The Dismembered

Gothic horror isn't something I have a ton of experience with, but I've yet to read a Jonathan Janz book I didn't like so I decided to give this a go. I mostly enjoyed it! It's lower tier Janz for me and I left wishing the story had a little more meat on the bone, but I liked the characters and loved both the setting and the general vibe on display. It was fun watching an author I admire adapt their style to fit the norms of a subgenre I know only peripherally. While it wasn't exactly the read I envisioned, it piqued my interest in this style of genre fiction enough to make me want to try more down the line.

I am reviewing this book for Cemetery Dance in my position as an early reviewer, so I must note I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tremendous throwback to Gothic tales of the time of Shelley, Stoker, and Poe...but with the gusto, action, and profanity of today. It's the perfect blend of Gothic romance (“I just met you, and this is crazy, but marry me, maybe”), Gothic dread, and gnarly horror. What a delightful mix. I read it in one sitting.

I have to disclose that not only am I a Cemetery Dance early reviewer, but Jonathan is a friend of mine. But this is an unbiased review, for his writing blows me away. It's terrifying and claustrophobic and chilling and gory and just the perfect thing for a chilly October night.

And look at that perfect, gorgeous throwback cover!

4.5 stars

I'm kind of starting to get into horror recently and so far I've really been enjoying what I have been reading. This one was recommended to me by Destiny. It did take me a little bit to get into. It had a bit of a slow start and I had to get used to the dialect but once I did I was hooked. I was getting Dracula vibes when I first started reading it but it went in a very different direction than I was expecting. Honestly I wasn't expecting any of the reveals throughout this book so they all caught be by surprise. Also even though this was horror there was a little romantic subplot happening and I loved that. Yes you could say it happened pretty quickly and I would agree but I don't even care I just really enjoyed my time with this and can't wait to read more by this author. 

"When someone is trying to kill you," Dunning said, "it's inadvisable to invite them in for tea."

If you've ever wished someone would capture the gorgeous, haunting vibes of an Edgar Allan Poe story and merge it with splatterpunk levels of violence and intensity, you've gotta pick this beauty up.

If you've ever read anything by Jonathan Janz, you're already familiar with his general MO: a lot of violence, a lot of tension, and a lot of heart. The Dismembered follows that pattern in its own way, keeping you on the edge of your seat not only for how intense shit gets but also for how much you genuinely want the characters to make it out unscathed.

Blood dripped from her fingers. Sweat streamed from her brow. Her clothing was ripped and stained. Never had I so yearned to kiss her.

The Dismembered.

Content warnings

violence, gore, death, animal brutality, animal death, mentions of rape (including implied CSA), grief, torture