Shiva

Name: Shiva
Price: 14.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781958598931

✍️ Emily Ruth Verona

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$14.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A brother and sister in alternate timelines confront a reality-shattering claim about who truly died.

Verona explores the disorienting nature of grief through two characters trapped in divergent existences. Eva tries to maintain sobriety while counting ceiling flaws, haunted by Thomas’s absence. Her world destabilizes when he appears alive in her home, asserting that she is the deceased one. This inversion challenges their understanding of life and death. The narrative does not rely on jump scares but rather on the slow erosion of certainty. Both characters must accept a difficult truth as the universe corrects its error. The story focuses on internal turmoil and the psychological weight of loss rather than external monsters.

Key Themes

alternate timelines grief and mourning fractured reality

Literary Context

Published by Dark Matter Ink in 2026, this work fits within the contemporary horror and supernatural fiction genres. It draws on gothic traditions of psychological unease and metaphysical mystery. The book addresses modern anxieties about identity and existence through a speculative lens.

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · M.R. James · Junji Ito

👻

Ghost Stories

🏛 Dark Matter Ink 📅 2026 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781958598931

📝 Description: Shiva

A brother and sister in alternate timelines grapple with mourning after the other's death. Eva counts cracks in her ceiling and fights to stay sober following a tragic accident that took her brother Thomas. The story shifts when the deceased Thomas appears in her apartment, claiming she is the one who died. This revelation fractures reality as the universe attempts to reconcile what it calls a cosmic mistake. The plot forces both siblings to confront a terrifying truth about their existence and their shared fate. Verona constructs a tale that blends supernatural elements with psychological drama, focusing on the disorientation of grief and the instability of perceived reality. The narrative structure alternates between Eva’s struggle to move forward and Thomas’s perspective from beyond the grave, creating a tense dialogue across dimensional boundaries. This book suits readers interested in gothic fiction and stories about fractured identities or alternate realities. It may not appeal to those seeking straightforward horror or traditional linear narratives without metaphysical twists. The work examines how loss distorts memory and perception, offering a unique take on the aftermath of tragedy through the lens of speculative fiction.

💎 Our verdict on Shiva

“

🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Verona constructs a tense dialogue across dimensional boundaries, blending supernatural elements with deep psychological drama. The narrative effectively captures the disorientation of grief, forcing characters to accept reality-shattering claims about their existence. By focusing on internal turmoil rather than external threats, the book offers a sophisticated examination of how loss warps perception. It suits fans of gothic fiction and metaphysical horror who prefer intellectual engagement over visceral shock. The alternating perspectives create a compelling tension as the universe attempts to correct its perceived error, making this a profound study of identity and fate.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This book appeals to readers who find traditional jump scares ineffective and instead crave a slow, methodical erosion of certainty. It is ideal for those interested in the psychological weight of loss and how memory distorts reality after tragedy. Readers who enjoy fractured identities, alternate timelines, and the instability of perceived existence will appreciate the narrative’s focus on internal struggle. The story offers a unique perspective on mourning through speculative fiction, challenging the reader to confront difficult truths about life and death without relying on gore or supernatural spectacle.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Verona constructs a tense dialogue across dimensional boundaries, blending supernatural elements with deep psychological drama. The narrative effectively captures the disorientation of grief, forcing characters to accept reality-shattering claims about their existence. By focusing on internal turmoil rather than external threats, the book offers a sophisticated examination of how loss warps perception. It suits fans of gothic fiction and metaphysical horror who prefer intellectual engagement over visceral shock. The alternating perspectives create a compelling tension as the universe attempts to correct its perceived error, making this a profound study of identity and fate.