Daubed In Darkness By J. Daniel Stone’s

Book Review: Daubed in Darkness, by J. Daniel Stone by Thomas Joyce

Introduction to the Review of Daubed in Darkness

J. Daniel Stone’s latest offering, Daubed in Darkness, plunges readers into a haunting narrative set against the chaotic backdrop of New York City during the pandemic. With his trademark lyrical prose and mesmerizing imagery, Stone invites us to explore themes of obsession, love, and the shadows lurking within both ourselves and the world around us.

As we journey through the lives of two artists navigating their passion and the unsettling allure of a mysterious third party, we are left to ponder the delicate balance between desire and danger in a city gripped by fear and isolation. This review delves into the intricate layers of Stone’s storytelling, unraveling the complexities of relationships forged in darkness and the chilling undercurrents that define his latest work.

Specialising in urban horror from the dark alleys and streets of New York City, J. Daniel Stone writes fiction pulsating with blood from a heart of darkness. With three previous novels The Absence of Light (2013), Blood Kiss (2016), and Stations of Shadow (2020), a novella in the collection I Can Taste the Blood (2016), and the collection Lovebites & Razorlines (2017), Stone has amassed a considerable body of work in a relatively short period of time.

The vast majority of his work is focused on the lives of young artists in NYC, always viewed through the frame of dark, boundary-pushing fiction. Having read and reviewed much of Stone’s work in the past, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on his latest and lose myself in his hypnotic and lyrical prose.

Set during the surreal pandemic era of Covid-19 in New York City, Daubed in Darkness follows a pair of artists, Atticus and Zephyr, passionate about each other and the dark art they each produce. Atticus creates unique and often grotesque sculptures using the online handle of @MiniMonstrosities to display his art on social media, while Zephyr writes stories based on the strange and varied things he collects.

While very much in love, their relationship has evolved to a level of openness that allows for the occasional hook-up with other men. But the idea of a throuple doesn’t seriously take hold, until they meet the mysteriously alluring Dexter in an antique shop. An artist who creates disturbingly realistic portraits and sculptures, Dexter is immediately drawn to Atticus and is aware of his work.

What follows is an intricately detailed tale of obsessive love and passion set against the backdrop of a bustling city reduced to fear and isolation by the Covid-19 pandemic. Stone strikes an effective balance between following the story of Atticus and Zephyr, and exploring the wider story of how the pandemic is affecting the city, with eerily quieter streets and boarded-up windows. Living in the underground art scene of the city, they don’t get to see as many shows as they used to, and they still adhere to mask mandates when travelling on the train.

This sense of isolation adds to the dark and oppressive mood of Daubed in Darknessas Dexter begins to exert his influence over Atticus, much to Zephyr’s dismay. Stone manages to tell his story using both third-person and first-person narratives, the latter exclusively used for chapters told from Atticus’s point-of-view. Also, as the story progresses, he uses different chapters to advance the story incorporating a growing cast of characters plucked from previous novels and short stories. Fans of Stone’s previous work will recognise the magical and charismatic members of the band, Electric Orchid, as well as New York’s most dangerous and enigmatic drag queen, Sebastian “Hydra” Ricciuti and his partner, the artist Dorian Wilde.

As Dexter and Atticus grow closer, and the idea of Dexter joining them in a throuple grows in Atticus’s mind, it becomes clear that there is much more to Dexter than anyone can see. It is only thanks to the intervention of the members of Electric Orchid that his secrets begin to unravel. Two of the band, Alex and Rez, were in a similar situation to Atticus and Zephyr before, when Dexter began “invading” their relationship, much like a virus invades first one person and then a whole group.

There are similarities between the greater pandemic and the way Dexter begins to take over the relationship, and Stone really brings the darkness when he describes Dexter’s behaviour and nature, using his prose to bring to life the monster within the shadow. In fact, Stone’s use of language and his work on a sentence-by-sentence level are excellent, using imagery and deliciously descriptive language to set the scene, whether it is a discussion between Atticus and Zephyr about their relationship, a scene showing the effect of the virus on the city, or a hallucinogenic trip into the depths of the city beneath the city.

Some of the action takes place in the literal underground, as Dexter introduces Atticus and Zephyr to his unique studio, beneath the streets of NYC. Despite an ominous feeling about the man and his behaviour, both are obviously drawn to him, whether by his dark art or his alluring sexuality, a primal attraction on a sensory level. It is often during these subterranean tours that we get a glimpse of Dexter’s true form as his shadow often changes shape in the flickering light.

Especially as we reach the climax of the story, Dexter’s true nature is revealed to his would-be victims/companions and the underground studio takes on the appearance of a lair where a monster may lie in wait. Indeed, many allusions are made to both the physical and behavioural attributes of the gothic vampire, Stone bringing the concept into the art scene of 21^st century New York.

Relationship dynamics, specifically for a queer male couple, play an important role in the novel, as does the role of the artist and drug culture in the art scene. But, at its heart, the novel is very much a horror story. Dark visions stalk our protagonists throughout Daubed in Darkness, whether in the privacy of their warehouse abode, or in the city beneath the streets.

Such is the power of Dexter to force these images into the minds of whomever he is targeting. And such is the power of Stone as a storyteller that he too can describe such deliciously dark scenes in such detail that we can’t help but picture them in our mind’s eye, and be disturbed. Nightmarish images of horrifying creatures and ghastly visions abound in another rich and dark offering from a wonderful writer.

Daubed in Darkness by J. Daniel Stone

The pandemic has turned New York into a ghost city. People have fled in droves, graffiti has risen from the dead, and the leftovers are forced to wait out the virus in solitude. Life is turned upside down.

Atticus and Zephyr are New York City-based artists with a flair for the macabre. Atticus specializes in ghoulish, life-like sculptures; Zephyr creates spooky narratives by amassing antiques and collectables. As classic millennials, they struggle to remain creative in a world dominated by social media and short attention spans

Due to the mania induced by quarantine, both feel change on the horizon. The couple meet the enigmatic Dexter, an artist who gives them everything they never knew they needed. Dexter’s presence is haunting, enticing and equally dangerous. After Dexter introduces them to a city beneath Manhattan, the obsession begins.

From secret warehouse parties to an entire city beneath their feet, a dangerous relationship develops, thus all of their lives are altered. Much like how a virus infiltrates the cells and takes over, dark love can change a person, forevermore.

Related