This book had so many elements that should have made it a hit with me. I love me some religious horror and when you add queerness to the mix, I don't ask too many questions especially if you promise me a lyrical prose, even the cover is perfection. Alas, I didn't really vibe with this book nearly as much as I expected I would. The pacing was muddy and the prose didn't strike me as anything special. If I'm entirely honest I feel like the premise of a relationship between a priest and the antichrist did almost all the lifting here, I say almost because there were a few solid scenes mostly when it was about Dante's parentage.

I'm an habitual reader of extreme horror so not much shocks me in fiction and the smut between an adult and a teenager didn't hold much visceral aspect for me in and of itself and the way it was treated didn't help. I needed more from Dante to make that stuff feel impactful and I never got it. That left me feeling like the author intended for that aspect to be almost banal which could have been great if the story hadn't been so overall anticlimactic.

Many thanks to CLASH Books and Netgalley for providing me a digital review copy of this book for review consideration.

3,5 stars

First off... Can I say that I absolutely fell in love with this cover? The cover and premise really made me so curious about this book. It's dark and yet also beautiful.

Although this book is short, I think it's well paced and brings over its story really well. Giving massive 'the Omen' vibes in a small town with its own secrets. It's queer, sometimes erotic, romantic in a certain way and deliciously wrong. Because when a priest falls in love with the Antichrist, what could go wrong, right?

I do think this book would've hit harder if it was a bit longer and detailed. It didn't fall flat to me, but I did miss a few emotions during the pages which made it feel a tad bit too short.

I believe this book to be a good religious horror with all the aspects it needs to have. And if you're looking for a short read to sent a little chill down your spine, I would definitely recommend this book! I can see why it's not for everyone, but I had a great time reading it.

I am actually at a loss for words. This is a short story, so it was a very quick read and the plot had to keep moving. I don't think anything was missed or could have been explained better. It was perfectly paced. Where I lose my words is for the story itself... I'm not sure if there are words to accurately depict this story. You could feel the struggle between both MMCs especially when it came to faith and beliefs and ultimately what would overcome the other. Very well written, and I would recommend!

While a fast read, it delves into so many deep and troubling topics. This is a book that will invite a lot of discussion. It starts off very graphically, but quickly settles down into much more of a cerebral and emotional story that is fascinating in its moral ambiguity. Dante, especially, is a great character struggling with his possible destiny and by the end of the book I was very emotionally invested while knowing it wasn’t very likely to end well. Definitely recommend for anyone wanting to explore issues of religion, sexuality, and identity.

Of Beasts was a very quick before-bed read that brought together a preacher and a younger boy (yikes) in a romantic relationship where uh-oh one of them just happens to be the anti-christ!

Fundamentally this is a great short story with a good amount of smut. Sadly, that short story ends and then there's under 200 pages of...lackluster storytelling all told off the back of that fantastic little smutty short story. By the halfway point, I felt as if these characters had been sitting at the breakfast table, the younger having lied to his mother to get into the preacher's bed again and again and again as they tell each other about last night's prophetical dreams. As said above, it's a great short story, and that quickly fall away to reveal a story where the author is using the same setting (kitchen table, bed, front door) over and over again to push the plot, have chats between characters, etc.

The initial burst of greatness (ie. 25 page short story) just fades away to the mundane, where even the climax is more like a soft hill in a flat park.

It is a quick read, albeit a disappointing one, but given it's briefness it is worth the read, even if only to form your own opinion.

The writing was good and I felt very mislead in the beginning when Dante was said to be 18 (Jude left for 4 years when Dante was 14) then at the end he was 17. Reading about a minor in a sexual context is really inappropriate. I get the vibe is blasphemous but that part was too much. Referring to him as a “teen” was uncomfortable but like 18/19 are still teens i guess.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! The twist towards the end was delightful and there were several moments throughout the book where a line was dropped and I had to stop and take it in for how poignant it was.

This story reminded me that love can often times be horrific, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing! I think that really highlights how intense love can become and that it is not always sunshine and rainbows. We are meant to feel! And we often feel so strongly that it consumes us.

