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Darkly Wood II: The woman who never wore shoes Kindle Edition
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJanuary 31, 2017
- File size1.7 MB
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This option includes 2 books.
Product details
- ASIN : B01NC15R8N
- Publisher : Max Power Books
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : January 31, 2017
- Language : English
- File size : 1.7 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 445 pages
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Book 2 of 2 : Darkly Wood
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,125,817 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #78,613 in Horror (Kindle Store)
- #131,177 in Horror Literature & Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Max Power has written several books including Darkly Wood, Darkly Wood II The woman who never wore shoes, Larry Flynn, Bad Blood and Little Big Boy. Originally from Dublin he currently resides in Maynooth in Kildare Ireland with his family.
Double winner of the Peoples Book Awards for Little Big boy and Darkly Wood
Latest publication- Darkly Wood II The woman who never wore shoes. This is book II in the series. Coming soon Darkly Wood III Crinkle
Max can also be found on Facebook at https://facebook.com/maxpowerbooks
You can also read Max Power's blog here ;
https://maxpowerbooks.wordpress.com and on Twitter@maxpowerbooks
Coming next Apollo Bay... An intense thriller set in Australia
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book's story engrossing, with one review highlighting its seamless blending of sinister history. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as a masterfully-crafted mosaic of narration. They also appreciate its readability, comparing it to a good Netflix series.
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Customers praise the book's engrossing and skillful narrative, with one customer noting its seamless blending of sinister history, while another describes it as a haunting collection of stories surrounding Darkly Wood.
"...the more you find out about Darkly Wood, the more the various story threads tie together, the more you want to know, what the heck is really doing..." Read more
"...It has some intense scenes, but it's not meant as a scream-fest. This is the creeping, gnawing horror that sneaks up you in the middle of the night...." Read more
"...If you don’t mind reading a dark, frightening, blood-curdling story, with a bit of romance and a giant dose of creepiness to it, then Darkly Wood II..." Read more
"...However, the deeper you dive into this fascinating story, the more driven you become to learn the truth and to face the demons that only a brave few..." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one describing it as a masterfully-crafted mosaic of narration, while another notes that the author doesn't skip a single word.
"This is a lyrical and haunting collection of stories surrounding Darkly Wood...." Read more
"...Well written and entertaining, Darkly Wood II is a great read." Read more
"...Max Power is a talented author, a great storyteller, and a master at spinning tales. You won’t be disappointed." Read more
"...I absolutely loved the masterfully-crafted mosaic of narration, which slowly ties all the loose ends into an epic climax, a revelation of some sort..." Read more
Customers find the book readable, with some mentioning it's a good Netflix series, and one customer noting it's an amazing follow-up to an amazing book.
"...I think this would make a good television or Netflix series." Read more
"...horror, romance, and the paranormal, Darkly Wood II is definitely worth a read!" Read more
"An amazing follow-up to an amazing book...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2017This is a lyrical and haunting collection of stories surrounding Darkly Wood. Though classified as horror the collection of tales reminded me of the magical realism of Latin American authors like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who wrote One Hundred Years of Solitude. There too very realistic settings and stories blend mysteriously and eerily with goings on that are clearly not entirely of this world.
I’m not a heavy reader of horror so lay no claim to being a connoisseur of the genre. But Darkly Wood II made me want to read more, perhaps because it includes dimensions to the storytelling not typically found in horror stories. Like Aesop fables of old, these stories make you think about the price of our everyday decisions. They compel us to consider the mundane meat and potatoes dishes of life we’re often served up from a more philosophical and moral and dare I say spiritual bent. Stephen King’s books have that quality to them as well; I like books that do more than entertain. And this was one of them.
There is a wonderfully delicious and very sly, black sense of humor that underlies many of the stories, especially as regards the twists of fate our lives are subject to owing to circumstances beyond our control. As if time itself were sadistic.
But my favorite thing about this author is how well he handles suspense. The more of the stories you read, the more you find out about Darkly Wood, the more the various story threads tie together, the more you want to know, what the heck is really doing on with Darkly Wood and the people being affected by it? Do they deserve the dreadful fates that come to them? For me, that was the real page turner.
The quality of the storytelling was strong enough to make me want to circle round and read the first book in the series that I missed.
Highly recommended for folks who enjoy a lot of mystery with their horror. And also for people who enjoy “thinking man’s” horror as it were. Namely horror that doesn’t rely on stupid people doing stupid things for cheap effect, like walking towards the guy holding the chain saw, which is the mainstay of most C-grade horror films, and which is probably what turned me off this genre in the first place that so clearly deserves more of my attention.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2017Darkly Wood ended like any good horror story should - leaving you wanting more. The main story was finished, but it added more questions and begged for a sequel. Now, three years later, we get a sequel that answers some of the questions and introduces more. Darkly Wood II: The woman who never wore shoes picks up the story of Daisy May when her granddaughter wanders into the woods and history repeats itself.
This time, though, the stakes are higher and there's a twist.
