This Thing Of Darkness by Allan Batchelder

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Seattle Author Allan Batchelder!

This Thing Of Darkness by Allan Batchelder.

History tells us that William Shakespeare died in April of 1616.

Or did he?

What if the “William Kemp” who set sail from England for the New World in April of 1619 was actually the bard in disguise?

How would he adjust to life in the Virginia Colony? How would he interact with the Powhatans?

And what if he was forced to do battle with a monster out of legend?

This is the story of Shakespeare’s second life.

Review by C.T. Top Contributor: Star Trek. 5.0 out of 5 Stars. William Shakespeare, Frontiersman. Reviewed In The United States on May 3, 2022. Verified Purchase. THIS THING OF DARKNESS by Allan Batchelder is a high concept novel if I’ve ever heard one: What if William Shakespeare faked his death and tried to make a new life in Jamestown? It’s an interesting promise that I am arguably spoiling a bit of a reveal but is the chief reason to pick up this fascinating novel. Its title and events certainly give this the appearance of a horror novel but it also works very well as a character study. I am happy to recommend it without further bringing any elements of its plot in on the basis of its research and authenticity of human feeling. Which is not something I normally say about a monster stalking a bunch of English settlers.

The premise, as quirky as it may be, is something that is grounded by “William Kemp” whose true identity is something that the story eases into but leaves plenty of clues to from the beginning. William has his reasons for wanting to fake his death and flee England that we gradually discover through the judicious use of flashbacks but the point is that he is not someone who easily fits into the ranks of the new colony.

Partially due to the reasons that he fled, partially due to his high intellect, his irreligiosity (mostly expressed in a lack of interest in regular churchgoing–a horrible offense then), and his fear of being discovered, he lives at the edge of the community. He makes association with other outcasts, though, and forms his own little community that leaves him content for a time.

There is something out there in the woods, though, and William’s imagination draws parallels between Grendel and his own Caliban, especially when signs that it’s a kind of cannibalistic monster. Is it a werewolf, 16th century serial killer, troll, or something wholly new? The locals, as you can imagine, are quick to blame the local Powhatan. Even William is skeptical of his own mind at work when he notes that a perhaps more likely explanation is some of the released criminals at work in the colony combined with the victims’ bodies being feasted on by animals’ postmortem.

If I were to make an odd comparison, this reminds me a bit of the John Cussack Edgar Allan Poe movie, The Raven, except much better. That movie suffered from making its titular celebrity the center of the murders as well as forced into their investigation. Here William is a reluctant detective and doesn’t have any skill at it but is moved by the fact it personally threatens him as well as those people he cares about. I appreciate all the effort Allan Batchelder takes to humanizing the Bard with his regrets over his failed marriage, relationship with a prostitute named Luca, and the jokes of plagiarism made about him.

This is the rare book I state is just extremely good from start to finish and is one that benefits extremely from its prose. While not William Shakespeare himself, he manages to create a believable enough man that could theoretically come up with England’s greatest plays. A somewhat roguish man but never so much as to be unbelievable for the time period. A somewhat darker and more morose version of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’s take on the Bard perhaps. The supporting cast is solid too and I cared enough about them to want to see whether they became monster chow. Highly recommended.

Review by Felix Ortiz: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A truly engrossing tale. Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2023. Verified Purchase. This book shows how a good story doesn’t need to have epic proportions. To me it felt like a love letter to Shakespeare within a horror mystery.

One of the things that I enjoy the most in a book is great prose, and Allan’s is top notch. I loved his writing voice, wit, and pace. His characters are believable, and their relationships are one of the biggest highlights of the book.

As soon as I finished it, I jumped to his other books right away (which I’m also really enjoying!). Highly recommend it.

Review by Matt: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Batchelder Does It Again! Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2022. Verified Purchase. I was a huge fan of Allan’s Immortal Treachery books and had been idly wondering when/if he’d have a new book coming out when I got a Kindle notification informing me about the release of This Thing of Darkness. Talk about timing! If you liked Allan’s previous books, you’re going to like this one…while sharp-eyed readers probably didn’t have much difficulty spotting all the Shakespearean references sprinkled throughout the Tarmun Vykers books, here the Bard takes center stage in a grand adventure combining alternate history with a few dashes of horror and folklore. Though this one leaves the world of epic fantasy behind, it has all the other trademarks of a good Batchelder book: strong and unique characters, witty dialogue, and plenty of action. Can’t wait to see what kind of ‘Brave New World’ the author will head to in his next book!

Review by MJB: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Shakespeare fun? Yes! Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2022. Verified Purchase. Other than taking a Shakespeare class in college (40 years ago) and enjoying some good summer stock plays, I haven’t pursued Shakespeare more. I’m glad the author, Allan Batchelder, has. I loved how he humanized Shakespeare in such a delightful way. The book was fun, intriguing, and did not ever drag. The plot line is clever! You know the question, “If you could have anyone at your dinner party who would you invite?” By the end of the book I would answer, “Will and Margaret.” Oh, and Allan Batchelder.

