This Is Horror reviews “The Serpent’s Shadow”

“Daniel Braum is no stranger to the genre, his stories have been featured in Cemetery Dance Magazine, Nightscript, as well as his own stand-out collections like Night Marchers and The Wish Mechanics. His latest effort, The Serpent’s Shadow, set in Cancun, Mexico in 1986, is the tale of a vacation which turns into a nightmare, scenic beauty masking an unimaginable horror which could end life as we know it—as well as another hidden killer—the White Lady. Much more than a horror story, it has a blend of adventure and mythology which will stir the reader’s imagination. Like the darting of a reptilian tongue, it is swift, it promises danger … and doesn’t disappoint. Daniel Braum’s description of landscapes paints the scene into the mind’s eye perfectly and weaves these settings into the web of the story and makes them just as important as any character…”

Book Review: The Serpent’s Shadow by Daniel Braum

Notes from an Eclectic Reader gives the first review of “The Serpent’s Shadow”

“As fine as his stories are, THE SERPENT’S SHADOW may very well be Daniel Braum’s best writing published to date. A short, fast, engaging read, the novella should not be missed by those who enjoy mystifying, fantastic fiction.”
– Dan Studer from Notes from an Eclectic Reader
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Dan Studer delivers the first review of the Serpent’s Shadow over at Notes from an Eclectic Reader. Following his introduction is the link where you can surf on over to his review page for the full and SPOILER FREE review !

I have enjoyed (and previously reviewed) the two short story collections by author Daniel Braum: THE NIGHT MARCHERS AND OTHER STRANGE TALES (2016) and THE WISH MECHANICS: STORIES OF THE STRANGE AND FANTASTIC (2017) and have often wondered how Braum (pictured entering a cave system in Yucatán) would handle writing in a longer format. With the release of his new novella, THE SERPENT’S SHADOW (2019), I have my answer. Superbly written and filled with vivid images and uncanny events set in a modern-day Cancun, THE SERPENT’S SHADOW is as marvelous of a read as are the enigmatic Mayan ruins hidden in the jungle behind the luxury resort. Creativity and thrills abound in THE SERPENT’S SHADOW. For a complete review of this just released work, please see my book review page: Notes from an Eclectic Reader.
https://www.facebook.com/NotesFromAnEclecticReader/

Synopsis and Advance Praise for The Serpent’s Shadow

 

The Serpent’s Shadow by Daniel Braum

 

From Cemetery Dance E Books July 2019

In Cancun 1986, Mayans and Mexicans are fighting with strange powers they do not understand. A young American, alive with his first taste of star-crossed love, finds himself caught in the crossfire. Who is the mysterious and deadly White Lady murdering tourists? What strange, otherworldly things wait in the jungle? Will our young hero beware or heed Saint Death’s call?

Braum’s debut novel delivers a smart, character-driven adventure in the unique and powerful style readers encountered in his story collection, The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales. Richly depicted Central American settings combine with strange cosmic forces, including a monster large enough to knock the moon out of orbit with a brush of its tail.  Enter the jungle where The Serpent’s Shadow looms over the fate of an embattled city and a young man’s dream.

 

Advance praise for The Serpent’s Shadow:

“The setting is the real star here, the sweaty, breathing jungle of Cancun and the Yucatan, but the increasing desperation and dread of the characters pulled me in. From the pulsing clubs to the deep cenotes, Braum holds our hands as we dive together into a maze of suspense.”

-David Wellington   Author of Monster Island

 

“An expertly plotted coming-of-age story where love isn’t just blind, but horrific.”

-Sarah Langan.  Author of Audrey’s Door.

 

“The Serpent’s Shadow is a chilling apocalyptic brew of myth and murder. Daniel Braum immerses the reader in a Mayan paradise torn by spiritual conflict where all roads and rivers lead to a stunning climax.”

-Douglas Wynne Author of Black January

 

The Serpent’s Shadow reminds you of the dangers masked in everyday life, how easy it is to step over that unseen threshold dividing the ordinary world into that of pure darkness. It’s time for the shedding of skin and the striking of venomous fangs. The Serpent’s Shadow is a tale that slithers under your skin and grips you until the last sentence.

-Michelle Garza, Coauthor of Mayan Blue

 

“Daniel Braum is at his eerie best in The Serpent’s Shadow, leading us along the liminal edge towards an otherworldly encounter. While lush inner landscapes are explored against the backdrop of an exotic Mayan locale, Braum uses his uncanny and subtle touch to lure us into the jungle where the inner compass fails and the path home is a mystery.”

– John C. Foster, author of Dead Men

 

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DANIEL BRAUM is the New York based author of the short story collections The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales (Cemetery Dance E books 2016), The Wish Mechanics: Stories of the Strange and Fantastic (Independent Legions 2017) and the chapbook Yeti Tiger Dragon (Dim Shores 2016). His third collection is forthcoming. The Serpent’s Shadow is his first novel. He is the editor of the Spirits Unwrapped anthology from Lethe Press (forthcoming October 2019) and the host and founder of the  Night Time Logic reading series in New York City. He can be found at http://www.facebook.com/DanielBraumFiction and    https://bloodandstardust.wordpress.com

 

“The Serpent’s Shadow” My first novel, out now from Cemetery Dance

My novel The Serpent’s Shadow has been released by Cemetery Dance Publications.

The book is currently only available as an eBook via Amazon.