Banshee Graveyard (Gory Ghost Horror)
When brothers Foy and Grant, and Foy’s fiancé Cyndi, set off on a road trip to visit family, they choose to make a detour. That was the biggest mistake of their lives. Stopping at a well known haunted graveyard, and a farm, which has past all of its own, something lies in wait for new visitors… Dan Shrader did a brilliant job at creating an ominous and creepy atmosphere in under 110 pages. I really enjoyed how this feeling followed throughout. Of course, the description gives away that something will end up happening, but the writing itself very much lays the foundation from the start. There are a few chapters in the past that explain the graveyard and the land which it’s on, and this is creates some of that vibe. I always enjoy when authors choose to delve that little bit deeper into their world by adding some backstory, although mystery is fun, having the details just adds to a more well-rounded feel. I do have to add I seem to have a habit of picking quotes where men get their dicks mauled or cut off, but this doesn’t have any sort of reflection on my view of men for the most part. I promise haha.
“Take this. Hog bitch!” Cyndi roared, reaching down and grasping the knife with her free hand. The timing was impeccable. After firmly grasping, twisting, and exerting pressure, Cyndi skillfully pulled his package of meat down as far as she could without ripping it off his body. In one swift motion, she wielded the knife and drove it forcefully into the delicate junction of his testicles and taint.”
Despite this eerie vibe, the story of Banshee Graveyard is eased into; there is no rushing and no cuts ahead to get into the guts and gore. This leaves lots of room for setting up a solid story and allows the plot to progress naturally which is really nice and very easy to read. I loved the plot where a crazed God lover and creepy escaped asylum crazies secretly terrorize the land, with too little police presence to delve into matters. This means they’ve been allowed to cause gruesome terror to whoever sets foot of the graveyard. There’s more to it, and it’s condensed brilliantly into such a few amount of pages. It doesn’t seem cut down, but balanced. Gore wise, it isn’t extreme, but that fits with the writing style and the kind of story it is. There are some parts which are pretty gruesome and dark, and it had the impact it needed. Banshee Graveyard is an easy, but dark read, that is a breeze to get through. I will most definitely be adding Dan Shrader to my recommended authors list!
Written by Arianne, Sovereign Deity of the Damned
Banshee Graveyard (2024)
Dan Shrader
Static Books
Cover Art: Christy Aldridge
5 / 5
