Review of “When Darksome Falls” by M.C. Ryder

Score: 93/100 (9.3 out of 10)

When Darksome Falls is a poignant and introspective fantasy tale that explores the fragility of humanity through the eyes of Melia, a former vampire struggling to navigate her newfound mortality.

Haunted by the loss of her soulmate, Vince, and the strength she once possessed, Melia embarks on a deeply emotional journey to find purpose in a world rife with trauma, love, and redemption.

The narrative blends dark fantasy with raw human emotion, delving into themes of grief, identity, and healing. M.C. Ryder crafts a richly layered story where past and present collide, friendships are tested, and the fight for self-discovery becomes a battle against the shadows of the soul. It’s a hauntingly beautiful exploration of resilience and hope.

When Darksome Falls might be M.C. Ryder's most eloquently and competently written novel in The Dark series (though Infinity Tales and A Darker Demise may be in contention for those titles). When Darksome Falls really demonstrates her growth and improvement as an author.

The first book, Darkest Side of the Moon, was a really rough ride with a lot of bumpy, clunky writing, though it did feature arguably the best protagonist (oddly enough). You could argue that no protagonist in the series has quite reached the heights that Nadine/Nadia did. Arguably, no villain in the series reached the heights that Vladimir did either, though Maximilian was pretty formidable and menacing (to be fair).

What has improved immensely is the shear quality of Ryder's writing. There are far fewer errors (in fact, we didn't notice any). Also, there are some truly beautiful and poignant passages. For example:

- “She pushes me into the shower. The water freezing as I shiver. I cover over my burn from the pounding beads of water.”

- “Even though the sun still rises, it’s hard to pull away from the darkness that is always there, pulling me under. True love isn’t just about holding someone’s hand; it’s knowing their soul will forever be stitched into yours, even when they’re gone.”

This line captures Melia's profound grief and the enduring nature of love even in loss.

- “I wasn’t brave enough to speak up for myself as a human, but as a vampire, I was unstoppable. Now, stripped of that power, I’m learning that true courage doesn’t come from strength—it comes from surviving what breaks you.”

This reflects the core of Melia's journey, moving from external power to internal resilience.

- “Taking accountability for the past doesn’t erase the scars, but it allows you to carry them differently. It turns regret into growth and pain into wisdom.”

A profound reflection on the healing process, embodied by Camille’s character arc.

- “Even when the sky is heavy with clouds, I know the stars are still there. Hope, like starlight, isn’t always visible, but it never truly disappears.”
This metaphor beautifully illustrates the theme of hope persisting in the darkest times.

- “Being human isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being messy, flawed, and still choosing to find beauty in the chaos.”

A poignant reminder of the value in imperfection and growth.

- “You can’t rewrite the chapters of the past, but you can learn to write a better ending.”

A hopeful message for Melia and others seeking redemption and healing.

You may have noticed we mentioned Camille, a major character from the previous books, particularly Darkest Side of the Moon, All I See Are Dark Clouds, and The Darkened Enchantment. Well, she's back as a supporting character along with her werewolf husband, Beckett! Of all the characters in the series, Camille arguably underwent the largest arc, and it sorta sets a precedence for the redemption arcs that Amelia (“Melia”) Weber and Levi go through in this book.

The author makes a bold and ambitious effort to tie this book and its characters into previous books in the series. Melia herself was the protagonist of A Dance Between Light and Darkness, distinguished by her profound sense of vulnerability, insecurity, and physical frailty/weakness—an enormous contrast to the uber-woman Nadine/Nadia, her half-sister.

Well, Melia brings a lot of that same vulnerability, insecurity, and physical frailty/weakness to this book, exacerbated by the fact that she is now without her vampiric superpowers.
As a mortal human, she is susceptible to physical harm, death, neglect, and abuse, some of which comes into play in the novel.

Levi, Melia's best boy and brooding deuteragonist of the novel, also wrestles with his own negative feelings, particularly guilt and self-loathing, owed to his dark vampiric past. Levi's dark past happens to intersect with Camille and her daughter, Lily—a victim of one of his attacks, now living with the emotional and psychological trauma of it.

Now, the first half of this book (to be brutally honest) kinda drags and seems plodding. There's a lot of talk about Melia's past (and Levi's), trying to bring new readers of the series up to speed on what's going on, the relationships between the characters, and how Melia (in particular) feels.

It's incredibly reflective and introspective. And, yes, the writing in that section is more eloquent, but it doesn't seem to go much of anywhere. If you've already read the previous books, you know most of what Melia is describing and about many of the characters she's talking about. There's something very overly-expositional about the first half.

Thankfully, this book really picks up in its second half, particularly in that it features a much more visceral and gritty storyline involving Danny (Danielson Cain) and his family, a group of hyperreligious, cult-like, misogynistic, animal-abusing nut jobs who live in a farm compound. Think: Branch Davidians, Jonestown, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (they alive, d*mmit!)

Anyway, Danny and his father, Hank, serve as the primary antagonists/villains of the book alongside Gideon. Though Hank shares a lot of responsibility for facilitating the cruelty and abuse on the estate, it's mostly through Danny—a sleazy, slimey, POS character—in which we feel the affects of the evil most directly.

Though much of Danny's abuse (TRIGGER WARNING, by the way) is directed toward Melia, it's also directed to the horse on the estate, Kirby, with whom Melia forms a strong bond. Like Melia, Kirby is trapped, exploited, neglected, and abused. At times, Danny (and Hank) brutalize Kirby and starve him, which may be too much for some readers to stomach, compounding on the domestic/spousal abuse.

Danny views Melia and the other women and animals on the estate like property. Melia's only objective, in Danny's eyes, is to please him, serve him, and give him a son (heir).

In fact, getting a son from her seems to be the only thing stopping Danny from irreparably maiming or even killing her.

He is a wicked, despicable, and disgraceful individual, which makes him a very compelling villain. It's also interesting to contrast the way that Danny functions (as a character) and behaves (as a person) to the way that Vladimir functioned and behaved toward Immilla in A Darker Demise--what initial seemed like genuine love turned into a contractual, contentious, and abusive relationship.

Though it's uncomfortable to read about, it's often necessary to have a villain who the reader wants to hate and root against. Danny certainly fits the bill.

He's a bit like Eric Sorenson from The Pact by Lisa Darcy.

Anyway, the second half of this book builds to a tremendous climax involving Melia, Camille, Beckett, Levi, and even a few surprises from the past!

Apparently, Danny—while being busy being a repulsive a-hole—was also busy being a mad scientist alongside Gideon. So make of that what you will, but the two almost act like Albert Wesker and William Birkin at the end of this, which seems kinda out of place, but at least it gets us to a cool action scene.

When you really step back from it though, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but... at least we got that cool action scene!

Ultimately, this is a character-driven and character-focused book that proves to be one of Ryder's best works.

Check it out on Amazon!