. I found myself engrossed in each one of the stories; some of the stories were a little more confusing than others. All of the stories left me with my mind blown or just staring into space thinking about what I had read. I recommend checking out this collection.