Author Catherine Cavendish has always demonstrated a notable talent for vivifying history, and for interweaving the distant past with contemporary personalities. In fine form in this novella, an ugly aspect of Victoriana combines with an ancient entity's quest for human living as a young woman with a tragic past discovers that luxury only hides awful revelations, and that for her and others, nowhere is safe.

In Darkness, Shadows Breathe is a little like the 1965 film Repulsion. You know something is happening...but you aren't quite sure...and you don't know if you like this movie....or if you are too dumb to 'get it'....or maybe, JUST MAYBE, it's all trying too hard.

There is timeslips, there are ghosts....it's all a little...high-brow horror.

I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Cavendish’s new novel is very interesting plot device that pushes the reader to wrap their heads around whilst keeping them entertained in the process.

This new novel is a very unique experience in a good way and I can’t help wondering what would have happened if this was written by another author because I personally they would not have been a patch on what Cavendish accomplishes. Whilst keeping a modern day setting, the characters are moved through a dimension of time to Victoria England and the frightening experiences that each character gets involved with.

The characters are very well written and as their stories unfold, we are left feeling terrified for them and wondering how they are going to survive this ordeal. Due to their strong three dimensional writing, the reader is left deeply involved and somewhat scarred by them which is a huge plus. Cavendish does an amazing job in keeping you guessing from a female point of view. The male characters are a bit lacklustre but thankfully this is a woman lead book which is an asset.

The plot is so otherworldy that this should not work but it does. The going between two timelines and evenly balancing these. Cavendish has written the horribleness of years gone by in Victorian England and contradicts this with our sterile times and sensibilities. This is a very tough tightrope to balance and the author has done an amazing job with this. A huge congratulations to her for being able to pull this off.

The book is written into two halves with the first told in the third person and the second half told in the first person. Personally, I would have liked both parts to be written in the third person as I feel the first person pretty much gives you an inkling on what the outcome will be for that person but this does me niggling on my own personal choice and not the style of the novel. This is very well balanced and I really can’t take credit away from this very intricate plot devise that works very well.

Overall, this is an excellent read and one that should get recognition beyond the normal horror readers and should cross over nicely within other genres. I highly recommend a novel that has a lot of guts to develop its own very special storytelling. I will be forever scarred by this book but in a very good way and it will haunt me for years to come. This is highly recommended and one that I would highly suggest to read for readers who are looking for something different. Excellent.

In Darkness, Shadows Breathe is, in my opinion, Catherine Cavendish's crowning achievement thus far--an absolutely riveting page-turner and one of the creepiest, sinister, and downright well-written novels I've had my hands on in a long time.
Cavendish knows exactly how to put her hooks in the reader, knows exactly how to draw them in, make them care about the characters they should care about and loathe the ones they should despise, and positively force them into the experiences of the book. The descriptions in this novel are vivid without being tiresome and the way she interweaves the present and past with such astounding accuracy, clarity, and attention to detail puts the reader front row center in a frightening, suspenseful journey.
As I dance around spoilers here, what was particularly impressive was the sharp and abrupt change that occurred in the character shifts between Parts One and Two and for a while there, I was wondering, "Hey, wait a minute... what happened to..." and the resolution of my questions was one of those "Wow...." moments when you find yourself staring slack-jawed at the page.
Something Cat Cavendish is particular good at is not requiring any suspension of disbelief from her readers, or, at least, from this one. Her invocations of the supernatural are so well-executed and so seamless that you just find yourself going right along with her on the ride. There's never a moment of "Oh, puh-leeze" or any question whatsoever that what you're reading isn't exactly what happened. Masterful, just masterful.

I love reading books by Catherine Cavendish, and she is now one of my favorite authors to turn to for supernatural horror! She writes her stories in such a compelling manner that will hook you to the storyline. Moreover, she creates the haunting atmosphere beautifully and adds twists and turns till the last page.

