IAN DOWNUNDER VS. BESTIARY

Ian steps into the world of Bestiary and quickly learns that in Patrick Rutigliano’s world, your body is never just your own.

TITLE: Bestiary

EDITOR: Patrick Rutigliano

GENRE: Horror

PAGES: 233

FORMAT: eBook

PRICE: eBook $4.99, Paperback $14.99

G’day all, it’s your Aussie ARC reader here, back from a bit of a break to tackle a bit of body horror in the form of Patrick Rutigliano’s Bestiary. If you’re a fan of that genre, you might well like to give this one a go. So, let’s grab a coffee, settle down on the sofa and dive in, shall we?

The story starts off with promise, introducing Karen, a child at the time, going for a wander late at night and finding her parents’ car in a line of them in a strange location down the road. Curious, she heads toward the lights and finds a circus of sorts, only this one has far more sinister intentions. There she witnesses a man by the name of Dr Cromwell seemingly performing miracles on sick people by expelling their various maladies. Karen’s parents are part of the audience, and when Karen’s mother is called up on stage and the “miracle” goes wrong, she vows to take revenge.

The bulk of the story then follows Karen as a young woman who has hired a PI called Cal to track down Dr Cromwell. The PI finds him, and what Karen hoped would be straightforward revenge turns out to be anything but. What eventuates is a lot of terrifying body horror, transformations, and deaths and rebirths in a story that twists and turns into territory I didn’t expect. It was a story that kept me entertained the whole way through, although there were a few pacing issues and the villain’s objective was somewhat vague, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying it.

The characters were well-developed on both on the evil and good sides. Karen comes across as strong and confident, but when it comes time to take revenge, she relies on Cal to help, revealing her more vulnerable side. Dr Cromwell is a complex character with gray morals, while his adopted daughter is undeniably deranged, violent, and not afraid to use her skills she learned from him for her own objectives, regardless of those around her.

The descriptions of the action and the locations are excellent and help increase the eeriness of the story. The body horror and transformation scenes in particular made me cringe with unease, which is exactly what you want from a book like this.

Overall, a fun read and one well worth the time for body horror fans.

I give it 4 snapping bones out of 5.

Ian Gielen is a writer of all things spooky and a horror fanatic. Ian embraces his inner geek with pride, his dedication on display in the intimidating collection of horror novels and video games that threaten to take over his living space. He is mad for all things Alien, Star Wars, and cats; his furry companions are always there to keep him company as he scribbles down his latest ideas. With the sheer number of furry and human companions in his life, it’s a wonder he isn’t a little crazier than he already is.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.