The Dark Verse, Vol. 3: Beyond the Grip of Time (Imitation Leather)

2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal Winner for Horror
2015 National Indie Excellence Awards Winner for Horror
2015 National Indie Excellence Awards Winner for Best Cover Design - Fiction

Twenty-six short stories of occult, metaphysical, and fantastical horror that will follow you to the visions of your sleep.

The Dark Verse is a multiverse of Lovecraftian horror, spanning different realms and times that touches upon evils that transcend the knowable. Whether an apocalyptic end of a synthetic race of tiny beings, a dragging of a hideous beast to the perfect site of sacrifice, or a merciless curse that folds flesh and bone into itself, there is no escape from the occult horrors that await you within the innumerable folios of The Dark Verse.

This is Sharkchild's third collection of grim and ethereal stories and can be enjoyed independently from the other Dark Verse volumes. The cover of the book is imitation leather with foil stamping on the front, back, and spine; there is no dust cover. All three sides of the pages have black dusting. The artwork in its entirety, including a two-page illustration for each story, was created by John F. Stifter.

Beyond the Grip of Time marks the third volume of M. Amanuensis Sharkchild s The Dark Verse , a series of books collecting stories that first appeared on the podcast of the same name. Sharkchild describes these tales as occult, metaphysical, and fantastical horror , but that only scratches the surface of the dark dreamscapes you ll begin to wander as soon as you open the cover. This is the kind of cosmic horror and fantasy that takes you both deep inside yourself and farther away from reality than you d perhaps care to imagine. It is indeed a vicarious journey beyond the grip of time, and Sharkchild s singular vision is rendered succinctly through his archaic writing style.

There are stolen and murdered souls, dark bargains best left alone, the exploration of worlds beyond worlds, people playing God in the most clinical manner, flesh offered and flesh taken, the innocently spoken words of Unthinkable Curses, and a whole host of obscene and terrifying creatures brought to vivid life. There s all of this and a lot more.

This third volume of The Dark Verse reads fine as a standalone collection of weird fiction, but given the depth of imagination in the stories, and the book s immaculate presentation, you ll likely find yourself wanting to pick up the other volumes as well. Beyond the Grip of Time is a beautiful tome all around. Highly recommended. --Hellnotes.com