Gods of the Dark Web

By: Lucas Mangum

Narrated by: Sean Duregger

Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of Engines of Ruin comes a dark suspenseful novel for fans of Black Mirror, Edward Lee, and cosmic horror.

The internet is a scary place. Beneath Facebook and Twitter is another world. One in which anything can be obtained - for a price. A community of black markets, depraved pornography, and death. This is the dark web.

Leon was just curious. He had heard the stories of the secrets and forbidden fetishes that the dark web offered. He was an activist, protesting against war and hate. But after a protest became violent, he felt he needed protection. Being a teenager with no way to buy a gun legally, he had no choice but to turn to the dark web.

This rash decision sends Leon spiraling down into a dark side of humanity that most don’t know - or even want to know - exists. A world of murder, torture, and cannibalism. But behind all that there is something worse. Something stalking him and intent on ruining every aspect of his life.

Now, Leon is fighting for his life and reputation as he is being hunted by vile and arcane forces. They are the gods of the dark web.

©2018 Lucas Mangum (P)2020 David N. Wilson

Fantastic insane book

This book was sick, love it. Weak minds and stomachs should not go for it. But for all the brave smart open minded individuals. Is perfect. Fantastic narrative.

Gory and extreme

An eldritch Lovecraftian god and a cult of depraved followers that find victims using the dark web. Gods of the Dark Web is a short, mean and brutal story about the horrors of the dark web and the vile things that may take place there. This is the urban legend/creepypasta like version of what might be lurking on the dark web. We should all be a little more careful about meeting strange people we found on the internet. I love anything that has to do with the dark web/Internet horror so i just had to read this one when I heard about it.

There are a few moments in this book that were very gory and extreme so be warned if you have trouble with gore and violence.

Note: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review

No Stew for Me

I did enjoy this dark horror of the dark web, there was a few stomach turning scenes. Recommend if you enjoy short horror stories. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you

A definite must listen.

Leon is in a situation when the book opens, tied up to be exact. When he has been missing for a week, his Dad calls his brother, Niels to tell him the upsetting news. Niels goes on a quest to find him but sinister beings and dark secrets will put both of them in harms way. With a cast of characters that range from Leon’s girlfriend to Niels ex-wife, and a woman Niels meets at Avalon Lake, there is so much to uncover before it’s too late.

O.K. I took 4 pages of notes on this one. I listened to the audiobook and it definitely heightened the experience. This one was rough to listen to because it goes into the dark web shenanigans.

I did not see 90% of the plot twists coming and Mangum really knows how to keep us on our toes. I read BONE CIDER and fell in love with his writing. (I have 4 more physical books and maybe 2 more audio. It’s NOT STALKING, IT’S SUPPORTING!)

Anyway, if you haven’t listened or read this one you are 100% missing out. There isn’t a flaw in this book. Seriously. It’s 99.99% perfection (0.01% for margin of error.)

5/5 helpings of baby stew

Wish it was longer!!

A great story. Awesome narration!! Wish it could’ve been a longer novel!! Great job! Thanks!!

Frustrating Attempt at Cosmic Horror

This is a frustrating book. The hardcore horror itself isn't terrible, although it's most noteworthy appearance involves a baby and a stew pot, while everything else is just boilerplate hardcore horror. The entire premise requires you accept this is the media interpretation of the "" Dark Web"" where drugs can be bought with the ease one finds a book on Amazon, terabytes of snuff films and child abuse materials at the ready, and master hackers that can make a device do whatever it wants.

Nobody in the story has any sort of critical thinking skills. A pair of peaceful protestors can't find a person to sell them a gun (in TEXAS) so they decide to look for a seller on the dark web. Instead of keeping an eye on his son and going to the police after his son's various accounts forward child pornography to everyone on his contact list, a father orders him to "go for a walk". The main character is told how dangerous and screwed up the "" Dark Web"" is, and as soon as he's on TOR, he just starts clicking random links and is surprised at what he finds

Speaking of which, the main character, Niles, is completely unlikable. From staring at the ass of a girl he later concluded to be 16 and still a virgin (I have no idea why this is relevant in their situation, and doesn't help that he's in his 30's) to jerking off to a random video he found on the "" Dark Web"" for no reason other than to see a woman get her teeth knocked out for tension.

The cosmic entity is only seen at the start and end of the story, and I'll give points for creativity. I never expected to see one of the unknown Old Gods depicted as a fusion of flesh and technology!

Sean does a good job of narration, and by the end of it, you can feel the fear and exhaustion meant to be conveyed in the story.

Full disclosure: This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I provided this unbiased and voluntary review

Dark Horror Like They Use To Make

Short and concise, this is the foreboding tale of those terrible things that lurk in our nightmares, parading in a playground all their own.
It's dangerous to brave the depths of the dark web. They are watching you.

Good Start For a New Horror Author

Lucas Mangum has proven that no topic is taboo for his writing. So be warned, twisted graphic horror is in store for you if you listen. As someone who primarily listens to horror, to include hardcore graphic horror, I did find parts of this story disturbing. Well done Mangum, you found some topics that even I don't want to listen to.

My only complaint about the story is that it seems to sometimes take a back seat to the detailed graphic horror. I wanted more from the story and characters. I felt like the story was rushed a bit and was just there to prop up the crazy violent scenes that come out from the bowels of hell. I think I would have preferred for the story to have been longer with the characters fleshed out a bit more and more plot development .

Sean Duregger did a great job with the narration. I loved his character's voices, the cadence he used, and the overall energy he put into the narration. He really brought the story and characters to life.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Voyeuristic violence porn

Let’s start with the good part, which is the narration.
As always, Sean Duregger does a fantastic job and manages to narrate through this book with dignity- kudos. Five stars for him.

The book itself is nothing other but violence porn in the style of Hostel and Saw. The author is a bit late to the party as those kind of horror flicks were popular 15 years ago, but better late than never, I guess.
However, that’s not the problem I have with this book. Some people enjoy violence porn, good for them.
I am a big horror fan, and I saw Hostel and admired the gory special effects, so such stuff can’t shock me. Not my cup of tea but whatever.

However, what I have a real problem with is the depiction of women in this book.
There’s nothing wrong with using vulgar language in literature as long as it’s used in character and in dialogue.
I have no problem with it if women are described using the C word, if it’s a character who does that.
But in this book, it’s not the character, it’s the author.
Not only doesn’t he miss out on any opportunity to show women in the most degrading ways (which can be excused with the story) but he describes female genitals with the C word and other body parts with similar degrading words. Horribly abused women who clearly are victims are described as Bs for no reason. Funny enough, when describing male genitalia, the author uses civilized descriptions.
Oh yeah, and the hero of the story masturbates watching porn where a woman is horribly abused. Awesome guy.

In the end, what do we learn from the story?
-kids, don’t be stupid. If you want to buy a gun, don’t go to the Dark Web, go to Walmart like everyone else.

Gory and Edgy

First of all, this is a very graphic horror story. There were a lot of elements that turned my stomach, and I am a regular reader of darker fiction.

Stay off the dark web, you never know who might be lurking there. Gods of the Dark Web takes the reader on an extreme version of the horrors that a person who isn’t careful can find themselves in. It came off like a creepypasta with the possibility that what happened could very much happen in real life.

Very edgy story with an interesting concept. As a horror story, it definitely does its job of eliciting chills in its readers. There were a lot of things done for shock value, and I think it played into the story pretty well, making it one that I won’t forget in a while.

Narration brought the perfect edge to the work.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.