Book Review: The Dark at the Heart of the Diamond
The Dark at the Heart of the Diamond. Sylvia Shults. Dark Continents Publishing, August 15, 2012, Trade Paperback and Kindle, 248 pages.
Reviewed by Christine Collins Cacciatore.
Local Illinois author Sylvia Shults has written several books, among them Timeless Embrace, Fractured Spirits, and The Dreamwatcher. The Dreamwatcher and Timeless Embrace are as USA Best Books finalists. Her latest offering is a book of short stories entitled The Dark at the Heart of the Diamond. From what I’ve read about her, she’s an author who wants to affect her reader. Provoke a reaction. Make them think.
I read this book within the space of a few days. However, the short stories stuck with me longer than that. Each story was better than the last. In the author’s notes, she mentions that she would love it if her readers would stay up late, thinking about a particular story. Well played, Ms. Shults.
Yours truly was one of the readers who did stay up. Her tales remind me somewhat of Stephen King, in that the reader thinks all is normal, until BAM! Suddenly we are dealing with, for instance, a man bound and determined to see through someone else’s eyes. Literally. “The World Through Your Eyes” is creepy but delicious. Another story I kept chewing on long after I put down the book was “Wings of Silver.” It was a heartbreaking story of a loyal little plane realizing it was nearing the end of its usefulness. Although it’s an inanimate object, the author does a great job of making the reader feel pity for the little plane…never mind its naughty behavior.
The collection of short stories starts off with a touching story about a vampire. The second story moves you into a very different world, in which a man receives a letter he is both expecting and dreading. Then there’s a somewhat sad narrative of a forgetful woman who loves roses, but her predilection for them helps her family in unexpected, surprising ways. Yet another story is about a woman who has very unexpected results when battling a large amount of pests. This one is going to linger in your subconscious, especially if you should hear something rustling around your kitchen at night. It made my skin crawl even while I laughed at the end. One of my favorite stories, however, was about Mr. Twilby, whose stubbornness is only matched by his ick factor.
I will be reading these stories over and over; that’s how much I enjoyed her collection. Some of them are dark and disturbing, some are whimsical, and some are just plain creepy, but every one of them is clever and well written. I plan on finding and reading some of Ms. Shults’ other books.
Do yourselves a favor. Get a copy of this book, The Dark at the Heart of the Diamond, and set aside some time to delve into it. It is chock-full of entertaining stories that you will think about long after you close the cover.