I had high expectations for this book, but it didn't quite meet them. The stories were interesting on their own, but I wish they had more connection throughout the book. It was hard to keep track of them and switch between them. I also wanted to know more about the story and the characters. They felt underdeveloped and the plot was too vague. I had mixed feelings about Eric LaRocca's other books, so I'm not giving up on them yet. Maybe this one just wasn't for me.

Absolutely exquisite. I adore everything Eric LaRocca writes and this was no exception. I binged this book so quickly, tabbed, highlighted and loved every moment of it.

“After all, her world was darkness and that’s often where the monsters felt most at home.”

I appreciate the Muslim representation in the story as I don’t get to see that in the horror genre.

I can’t talk about this book without going into spoilers so I will keep it zipped!

As usual, I love his writing style and there were so many good quotes in this!

There were some elements that I personally found dark but you won't as reading is subjective.

I loved that in the book was a place called Springfield! I wonder if Eric is also a Simpsons fan 😂

I’m a fan of the author’s short fiction so was looking forward to seeing what he does with something longer. I really enjoyed Everything The Darkness Eats. First off, great tile. I loved it. The book is the kind of sinister, unsettling horror fiction I love, set in a seemingly idyll town where something nasty larks beneath the surface. Stephen King is great at this. The book is dark and delightful.

Everything the Darkness Eats is a horror novel by novella and short story writer Eric LaRocca, about strange disappearances in the small town of Henley's Edge. People keep disappearing in Henley's Edge, but the police have no idea what is going on. Ghost, a widower, is drawn in by the strange Mr Crowley, and Malik, a policeman dealing with the homophobic reactions of the town to him and his husband's moving there, finds himself up against an unknown enemy. Something is wrong in Henley's Edge.

I really like LaRocca's other work that I've read, particularly the novella Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, and I was excited to read this novel. It is quite different to the other stories I've read by LaRocca, with a low burn, almost Stephen King-esque start that cuts between a few points of view and sets up the town, but the slow pace suddenly changes at the end to something faster and more grim and dark. The novel is pretty short, as you might expect from a novella writer, and I appreciate that it is focused, building in mystery without going overboard with endless description or new characters you lose track of.

There are really two stories within the novel: the one with the strange older man, Mr Crowley, and Ghost and a mysterious darkness, and then one in which a gay couple deal with homophobia from their neighbours, with horrific consequences. They both feel quite separate, even when they do come together, and the ending which brings them together happens very quickly, so they can feel a bit disjointed, despite being interesting things to explore in horror separately. A lot of the book is more lingering, without much horror but with more of a mystery of what is going on, and then there's a darker ending where some really horrible stuff happens, which is a pretty classic horror set up, though some people might want more of the nasty stuff earlier on.

Everything the Darkness Eats felt like a solid horror novel for me, but it didn't capture the unnerving power of You've Lost A Lot of Blood or Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke for me, so was maybe a bit of a let down in that way, as I was expecting something that really stood out. This book explored some classic horror elements and also insidious hatred within a community and I like the use of small town horror to tell a queer horror story. It's a good book, but maybe I was expecting the distinctive use of storytelling and cursed vibes of LaRocca's novellas, and I didn't feel this novel quite had enough of these elements.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Titan Books and the author for the ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Eric LaRocca despite owning Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes. I was debating if I should read that collection before this but decided not to in case it influenced my opinion. I'll definitely get to it soon though!

I read this book in two sittings over the period of a few hours, the writing is easy and quick to read. The pace of the story was pretty much constant and consistent too which I really liked.

I did enjoy the story but quite often it felt like it didn't quite add up/make sense when you stopped to think about it (thinking is overrated anyway).
If you like dark stories and can let go of reality and have fun with it I'm sure you'd get some enjoyment from this title. The premise is very interesting and I liked the two MCs.

After reading Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke I have been hooked on this author's work. He delves into the psyche of his characters you the reader feels like an intruder. His stories are never run of the mill and are out to shock and remove the reader their comfort zone. For me he is the Master of Body Horror. Shocking , dark and delicious. Be warned definitely not for the squeamish.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I have loved the two short story collections from LaRocca so was eager to read his debut novel. Very much enjoyed the book though I wonder if he stretched the story a little bit. With a little bit of Joe Hill (in particular NOS42) and a little bit of Clive Barker, People are disappearing in the small town of Henley's Edge, and the elderly gentleman, Heart Crowley is the kidnapper as he seems to be able to persuade people with just the power of his voice. Ghost Everling is a widow who feels invisible, just like the strange nymph-like parasite that lives around his neck (origin never explained). When Crowley choices Ghost as his next victim he gets more than he bargains for. There is a sub-plot about a married gay cop that feels like it might have been added to extend a novella into a novel.
I did enjoy the book, but, so far, I prefer the authors shorter works

As a big fan of LaRocca’s short stories, I was very excited for this. However, the whole thing feels quite muddled. Some very unnerving imagery, but not quite what I was hoping for.

What happened here?! I love LaRocca. I consider him a favourite author, but this was just bad. It didn't feel like him at all. He usually has this way with words that places me into a setting immediately and doesn't let me go until I finish. This was the opposite, I didn't want to pick it up because every time I did, it was chock full of bad metaphors and clunky dialogue. I've been waiting for this book for a long time, and nobody is more sad that I hated it than me. But if you also read and dislike this book and haven't tried his other stuff, go grab yourself a copy of his earlier work.

Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca is a queer horror story. It is told in third person. The story is about bigotry and what happens when that is left to roam free. There is a string of disappearances in a small town. Heart Crowley convinces a grieving widow called Ghost to join his game of dark magic. One man from local law enforcement soon uncovers bigotry and hatred simmering within the town. This was definitely a horror and it was similar to LaRocca’s previous work. If you liked his previous work I think you will get enjoyment from this. The writing was good and the story was easy to read. I do recommend this if you are interested in it because I think it has a lot to offer. I am giving this 3 stars because it falls in line with LaRocca’s other novellas for me but it didn’t stand out as much as Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood. It was a fast read but not a new favourite for me.