Darker Days DEALS
When I first got the ARC of Darker Days, I was beyond excited! Written by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, the same author who had a breakout debut novel called Hex, Darker Days does not disappoint.
If you are a horror fan who loves slow-burn tension and horror that just sucks you in all the way until the end, this dark and, at times, disturbing novel should be your next read!
The scariest thing about Darker Days isn’t the devil in the novel, but when you realize that the real horror is thinking like it does… The dialogue snaps, the mind games cut deep, and by the time the twist hits, you are left sitting there with your mouth open, trying to understand what happened.
Thomas Olde Heuvelt is a Dutch horror author that I am more than happy to see break out in the U.S. His short stories have received the Hugo Award for Best Novelette, the Dutch Paul Harland Prize, and he has been nominated for two additional Hugo Awards and a World Fantasy Award!
There is something special about how he writes his horror, and Darker Days is a perfect example of that!
Thank you to HarperCollins for getting us the ARC for review!
Darker Days Summary
Picture a perfect neighbourhood, where everyone is happy, and everything works out for the best, all the time. However, every piece of happiness comes at a terrible cost…
The story revolves around 23 people who live on a perfect street and who have made a deal with the devil. Their business is a success, their children are prodigies, and they consistently excel in whatever they try. However, this perfect life only lasts 11 months of the year, and in November, they all must pay the price for the next year.
The story primarily follows the de Silva family: Ralph, the father; Luana, the mother; Kaila, a 15-year-old teenager; and Django, their youngest.
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As they prepare to survive another dreaded month of November, their plans start to fall apart. In order to survive the next year and continue to live thriving, they must sacrifice a soul in the cursed woods behind their perfect neighbourhood.
The problem is that this year is all but easy: plans fall through, the Darker Days take a strong hold of the family and the neighborhood, and almost everything falls apart.
The longer they wait into the month of November, the harder and more dangerous the Darker Days become.
Every year in November, the Darker Days came. The Snoqualmie Woods stirred. … The bill for a year of prosperity … was the price they had to pay for their happiness.
- Ralph would crave the drink like he never did before,
- Luana’s devastating accident and pain would come back to hunt her,
- Kaila’s bipolar disorder would act up in the most terrible ways and
- Django would crumble into the darkest pits close to insanity.
The Darker Days have something for everyone.
As their plans of sacrifice failed over and over again, things got worse and worse for everyone on Bird Street. The Accountant, the devil with whom they made the unthinkable pact, would stir, and his demands for a sacrifice came calling loud and hard.
And if they did not succeed, they would lose everything…
What Worked For Me (Strengths)
Story
The concept of the story is loosely based on the idea of Ursula Le Guin’s The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, but it takes this concept and turns it into a much darker and wicked story. The real core of the story, once you realize it, is that people and the characters living in this perfect neighbourhood are the actual devils…
“Hang on…” Her head was spinning. “You’re sacrificing people in the woods in exchange for happiness?”
I absolutely loved the way the story turned out, and how, slowly but meticulously, you saw how the people of Bird Street were justifying their actions by sacrificing people who wanted to be euthanized in the first place. Until November got too close to the end.
Darker Days is the kind of novel that keeps lurking in your mind, long after you’ve finished the story or chapter. You just keep thinking about the insanity of it all.
Characters
The four main characters are very distinct and have their own views on what is happening. The most important part is that the voice of each character is distinct.
If you are reading the chapter with Kaila, the teenager of the family, she talks and acts like a 15-year-old would.
Django chapters were some of the most fun to read because they came through the eyes of a younger child who would try to rationalize the horror in his own way.
Next morning he [Django] woke up with a snap solution to all of their problems: move out. … If Dead Things came from their holes to drag you down, you got the hell out of Dodge.
Each of the characters is well developed, and you spend enough time with each to fully get ingrained in their ideologies and way of thinking.
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Pacing
The pacing is probably one of the most important factors for this novel. As things start to fall apart, the pacing accelerates, as well as the demise into insanity of the characters and their actions.
The pacing of the novel follows the dread, the horror, and the events that the characters experience and the actions they take. It is perfectly done, grips and drags you into the madness of the story from which you just don’t want to escape.
Horror Factor
The horror factor of Darker Days was probably the best part of the novel. Not only did the horror seep into you slowly, but it took hold and did not let go all the way until the end. Darker Days is masterful and smart writing of psychological horror that burrows a hole in your head for days.
“Cut a bit deeper next time,” it said. “Cut a nice, deep, dark hole in your belly, then crawl inside and come live with us.”
The horror does not only come from what is happening in the woods and what the neighbourhood has to do for their happiness, but also from the decisions that each of the main characters makes.
Whether it is the actions they take or their way of thinking, the horror aspect of the novel is always present.
Weakness
It is hard to provide a critique of Darker Days as I enjoyed it deeply and loved almost every aspect of it. The only thing I would mention is that I would have loved to get more of a glimpse into the backstory of The Accountant.
The character was very interesting and I think would have an amazing backstory itself, even if it is just a representation of the devil. Something which could have been explored, but does not take away anything from the story of Darker Days.
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Themes And Key Takeaways
A fair warning to everyone who thinks of picking up this book: it does discuss themes of self-harm. Some of the writing and ideas were pretty disturbing to read, but then again, it is a horror novel.
However, once you finish it and really think about it, that theme is more of a survival and why-to-live theme that is wrapped in a horror blanket.
The people being the real monsters is also a recurring theme that is more and more apparent towards the end of the novel. This is something that leaves you thinking long after you finish reading Darker Days.
This was his encore. This was his statement. Flames whirled, red ablaze, flickering on Django’s smooth brown skin and reflecting in his eyes, where they consumed countless groping hands.
Verdict
Darker Days, which is set in November, is the perfect slow-burn horror to pick up and get lost in. Compelling characters, a deep story and moral values, and gripping horror make Darker Days a must-read for all horror fans and fans of Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s work.
Darker Days by Thomas Olde Heuvelt releases October 28th, 2025, everywhere you buy your books. Make sure to get it, you won’t regret it.
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The Review
Darker Days
Compelling characters, a deep story and moral values, and gripping horror make Darker Days a must-read for all horror fans and fans of Thomas Olde Heuvelt's work.
PROS
- Pscyhological horror that makes you think
- Characters
- The horrors of moral
CONS
- Not enough backstory
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