“In Darkness, Shadows Breathe” is a fine addition to the author’s work, where we get into the world of ghosts, hauntings, possessions, time-travel, and lobotomies! The story takes place in a haunted hospital setting, which in itself sounds terrifying. Two storylines take place, one with Carol and the other with Vanessa. While both these stories initially feel disconnected from each other, the author eventually deliciously connects them. While I found Carol’s storyline to be eerie because of the hauntings she experiences, I was glued to Vanessa’s storyline too. Nessa is a strong protagonist, and I enjoyed how she tries to take charge of the situation and find out what is happening at the hospital. Similarly, this story’s villains, Arabella and Dr. Franklyn are terrifying, even if they appear limitedly. Also, the author wrote Agnes very well as you don’t know what her intentions are.

Many moments stood out for me in the story. For instance, I loved the scenes where Vanessa meets Agnes and gets visions of Lydia. Even the moments where Carol sees her apartment ransacked terrified me. On a side note, I also loved the numerous book references the author provides. If anyone whispers “You’re next” to me over the next few days, I’m going to freak out!

Overall, “In Darkness, Shadows Breathe” is a treat for those who are in the mood for scary, supernatural horror.

A mind-bending, time-twisting journey through darkness of more than one form. The plot is not exactly simple, but hold on and go with it. An extraordinary and sinister story.

IN DARKNESS, SHADOWS BREATHE is a psychological horror novel from author Catherine Cavendish. This book takes a "non-linear" format as we follow characters from different time-lines, as they are targeted by an evil, ageless entity.

"Time isn't linear."

This tale felt to me as if it were more two halves that were brought together in the end. To be honest, the one character's life and memories did leave me a bit confused; however, the other one seemed more detailed and easier to follow.

"Every face I saw held a story trapped within . . . "

Atmosphere has always been a strong point with this author, in my opinion, and this novel was no exception. No matter what the time period or scene, I could practically feel myself there, walking among the characters on the journey. Some of the locations were truly creepy--even to a veteran horror reader.

". . . it's the layout of this place that's significant. If you believe in the supernatural . . ."

Overall, I wish we had more insight as to the entity, and a better explanation for those assisting it. It's only fair to say that I am not generally a fan of the non-linear time technique, so that had a bearing on my enjoyment and ultimate experience with the story as well.

". . . In darkness, shadows breathe . . . And death their only reward."

A unique--if somewhat confusing to me--novel from a great horror author.

‘You’re next…

Carol and Nessa are strangers but not for much longer.

In a luxury apartment and in the walls of a modern hospital, the evil that was done continues to thrive. They are in the hands of an entity that knows no boundaries and crosses dimensions - bending and twisting time itself - and where danger waits in every shadow.’

IN DARKNESS, SHADOWS BREATHE is the second novel that I have read by Cavendish, the first being THE GARDEN OF BEWITCHMENT, and the third will be THE HAUNTING OF HENDERSON CLOSE.

I love the title of this book, IN DARKNESS, SHADOWS BREATHE, and how it ties into the story, which I will let you discover on your own.

There are parts of the novel that confused me a bit, specifically the Prologue when the reader is first introduced to Carol. Later towards the end, through a recap that seems to contradict what the reader learns early on about the father of one of the characters regarding his demise or lack thereof?

It’s important to note, from different points-of-view, characters stress that time isn’t linear throughout the novel, that it can’t be bent, twisted, and curled, as flows the narrative and possibly the source of my confusion.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that Cavendish’s writing is dark and beautiful, in parts, bringing me to tears. It didn’t take long for me to become fully invested in the lives of the two main characters, Carol and Nessa.

I will be rereading this book in the future, and I look forward to reading what Cavendish comes up with next.

Thank you, NetGalley and Flame Tree Press, for loaning me an eGalley of IN DARKNESS, SHADOWS BREATHE, in exchange for an honest review.

Scheduled To Release – January 19, 2021 (Subject To Change)

Wow I have no idea what just happened.

There were definitely some creepy parts but I think the pace was a bit too inconsistent to hook me and the happenings more confusing than enticing.

