Gods of the Dark Web

By: Lucas Mangum

Narrated by: Sean Duregger

Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the author of Engines of Ruin comes a dark suspenseful novel for fans of Black Mirror, Edward Lee, and cosmic horror.

The internet is a scary place. Beneath Facebook and Twitter is another world. One in which anything can be obtained - for a price. A community of black markets, depraved pornography, and death. This is the dark web.

Leon was just curious. He had heard the stories of the secrets and forbidden fetishes that the dark web offered. He was an activist, protesting against war and hate. But after a protest became violent, he felt he needed protection. Being a teenager with no way to buy a gun legally, he had no choice but to turn to the dark web.

This rash decision sends Leon spiraling down into a dark side of humanity that most don’t know - or even want to know - exists. A world of murder, torture, and cannibalism. But behind all that there is something worse. Something stalking him and intent on ruining every aspect of his life. 

Now, Leon is fighting for his life and reputation as he is being hunted by vile and arcane forces. They are the gods of the dark web.

©2018 Lucas Mangum (P)2020 David N. Wilson

Gory and Edgy

First of all, this is a very graphic horror story. There were a lot of elements that turned my stomach, and I am a regular reader of darker fiction.

Stay off the dark web, you never know who might be lurking there. Gods of the Dark Web takes the reader on an extreme version of the horrors that a person who isn’t careful can find themselves in. It came off like a creepypasta with the possibility that what happened could very much happen in real life.

Very edgy story with an interesting concept. As a horror story, it definitely does its job of eliciting chills in its readers. There were a lot of things done for shock value, and I think it played into the story pretty well, making it one that I won’t forget in a while.

Narration brought the perfect edge to the work.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Cosmic Horror on the Dark Web

I'd been following the author for a while on Instagram and saw that he opened up an online store for his books. I love buying physical books and love autographed books. So I actually received this book in the mail. About a day before I was going to read it Lucas posted that Sean Duregger was going to be narrating this story, and would be posting reviews copies. I was able to get one. If you're not already listening to Audiobooks from Hell change that now and do so. Sean has a great voice. He really brings it to this title. That punch you want in a horror title. He has great pace with the story, and really drives it to the edge with edgy parts and keeps you listening. I love Audio books, but sometimes there's a bad Narrator and it can get kind of boring. Glad Sean brings excitement with his performance. Enough about the performance. This was my first completed story from Lucas. Currently reading another of his titles. Lucas has this raw in your face way of telling a story. Let's face it we read Horror for a reason. We want to be scared, we want to feel uneasy. I don't feel like he crossed any lines with his details, he painted a perfect story with his words. He pointed out stuff you would see from the Dark Web, I mean you can't really tell a story with you without describing a scene. If you love cosmic horror, or Lovecraft inspirited horror this title is for you. I highly recommend both here. Lucas is a author to watch out for and Sean is force with his voice. Looking forward to hearing and reading more from them soon.

This book should have way more warnings!

This book pushed my literary boundaries and I almost did not finish it. The story and details were extremely horrific. i dont think the summary provided accurate information as to what the reader/listener is in for. Warning description words I would have used are bdsm slavery, golden showers, child porn, and a brutal baby killing not to mention the brutal murders of adults. This book was a total waste of my time. I would have returned it except I had received it for free. Good thing I did not pay for it.

Good Start For a New Horror Author

Lucas Mangum has proven that no topic is taboo for his writing. So be warned, twisted graphic horror is in store for you if you listen. As someone who primarily listens to horror, to include hardcore graphic horror, I did find parts of this story disturbing. Well done Mangum, you found some topics that even I don't want to listen to.

My only complaint about the story is that it seems to sometimes take a back seat to the detailed graphic horror. I wanted more from the story and characters. I felt like the story was rushed a bit and was just there to prop up the crazy violent scenes that come out from the bowels of hell. I think I would have preferred for the story to have been longer with the characters fleshed out a bit more and more plot development .

Sean Duregger did a great job with the narration. I loved his character's voices, the cadence he used, and the overall energy he put into the narration. He really brought the story and characters to life.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Wish it was longer!!

A great story. Awesome narration!! Wish it could’ve been a longer novel!! Great job! Thanks!!

A twisted little piece of darkness

Sean's narration is always on point, and never takes you out of the story that the author presents. As for Mangum's prose, it was *chef kiss* A constant race towards a terrible finish line that explores not only the strange and terrible culmination of Mangum's own mythology, but the true darkness that actually resides within people.

Dark Horror Like They Use To Make

Short and concise, this is the foreboding tale of those terrible things that lurk in our nightmares, parading in a playground all their own.
It's dangerous to brave the depths of the dark web. They are watching you.

Holy....

Wow. Not for the faint or soft at heart. This is some messed up stuff but take that as a compliment to this authors skill

Intriguing horror short

I picked this book specifically because Sean Duregger narrated and I loved his performance of Out for Blood. I wasn't disappointed. I'm still new to the Horror genre so I can't really comment on comparing this to other authors or specific subsets. I will say that while I was a little nervous given the reviews commenting on how gory this was, apparently my interest in Police/FBI procedurals prepared me for some of the graphic descriptions in this book.

