Oscar

You can also find this review here.

We all remember fondly all those times when we were young and sat near the bonfire, joking and playing with each other before someone, or someones, also took a seat. Everything would go quiet as these persons, each taking turns to speak, started to narrate a story. Ghosts, vampires, aliens, and more peppered our experiences throughout the night as we passed around a sachet and sprinkled the Midnight Dust into the fire as...no, wait, that was a TV show. Anyway, The Haunted Den by Thurston Howl Publications follows a similar premise: seven authors, each bringing us a ghost story, all tied by a single overall theme. Hauntings.

CW: This anthology contains references and descriptions of, but is not limited to, suicide, death, gore, violence, dubious consent, domestic abuse, among others.

The anthology has a strong start with “The Well” by Anastasia Spinet. In this story, we follow Jonah, the patriarch of a family of ring-tailed cats, and his fascination with the eponymous deep well located in the garden of his new home, one that seems to have changed hands quite often. While I liked the slight The Shining vibes and the way the main character develops throughout the story, I think that what most makes it stand out is how it mixes its “furry” elements with its plot (surprisingly, something not as common in furry literature as you might think). However, I feel like this story could have maybe used a few more pages, as once the ball starts rolling it starts feeling quite rushed with everything that happens.

Next is “The Road to Kyoto” by Alison Cybe. In this story, we follow Roka, a fox-spirit-turned-Shinto-monk in a pilgrimage who, in a manner similar to Aura, soon finds himself at the mercy of an old innkeeper and her underage daughter. The story has tension written all over it, with the main character never getting a moment of rest as danger and dread follow him everywhere he goes; however, for a short story, I feel that there were several superfluous elements introduced. A few of them do kind of make sense, aiding to the tension of very specific scenes before being discarded altogether, but others just have no payoff or any bearing with the story at all.

Changing things up a little, we have “Postmortem Plundering” by Ferric. Unlike the rest of the anthology, the titular haunting refers to a person and not a place as we follow John, a blue jay who receives an unexpected visit from a former, not-so-dead lover. My biggest gripe with this story is how, for the most part, it feels more like a paranormal romance and not bonafide horror, only changing that tone very near the end of it (though in a very effective way, I might add); but I guess that could be a big plus for someone else who's into the actions and type of relationship being portrayed. Also, in an unrelated tangent, this story has the honor of being the only one with an individual Content Warning right at the start of it.

Next, we have “Saturn in the Sky” by Will Sidel. Kind of following the same trend as the previous story, here we have a more personal type of horror as we follow Lou, a lioness who not only has to deal with the haunting memories of her dead father, but also with his rapidly expanding corpse. While I like the setup and the relationship of Lou with her father, especially regarding the mysterious rules he had her follow, I feel like there was not much of a payoff in the end. Though I'll admit that maybe it was just me as I get the feeling that there was some underlying symbolism I didn't understand, and that left me in the dark with no explicit explanation in the text itself.

Returning to our regular schedule, we have “Snowblind” by Robert Shelters. In this story, we follow a rescue team sent to investigate a remote research station after losing all contact with it. The vivid and detailed descriptions really make this story stand out, and that coupled with nice pacing really help set the mood of the story, yet, in spite of them, the story has an overall feeling of lack of tension. The research station, in all its dilapidated and dangerous glory, feels like an aftermath for the most part (which, to be honest, it is) rather than an actual setting, and Neil, our raccoon protagonist, never really feels like he's in any actual danger.

Next is “Old Callow House” by Nathaniel “LeCount” Edwards. In this story, we follow a trio of friends as they investigate the long-abandoned house of the Callow family, left like that after the mysterious disappearance of its previous occupants. Much like in the previous story, here we can see a lot of detail given to the description of the eponymous house, its current state, and history, which almost makes it feel like the house itself was another character. Overall a nice read, but the story at times gives vibes of something that you could find in r/noSleep, both in a good and a bad sense.

Last, but definitely not least, we have my favorite: “The Buccaneer's Bay” by Nathan Hopp. In this story, we follow the host of “Trent Explorers”, an otter named Trent, as he ventures into the eponymous waterpark which was abandoned after the deaths of several parkgoers. The meta-narrative format coupled with good use of dread and tension are what made the story for me, not to mention that it has the most likable protagonist in this anthology, which made me more invested in the story and his story as a whole. My only complaint would be the epilogue, which felt kind of unnecessary.

While the anthology as a whole had a few misses, overall I can say that I had a good time reading The Haunted Den. The different takes on what is a haunting and the ways the authors handled them was interesting, and I have to applaud the illustrations by Nik Raccoon both in art style and how well they fit their individual story. However, I feel that the anthology could have used a little more developmental editing, as many of the stories could have used some very small tweaks to better play to their strengths and fix their most glaring issues.

In an unrelated subject, if the editors of this anthology - or any editor for that matter - see this review, I'd like to bring up again the individual Content Warning of Postmortem Plundering. This was a great idea (even if it was weird that only one story had it) and something that I'd personally love to see in more anthologies; especially for cases like horror, where the content and subjects are meant to disturb the reader, and you risk having specific topics that might be too much for very specific readers.

For my full review, story by story, you can go check it out here.

Throughout history, there's probably no subject more debated than what comes after death. From the Nirvana and Naraka of Buddhism, to the Elysium and Tartarus of Greek Mythology, passing through the Aztec's Mictlan, and everything in between; multiples texts, religions, and philosophers have all tried to come up with an answer to this question. Chief among these texts is Dante's The Divine Comedy, which tells the poet's journey through the three realms of Christian afterlife (Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory) while accompanied by two spiritual guides: Virgil, a master poet, and Beatrice, his one true love. Dante's work is so influential that it basically ended up becoming the basis of all modern depictions of these realms, and no part of The Divine Comedy is more well known than the first one: Inferno, the chronicle of Dante's journey through Hell, and the inspiration for this book.

Infurno is an erotic horror anthology by Thurston Howl Publications, and the first part of The Divine Clawmedy series (oh, the puns!). This anthology tells the story of Kyle and Terry, a gay couple living in Detroit, who end up traveling through the several circles of Hell while accompanied by Atha, a doe and their guide on this realm. Just like its source material, the couple meet several people on their journey and learn what it is they did to deserve being there. However, unlike its source material, they do so by reliving the events which led to their demise and damnation. Unsurprisingly, each of these is one story, each by a different author, and it is these stories which make up the bulk of the anthology.