Here's the lowdown: Carol is haunted by dark shadows. She winds up in a hospital where things get even stranger - a malevolent entity wants Carol for their nefarious plans. Vanessa also winds up in the same hospital, having her own strange experience. Somehow the two women are tied together, and the same evil is seemingly after them both ...

Having finished the novel, I'm still not sure what exactly happened. I feel like there was a lot that should have made this story interesting to me but it just seemed jumbled and I was too lost for it to maintain my interest.

This story plays with overlapping time periods which I love, but I think it was too ambitious to get a proper idea of here. There's also this evil something that I couldn't really work out, and I'm still not sure how it all tied together.

On one hand, there's a lot happening - lots of strange occurrences, nightmares, wanderings, evil people, etc. all coming hard and fast. On the other, the strange creepiness is broken up by complete monotony - the character we're following (Carol for Part One, Nessa for Part Two) makes/eats food, watches TV, drinks tea ... absolutely nothing interesting happens outside of the weird stuff. It was such a strange mix.

I found myself either bored or confused for pretty much the whole thing, unfortunately. I think there's a good story here but it's just not clean enough; you never really know there's a secret until it's revealed, the bad guys are evident straight up so there's not a lot of tension through guessing either way, and the time jumping occurs all the time so it loses its potency. The nightmares/night-adventures of the girls happen all the time and usually play out very similar so again, it loses its tense atmosphere through repetition.

The potential is here, so I think plenty of people will still enjoy it, but for me it just needed a bit more editing and structure to really hold the interest.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.

I usually go for things set in creepy hospitals, but I guess this wasn't creepy enough? I also have a very practical brain, so books that aren't told in a linear fashion have to be extremely compelling for me to get through them. This was not one of those.

Neither the characters nor the plot were especially gripping. Despite the unusual timeline, the story was very slow and I was just ready for it to be finished. Not to mention the cover. I initially thought it was a bad cover for what sounded like a good book, but, well...

This year, I’ve started reading Cavendish for the first time. In the last nine months or so, I’ve completed several short stories, a novella (The Malan Witch), and this upcoming novel release (In Darkness, Shadows Breathe). In a lot of ways, Cavendish reminds me of Campbell, or what little of him I’ve read so far (a few novels, though he has many); she has a timeless narrative, polite and gothic in atmosphere. So far, my experience is that she deals mostly in hauntings, tame ones in comparison to what I usually read in the horror community. As such, her appeal can be mainstreamed, as it is far less violent and disturbing.

Her latest novel, In Darkness, Shadows Breathe, is very well-written, but also features some hiccups along the way. Looking through the reviews posted by others, it seems that most readers were in agreement that some of the pacing was a bit slow and that the story left some confusion, what with the amount of characters hopping in and out during a nonlinear timeline. I can agree with all that. However, there were several areas that Cavendish did extremely well, and I think those areas deserve spotlighting. For one, the author has dived deep into her own life in presenting Vanessa’s character, who is undergoing cancer treatment. Not only is it personal and descriptive, it’s sad and harrowing. Cavendish has been to hell and back, and I think this novel reflects that. In a sense, it reminds me of how Dreamcatcher is an evident connection for Stephen King and his near-death accident; in it, he constantly goes into the character’s head for escape, something King did while in recovery. The novel was strange and long and difficult to follow at times, but so was his experience with life at the time. I think In Darkness, Shadows Breathe is like that for Cavendish.

The writing is what steals me away in this novel. I think Cavendish really shines in this regard, even if the story does feel a bit jumbled at times. At the same time, it can be expected, considering the nonlinear timeline in which you have characters passing to and from past and present (or lack thereof, according to the story). Nevertheless, I can understand the frustration this caused others, as it did the same to me at times. And I also agree that the first part of the story - following Carol - felt underdeveloped. I would go as far as to say the novel would have been stronger as a long novella that removed Part 1 completely. It isn’t necessary, as all pertinent details to Carol’s story return during Vanessa’s. I partly wonder if that section was written at a later point in an effort to make this story into a novel length for publishing.

