Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca
CLASH Books (June 20, 2023)
202 pages; $16.95 paperback; $10.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

Eric LaRocca brings cosmic horror to a small Connecticut town in his dark, grim new novel, Everything the Darkness Eats.

An old man, concealing miraculous powers in a frail frame, is prowling the streets of Henley’s Edge, plucking a handful of citizens from their everyday lives to use as pawns in a mysterious, arcane ritual. His final and most important pawn is a man who is barely existing, a man teetering on the edge of a void of grief and sorrow. Drawn into the old man’s scheme, he finds he has two choices: fight for the light, or be consumed by the darkness.

LaRocca brings some serious Clive Barker vibes to the table in everything from character names (Ghost, Heart, Saint Fleece) to the concept of a glowing orb (“…scabbed with ancient constellations, crusted with distant galaxies…”) that may or may not be God. It’s heady stuff, but LaRocca keeps everything grounded, putting us inside the head of various characters, letting us see things from many different points of view.

At its core, Everything the Darkness Eats is about survival; or, more accurately, the will to survive. What drives people to keep moving forward in the wake of unthinkable tragedy and unimaginable despair? What enables someone to walk through the dark shadow of grief in search of the merest glimmer of hope?

This is no easy, breezy summer read. It’s bleak, but not without light, and not without hope. LaRocca has been steadily building a solid reputation in the horror genre, and this novel represents a giant step forward for him. Strongly recommended.