Dark Souls is sombre tale of damaged childhoods that lead inexorably to a tainted and violent adolescence.
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Dark Souls is sombre tale of damaged childhoods that lead inexorably to a tainted and violent adolescence.
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"The title is not the only thing dark about Sam Millar's novel, the darkness of violence, the darkness of abused children and the darkness of betrayal mark this as a particularly affecting book. Dark Souls is sombre tale of damaged childhoods that lead inexorably to a tainted and violent adolescence. Dark though it may be, in both title and theme, Sam Millar's novel is a compelling and forceful examination of twisted childhood." Pauline Ferrie, editor Awarded book of the month. --The Irish Emigrant
"Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood springs to mind as a possible ancestor to Dark Souls with its run-down neighbourhoods, wrecks of cars and a general sense of ugliness, fanaticism and brutality. Their town is a grim place. The murders, accidental deaths and mutilations that comprise the story are set against the grimmest of grim backdrops and it is Millar's ability to tell a story that is its real strength. His upcoming memoir, On The Brinks, looks compelling."
Irish Times
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About Sam
An award-winning crime writer of numerous true and fictional best-selling crime books. Dark Souls, On The Brinks, The Redemption Factory (short listed to the last six for Grand Prix de littérature policière, France’s most prestigious crime...
Published Reviews
Sep.02.2011
“Naked…for years on end in a freezing cell…beatings…whatever…Millar went through it all.”
Sep.02.2011
“While most writers sit in their study and make it up, Sam Millar has lived it and every sentence in his new novel, The Redemption Factory, evokes a searing truth about men,...
Sam's Other Books
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For Readers
Awards & Bestseller Lists
Belfast Telegraph/Easons
“The Darkness of Bones recreates the details of a child sex abuse scandal [Kincora] with shivery vividness.”
BookReviews, Irish Times
“A colourful history is a public relations dream when it comes to promoting a crime-writer; the darker that history the better it is for selling novels. Millar has this and more, but it is the quality of his writing that he is quickly becoming renown for. Based on the true story surrounding the Kincora sex-abuse scandal, his latest novel, The Darkness of Bones, takes us into the very heart of darkness with a gruesome yet compelling story of murder and revenge…”
Irish News
“Using place names of Belfast and the city’s identity itself, Millar is undoubtedly leading a literary and popular revival in this part of a crushed and traumatized world and his story will appeal to all. He pulls no punches in the message of this story, but the depth of his characters and the story they tell are equally powerful. The plot crowds, heaves and thickens to its inevitable end, but always keeps the reader guessing. This is a powerful novel in its honesty and originality.”
Andersonstown News
“The Darkness of Bones is a must-read, and not simply because of Millar’s distinctive style of writing, but also this: because it revisits the evil that prevailed in this society in spite – or because of – the terror of the conflict, and gives a voice and an avenging but healing hand for the innocence of children lost to sexual abuse. His talent for writing a riveting, dark and purging tale of unspeakable horror – namely the Kincora scandal - and fashioning it into a fascinating crime drama is nothing short of genius.”
Daily Ireland
“Millar writes with such intensity his words can often knock the breath clean from your lungs. His gritty style takes no prisoners, and his stories always ask the question other authors shy away from. Based on the infamous Kincora scandal, this is a gripping story, one you will not easily forget.”
Belfast Telegraph