Be warned that, given the themes and subjects of the stories within (bad people going to bad places for doing bad things), this anthology features depictions of such sensitive topics as rape, violence, torture, gore, murder, suicide, self-harm, racism, physical and emotional abuse, among many others.

The anthology has a strong start with “Blur” by Weasel, representing Limbo. As expected from the only “innocent” circle of Hell, the protagonist of this tragic story, Ely, a white lab mouse on the run after a life of prostitution, is moreso a victim of circumstances than of his own foil. Weasel's depiction of regret makes it easy to sympathize with our main character, and also heightens the sense of dread as the story goes on until its eventual outcome.

“Metal Hellth” by Ferric starts what I'd consider to be the better half of the book. The sole representative of Heresy, “Metal Hellth” deals with Justin, a lead singer from a metal band who ends up performing one last performance before a strange group of spectators. Brutal at times yet whimsical at others, Ferric's tone is a huge contrast with the rest of the anthology, though a welcome addition, indeed. This story quickly became my favorite the first time I was going through the anthology, though little did I know that that spot would get quickly taken away by...

...“In the Name of Science” by Allison Thai, first story of the seventh circle and the crown jewel of this anthology. Representing Violence Against Others, this story chronicles the live experiments done by Sorae, her father, and the team on war prisoners. Thai's cold and clinical tone, coupled with detailed descriptions of gore and the occasional images, really bring this story to life and hit the gross-out and horror with each passing experiment, each one more deranged than the previous one. If you had to pick any one story to read out of this anthology, make sure to make it this one; I'm sure you won't regret it.

Reviewing an anthology with different authors can be difficult, but, as a whole, the anthology, along with its framing story by Thurston Howl and the accompanying art by Drkchaos, fulfills its purpose in an acceptable manner; however, seeing it by its parts, you can see a few cracks appearing here and there. Stories that don't fit or would serve better somewhere else, the difference in quality and style between stories, and the overall cohesiveness of the anthology leave it with high highs and low lows; though that's to be expected when having to deal with so many authors for a single piece of work.

If you're looking for a wholesome, feel-good series, this is definitely not the book for you. However, if you're looking for horror, stories of debauchery and comeuppance, or are a fan of the original work, this anthology might be for you. With 10+ authors you're bound to find more than a few stories that make it worth the price, and it'll be a good warm-up for the next part: Purrgatorio (the puns...).

For my full review, story by story, you can go check it out here.

For those not in the know, the Cóyotl Awards is an annual award run by the Furry Writer's Guild since 2011 to recognize “excellence in anthropomorphic literature”. These works can only be nominated and voted upon by members of the FWG (even if the authors are not part of the guild themselves) instead of the general public, kinda making them like the Oscars but for furry literature.

This anthology, edited by the late Fred Pattern, collects both winners and nominees for the Best Short Story category from the first seven years of the Cóyotl Awards and represents pretty much the whole spectrum of furry literature. Do you want stories with feral characters? You have them. Do you prefer anthros? You have them. How about comedy, horror, sci-fi, or fantasy? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Among the 7 winner stories and 9 nominees, we have stuff such as the following.

For starters, there's “The Canoe Race” by Daniel and Mary E. Lowd, winner of Best General Short Story for 2011 (only year when this and Best Mature Short Story were separate categories). First published in Stories of Camp Rainfurrest, this is a typical camping story with handicrafts, fire pits, and, yes, canoe races but with the twist being that the campers themselves are animals, and by that I don't mean anthropomorphic animals like in some television shows, but instead real, feral animals. So, you get to see birds doing macramé, bears singing, and even raccoons trying to bribe bobcats with shiny objects. The descriptions of the animals-imitating-humans are short and sweet, with the story as a whole having a lighthearted and wholesome tone–a rare sight in this collection.

Next comes “Best of Breed” by Renee Carter Hall, winner of Best Mature Short Story for 2011. First published in Allaso volume 1: Shame, this is a coming-of-age story about the competitive world of Animal Shows but with the almost opposite twist of the previous story as Mina, the main character of this story, is an anthro cat and therefore a sentient creature. At first, everything goes fine for our protagonist, but her world starts crumbling apart once she starts getting into bigger and fancier shows, not in small part by the way Shawn, her human handler, treats her and her sister. The only story in this anthology with any sort of sexual content, though tame and non-explicit, Hall's way of handling Mia's journey into adulthood was gripping and did not let go until the final parts of it.

Accompanying the previous storie is “Rearview” by Sean Silva, nominee for Best Short Story 2012. First published in Allaso volume 2: Shame, this is also the first horror piece in the anthology. Ben, a troubled pig on the run, meets an aggressive wolf on the road after his car breaks down in this short story about the dangers of hitchhiking. From the onset, we can tell that something's not right in all of this, and Silva's handle of the suspense carries the story perfectly until its inevitable outcome.

“Jackalope Wives” by Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher, is the winner of Best Short Story for 2014. First published in Apex Magazine issue 56, this is the story of a boy, his grandma, and a jackalope girl that was caught by the former, or did he? In the end, it's up to Grandma Harken to fix the boy's mistakes and free the jackalope from the pain brought upon by her own blood. Another story that does not feel as “furry” as it could be, but that also makes it up by its modern take on an age old myth.

As mentioned near the beginning of this review, pretty much everything you may want to see is here in one way or another with some very few exceptions, and the fact that these were curated by writers and editors themselves means that you can be sure of the overall quality of every story represented. If you're new to furry literature as a whole, this is definitely the book for you. If you're not, even if you've already read all of these, you should try getting a copy too. The quality is there, the variety is there, and you can see how the storytelling styles and the fandom evolved throughout the decade.

What does a secret cult, a shapeshifter, a femme fatale, and a penis-stealing opossum have in common? Well, it is that they all appear in this book!

Burnt Fur is an erotic/horror anthology by Blood Bound Books themed around animals (ironically, not all of them furred). From talking animals to shape-shifters, and all the way to humans in costumes, this collection explores not only the horror of being hunted as a prey by a non-human being, but also the one that even we as humans can cause against ourselves. To see my full review, story-by-story, you can go here.

