This Thing of Darkness

This had a very cheesy look to it. It made me expect something along the lines of Will Shakespeare, the Monster Slayer. I’ve never heard of the author, the official description of the book was minimalistic and the cover is…well, kinda corny, isn’t it?Which is to say, there was absolutely nothing to prepare me for how good of a read this turned out to be and how much fun.So, what’s a man to do in the early 1600s when he gets tired of it all…the fame, the creditors, the married life? Why, set off

THIS THING OF DARKNESS by Allan Batchelder is a high concept novel if I've ever heard one: What if William Shakespeare faked his death and tried to make a new life in Jamestown? It's an interesting promise that I am arguably spoiling a bit of a reveal but is the chief reason to pick up this fascinating novel. Its title and events certainly give this the appearance of a horror novel but it also works very well as a character study. I am happy to recommend it without further bringing any elements

How to avoid the biggest spoiler in the book and write a review that does it justice? I’ll give it a crack.The core concept is original, I’ve not seen the idea presented for the historical figure in question, which given the other conspiracy theories surrounding them, is a little strange. It means that the concept works, albeit some elements require more of a suspension of disbelief than others. With such a high concept novel, it could so easily have fallen to being trashy or absurd if executed