Complaints aside, I enjoyed this title more than The Malan Witch. I felt like it was more dramatic and personal, as well as haunting. Can you imagine being torn to and from different time periods, especially when one involves the pain of being an experiment for mad doctors? Even if Cavendish doesn’t ever go bloody, the themes are frightening. To be going through serious medical recovery and to be haunted at the same time … well, maybe they are one in the same. Maybe that is what Cavendish was going for here. And I liked it.

**

Highlights: Personal for the writer … dramatic and atmospheric … well-written … involves scary themes without any reliance on blood and gore

Shadows: Can be a bit slow at times … the first part of the book is largely unnecessary and a little underdeveloped … can get confusing following the characters and changing time periods

For fans of: Horror that puts its themes and atmosphere at the forefront, rather than supplying copious amounts of blood, gore, sex, and language

Takeaway: In Darkness, Shadows Breathe is a good way to start 2021, because it’s a novel centering around recovery, something the world can relate to right now. Cavendish shines in the ways she’s connected to the story, making herself vulnerable to not only her readers, but to the ghosts that haunt her.

Would I read this author again? Yes

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I didn’t care as much for the first part, which is Carol’s story, as it felt rushed and there was a lot of background information missing. Nessa’s part was a lot more enjoyable, and I find it commendable how much the author taught us about cancer treatment. You can tell she really took her time researching this to make it as life-like as possible. The author has a beautiful story telling voice, and her writing is great in itself.

The problem is that even after reading the book, I still felt lost and didn’t quite understand the story. There were too many different characters in both past and present and it was hard to keep up. I’m not sure if I missed vital information while reading, but somehow I lost the thread at some point.

Thanks to Flame Tree Press for the review copy.

*****Thank you NetGalley and FlameTree Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review*****
I am rounding up from 3.5 stars.
The atmosphere of this tale is quite gothic, and is not action-packed from the jump. The book is quite the slow burn. If that is not your thing, then you may not enjoy this book.
Ms. Cavendish introduces us to Carol, a woman who is house sitting, and who doesn't have too much of a past. Over the 1st half of the book, we learn to care for Carol and to fear for her, as she begins to experience frightening and inexplicable things in the place she is staying. Her health also deteriorates, and she winds up in the nearby hospital, where the strange things continue and worsen.
The 2nd half of the book is centered around Nessa, a woman who is in the hospital for a horrific type of cancer. Strange things begin happening to Nessa as well, and I found myself wishing that she would just get out of there. Paul, Nessa's husband, also wants Nessa out of there.
I really loved Nessa and Paul. I wanted to spend so much more time with them. Their love and care for each other was so touching and warm.
My only gripe is that I felt that the story isn’t over. I very much hope there will be a follow-up book, as I really want to see the evil doctor and his assistant get their just due. I also want to see goodness and love win out over the darkness. I want a way to revise history and fix all the bad. Of course, that’s not really how life works. But fiction is malleable (just as is time) so please, please, please let my pleas not fall on deaf ears. 😊

I enjoyed this book, but got a little confused a few times throughout, and had to re-read several passages for further clarification. It was definitely a haunting tale, and I definitely enjoyed that aspect. The intertwining stories of Nessa, Carol, Lydia, and the host of other characters was fascinating, though the complexity of it all made my brain hurt a bit. I’ll still recommend this title for purchase in my library when it’s available!

In Darkness, Shadows Breathe is about two women, Carol and Nessa, who are victims of the same evil. They both end up in the same hospital where the evil thrives. Somehow, the poetry of a woman who lived long ago, Lydia Warren Carmody, gets mixed up in it all. Carol is housesitting and some creepy things start happening to her and eventually she ends up in the hospital where stuff gets even creepier. At the same time, Nessa is in the hospital for a surgery and also experiences some strange things.

