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samlouise94's review
Got this through Netgalley and was intrigued, within a few pages it was clear that it was not for me. Will not be returning to read it.
bruxifixion's review
3.5
The Pleasure in Pain: A Queer Horrortica Anthology curated by Roxie Voorhees features a well rounded group of authors that focus on the exploration and intersection of erotica and horror when existing within the same space. They are stories that feature gruesome scenes and imagery that often conflicts with the erotic nature of the writing, and because of this, it leans heavily into the taboo side of sex and lust.
The Pleasure in Pain is a fascinating collection of short stories with a variety of themes, ranging from sweet and obsessive to deranged and violent. Each are well written and well explored in their content, which is perfect for horror fans who want a bite of something new, or for those who enjoy darker and harsher sexual themes. They are gruesome, nasty, sometimes petty, and often sensual, dirty, and disgusting.
My main and only criticisms for this anthology collection is that it feels a little unorganized in the non-final version I read, and the content itself felt overall "tame" for something labeled horror. The poems felt scattered rather than thematically placed with likeminded short stories, and each story itself seemed randomly placed alongside others. This isn't necessarily distracting, but I think stories could have been more adequately organized. And likewise for how tame some stories felt, it wasn't a distraction, but I was hoping for more bizarre, more extreme stories mixing gore and erotica.
The standout stars of this anthology, however, were (in no order) "MOTEL POZITIVE," "Little Saddleslut Grows Up," and "Graphite," among man of the others in this collection. Definitely pick this one up if you are seeking out a macabre, sensual, and conflicting read.
Thank you NetGalley and Dragon's Roost Press for this advanced copy!
The Pleasure in Pain is a fascinating collection of short stories with a variety of themes, ranging from sweet and obsessive to deranged and violent. Each are well written and well explored in their content, which is perfect for horror fans who want a bite of something new, or for those who enjoy darker and harsher sexual themes. They are gruesome, nasty, sometimes petty, and often sensual, dirty, and disgusting.
My main and only criticisms for this anthology collection is that it feels a little unorganized in the non-final version I read, and the content itself felt overall "tame" for something labeled horror. The poems felt scattered rather than thematically placed with likeminded short stories, and each story itself seemed randomly placed alongside others. This isn't necessarily distracting, but I think stories could have been more adequately organized. And likewise for how tame some stories felt, it wasn't a distraction, but I was hoping for more bizarre, more extreme stories mixing gore and erotica.
The standout stars of this anthology, however, were (in no order) "MOTEL POZITIVE," "Little Saddleslut Grows Up," and "Graphite," among man of the others in this collection. Definitely pick this one up if you are seeking out a macabre, sensual, and conflicting read.
Thank you NetGalley and Dragon's Roost Press for this advanced copy!
yellowbinge's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Dragon's Roost Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: Today I was hungry for something different, and it ended with a salty aftertaste
The book as a meal: Today I was hungry for something different, and it ended with a salty aftertaste
The book left me: Feeling very filthy?
Why did this call out to me?
These two genres combined is something I haven't read yet, so I thought it would be fun to pick up. I had a hope this would please my inner "monster-f'er"
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Sadly, put-down-able. A lot of the stories blend together and don't do enough to feel different from one another. They also drag for a long time. Although I appreciate the "details", I wish it was a bit more "action" oriented rather than "described".
Issues:
Very very filthy material that borderlines on the disgusting
Several stories last for too long
Almost every single story feels or reads the same way
Good things:
Dares to wade in water that is usually a little too out there for many
Described in a way that let me "live in the moment" of the stories
How did it feel to read?
It felt like reading something off AO3 with enough tags to break the system. It has "indie author" written all over it (yay indie authors). I was thrown back to a time where I hid my screen away from the door in the fear that my parents would catch me interacting with something way above my age rating. But even when I am old enough and don't have to worry about it, I still felt the compulsion to tilt my phone far away
What mood would I read this in?
It is late at night, I can't sleep becasue tomorrow is halloween, and I need something to get that energy out ;--)
Where does this fall in my tier list ranking?
Sadly this is a high D tier book. Although I liked some of the stories well enough, it didn't capture me in the way I hoped it would. I might not be the right person to read this book, but I do know some people in my life that would love it
Favorite poems/stories:
Graphite
Bite
The Roses of Heliogabalus
The Leatherman
What they don't tell you about the Mummy's Curse
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gore, Death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Infidelity, and Addiction
Minor: Excrement and Gaslighting
shrikebait's review
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Let them watch on, voyeurists of brutal euphoria, and tell me there is no beauty in destruction."
