A Bishop has vanished. A Sanction of six Clerics is sent to find him. What they discover will test everything they believe.

Bodies torn apart from within. Blood sigils carved into trees. A trail leading to a village where the welcome felt rehearsed. The villagers watch too long. Say too little. And when the sun sets, the pretending stops. They cannot leave. The forest loops back on itself. The trap is already sprung.

Six Clerics. One night. No way out.

Surrounded by enemies wearing human faces, they have until dawn. Most of them won't make it. A Sermon in Blood is a grimdark fantasy novella of siege horror, shattered faith, and the price of survival. A prequel to the Vengeance in the Void series.

Flew through this in one sitting. Fun, fast-paced, and brutal.

The primary strength of this story is the presentation and the way the tension is built up, which makes for a very gripping read. As might be expected from the shorter length of the novella, the plot is on the lighter side and follows well-trodden tropes. However, the depictions are sharp, approachable, and well-executed.

From the way the events were progressing, I wondered for a while if this was an open-ended tale that would end without closure, as is frustratingly common in dark fiction. However, I was glad to see things getting tied up neatly.

Aspects like occult worship, ambiguity around religious crusades, and applications of blood-magic are quite close to my heart, and in this story the author has brought them together quite nicely.

The author’s blurb already gives you a good picture of what to expect. If the theme resonates with you, go for it. You won’t be disappointed.