The book started with Carol's story and it was pretty slow until she got into the hospital. Then stuff got weirder and weirder. Then, rather abruptly in my opinion, I was introduced to Nessa. It took me quite some time to understand what was going on with Nessa especially since some of the details of her cancer were pretty horrific.

The feel of the story was Gothic, so much so that I thought the book was in a different time at first, I was quite surprised by the appearance of a cellphone. Lol. However, the pace of the book was really slow and I never really got involved in the plot. Honestly, I finished this book feeling extremely unfulfilled.

Based on this book, I'm not sure if I'd like to read any more books by this author.

This book should be read by adults, especially because of the cancer details included for Nessa. There was some violence and supernatural elements which may be unsettling for younger readers.

This was eerie, creepy, and…a bit dull.

The Gothic atmosphere of the piece is well done, as is the portrayal of the horrifying treatment of women in the past, but I was just never excited by the story. The first section was mostly very predictable. When we change our POV character, things get a bit more interesting and relatable, but still never exciting.

Probably very good for people who like a slow burn of a read that relies heavily on atmosphere.

I’ll try the author in the future, but this one wasn’t perfect for me.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.
As soon as I saw this book up for grabs, I requested it and kept my fingers crossed. I’ve read several of Catherine Cavendish’s book and enjoyed most of them. This one is really different from the ones I’ve read. It plays around with time not being linear. A lot. The first half of the book we get to know Carol. She’s being haunted and tormented by something. Then in part 2 we meet Nessa and spend time with her and the things she’s experiencing. The two storylines do come together and most things are explained. I can understand how the last bit of the book could be confusing. I was just reading it, went along with it and didn’t think on it for too long.
I liked the story, I liked the characters and I loved the setting. I am very glad I got to read & review this book.

#InDarknessShadowsBreathe by #CatherineCavendish is an absolute must read! This story goes back and forth in time, making a reader of time travelers come true, only this time traveler's experience is a complete nightmare.

Ms. Cavendish is famous for making her books similar to #StephenKings books by the way she describes everything in her writing and drawing everything out, but she also puts a lot of action in her writing, which makes her books more interesting, and In Darkness, Shadows Breathe is no exception.


The Gothic style Ms. Cavendish uses in this book makes you feel like you are back in time, and you begin to feel more comfortable, but that feeling doesn't last long before the unpleasantness of the situation creeps in and you start to feel the pain and horror of what was going on.

I have read several books by Ms. Cavendish now, In Darkness, Shadows Breathe is one of her best! I can't wait to see what she has in store for her readers!

We meet modern day Carol and immediately learn that The One And The Many (an ancient evil) is trying to possess her. This book follows the various possessions and time slips of women like Carol who fall prey to the evil entity.

PROS:
Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, Cavendish throws a surprise, a totally new story line about Vanessa. Of course, Vanessa and Carol are linked, but we don’t know how at first. And then, when I thought I knew how everything would end, Cavendish surprised me again. I admire how skillfully the plot is constructed.

Vanessa is a cancer patient, and her experience comes across as true-to-life. I was sure Cavendish had been a cancer patient herself. (I found out the truth in the afterwards of the book.) I was totally drawn into Vanessa’s circumstances.

The jumps in time aren’t at all like a science fiction adventure. These are scary and creepy, and I felt so afraid for the characters because they encountered such evil people when they slipped through time.

The ending is satisfying, but this is Gothic horror, so satisfying doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone lives happily ever after.

CONS:
I have some minor quibbles. It took me some time to keep Margie and Maryam straight, likewise with Joanna and Joyce. The names are too similar. Also, we spend quite a bit of time with Carol in the beginning of the book, and I don’t think that many weird events are necessary. I wanted to move along with the story. But, like I said, just minor quibbles. I only took off half a star.

OVERALL:
In Darkness, Shadows Breathe has a great plot with eerie and spooky scenes, just like a haunted-building story should be. 4.5 stars.

Excellent book. Creepy. I enjoy everything this author writes. She takes horror tropes and runs with them in her own brilliant way. Great book to read for Spooktober.