I LOVED this book. Stories, worlds apart, interwoven by sanguine threads. I was caught in a rapid cycle of disgust, desire, and delight from start to finish.
It features so many new-to-me authors as well as some familiar favorites.
If you enjoyed Brute edited by Steve Berman, I bet you'll love this book, too.
This was my first NetGalley title. Thank you so much for the chance to check this book out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
I LOVED this book. Stories, worlds apart, interwoven by sanguine threads. I was caught in a rapid cycle of disgust, desire, and delight from start to finish.
It features so many new-to-me authors as well as some familiar favorites.
If you enjoyed Brute edited by Steve Berman, I bet you'll love this book, too.
This was my first NetGalley title. Thank you so much for the chance to check this book out for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit, Infidelity, Addiction, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Alcohol, Cursing, Confinement, Eating disorder, and Grief
Minor: Excrement and Gaslighting
claireviolet's review
3.5
The Pleasure in Pain promises to be an unguarded exploration of queerness through twenty five stories filled of, what else, but pleasure and pain.
Like many collections, this one is a mixed bag. I find that horror and erotica tend to be the most divisive genres, as what scares you is just as personal as what excites you. I definitely experienced that here, and it’s always an interesting experience to run into writing that you find very skillfully crafted that doesn’t actually do anything for you. I kept a personally running talley of ratings story by story and at the end, the overall rating for me sat at 3.24. This is one of those times where a three star rating covers a ranged experience. I found stories I loved, stories I loathed, stories I was indifferent about, and stories I loved and loathed that tore me back and forth.
When the stories in this anthology aren’t doing horror and erotica, they tend to just steer towards erotica. This on its own is fine, but the promise of horror, not erotica, was what grabbed my interest. The majority of the horror is body horror which both makes sense considering pleasure’s relationship with the body and happens to be a personal favorite subgenre of mine.
Structure matters a lot to me for anthologies and I found myself frustrated here. For the most part, there tends to break between longer stories with poems but there’s a wide range of fantasy, historical and contemporary fiction mixed in with the horror and erotica that doesn’t seem to be ordered in any meaningful way. When the same subgenre does line up for stories, sometimes you end up with very similar themes back to back that can blur together. I think the opening story, while enjoyable, is not the one I would have picked to go first in this collection. Some of the strongest examples of craft are followed up by the weakest which will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
My personal standouts were Graphite by Amanda M. Blake, I WANDER THE EARTH LONGING TO TASTE YOUR BEATING HEART by Minh-Anh Vo Dinh, Mantis by Dori Lumpkin, and What They Don’t Tell You About The Mummy’s Curse by Anton Cancre.
I think all of these thread the needle of queer erotic horror in memorable ways that invite examination from the reader if they so desire. Graphite is probably my favorite, and it happens to be the house from the blurb that made me interested in the collection.
Overall I enjoyed my time reading this anthology. All of these authors are new to me, and I’m looking forward to seeking some of them out for further reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Dragon's Roost Press for the eARC.
virgilsinferno's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A collection of short stories and poetry that blend the erotic with visceral gore and horrifying situations. Featuring a wide range of queer identities both in characters and authors, each story explores a facet of the complicated relationships queer people often have. While there are some misses for me, I found a majority of the collection to be entertaining.
I enjoyed the variety in both identities and storytelling styles. A few favorites include A Gift so Sweet by Zach Rosenberg, Graphite by Amanda M. Blake, and I Wander the Earth Longing to Taste Your Beating Heart by Minh-Anh Vo Dinh, and Mantis by Dori Lumpkin. A small thing but I also thought the spacing between poems and short stories made a good blend. There wasn't much I disliked, I just found some stories to be less enjoyable.
Overall it makes for a good anthology that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys queer stories or likes their erotica darker.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the variety in both identities and storytelling styles. A few favorites include A Gift so Sweet by Zach Rosenberg, Graphite by Amanda M. Blake, and I Wander the Earth Longing to Taste Your Beating Heart by Minh-Anh Vo Dinh, and Mantis by Dori Lumpkin. A small thing but I also thought the spacing between poems and short stories made a good blend. There wasn't much I disliked, I just found some stories to be less enjoyable.
Overall it makes for a good anthology that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys queer stories or likes their erotica darker.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
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