CW: This book contains graphic depictions of gore, cannibalism, torture, mutilation, rape, bestiality, among others.

In “Salivation” by Theodore Deadrat we follow the thoughts of our protagonist, an unnamed goat who gets an unhealthy fixation on a deer he meets every day at the subway. What starts as a simple fascination turns into something more sinister as our protagonist thinks more and more about his prey. One of the shorter pieces in the anthology, and the page-turning writing makes it feel go even faster.

“The Hamford Pigs” by N. Rose is when things start getting more graphic. In this story, Toby, a police officer, gets invited to join a club founded by his late father, one which demands absolute secrecy and for him to wear a pig mask as they go on their activities. While I'll admit that maybe it's not the best story to read in the current political climate, the story does pose some interesting questions about, as another reviewer once noted, “duty, morals, and responsibility.”

A mix of erotic and body horror come together in “Five Nights With Teddy” by Thurston Howl. This be-careful-what-you-wish-for story deals with Dante, a furry fan who goes to meet the eponymous Teddy for a chance to be transformed into his fursona, each night getting closer to his goal, for better or for worse. A very unsettling story, with the main character's way of coping making it even more so as the nights go on.

In “Ware the Deep” by Stephanie Park we follow Zachary, a werewolf who's on the lookout for his next meal and ends up picking a girl he meets at a bar, one with an obsessive for and unusual interest in sharks. Extremely well paced, this cat-and-mouse story will have your eyes glued as you wonder who'll come out triumphant. Well, who am I kidding? We all know who was going to win, but, as the saying goes, “The journey, not the destination matters.”

Last, but definitely not least, we have “The Victims” by James L. Steele. In this story, a female wolf recounts to one of her newborn pups about a yearly ritual that he'll eventually have to take part in. Every year, for one day only, evil spirits are given full control over their bodies and in exchange these spirits leave the world alone. As expected from this kind of spirit, what they decide to do with their new, temporary bodies and the aftermaths of it make up the bulk of the story. Body horror, dread, and somberness are all over the place, more than making “The Victims” a great way of finishing this collection.

Overall, a fun and disturbing anthology with a wide enough variety for fans of horror. This book will make you cringe, will make you sad, will make you root for some heroes while hating some of the others, and will keep you on the edge of your seat most of the time. However, as much as I liked several of the stories, I have to admit that I'd have mixed feelings recommending the anthology as a whole due to some of the subjects contained within it and the way they were handled. If any of the tagged warnings might offend you, this might not be the best book for you. If, on the other hand, you think you can stomach through all of them, pick this one up. I can assure that you'll have a beast of a time.

“Don't Call Me Coach” by Tagenar is... You know what? Let's be honest here, I have to praise the author and the artist for the work they did with the cover of this book as it leaves very little to the imagination and you know perfectly well what you're getting into. If you want to buy this book, you will. If you don't, you won't, and I doubt there's anything I could say to change your opinion. However, if like me you were on the fence when you read “high school” on the description, just let me tell you that all characters in this story are 18+, one of them having turned eighteen a couple of months before the story started (take that as you may).

As for those of you who've already read the book, or are interested in my opinion, here's the review.

“Don't Call Me Coach” by Tagenar is the story of Garth Hood, a physics Ph.D. graduate who has to take a job teaching in a high school after not being able to get anything in his field, and this anything even extends to this job as the subjects he was hired to teach were Gym and Social Studies. Making things worse for the thirty-year-old mastiff, one of his students, a Dobermann named Evan Silvers, starts being very open about his interest in him. Now, you might think, this setup is clearly leading into a cheap forbidden-love/erotic-romance and you're partially right (there's sex-a-plenty in this book), but at the same time so very, very wrong. What starts as a cliched porn setup quickly turns up into something I never expected to read, much less be interested in: an educational system critique.

Just follow the outline, this phrase comes over and over again throughout the book. Once used as support for teachers, guidelines have been semi-weaponized against them, restricting them on what they can and cannot teach as well as reduce the need of having competent teachers, or even teachers at all, since anyone can fill that position as long as they follow said guidelines, something that hurts our main character deeply. Hired because of his looks, Garth is to create the guideline for his main class, Gym, while also being forced to follow those of his other classes. Classes, plural. Starting with just 2 subjects, he slowly gets more and more responsibilities. Politics, lacrosse, moderator of the student council... Little by little, Garth starts to lose himself with each new assignment and with each new failed effort to go against the outlines and give his students what they really need, which makes the true main conflict of the story: the struggles of a man going against the system. To be honest, I did not expect the book to go in this direction, and school politics are certainly not a topic I was interested in, but, boy, am I really glad that it happened as that's what kept me glued from one page to the next. Unfortunately, just like how it takes two to tango, school drama is not the only genre of this book...

Evan is a good representation of what the other half of the book is: initially intriguing and captivating, but ultimately flat and underdeveloped. While the romance subplot - and make no mistake, it is a subplot - is a huge hook from the beginning, it suffers a lot not only from how much the school drama (and Garth as a result) is in the spotlight, but also from how much of a non-character Evan is by the end of the novel. I mean, it says a lot when by the end of the book I know more about one minor character who's part of the student council than of the main romance lead who is also on the student council! Moreover, for the most part, Garth and Evan lack any kind of chemistry aside from physical attraction. The numerous sex scenes do not help things either, with the first one or two being well placed and having some meaning behind them, but the book quickly turns into an almost one-scene-per-chapter, usually with the couple meeting each other one page or two before the end of the chapter, saying a couple of lines to each other at most, and then leaving the rest for just “insert A into slot B” sex before rinsing and repeat, almost as if needing to fill a quota. Now, don't take me wrong, I have nothing against “meaningless” sex scenes, nor about the huge number of them, but rather with their spread as the book has a 180-degree turn from barely having anything lewd in the first half while being constantly bombarded with it during the other one.

At the end of the day, I have to say that I enjoyed this book, truly, even if it was for completely different reasons than for what I bought it for, and while I still think that the book could have served better without the romance subplot (or, at least, a very diminished one) I can see why the author decided to include it and why it's even promoted as it is. Before this, I wouldn't have ever thought of buying a book about school politics, and it would have remained like that were it not for the promise of male/male, teacher-student romance.

