Title: Swallow Us, Black Sun
Author: V.M. Harrigan
Rating: 3.75/5
Info: 120 pages, first published by Manifold House 08/25/2026
Genre: Horror, Sci Fi
Swallow Us, Black Sun is the story of Charles. He finds himself in the Land of the Black Sun, a purgatory-like dimension. He and everyone else there don’t know how they got there. Unlike everyone else, Charles still retains some of his memories from before he got there. What’s a purgatory stuck lad with memories supposed to do? Try to escape, of course.
The road trip story was a good idea for the topic. However, the book was too short. The concept worked, but there wasn’t enough room for the journey, not to mention the supporting characters, to be fleshed out. Charles does go on a journey, but his journey felt much too short and rushed. The world was interesting, and I wanted to see more of it. I also would have loved to learn more about the other inhabitants of the land. There were demon-like inhabitants that worked there, and Charles wonders if they were once like him. We get teased with two of them, but they are just used as gross-out obstacles that Charles must get past. The story ended up feeling more like an appetizer when I wanted a main course.
I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a short purgatory-type horror story.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.