At just over 2 hours, this is a quick and intense listen. I did find some of the conversations a little awkward, but overall the story was engaging and satisfying. There's not much more to impart beyond the publisher's/author's summary without spoiling it - but the ending was definitely a surprise. I'm looking forward to checking out more by Lucas Mangum.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Audiobooks Unleashed and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

An interesting spin on dark web horror stories!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This novella was intense! It has a lot of the elements of the dark web urban legends/horror stories but Lucas Magnum puts a unique spin on the subgenre. It's very intense and graphic as he does not hold back in his descriptions of brutal violence, and I respect him for that! If you're a fan of extreme horror you don't want things to be watered down. As you might surmise, this book isn't for the squeamish but if you love hardcore horror stories and are fascinated by the dark web you'll enjoy this one!

Interesting concept

The idea behind the story was interesting but for my money, the execution and narration let it down. The narrator sounded almost bored, which killed the tension. And for me, the gratuitous gore didn't add anything.

great stuff

i really liked this. it was gritty, interesting and a lot of fun to read. crossroads press is an awesome publisher!

Dark Web

Very interesting story line. Kept my interest in listening to this audio book. There was never a dull and boring moment. Great read.

Amazing

I Enjoyed this audio book very much from start to finish great story line too

Be Sure You Know What You Are...

At 136 minutes Gods of the Dark Web presents more as a novella than a full length novel and at first I thought this would present a story that skimped on detail or presented as a simplified story to fill such a meagre amount of time but as I clicked play and the story began to unfold neither assumption turned out to be true.

Instead – after a brief, brutal teaser – we are introduced to that character of Niles Highsmith, true crime writer with his own tragic past, and his search for his younger brother who we met in the opening teaser.

Niles journey takes us through his brothers shadowy world, meeting characters of dubious virtue along the way as Niles grows closer to the mystery of the dark web which swallowed his brother into its writhing depths.

One of the strongest aspects of the book was Mangum's ability to quickly produce well rounded characters that seemed to have life outside of the story, something many authors neglect, and the brave stance he takes with these characters. There are no heroes in Gods of the Dark Web, and Niles flaws make it – at times – very difficult to sympathise with him in his journey. A debilitating darkness has infested Niles, perhaps this is due to recent tragic events in his life, or perhaps this darkness is an inherent part of his personality; the latter seems more likely as his brother Leon also travels very dark roads in life.

Gods of the Dark Web is a dark book, one of those books that fits in the genre often referred to as “extreme horror”, a genre which – though I am a fan of horror – I rarely like. Too often stories I have read in this sub-genre degrade to freak-show mechanics where each scene seeks to top the last in its portrayal of perversion.

A reader does have to have a strong stomach with God's of the Dark Web, I would be lying if I told you that you wouldn't, but the violence portrayed did not seem gratuitous to me but rather a necessary evil essential to dragging the reader into the correct – self-recriminating – state of mind for the end message to work.

Over all I enjoyed Gods of the Dark Web far more than other books in the sub-genre, well, as much as someone CAN enjoy such a story of course, but this isn't to say I don't have criticisms; though they are small ones.

Personally I think I would have benefited with a little more scene-setting, perhaps a little more time engaging with the world around the characters, making the worlds beats and flavours more immediate. It would have helped me ground the internal worlds of the characters more into our common world, making the story more immediately affecting for me as a reader.

I also found the narrator an inconsistent one, at times wonderful, with a broad grasp of the characters and a deft “hand” at the dialogue but lacking with scenes that tended to be a little more exposition heavy. In fairness I imagine such a scene would test any narrator, but they are still necessary scenes and still a valid part of any story.

If you do intend to give Gods of the Dark Web 136 minutes of your time (or 109 pages) you should be warned that this is a violent tale that will unsettle you in some scenes and a reader with a more delicate stomach may be remembering those scenes long after they close the book.

Of course much like the characters in Gods of the Dark Web; that last sentence will be a warning to some and an invitation to others, just be sure you know which you are before you answer the call.

A solid story with well-rounded spooks

*I was provided a copy by the author on behalf of Audiobook Boom*

A solid short horror story that's equal parts brutal and intense. Whilst it's not my cup of tea, it was good regardless, and the narrator was okay.

Stunningly dark story.

I love horror, always have since I read The Rats by James Herbert when I was 9 and have devoured millions of stories since. Unfortunately I have noticed a steady decline in the savagery and horror in tales in the last 20 years and they seem more and more sedate in the handling of horror. Maybe it's down to the popularity of authors such as Stephen King who excel at character pieces but lack the true bite that I grew up with and crave.
Due to this I expected further disappointment from this tale as, while the synopsis was really interesting, I figured it'd be another wet fish of a tale... How wrong was I.
A tremendously dark tale of true body horror with a side-salad of Lovecraft all mashed together with the threats posed by our secondary existence in the internet.
Beautifully descriptive in all it's bare-nerve horror and fantastically narrated by Sean Duregger this tale drew me in and held me by the throat through the entire single-sitting listen I did and boy was it a fun ride.
Horror's back baby and Lucas Mangum's at the top with the greats!