Tagenar, if I ever go on a teaching/educational system book binge, know that it was all your fault!

CW: Homophobia, Misogyny

Jake's List is technically the first book I've read from Tagenar, thanks to some excerpts posted on other sites, yet it's the last one I've finished by the author. In this coming-out story, we follow Jake, a very straight, very muscled, and very homophobic Rottweiler who unknowingly ends up hooking up with a male fox. However, once he finds out that he's been tricked, things take a turn that neither the reader nor the characters themselves could have predicted. A simple premise, but as is the case with most contemporary coming-of-age/coming-out stories, the focus is not the plot itself but rather the characters.

From the get-go, Jake starts off as quite an unlikely character. The way he talks, the way he acts, and the way he thinks can be offensive at times (intentionally so, not surprisingly) and I could see some people dropping the book with just that first impression of our protagonist. However, even as soon as the second chapter, we start to see him improve in all of those aspects as he comes to grips with his own sexuality. As for other characters, I feel that both of the two main romance leads are likable and interesting by themselves, but they especially work well as foils for the main character, accentuating both who he was and who he might be turning into.

As for the book itself, even though it's the first published work by the author, I feel that it is the best-structured one out of the ones I've read. There is a good deal of character development for our main trio and just the right amount needed for the secondary characters, a good amount of build-up for the sex scenes (even if they happened every chapter), proper use of flashbacks especially given the context and title of the book, and a cohesive plot and conflict all through.

Unfortunately, I still had some issues with it. Aside from what's included in the warnings at the beginning of this review, some of the events felt at times too wish fulfillment-y, especially given the characters that we're supposedly dealing with. There was also a distinct lack of consequences given what happens in quite a few of the chapters, and the plot started to drag a little towards the end. Because of this, as much as I liked the book, I still feel that it comes behind Don't Call Me Coach (which makes sense, as it's a later work by the author).

Overall, whether you're here for the smut or for the characters, I heavily recommend this book, just remember to take the CWs into consideration.

Seeing Spots by Andres Cyanni Halden tells the story of Theo, a young wolf who after getting a fortune cookie that tells him he'll be “seeing spots” (in bed), ends up hooking up with a snow leopard. Who also happens to be the president of a fraternity. And rich. And famous. And...

Let me start with the positives by saying that I really enjoyed reading this book. The relationship between Theo and Khan is really sweet, thanks in no small part to how charming and understanding (and rich) Khan is, and I'd personally like to read more romances with similar couples as you can clearly see that they love each other and why. It also has a good, believable world that is full of side characters that do seem to have lives of their own instead of just gravitating around our two main characters or acting exclusively as aides to them. Sure, the book may fall more on the “fluff” side of the spectrum, but it is nice fluff and one that I do not regret reading. As for the negatives...

While Khan might seem like a Gary Stu at first, you know, being handsome, muscular, rich, good in bed, a senator's son, etc. perhaps that label falls more neatly with our protagonist. Sure, Theo might not be like the other wolves, but not only does he somehow manage to hook up with the best man to ever live, both the story and the characters tend to bend in such a way that it benefits him. Once-in-a-blue-moon events happen when he's around, dangerous situations get solved in such a way that he (and he alone) benefits from them no matter if they're more relevant to another character's arc, and there's not even relationship drama between him and Khan to keep us glued to the pages. Now, while this might seem like I'm complaining about there being too few stakes in my fluff, that is not the case. Because there are stakes, they are just for the side characters.

The book deals with such issues as homophobia, racism, politics, school rivalry, relationship drama, and, hell, there's even an assassination attempt! Yet, our main character does not experience any of these conflicts by himself, even when some of them really apply to him (for example, it's surprising how little the whole “wolves vs. cats” racism issues seem to matter for our mixed-species couple). At best, he's present when another character is involved in any of these subjects, and at worst, they just get mentioned in a throwaway sentence and we never get to see these events take place. Moreover, the few times there's an actual conflict on page, the situation gets resolved not only in the same chapter but even sometimes as soon as 2-3 paragraphs after it first gets introduced.

Overall, I do feel that this book could have used more editing as it makes a lot of mistakes that, were this the author's first book, could be understandable (such as the, oh so common, “gay author writing female characters” trope). Mind you, this is my first book by the author and it could be a big improvement compared with the previous ones for all I know, but if you're looking for a nice fluff with plot, with a healthy dose of smut, this book's the right one for you, and I'm personally looking forward to reading more from this author (even if at times I wished that I was reading about any of the other characters in this story instead..)

Winter Games by Kyell Gold is the story of Sierra, a young snow leopard who, while staying at a ski resort, end up glimpsing what looks like Carmel, a former friend from his past and someone he has not been able to move from. However, the story does not just end there, as this is a dual timeline book. So, as we get to see Sierra's efforts to reunite with Carmel in the present, we also get constant flashbacks chapter pertaining to 15 years ago during their high school years. How they met, how they became closer to each other, and eventually, how things ended. To be honest, just from the premise, this book had a lot of potential, but while I usually like dual timeline stories, I feel that it is exactly that very same thing which lets the book down.

It's inevitable in stories like this to compare both timelines and that one of them will end up as stronger. In this case, while the present timeline has a way stronger beginning, it does not take long for the past one to supersede it as the superior one, not in small part because we have the lingering question of what caused these two to split up as opposed to the present one where it's main objective is achieved relatively on. This would not necessarily be a bad thing, but the timelines alternate every other chapter without exception, which hurts the book as a whole. There are several points in both timelines where a chapter feels like padding just to continue with that gimmick, when it would have been better to cut one of the two short to give more time for one of them to breathe by cutting or joining some chapters.

Regarding the characters, I'd say the book excels with the supporting cast in both the present and past timelines. As for our main couple, present day's Sierra starts as a nuanced character which soon devolves as part of his single-mindedness obsession with Carmel (and not in an interesting way), while the latter is mostly absent. Past Sierra, though, does have a character arc that extends almost exclusively in that timeline, which comes in stark contrast to Carmel, where you can see a clear distinction between his past and present selves, both fairly static in each timeline, but a change where you can understand where Carmel's attitude and actions in the past would influece the one's of the present.

Overall, I wished I liked this book, as it's full of elements that I like, but it unfortunately missed the mark. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate this book, it's fine. Just fine. Though I wonder how it would have fared if more care and focus was given to one of the timelines instead of trying to force them to be as “equally” present.