I enjoyed the pacing of this story and the build. I liked how the author made me feel tense and nervous and full of dread at times. I look forward to reading more of their work.

Thank you to the author and publishing for offering me the opportunity to read this ARC. Unfortunately, it was not the kind of thing I wanted to read in terms of character. As I didn't complete it, I'll give it a middling star review.

This book opened STRONGE. I was here for the hooking up with a priest. But then things got weird when it was introduced that Dante was only a teenager, and Jude was 23. I get that in horror people write about uncomfortable things, and exploring the sort of power dynamic, especially with one party not only being older but as a religious leader, is interesting. However, I didn't feel like it was explained or explored enough for me to be comfortable with it. So that left a bit of a haze over the rest of the story for me.

Otherwise, I thought it was an interesting concept that made me reflect on the institution of Christianity and what it does to people. Jude's questioning of the message he received and if it was from God after all after killing Dante was especially evocative and I thought captured the lengths religious devotion pushes people too and the interesting regret that might result from it and the wavering of faith. I think the one factor that made the age difference work for me was when the power dynamic flipped once Dante came back from the dead. Whereas he had been previously under-privileged, now Dante held sway of power over Jude, despite Jude's older age and position in the church.

The ending literally had me holding my wife's hand because it creeped me out so much. Heebie Jeebies.

I was originally interested in this novella based on the cover and description of the book. As a queer person from the South, I can relate a lot to religious trauma and shame connected to queerness. But overall, I struggled with this book. I felt, as a reader, that the writer wanted to make social commentary, but there was no follow-up or true introspection regarding themes from the characters. For instance, if queerness and the damning of it through christianity are a theme, I was unsatisfied with the exploration of it. The book is mostly plot-driven, and as a reader, I wasn’t sure if points were being made or if I was just inventing them.

I know the age of consent is 17 in Texas, but Dante’s age bothered me not only because of the sex, but the violence inflicted on him by an older Jude. Is the author trying to make a point here? Again, I don’t know. I know this book had me rooting for the antichrist, and Jude had no personality traits that I found redeemable. I didn’t root for their love story, and I was not satisfied by the ending. So what was it all for? For the antichrist to be less selfish than a pastor? There was not enough to go off to definitively say one way or another.

Also, at one point, Dante says he sleeps over most nights at Jude’s, but shortly after, Jude says he is used to sleeping alone. I don’t think this was intentional and was most likely an oversight.

I think with more expansion of themes and double-checking conflicting information, this novella could do well. We love a queer, religious horror novel!

Thank you, Clash Books and Netgalley, for the ARC read in exchange for an honest review.

“Of Beasts” by M. Jane Worma is a horror novella that is strange as it is sadistic. It seamlessly layers queer religious guilt with sacrifice. It is a dual POV novella that alternates between the two characters rather abruptly so I had to go back and reread a few paragraphs to get what was going on with who. I wish it were longer, I would have loved to be able to explore more of these characters. It is both exactly what I want from a religious queer novel and not enough.
I am looking forward to seeing what else this author will put out there.

Cover; 10/10
Queer Catholic Horror? Sign me up!

The whole get-up with Jude being send to kill his lover? Amazing.

The underage relationship? No thank you very much.
Immediate ick.
The characters love was already forbidden by Jude's priesthood /being queer in deep texas/ man-of-god x anti-christ. It did not need that not-legal edge.
Make that clear for your audience, as I (and apparently others) were not aware. Would not have read it if I'd known in advance.


Asides from that:
Quick read, writing style keeps you interested from the get-go.
Despite being a novella, the characters feel well-rounded.
Ending felt too open-ended.


Thank you to Netgalley and CLASH for the ARC!

Of Beasts - M.Jane Worma

So when I saw the description of this on Netgalley, I knew I needed to apply for an ARC. Like; yesterday. An LGBTQ+ horror novella in which a pastor is having an affair with the Antichrist? Need to read.

