As an avid researcher on the topic of shadow people and the paranormal, I noticed a few people talking about this book by D.H. Thorne and figured it was worth picking up. Usually, I don’t spend large amounts of money ($20+) on books by authors I don’t know, but I figured I would roll the dice and see how it panned out.
Upon receiving the book, I noticed it was rather thick so I felt the price paid for the book was justified; however when flipping through the book I noticed the old school publishing trick used to beef up book thickness… bigger than normal font size (14 pt or larger) throughout the entirety of the book. Given that I am a fast reader and that the font size was large, I was able to burn through it pretty quickly.
The first part of the book is more of an autobiography of sorts for the first 90 pages or so. It tracks the life of the author from adolescence down his path to working with shadow people and two other entities, Azazel and Ranzael. The story flows, discussing his relations with other practitioners and his overall evolution.
Generally, I don’t mind hearing backstories and they often help the reader build a stronger connection with the author; however, almost half the book is dedicated to the author’s very curvy background on his path. Sadly, it does not focus on the actual working with shadow entities, but rather the effects of these entities and how they inspired him to begin working with them.
After 130 pages, we move into Part 2 of the book, which starts talking about the meat and potatoes of the topic. There is a bit of good information regarding ritual items and proper preparations for rituals and incantations which someone could glean a bit of information from. Not only is there your typical instructional guide included, but it also goes over the main forms of shadow people you will/ can encounter and what they are often tied to. Very interesting and made the purchase worthwhile.
For Part 2, think old school Scott Cunningham books when it comes to explaining altar, setup, and tools. Pretty clear and to the point.
The author makes it very clear that this isn’t a realm for dabbling in. As someone else who seeks to understand how shadow people work and how they fit into the puzzle of the universe, I can attest that these are not your average energy and can cause problems to those without the proper mental fortitude.
The incantations in the book are very basic and simple, so don’t expect anything earthshaking. There are some calls in the book that resemble enns that may be worth trying out. The author states not to change anything in regards to the incantations or rituals; however, most seasoned occultists will probably do just that.
Is it effective? It might be, but based on the writing of the author and his proposed methodology, I haven’t taken the time to “consecrate” myself to that path (it’s a long process and I currently haven’t found the ability or intense interest to do so).
My biggest complaint? The editing (or lack thereof). The random capitalization, improper use and abuse of ellipsis, the run-on sentences, poor use/ overuse of grammar marks, and other aspects of basic English composition.
While I am not an editor by any means, rarely ever do I read a book and have a vocal reaction to the poor quality of grammar and lack of proofreading. I can easily absorb minor mistakes and usually not even care. Sadly, it is as though the author didn’t even bother to run the content through Grammarly or any other type of service out there, nor did they let anyone read the copy before publishing to have them point out these mistakes.
This took me aback a bit because, in the mundane world, I am a marketing consultant who deals heavily in copywriting for a variety of industries.
(If anyone knows the author personally, please have him reach out to me and I will happily review and edit his next book for free. Or at least proofread it for him.)
Is it worth the purchase?
Honestly, with the grammar issues aside, it isn’t a bad read and could have a worthy spot on your shelf if, for nothing else, a resource guide in working with the shadow people you hear about these days.
For those who seek to practice in a realm that drips in the negative and are willing to go through the trials and terrors of embracing your darkest shadow self, this is most likely a worthwhile investment to help get you on the path.