Unlike previous works by the author like Jake's List or Don't Call Me Coach, Exposure by Tagenar puts us not in the shoes of a hunk of man, but rather in those of someone who loves them. In Exposure we follow Gale, a shy lynx who limits himself to admiring people from afar, but one day things start spiraling out of his control when a series of incidents start leaving him “exposed” to those exact same people. From non-functioning locks to spilled beverages to downright cloth ripping, almost each and every chapter details a case of him losing his pants and being caught in the act. A very formulaic book, but unfortunately, I cannot say that this formula worked for me.

While fun at first, and some of the scenarios can be quite creative, you can only read so many “introduce a character, lose pants, leave the place” in a row before monotony starts to set in, and while there's a change in the formula midway through the book, that new one is also followed by the book for pretty much every chapter after it's introduced. Moreover, taking into account it's a novella, I feel like there are too many characters for what little importance they tend to have to the overall plot, and more than a few of the chapters could have easily either been removed or changed so as to have more time for the development of the ones that really matter. Granted, it bears to mention that all this book revolves around one specific kink that I do not have and that might be the reason I'm so salty about it, while for people into it, this might be just what they're looking for.

Overall, if you're like me and like to have more plot with your porn, this might not be the book for you; but if you don't mind it and/or are into this types of scenarios, go nuts. However, if you do decide to get it, I'd recommend not binging and instead taking your time with it, taking a few breaks when needed, otherwise don't be surprised when its repetitiveness also gets to you.

“Room Service” by Jordan Halsted is a simple book with a simple premise. Dave, a fox, divorcee, homeless, and part of a hotel's cleaning staff, gets tasked by his boss with trying to find out if her fiance is cheating on her. This will mean lots of sleuthing, lots of meeting people, and, unsurprising to anyone who knows about the stereotype of foxes in the furry fandom, lots of sexing around in order to find out the truth!

Now, this will be a short review, not only because this is a short book, but also because it knows what it is and is proud of it. There are no pretensions of a deeper plot, intriguing characters, or huge puzzles to solve; everything is just a conduit to the next smutty scene, and the book is the better for it. While some of the situations are a little farfetched, they're serviceable. So are the characters, and the lighthearted tone of the book makes it an enjoyable experience to read. Maybe not all at once though, since you could get some burnout after reading in a row the multiple, detailed smut scenes that are in every chapter.

Overall, if you're looking for something sexy and fun to read, Room Service should more than capable of fulfilling your expectations. However, if like me, you were expecting something with more plot to pepper your porn, you might be better off looking elsewhere. Kind of a shame since the author can write more emotional and developed pieces as shown during the epilogue (which is completely detached from the rest of the story, but more along the lines of what I would have preferred to see).

Let me preface this review by saying that I got this as an ARC, so take it with a grain of salt. There's no guarantee that the final book, be it in title or in content, will be as I read it, and therefore your experience might be completely different from mine.You can also find this review here

Carnage. A museum, a haunted house, and a fitting name for the events described in this work. Carnage is a single-author anthology by Weasel from Sinister Stoat Press where a group of three friends get to experience in the flesh the exhibitions contained within.

CW: With a name like this, I won't go into detail of all the graphic violence and gore that it contains. Besides that, you can also expect such stuff as: Necrophilia, sexual abuse, cannibalism, self-harm, and many other things.

Since you cannot spell Carnage without “Car,” the anthology starts with “Hell on a Two-Lane Blacktop.” In this story, we follow Rick, a psychotic panda in search of a new victim, the plot in a way echoing that of Death Proof, but more violent, gay, and with the antagonist as the protagonist this time. A very good fit for the first story in this collection as it's bloody, with a villainous narrator, and an ending that could be considered bittersweet at best; setting the tone well for what's next to come.

Back in the framing story, our trio of protagonists gets split into three halls. The first one, The Unrevealed, paying more attention to the violence than the other two and having a more sexual connotation.

Starting this hall is “Toothache.” With a very self-explanatory title, this is the story of the pit bull Barry and his many struggles with, well, a toothache. Out of this hallway, this could be considered the least sexual, or at least the one where sex does not matter as much to the actual plot; with its biggest saving grace being the way it plays with the typography, the only story in this collection to do so and with great effect.

Continuing on this hall we have “Death Wish,” my favorite of this set. This is the story of a wolf, using a hookup app to lure and seduce people before killing them, who meets his match in SluttySkunkBoi, his, well, newest match. The power struggle between both characters is a delight to read, mixing the horror and eroticism really well, not to mention that it has one of the most satisfying endings for me.

Last for this section we have “The Junkman.” In this story, we follow Gordi, a deer who's about to have his first face-to-face meeting with a coyote he met online, but he soon learns of the perils of online dating. Unlike all of the previous stories, this one starts to break from the mold by having a slower pace and being less graphic; exchanging both of these elements for a slightly more expanded plot and character development. An enjoyable read, but definitely the weakest of its kind in this anthology.

With only two stories in it, the second hall, Absolution, has a more balanced mix of both types of stories presented in the previous one. “Desolation,” its first story, follows JC, a horse trying to escape from his toxic relationship, and Riley, a rabbit who'll do anything in his power to stop that from happening. “Desolation” is more aligned to the same formula used by “The Junkman,” focusing more on its characters than on graphic violence, yet doesn't neglect the latter as much as the previous one.

Second, and last for this hall, is “Eaten Alive.” This is the story of Zack, a meerkat who decides to cancel his betrothal, only to later on be distracted by the screams coming from the shower where his ex-fiance was. “Eaten Alive” has the honor of being the only straight story in this anthology, but I'd say that's its only high point. Following the same formula used in the first stories but lacking any of their charms, the bulk of this story could basically be described as nothing more than a mechanical description of the murder that takes place. No tension, no setup, and with forgettable characters, this is easily the worst story in the anthology for me.

Thankfully, the third and last hall happens afterward. With good plots, good character development, nice horror, and a length of around half of the complete work, the hall of Breaking Free / Letting Go has the best stories in my opinion. The hall starts with “Madness Vase,” the story of a couple who, after spending a night at the cemetery, start experiencing weird things in their home. While the story follows many common Haunted House tropes, I have to say that I loved the emotional beats throughout it and even more its outcome.