Power himself has claimed this isn't a horror story. He sees it as a romance with horror elements and there's certainly a bit of romance lurking in the dark corners of the story, ready to snatch you up and lovingly shred you. Certainly, Darkly Wood II uses the romance elements to both humanize and demonize his primary antagonist and give us tantalizing hints as to why he is the way he is, but the magic of the story lies in how we learn more about why the woods are the way they are.
As before, Power weaves stories of the woods into the narrative of the story, but this time the stories become important parts of the whole. Rather than simply provide exposition and allow us to see Darkly Wood as a long-time menace, the old stories become important elements in the final narrative.
Max Power is a masterful story-teller, so masterful you don't always realize just how well-woven the tale is until the whole of the story hits you full in the face. If you haven't read Darkly Wood, it's not strictly necessary to start there, but it would definitely help.
If you like your horror stories with a bit of soul instead of a lot of blood, check out Darkly Wood II. It has some intense scenes, but it's not meant as a scream-fest. This is the creeping, gnawing horror that sneaks up you in the middle of the night. Well written and entertaining, Darkly Wood II is a great read.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018I think I should have read the first book prior to this one. I'm not a big fan of horror, but I read the sample before purchasing and thought it read much like a fairy tale which intrigued me. I thought the character of Wormhold the most fascinating, at the same time the hardest to get an understanding of, as in why was he so evil? And, yes, there was an explanation given, but still, I couldn't understand his vileness.
There was a lot of circular stuff going on--people going in circles, not being able to escape Darkly Woods, families repeating the same things, always being lured in and attached to Darkly Woods.
I love being in the woods. This is making me rethink this.
I think this would make a good television or Netflix series.
Top reviews from other countries
- RuddersReviewsReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars A sublime and majestic myriad of horror ...
Having read and enjoyed the author's first book in this series I was looking forward to reading the sequel. I must confess I had some doubts that it simply wouldn't have the same impact second time around given that some of the mystery of Darkly Wood would already have been revealed to readers of the first book.
I'm happy to say that Darkly Wood II is every bit as creepy and mysterious, and even better than Book One; Max Power doesn't just write stories, he literally sculptures every word and sentence with the consummate skill of a Michael Angelo, bringing to life the image in the reader's mind like the subtle brush strokes of the classical artist adding that indefinable something extra that creates a masterpiece.
Like its prequel, Darkly Wood II embodies many different themes i.e. bloody and horrific murder, tragic romance, unrequited love, mysterious disappearances, the paranormal, and a host of others. Likewise, the format is similar to the first book in that it reads much like a book of short stories, all tied together by the central theme of the mysterious Darkly Wood. This time, however, there is more of a central character and story in the form of the 'evil personified' Wormhole, a man (or monster?) every bit as mysterious as Darkly Wood itself, anchoring everything together in a more coherent manner.
Readers of the first book will immediately see that that events have in their way come full circle, with two new generations of characters following on from Book One. Holly Coppertop, the granddaughter of Daisy May from the first book, having read the mysterious Tales of Darkly Wood finds herself similarly trapped and imperilled by it. Can Daisy May draw on her own experience and nightmares of that place to save her granddaughter and her daughter, Rose? And will she have to sacrifice herself to do so? But apart from this one nod to a chronological timeline, Darkly Wood, its characters and their stories, all appear to exist in their own particular corner of time and space, detached from the real world.
The many twists and turns here are only matched by the equally rich array of fascinating characters. Who could not be intrigued to know the background and stories of the other equally enigmatically named cast? Charlie Callous Colson, Blenerhorn Mastiff Wormhole, Matthew Squelby, and Cathecus Flincher are but a few of the new characters to wet the appetite. And lastly, there's Darkly Wood's strange metamorphosis of two of them into the 'beast boy' Woody twins?
Whilst this book is hardly lacking in blood and gore, its strength, readability, and sheer enjoyment stem from the author's unrivalled ability to weave a complex array of gruesome and creepy tales and folklore into something far greater than the sum of its parts - it's like the stories of Hansel and Gretel have been given an Edgar Allan Poe make-over to form one super sublime myriad of horror.
A must-read for any fan of the classical and psychological horror genres. Can't wait to for book three in this captivating series!
- R. CoulsonReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly done.
My review of Darkly Wood II - Max Power Where to begin? This tale is part fantasy, part horror, part paranormal, and part sci-fi with a sound basis in believable characterisation and real emotion. Daisy May Coppertop, to whom we are introduced in book one, is still struggling to understand what happened to her and Benjamin in Darkly Wood all those years ago, was it real or a coma nightmare, and her return to the wood has a grim inevitability about it. What is the truth and what dark power links her to that evil place?
