Tenebris by Aiden Merchant is a brutal short story that will make you want to reach through the pages to give a very good boy a pat!

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

Trigger Warning: Rape

Tenebris by Aiden Merchant Book Cover
When we dive into this story, we meet a girl named Amy Gardner that has been kidnapped by someone and held in a room where she is “visited” by various men for sexual favors.

Determined to one day escape, Amy tries to reach out to the dog of her kidnapper. By feeding it bits of food and letting it lick her hands under the door, they start to bond. But how will she escape her captor?

Phew. This read is absolutely heartbreaking and terrifying!

While you learn that the main character has been raped repeatedly, the main rape scene that occurs in this tale isn’t too descriptive. In my opinion, it was written very well and with obvious care, while also not shying away from the brutality of it all.

There’s also a bit that is quite gory! That’s all I will say there to avoid spoiling it.

Through the darkness, there is also a strong element of hope! Right from the first page, you will be rooting for the girl to escape. I love how Amy was able to stay so positive, even faced with everything she was going through.