Following “Madness Vase” is “How Well You Walk Through Death.” In this story, we follow Axel, a lion who decides to go to the funeral of his abusive ex, but sometimes there are things that not even death can stop. Personally, my favorite story in this collection, not only for its slow-boiling horror and its emotional impact but also because it gave some hints on non-Cthulhu Lovecraft works. Bonus points for enby representation too.

Technically not part of this hall, but still fitting in, we have “Love in the Time of Death.” In this story, we follow a stoat who decides to hook up with a cop in a zombie-infested world. As expected of this sub-genre, this story goes back to being more gore-y than the rest in this hallway, but I'd say its biggest shortcoming is how predictable it is, feeling a little disappointed with the ending since it felt like it was finally going into a different direction.

Last, but definitely not least, is “Down into the Inferno.” This is the story of a bear with a mission: finding Cliff, his deer boyfriend who disappeared after going to an extreme SM bar. Possibly the best story, at least from a horror perspective, not shying away from the gore but depending exclusively on it. There's mystery too, good sex scenes that enhance that plot, and incredible pacing. Very solid all the way around.

Overall, Carnage is a very good entry for the horror genre, and I don't mean that as just “furry horror.” Brutal when it needs to be, emotional from time to time, and gut-wrenching all around, I'd say that most of these stories accomplished what they meant to do. Sure, it does have its lows and more than a few errors (as expected of an ARC), but I did have a nice time reading it. If you're squeamish, many of these stories might not be to your taste; but if you're into horror, you're likely more than ready to tackle all, or at least most, of them head-on.

Learning to Go, by Friday Donnelly, can best be compared to watching a train-wreck. A beautiful and emotional train-wreck.

On a superficial level, it could easily be described as a furry, slice-of-life, erotic romance, drama about the rocky relationship between Rufus, a co-dependent tiger, and Victor, a narcissistic lion; and things only get worse from there when, one day, Rufus decides to hire a professional Dom after one of their many, many fights.

However, a deeper look reveals instead a coming-of-age story about a mid-20s man that needs to learn how to start living for himself, instead of basing his happiness and self-worth around others. A story filled with allegories about both literature and the game of Go, which I think served well not only to foreshadow events in the story, but also to showcase the growth of our main character.

Just to get it right off the bat, there are quite a lot of issues when it comes to the writing. Grammatical errors, repetition, character inconsistencies, too much exposition, weird chapter split choices, among many others plague this novel. In fact, it was not uncommon that I had to go back to reread several parts of the novel just to be sure I was getting things straight; though all of these are relatively minor issues that could have easily been fixed with a little more editing. As for the actual content of the novel, this is where Learning to Go excels by giving us two deeply flawed characters as leads, and it's their interactions what drives the whole novel.

On the one paw, we have Rufus, our point of view character, who is a good natured man, but also naive and with both a saviour complex and self-steem issues to boot. On the other paw, we have Victor, a proud, cynical, self-loathing, and pessimistic lion whose world view was twisted after an incident that left him crippled; yet, despite his flaws, he's also shown to be caring when he wants to do so, which tricks the reader into liking and excusing his temperamental outbursts just as much as it happens with our protagonist. And believe me, these excuses and rationalizations happen a lot, because this is not a healthy relationship.

Both Rufus and Victor are stubborn, aggressive (Victor overtly, Rufus passively), don't listen to each other, don't share each other's interests, and don't even respect each other. The rate at which they break up and get back together again could put some “will they, won't they” couples to shame. Hell, it could be argued that they've never loved each other to begin with. For Rufus, Victor is a project (a fact that even he states multiple times throughout the novel). While for Victor, the only thing he likes about Rufus is the attention that the tiger gives to him. A textbook example of an abusive relationship, and a believable one at that given how all the hostility tends to happen in a more subtle manner than what we're normally used to in fiction.

Though I have to say that the ending left me with a sour taste. While easily predictable since the early parts of the book, and in spite of the epilogue tying the plot nicely, I was kind of hoping for some things to happen in a different way.

If you can stomach all the writing mistakes and are into moving dramas, interesting characters, abusive relationships, and steamy sex scenes I heavily recommend Learning to Go. As for those looking for something more polished, I'll just say to look forward instead for whatever novel Donnelly comes up next. I know I am.

CW: dubcon, anti-SW sentiments

Change in the Midnight Rain follows Ameya, a bunny who's tired of his life in rural Japan but whose world turns upside down when Haru, a samurai's daughter, moves to his town. Lovestruck at first sight, there are mainly two things standing in his way to get together with the fair wolfess. First, the unfortunate situations in which they first met. Second and most important, the fact that he was raised in a male brothel. Set during the early years of the Meiji era, aka the start of modern Japan and shortly after the feudal era, the setting mostly focuses on the latter part of that description than the former, which ties in with its themes of how we get affected by the past, growing up, and “found” families.

An interesting premise, for sure, and while Kageichi Kagi does deliver in some parts (and the illustrations by Jiroh Kinoshita are a nice addition), the devil lies in the details; and this adult historical slice-of-life/romance has many details to talk about.

The main point of contention is likely the characters, which is unsurprising given how this is first and foremost a character-driven story. When it comes to the main cast, (Ameya, Haru, Haru's father, etc.), I'd say the author did a great job by giving us fleshed up characters, with understandable motivations, and conflicts that mostly make sense given what we know of them.

The supporting cast on the other hand, however, suffers not so much from a lack of characterization but rather from underutilization. The most glaring example of this being Fujin and Raijin, the two security members of the establishment where Ameya was raised, and who not only do not interact with any members of the main cast or even other members of the supporting one, but they also do not ever get involved in any of the action scenes of the book (leaving it all to one of the SWs or the owner himself). In fact, even when they go into detail of their tragic past, they do so while they're together in a room by themselves, which brings into question why they're in the story at all. And while this could be ignored if it was the only case, around 3/4ths of the supporting cast have a similar case.

In addition, there are quite a few things that did not affect my reading experience as much, but that I could see being the opposite case for other people such as: too much telling, slow pacing (further compounded by the excessive use of flashbacks), a passive protagonist, everyone and their mother having a tragic backstory, having a straight relationships at the forefront when 99% of the cast is gay, or the changes in tone and characterization that come out of nowhere in the second half.