Review by Robert Herold: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. A First-Rate Tale. Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2022. Verified Purchase. This Thing of Darkness by Allan Batchelder is a wonderful tale of Shakespeare (incognito) coming to Jamestown in 1619 and having to contend with brigands and a Grendel-like monster who enjoys gorging himself on settlers. Batchelder has a gift for words and historical details that brings the period to life. He also keeps things moving at a brisk pace which makes for an exciting read. Excellent!

Review by James: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. X-files Monster Of The Week Meets Literature-Centric Colonial Period Piece. Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2022. Verified Purchase. ‘This Thing of Darkness’ is a fun page-turner by epic-fantasy and grimdark author Allen Batchelder – known for his Immortal Treachery series. Fans of Immortal Treachery and new readers will appreciate this new tale that chronicles William Shakespeare’s attempts to escape fame for a new chance at life in the Jamestown Colonies. However, thieves, bigots, and even a monster aim to cut that new life short.

Review by Schoolteacher: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Great fun! Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022. Verified Purchase. Batchelder’s prodigious imagination is on display again in this exciting, teasing, and satisfying story.

Review by Austin Tichenor: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Historical Fiction + Monsters / Shakespeare = Totally My Jam. Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2023. FULL DISCLOSURE: I gave Allan developmental feedback on an early draft of “This Thing of Darkness” because I was so excited by the premise alone: What if Shakespeare didn’t die, but traveled to the New World to reinvent himself? The resulting book is page-turning historical fiction grounded by impeccable research and – much like Shakespeare’s plays – enlivened by humor, great relationships, and the supernatural. A highly recommended beach read…but also perfect for the autumn months when the leaves begin to turn and darkness falls.

Review by Shannon Penrod, Host of Autism Live: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Brilliant!! Great Read! Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022. Wow! What a great read! It’s a real page turner. I loved every aspect – it’s such a great story, so clever, so funny! Another great one from Allan Batchelder. I am a huge fan!

Review by Nathan Evan Tepp: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Great Read!! Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2022. I have been a fan of Allan Batchelder’s writing for years and his latest is another great read! Highly recommend!

Review by S. E. Britten: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Must-Read, this Book is Fantastic! Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2022. Having faked his death in 1616, an aging Shakespeare flees for the New World with his illegitimate son where he faces a monster out of legend that is slaughtering pilgrims. What a concept! This book, however, completely surpassed my expectations and was such an absolute and genuine pleasure to read.

I’ve covered plenty of Shakespeare but in all honesty, I was here for the monster, and the setting is one I find really fascinating. But so much of this book’s charm comes from Shakespeare and his companions adjusting to life on the frontier and engaging with their new surroundings. The monster plot is almost an afterthought, but one that is weaved consistently throughout the story and provides plenty of tense and gruesome moments.

In a book like this, obviously you expect it to be peppered with references to the Bard’s works. But Batchelder goes far beyond mere quotation, he engages with Shakespearean language and wit, playing with words constantly and to a much, much greater degree than expected – it is exactingly crafted, and the writing absolutely sparkles as a result.

Product Details:
Paperback: ‎224 Pages
Publisher: ‎Macabre Ink (May 3, 2022)
Language: ‎English
Fiction (Literary)

Amazon Print:
https://www.amazon.com/This-Thing-Darkness-Allan-Batchelder/dp/1637898274/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652030605&sr=8-1

Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/This-Thing-Darkness-Allan-Batchelder-ebook/dp/B09QC4S5VQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652030605&sr=8-1

Audiobook:
https://www.amazon.com/Audible-This-Thing –of-Darkness/dp/B09YVPNJ6G/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652030605&sr=8-1

Customer Ratings:
https://www.amazon.com/This-Thing-Darkness-Allan-Batchelder/dp/1637898274/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652030605&sr=8-1#customerReviews

*****

About Author Allan Batchelder: Allan is a professional actor, educator and former stand-up comedian. In addition to Steel, Blood & Fire, As Flies to Wanton Boys and Corpse Cold, he’s also written plays, screenplays, online articles, dialogue for computer games, greeting card sentiments and more.

Steel, Blood & Fire has been praised by Kirkus, Midwest Book Review and Fantascize.com. Allan holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the National Theatre Conservatory and a Master’s in Teaching from Seattle Pacific University. He is a huge fan of Shakespeare, Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, George R.R. Martin, Tad Williams, and R. Scott Bakker.

Allan lives in Seattle with his wife and son, where he enjoys walks on the beach, reading in the garden and puttering around on his computer. Oh, and naps. He LOVES naps. In fact, he’s probably taking one right now.

Amazon Author’s Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Allan-Batchelder/e/B00AXP2EKQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1496859326&sr=8-1

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