I love Max Power’s writing. I read Tales of Darkly Wood and enjoyed it, but book two takes the story to a whole new level. What sort of mind can conjure such characters and such stories and weave them together into a complex whole? Certainly, an inventive, imaginative, and curious one. Power leads you, all eager, to the brink of discovery and then rips you away to follow another fascinating thread; he is a master of keeping one guessing and enthralled. Darkly Wood II is a long book by my standards but never once did my interest and curiosity flag. Brilliantly done, Mr Power, and clever of you to leave me frustratedly guessing still. I want to read Darkly Wood III – now!
- MariaReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2017
4.0 out of 5 stars Darkly Wood
Listed as horror, I would also recommend this read to anyone who enjoys paranormal reads with lots of suspense and mystery.
The book opens with history repeating itself; armed with the Book, Holly, Daisy Mae's granddaughter enters Darkly Wood, with a young boy, Charlie in tow. As darkness falls they become lost and discover the horrors and creatures of Darkly Wood. Daisy Mae, having spent a lifetime not sure if her escape from Darkly Wood when a child was real or imagined returns to the woods in search of her granddaughter. There she meets her old adversaries and the ever-changing Wormhold as she discovers her true powers and connection to the woods. Alongside the main story-line there are short stories of people in the past who have lost their way in Darkly Wood and fallen foul of Mr Wormhold.
A sinister story full of suspense, imagery and double meanings. Darkly Wood becomes whatever the reader wants it to be.
- SGSReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Here is why this book deserves 5 stars.
Now a lot of people will be keen to read this sequel on account of how much they enjoyed reading Darkly Wood. They won't be disappointed because in many ways it is a perfect sequel. It keeps to the same inimitable style, has a similar chapter style and flow and has many of the same characters plus new ones with similar quirky names.
However, there is one big difference that stood out for me. That is that this book is better and improved in every respect. The story of darkly wood has moved on a few years in time, which allows it to introduce a whole new cast of characters. They are excellently described in their nature and circumstances by a narrator acting as a storyteller. Who the storyteller is is anyone's guess. It might be you the reader or it might even be the mysterious JR Toner, the mythical writer of the original Tales of Darkly Wood. This narrator's all-seeing viewpoint is an old school way of swapping over quickly from one character's perspective to another. It particularly worked with the multi-chapter style and split scenes which were used to help build tension and bring all the multiple strands together. In particular, what I liked was the rich writing style which often had me re-reading certain segments as if to break down and analyze why they were so good. Just like the Welsh are the best singers, the Scottish are the best inventors and Germans make the best soldiers. Bar none, there is not a nationality that can write and express themselves with the same verve as an Irish writer who is firing on all cylinders.
And Max Power is on fire here and is writing as if possessed by the spirit of some great Irish playwright. I had already given this book five stars by the end of the first chapter and by the time I finished the book, I wanted to double that at least. Everything has come together in this book and the devil is in the detail. He must have rewritten some scenes again and again until they were near perfect. This story was a real pleasure to read and despite re-reading the passages that I most enjoyed, I finished this book in five days. That is speed reading in my mind, except I wasn't reading fast at all. Instead, I just kept picking up the story and reading a chapter more when I should have been working instead; It is that enjoyable a read.
I will only give one spoiler away and that is that the ending is not conclusive and its looks like the third book in this series will be continuing where this one leaves off
- mariana's baneReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars and just like its predecessor
Darkly Wood was such an incredible read that any follow up had it’s work cut out. All the same I was very excited to hear of the release of Darkly Wood II, and just like its predecessor, it does live up to most of my expectations.
I’m generally more critical of my favourite authors so my review should be taken in the spirit it is meant.
In the opening pages of the story, we are introduced to Wormhold, a simply genius creation in terms of the creep factor. This is a man – if he is not a demon in disguise, who is genuinely creepy and acts in such a subtle way that you really don’t know what he is going to do from one scene to the next.
His first request of the wonderfully named Cathecus Flincher is truly horrifying. I was staring stunned at the page when I read the request / demand (the latter description more true as bad things happen to those who cross Wormhold.)
As the story progresses, we are taken back into the aptly named Darkly Wood, and this is strangely where the story lost a little of its power. ‘Woody’ seems less scary here, whereas in the first book he was something to be feared.
The book is part of a trilogy, that’s obvious from the ending, and whilst DW2 doesn’t suffer from ‘middle book syndrome’ it does have a slightly bloated middle.
The final third introduces us to Squelby – certainly a character to watch.
The simple and sheer joy of the Darkly Wood books is that they seem to be written by someone who enjoys enticing us with mysteriously named people – I thought a certain author of a young wizard was good at naming characters until I read the Darkly Wood series.
I do not wish to harp on about it, but this is one author who is a genius storyteller. You are pulled so effortlessly into the world he has created, it is a believable setup that would have me wanting to evacuate the village of Cranby if I could.
There is a delicious morsel for us who want more, because there is going to be a further segment to this series. For now, I am giving this particular book four stars. When I have read the closing chapter to the series, and I will be excited for it’s forthcoming release, I may come back and revise that rating.
It’s recommended to read the first book in any case. One could read this book as a standalone, but you would be missing out on vital character development from the first book.
Strongly recommended.