Through the Eyes of Desperation

The Black Version

De: Daniel J Volpe

Narrado por: Sierra Kline

SKIN IN THE GAME

At Shadows Casino, this isn’t just a phrase, it’s a grim reality. Far from prying eyes is a world of decadent pleasure, and unimaginable pain, where only the desperate or the rich dare to tread.

Cee is the leader of the sinister establishment, but that hasn’t always been her story. Long before she'd ever heard of a parlay or letting it ride, Cee was just a little girl with a daddy who liked to gamble. And when her daddy brought her into Shadows, he made a bet that changed both of their lives forever.

Years later, Cee is thrust back into the murky depths of her childhood memories, thanks to the story of a new bettor: a mysterious man whose situation is eerily similar to her past.

Will the bettor’s tale of desperation crack the façade she's erected? Or will Cee have him ground to a bloody pulp?

©2023 Daniel J. Volpe (P)2024 Daniel J. Volpe

So good... but you need to be used to fucked up gore

this book was so captivating and amazing! I wish I could read it all over again... which i may due to the ending... if you know u know. deff recommend but not if you don't like fucked up snuff flim-like gore.

Fantastic, but…

I’ve so far have read three of Daniel’s books that intertwine with another. Love that idea so it doesn’t feel like a series and each book is a great stand alone, love the story, love the gore, however, I just wish names and endings matched to their intertwined books.

Does the house always win?

Yes it does, but don't think because you're up you're the house. Mr. Volpe proves the in his version of this "buddy book" with Mr. Beauregard. Now that I have finished both, let me tell you about Volpe's black version.

The Black version follows "the house" version taking place mostly in the casino Shadows. Beauregard follows a down and out gambler who's trying to raise enough money to save his mom who he placed in harms way by gambling away a casino/mob boss's money. To be fair he was doing it for a noble cause. In this case the house refers to the current owner of Shadows. Mr. Volpe let's us view life in the casino and the plight of the gambler from her view.

This version is a lot less in your face with the amount of gruesome depravity, but don't think you'll come out light. Volpe has taken your money and you will get what you paid for. Put on you lobster bib cause you're going to dribble.
No punches are held and there is plenty guts, gore, bodily harm, and mental shock in this book. While this version did not make me dry heave every time I had food near me, I did internalize a lot of vile. With a lot of death, this book capitalizes on things worst than it and how dark addiction can go. Both books do solid justice showing it, but Volpe's hits hard with the backstory of the casino owner. You almost root for her....until you don't.

The characters are well built. The reader gets motivations and back stories that flesh out individuals which do a great job of establishing the environment and the stakes in the story. Their points of view can make you smell the dank, thick air and feel effects of whatever ingestible the player must consume to prevent the violent consequences of denying the house its win. The pacing is excellent. Slow when necessary and fast to increase intensity of the story.

As with the Red version, there's a choice to pick your ending from two choices. What's a book about gambling if you don't get to actively play a game? My choice with this book was satisfying like in the Red version but also haunting. The other option proved the house always wins. Just know the house is never a person.

Beautifully horrific!

If you enjoy splatter punk horror you’ll love this! 20/20 recommend! I also highly recommend having listened to the black version first!

The Black Version

I’m not sure what I thought The Black Version would be about or whose perspective it would be from, BUT it was awesome!

Cee's journey from a scared girl to the terrifying Black Widow is heartbreaking and gripping. The way Shadows Casino is so vividly described makes me feel like all the chaos and horror surrounds me. The idea of betting body parts? Insane 😂

Every time a character made a gamble, I held my breath. This really amplified the tension and made every gamble feel like a life-or-death situation.

Yeah, Cee definitely has her reasons to be mad at the world, but I was overjoyed when the Dollhouse workers' plan went smoothly. Cee absolutely deserved worse, but at least she’s dead!

Also, the tie in to Sew Sorry!?? Brilliant!!

Get this book!! You will not regret it.