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this/how much it surprised me?! It was so well written, so evocative, and so sensual, but also felt so wrong at the same time?! It was so odd, and felt like a kind of insane fever dream of a story, but I also loved it! Jude & Dante were a deeply unexpected couple, but somehow, it worked? Honestly, it’s a short read, just over a 100 pages or so, and it’s a deeply weird read, but I really recommend you try it when it’s published! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to @netgalley and @clashbooks for the chance to read and review this ahead of its publication. Keep an eye out for it on Feb the 10th 2026.

This was my first queer, erotica religious horror book. The cover immediately caught my attention and I read it as soon as I could.

The story is dark, emotional, and moves fast. The writing is raw without being overdone. The relationship between the priest and the Antichrist was handled in a way that felt believable for the story’s tone.

I finished it in one sitting. Some parts felt slower than others, but overall it stayed true to the heavy, doomed atmosphere it promised.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

A quick, queer horror retelling of falling in love with the Anti-christ, what more could you want! I really enjoy the relationship between the two main characters.

OMG! This was my first queer horror novella and I can honestly say that I don’t think a future one can top this. I did enjoy the pace of this novella as well as the explicit premises. I got sucked in by the first page and couldn’t put it down! I finished it in one sitting. At times my heart did break and also raced as I was flying through this novella. The main reason why I picked up this book was because of the cover, honestly could you even blame me? I did have to get past that the two MMC were of a priest and an underage man(17yrs old) but once I did I enjoyed this novella so much! The ending will have you wondering and wanting more but honestly that’s the beauty of it, it allows you to come up with your versions of what could possibly happen next.

From the very first page, I found myself engrossed in Of Beasts. I couldn’t put it down for a single second. The prose itself is as unsettling and gorgeous as the cover art suggested, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I couldn’t help but devour this.

The tension between Jude and Dante is so gripping that I couldn’t look away. Their story is visceral and raw, coming to a stunning and unexpected conclusion. This is a tale of queer religious horror that slips its way under your skin before you know what hit you.

Some stories are just indelible, etching themselves into your mind. Of Beasts is without a doubt one of those.

I’ll be thinking of Jude and Dante for a long time. .

creepy, religious, weird but cool ending. so fun!!! would have loved more pages and more story but for a short story it kept me interested!

This is more of a slightly long novella than a full novel, but unlike most novellas I read it felt like a satisfying story. A little compressed for space (I would have loved more time to really sit with Jude and Dante before things started changing) but not so much that I felt rushed or like anything was left incomplete. This is...not a "palatable" book. I loved it. Save us from palatable queer stories at all costs!! Honestly this is exactly the kind of queer story I hunger for so deeply: violent, messy relationships with complicating factors like oh, the two of you having dreams that reveal one of you is the Antichrist and the other is being exhorted to kill him. Something I loved in this novel as well is the deliberate (I imagine) choice to not capitalize bible or the titles of any books of the bible. It's such a small choice but exactly the sort of thing I do in my own writing as an ex-christian/ex-fundamentalist to make a point, even if it's just for me. The writing here is so clear, with more flowery metaphors and descriptions deployed in the right amount to feel impactful rather than overdone. And the arc of the story hits so hard. I started crying at the ending. I don't know that I fully have words for this one, but it is exactly what I want from horrible queer religious works every time I read them. And sometimes I get it! I think this has been one of the best examples yet and I look forward immensely to future works by the author.

This was such a strange novella. I understand what it's trying to do, but I found myself getting frustrated - this is a male adult minister and an underage man in a relationship (problematic already), which is then revealed to be literally Satanic, as a leadin to the End of Days. I understood the analogies of forbidden love, social expectations and feeling trapped by one's role but the messaging seemed to take priority over the characters sometimes, and that messaging seemed to be torn as to whether it's inevitable/fated or not. The ending is abrupt and doesn't really help.

I'm remembering the TV series by Russell T Davies, 'The Second Coming', which dealt with similar themes with a more deft hand. This is a fine tale that explores up to a point, but I suspect the author may wish to revisit it at a later point in their life when there may be greater understanding (or even revelations).

I wanted to enjoy the story, but my frustration at how crossed its wires were made that difficult.