All in all, I enjoyed my time reading Change in the Midnight Rain, and I'm looking forward to reading something else by the author to see how they improve with time. However, the many issues in this book stop me from rating it any higher.

I figured this guy was one of three things: A psychopath; some kinky old guy with a case of obsessive anal compulsive disorder; or the hottest person I would ever meet - Mark, shortly before meeting Hawk for the first time, in a chapter fittingly titled as “The Mistake”.

Wolf Play by H. A. Kirsch starts in a simple manner. While browsing the personal ads from a leather-community app, Mark encounters the profile of “Hawk”. No face, only a list of things he would or would not do. Mark messages him and they decide to meet, but things turn sour after he discovers that this sexy, rough leather dom is a wolf. Having a problem with them because of childhood trauma, Mark decides to keep his distance, but the next day he wakes up to another message from Hawk. Will he ignore it, or will he willingly throw himself to the wolves?

Now, when it comes to the actual plot, that's pretty much it. They meet, they keep on meeting, and a couple of chapters later the book is over. The main conflict in this story is between Mark and his feelings—what he wants and doesn't want, the latter being any kind of wolf in his life—yet my main issue with Wolf Play lies exactly in how this “conflict” is handled, or barely handled at all.

On one hand, Mark, our human protagonist, is wolf-phobic. This is clearly shown in his inner dialogue, yet as fate keeps on throwing more and more wolves at him, he just... goes with it. This can be explained in part because, just as how a specific event in his past led to him not liking wolves, that same event also led to him feeling that he “deserves” everything that happens to him. Now, this could be a good personal conflict and exploration, but the fact that he almost always goes with the flow when it comes to wolves takes pretty much all of the weight of what is supposed to be the main conflict of this story and a core part of his personality. The only times where his dislike of wolves actually mattered were at the very beginning when he first meets Hawk, and right at the end after Hawk finds out what happened. And to be honest, the latter could have easily been rewritten so as to have the same events and just a slightly different reason for them.

Now, while this may sound like I didn't like this book, it's not the case. I loved the interactions between Mark and the many wolves in his life (especially Hawk, who quickly grew on me after the first or second chapter). The sex scenes were for the most part hot, though be mindful that there is one rape scene in this book. And, also, the supporting cast was likable.

All in all, Wolf Play is a good quick read at only 68 pages. However, I believe that this book deserved to be longer, especially when taking into account the themes it's trying to explore.

There are books that are meant to stand by their own, there are books that are meant to be part of a series, and there are books that are meant to introduce a series. This book lies in the first category, but, boy, how do I wish it was in the last one.

Captured By Cowboy Cougars by H. A. Kirsch revolves about the relationship between Jacob, a human escaping from his old life, and Dwayne and Zeke, the eponymous Cowboy Cougars who capture Jacob to sell him into slavery. Will Jacob cooperate with his captors, or will he try to escape and continue his journey to the vaunted west coast?

I'll start this review with the two things I most like. First is the worldbuilding. The story takes place in a country clearly divided between “the old world” (where humans reside) and the wasteland (where anthropomorphic animals and other creatures dwell). Whatever caused this divide is not known, but a few events during the ending hint at what might have caused this situation. Second is the character building. Jacob, a man on the run from the mafia and the police after getting them to kill his brother; Dwayne, a former medic and the good cop to Zeke's bad cop; and Zeke, the crazy member of the duo who is also smarter than what he seems at first glance. They make a good trio, and I won't deny that what got me vested in the story was Dwayne and Zeke's dynamic as they complement each other very well, not only in their interactions and attitudes with each other but also in the way they treated the main character.

All of this together should lead to a good story, but the issue is that there's barely any story at all. Dwayne and Zeke capture Jacob and, after what seems to only be a couple of days later (tops), they arrive at Red Rock City and the story ends. When talking about events, you could barely count one or two before the ending and there's not much in character development either. If this was the first part of a series, it would be understandable as it'd just be set up for further events, and on that front, it works very well. The way the ending plays out, not to mention the backstories of all the characters, could easily lend to a sequel or a prequel; and even if these didn't happen, I think a spin-off in the same universe would be more than welcome. However, this does not seem to be the case...

All in all, as an introduction to this world and characters, I feel that Captured By Cowboy Cougars did a great job. But as a stand-alone book, I find it to be more than a little lacking.

CW: Homophobia, false CP allegations, emotional abuse and manipulation

When I first found out that the author of one of my favorite furry works (Whip and Boot) had come out with a new book, and more importantly, that the premise revolved around a reality show, I knew that I had an instant buy right in front of me. Unfortunately, if this book had been the edited cut we got to see, it'd be quite the boring season.

Lost Inside the Blue Line is about Avery Fisher, a red-tailed hawk who gets the opportunity of a lifetime by getting selected to take part in Scavenger Hunters (and in-universe counterpart of the reality show Survivor). The theme for this season being artists vs. traders, and to Avery's surprise, Kyle Zimmerman, the anole he roomed with during his college days and a huge influence on his life, is also participating, though, unsurprisingly, in a different team.

This in a vacuum is such an excellent premise, but unfortunately, the seams quickly fall apart on its execution.

For those unaware of how Survivor works (and by extension, Scavenger Hunters), this is the gist of it. Survivor is a competition reality show where two teams are “stranded” in a deserted location where they'll need to find ways to survive. Every so often, a challenge happens and the winning team gets a prize, which could either be something to help in their day to day situation (for example, better supplies or tools) or just for comfort (for example, a massage or quality food prepared by a personal chef). These challenges are almost always physical in nature, however, this isn't just a contest to see who's the fittest as there's a social component as well. The losing team is required to go through a ceremony where each of the team members are required to vote on which one of them will be required to leave the competition. So, while we have the question of the challenges themselves as to who wins and who loses, we also have the intrigue regarding who allies with whom, backroom deals, and any future potential backstabbings since, at the end of the day, there can only be one winner.

This is what makes Survivor so successful, and if you're wondering why I went on to explain, it's to highlight just how underutilized the setting is throughout the book.

