Out of the Light of Darkness

By: Edward Donnelly

Narrated by: A.J. Carter

Out of the Light of Darkness is a compelling collection of short stories that deal with ephemeral moments, unforgettable relationships, and death.

The longest story, a novella, tells the tale of a teen trying to understand and find the good in his father. Listeners will be pulled into the story as they see Matty struggle to see light in a man who is shrouded by darkness.

©2014 Edward M. Donnelly (P)2020 Edward M. Donnelly

Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite

Out of the Light of Darkness is a collection of short stories presented in audiobook format, penned by author Edward M. Donnelly and read by narrator A. J. Carter. The work consists of six short stories and one longer, more developed novella-length tale, in which we find protagonist Matty dealing with a difficult existence due to an abusive home situation and a life which he feels is marked by tragedy at every turn. What results is an emotive and enigmatic collection of moments where different characters and their emotional circumstances are explored.

Author Edward M. Donnelly delivers some really evocative moments within this excellent collection, and if I had a complaint it would only be that I’d have liked more and more. One of my favorites in the short story selection was the tragedy of the Irish ghost girl Phoebe. Donnelly delivers a lot of realistic young protagonists throughout his stories too, and the narration allows us a closeness to their psychology that feels like we’re being spoken directly to as one of their intimate friends.

In terms of audiobook quality, narrator A. J. Carter embodies the characters with each shift of pace and story theme. In the narration of Matty’s tale particularly, the emotional depth and capability of the narrator come across really well. The audio is also crisp and clear with no interruptions to playback, making for a fully immersive listening experience. Overall, I would definitely recommend Out of the Light of Darkness as an audio experience to get lost in for a short while: an ideal escape from the darkness of the real world.