The Wild Dark by Katherine Silva is a supernatural horror tale where the forest is overtaking the land, bringing darkness along with it. And within that darkness, there are more horrors than just the wolves that have been spotted.
Content Warnings –
Death, blood, body horror, alcohol consumption, animal attack, grief and loss depiction, and gun violence.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on The Wild Dark by Katherine Silva
Told in dual timelines that weave seamlessly together, we follow Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Raleigh who has gone to a pretty isolated cabin in New Hampshire to collect herself after going through major trauma. When she awakens, she hears someone on the porch. When she goes to investigate, she hears someone call her name. But she thinks she was just dreaming as the owner of that voice was dead. Though it’s not long before she realizes that it really was someone on her porch.
From there, we’re off on a journey where things only get more and more terrifying the deeper into the story we get. There are screams echoing from the woods, large wolves attacking, and ghosts of loved ones are being seen, and that’s not even half of it! People have gone into a frenzy of panic over the events as the media, religious groups, and the government pumps various takes into the public eye.
Let me tell you, the “humans are scarier than the monsters” is very real here, but it’s a very close race.
I loved the dual timeline so much. Setting this up in a way where the character is recalling various memories and having dreams of the past, this format supported the current timeline, giving more information just when it was needed most. This also makes the book one that is very difficult to put down. Each time I told myself, “just one more chapter,” I would soon realize I had read at least three more.
Needless to say, I absolutely loved this read. I had so much empathy for the main character, I loved the horror that had me nervous to look out my windows at night, and I couldn’t read the action scenes fast enough to see how things were going to turn out. The overall plot had me totally captivated.
Bring on book two!
My Favorite Passages from The Wild Dark
I’d loved to adventure outdoors as a kid. I’d imagined there were wild woods for me to conquer and undiscovered kingdoms to be claimed. As I grew older, the world outside grew less entrancing and more sinister. I couldn’t relax in the woods. There was always something had to watch out for. Nothing needed discovering anymore; it was about protecting others from it. I had to make sure the dark corners didn’t grow larger or blacker.
It was amazing how the smell of food could rewire a tired and sorrow-filled mind. Minutes ago, I’d resolved to go to bed without so much as a cup of tea. Now, I was staring at what could only be described as a boulder-sized burrito, smeared with sour cream and guacamole.
My footsteps sounded like cannons in the cramped space. The first gated door looked into a small room, about the same size as our holding cells back at Flintland PD. There was a body sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, slumped forward. What didn’t make any sense was another figure sitting in the same chair leaning back. I blinked, hoping I had mistaken something but it only got clearer the next time I opened my eyes. The figure slumping was ashen, long dead; traits that distinguished any humanity on its face gone. There were no eyes, no nose, no lips; only decayed skin. The thing leaning in the opposite direction shared the same legs as the body, but melted into a new torso, a new neck and head as dark as a hole. It flexed against the corpse in the opposite direction, as if trying to pull itself free.
Being truly alone in the midst of this silence, it was easy to be paranoid. It was easy to think that the sounds of the forest were something much worse. I dreaded the moment when I’d look behind me and actually notice something there instead of chalking it up to my terror getting the best of me.
I stared at the ground, forcing the exasperation down, down, deep down into the abyss where my brain had lingered these last couple days. I needed to not show anything. The media hungered for any speck of emotion, the faintest crumbles of sugar they could spin into vibrant cotton candy for their viewers and readers.
My Final Thoughts on The Wild Dark
There wasn’t a minute of this read that I relaxed back and just enjoyed the calm. Even in lighter moments, you could feel the shadows closing in on you, ready to sink their claws back in with another terrifying moment.
Horror fans and supernatural fans alike are sure to love this!
And for readers that love when there is more in the journey; book two, The Wild Fall, comes out this year! There are also a few short stories set in this world that you can use to quench your thirst while you wait! Check out Katherine Silva’s website to learn more!
For a limited time, you can pick up
THE WILD DARK Limited Special Edition Hardcover!
Click here to learn more!
Thanks for reading!
And a shout-out to Katherine for selling books from her online bookshop! I was so excited to get a signed copy of The Wild Dark and Hallowed Oblivion (which I will be reading soon). I have the special edition of The Wild Dark preordered. I also preordered The Wild Fall and can’t wait for it to come out in print! I’m VERY excited to be growing my Silva section on my bookshelves! 🙂
Stay tuned for my review of The Wild Fall!
Related Reading:
Dan and Andy’s Scary-oke Holiday by Katherine Silva is a fast-paced tale of an occurrence that suddenly overtakes a small town, leaving two men stuck in a bar.
This wild quick read will hit on all of your holiday horror needs; a spooky occurrence, the woods, terrifying monsters, and brutal killings. Plus, lots and lots of beer and soft pretzels!
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