There is no wonder when it comes to the challenges, Avery and his team always win unless they're deliberately trying to lose, and the few times . There's no intrigue when it comes to the alliances, all of Avery's teammates immediately form an alliance with him and proceed to vote 9/10 in a way that benefits him. Since everyone's pretty much in the same alliance and they're always winning, no one's going behind the other's backs to curry favor, and there's no risk of any of our characters getting eliminated until way further into the book.

We also don't get to see anything interesting done with the framing. Narration is not structured in a way befitting a show (like, for example, in the case of Surf's Up, where it's presented as a faux documentary, or Total Drama Island). No “behind the scenes” stuff taking into account the story's set mid-filming. Barely any interactions with the production side of the show, like dealing with the camera or producers, or the hosts knowing what's happening “behind closed doors”, the only such interaction we ever get to see is people going to the confessionals when the plot demands them not being in a scene for the rest of the cast to talk. We don't even get an extended conversation or a producer jumping in when DeQuan gets eliminated, even though he and Avery were caught spooning a few nights ago. Hell, the book's so divorced from its setting that there's even a point where Avery exclaims that he feels like he's being watched. My dude, you're in a reality show, that's the whole point!

To be fair, the book improves around the midway point when both tribes finally merge together, but more importantly, when we get our second PoV character. Mai, a psychologist Shiba Inu and member of Avery's alliance (of course) who ends up carrying the book hard by filling the protagonist role that Avery just didn't. She analyzes the situation and the competition, she employs strategies (as opposed to Avery's laissez-faire attitude), and most important of all, she's the one who actively and single-handedly resolves each and every single one of Avery's problems during the game. So, without the struggle of surviving, the difficulty of the challenges, or the intrigues of the social game, what's left?

It leaves us with the story the author actually wanted to tell.

Along with the orphaned reality show plot, we also occasionally see glimpses of the real one: Avery's homosexuality, his relationship with Kyle, and the mystery of what happened during their college years. This is a softer story, from Avery's home life with an homophobic family, to his forming dependency with Kyle, to the latter's defamation and isolation of Avery due to jealousy. It's a well done if fairly predictable plot, but one that gets hindered by the constant mentions of “if only they knew what I've done”. All of this done to amplify the twist at the end which, in Avery's case, pretty much amounts to a nothing burger. An odd decision to make since Kyle's twist, which is way juicier, ends up coming from out of nowhere in comparison.

To be honest, if this was actually what the author wanted to make, it could have easily been done without the whole reality show gimmick and have it just be, say, an urban story between Avery's and Kyle's circles of friends, and you could have most of the interactions and twist remain unaffected (maybe have people switch sides as needed as part of Kyle's machinations.)

All in all, I'd say it's a case of “I'm not angry, just disappointed.” If you're here for the reality part, don't bother as you won't find it. And if you're here for the character growth and interpersonal drama, I feel that you can find it better in other books, some even by the same author.

As one character said, “this game is full of cutthroat personalities, betrayals, and backstabbings,” and I wished we had gotten to see any of it before the ending.

“Smalls, Talls And All” is an adult anthology by Joshiah Warbaum comprised of 14 stories about size difference: a couple of macro stories, a few plausible-size-difference ones, and about half of the rest (or more) are about micros. While I liked most stories overall, some even being the best I've read so far in this year, there's a lot of dubcon all throughout the anthology, so take that into account before buying this book (you can easily count on one hand the stories where everything is 100% consensual).

Moreover, if like me, you were drawn in by the cover, let me just warn you that there is no paw content in any of these stories, just so you know what you're getting into.

You can also find this review at the Furry Book Review website.

A dead parent, a trapped protagonist, evil stepmothers and sisters, and a kind woman who dresses up and transports our main character to a party where they might find the love of their life, only for everything to go back to normal at the stroke of midnight—Whip and Boot could be best considered a modern, kinky, and gay take on an old story.

When Derek moved to Atlanta, the last thing he expected was to fall head over heels for the gator across the bar. The leather-clad Frank is all that the german shepherd-golden retriever could wish for, and yet Derek still wonders. Because, you see, the problem's not Frank's love for the whip, how he doubles him in age, or the fact that they just met. No, the problem lies with Derek. His family, what's expected of him, and even his own identity. Thus starts Whip and Boot, by Herr Wozzeck, a new-adult novel not about the endless sexual adventures of our hero, but rather about the journey of man as he discovers not only his own worth and his voice, but also what it feels to be in a non-toxic environment (with a healthy dose of sexy moments).

The one thing that stands out the most from this novel is its characters, especially our main character. Shy, closeted, naive, and traumatized, Derek has a lot of room for growth, and Wozzeck greatly delivers throughout our hero's journey, and the huge number of flashbacks we get serve to give us a clear picture of how he, and several other members of the supporting cast, came to be. This is even more pronounced when it comes to the most important relationship in his life: his family. This coupled with a nice cast of characters, from the almost perfect Frank to Derek's despicable stepmother; and the vivid descriptions when it comes to the leather community make this book a pleasure to read. In fact, the way these scenes are described show how much experience, and fondness, the author has with this content. However, some of the strengths of this book can also be its weaknesses.

For starters, there's the pacing. The overabundance of flashbacks, important as they might be to the story and characterization, sometimes make the chapters feel slower than they are, especially when taking into account that the events in the “current” time tend to breeze through, which leaves the story feeling rushed while also being like it dragged on, sometimes even in the same chapter (for comparison's sake, the flashbacks cover several weeks and years in the characters' lives, yet in the present we're left with a story that takes place in roughly 1-2 weeks with more than half of those days being skipped over). Moreover, there's the dissonance in tone between the suggestive cover, the blurb, the events of the first chapter; and the rest of the book, with everything giving a more sexual vibe than what we got, or at least giving an impression that the story will focus on Derek and Frank's relationship, yet it's also not the case. Frank barely appears throughout the book, being more present in the main character's thoughts than in the flesh, with the only relationship truly explored being that between Derek and his family (which, while appreciated, I feel that detracts from what was promised).

Overall, I have to say that I loved Whip and Boot, but it's always good to set the right expectations. If you're looking for a fun and quick read with interesting characters, a story about a young man learning to stand up for himself, or you're into kind leather-daddies (and who isn't?), then this is the book for you. But if you're just looking for some quick smut... get it anyway. It might not fulfill your expectations, but it's a good book and you'll thank me later.