Steve Stred's Reviews > The Broken Darkness

I’ve been a fan of Theresa Braun’s writing for some time now. She has a way of crafting her stories like few others and she covers different genres so easily and so well that’s it’s a joy when you’re the reader. Theresa also happens to be one of the nicest people out there, so I’m always excited when she has a new release out, knowing people will be clamoring to check out what she’s created this time.

‘The Broken Darkness’ is her first short story collection and it combines a few of her previously released novelette’s/novella’s with some new pieces. One thing you can guarantee when diving into her work, is that the characters will be intriguing and darkness will seep into every corner of the story.

What I liked: Consisting of thirteen stories, Braun wastes no time bashing the reader over the head and in their hearts with ‘Dead Over Heels.’ This was a fun story and one that works as an excellent opening piece in the collection to give you an idea of what you’re in for.

The highlights for me were;

‘Collecting Empties’ – a fun story detailing a drunken encounter.

‘Celestial Assignment’ – love this novelette. We get a really intriguing story that will make the reader wonder about where they fit in the world and what else is going on between the veil of here and there.

‘Guilty as Cell’ – a horror-ized PSA about the dangers of driving while using your cellphone. This one is dark, gripping and horribly sad.

‘Stillborn’ – possibly the craziest story in the collection, this one follows a new nurse working with a doctor facing some conspiracy type accusations. When she investigates them, she finds far more than she’s wanting to discover.

‘Dying for an Invitation’ – really outstanding story that showcases the romantic-aspect of the vampire lore. A real highlight of the highlights.

Throughout, Braun’s enjoyable writing style shines through and really pulls the reader along.

What I didn’t like: A few of the stories didn’t connect that much with me. They were still fun, but compared to the ones I really loved, they were solid, but not as phenomenal as they others. This happens in every collection and anthology and it’ll absolutely be reader preferences.

Why you should buy this: Braun’s writing speaks for itself and honestly I need to be seeing more of YOU sharing her work on all of the social media platforms. She writes phenomenal characters who have to deal with dark scenarios as best as they can and she does it so very well. This was a great collection and a perfect place for those who’ve not read her work to dive in.