I really enjoyed this short book! What a dark, gritty, and sensual story! Queer horror/fantasy set in 1920s backwoods Appalachia creates such a tense scene. Definitely a page turner! I highly recommend it.
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By all definitions, I shouldn't have enjoyed this book. I'm not always keen on historical fiction from this time period, and have struggled mightily in the past to work through books in that setting. Additionally, I DNF'd the last book I read from this author. But....BUT, I really, really enjoyed Mandelo's latest. This book shines in its character development, and I found myself speeding through, cheering for every victory and groaning at every injustice.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Another strong work by Lee Mandelo. I really enjoyed this historical horror in an isolated small town. I was surprised when the tone shifted half way through to a more monster romance vibe but I do think it fit well with the themes of the book. If you are looking for a trans positive historical horror for a weekend read I recommend this one!

the only scary part of this was the language used during the unexpected age gap sex scenes. There was absolutely no nuance to anything, the plot moved so slowly, and so much was left unexplained for the sake of trying to create a creepy atmosphere

This was a bit of a disappointing read for me. While I like Mandelo's atmospheric descriptions of Appalachia, I was a little surprised by how little was happening in these supposedly haunted woods. I ended up rather bored for most of the novel, and then came the sex scene I found jarring, to say the least. I would not recommend this and probably won't read future works from this author. Disappointing, as I love queer horror, but The Woods All Black just weren't it for me.

This book is a gut-punch of queer horror at its finest. I am a firm believer that horror is at it's most effective when it has something to say and damn does this book say a lot.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for that creeping chill of unease, but I will caution anyone interested in reading this book to double check the trigger warnings because if it isn't apparent from the description, this book is chockablock full of them!

Thank you so much to Tor Publishing Group for a free eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Really wish this was 5x the length. I want more. Did so much in a short time. It’s sexy.. loved the queerness. The trans rep is great and wish more people were talking about this!

The Woods All Black is a short but powerful read about identity, prejudice, revenge… and monster sex. After serving in WWI, trans frontier nurse Leslie is assigned to a remote Appalachian town, where his attempts to administer vaccines are immediately rebuffed by the hostile religious citizens. Already in danger just by being there, Leslie puts himself at further risk by trying to help a young trans boy who’s being pushed into an unwanted marriage.

Mandelo grounds the story in historical realities and the dangers of zealotry, which provide the novella with plenty of horrors before the monster lurking in the woods is even introduced. The Woods All Black is violent, erotic, and fueled by rage in all the best ways. And while the paranormal elements don’t take center stage until the very end, they’re more than memorable enough to make an impact.

This book delves into some deeply unsettling themes, offering a raw and compelling narrative that lingers long after you've finished it. The atmosphere is intense, and the story doesn't shy away from exploring the darker side of human nature. It’s thought-provoking and haunting, with a depth that challenges and captivates. If you’re looking for something that leaves an impression and isn’t afraid to confront tough subjects, this one is definitely worth the read.

I featured this book in a new release video prior to publication and was very excited to read another slay of a book by Lee Mandelo. It's giving "But Daddy I Love Him" meets "What Feasts at Night" lol. I'm in the middle of it and expecting 5 stars. Will update when final review posts.

I think I have determined that horror novels are not my thing. I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the main characters, the characters themselves felt flat to me, and, although it is only a novella, I had more higher hopes for a more in-depth plot development. However, I appreciate the themes that the author explored!

I mean I knew going in this would be historical, but it was really historical. Wartimes historical just isn't for me unfortunately

I'm not really sure what I ended up thinking about this book. The characters were vaguely interesting, but seemed thinly drawn to me. I'm from the south originally and the trope of the backwoods religious nutjobs didn't really seem to have anything original or new added to it in this author's version.

Set in the 1920s, Leslie is a trans frontier nurse invited to a remote town in Appalachia to help out with vaccines and women's healthcare. His is a hostile welcome from most of the residents of Spar Creek and is treated with animosity and suspicion. Leslie's ambiguous clothing marks him as unsuitable for midwifery and labeled as a sinner even as he tries to ensure safe childbirths and giving out vaccines.

He meets Stevie, a resident who is also a trans man that the town preacher insists must be fixed in a religious way. Stevie, fed up with the residents and his family, runs away into the woods. Tension is increasing in the small town and Leslie is bearing the brunt of it. As a monster stalks the woods, Leslie needs to flee but won't leave Stevie behind.

This novella packs a lot in and was a bit darker than I was expecting. It has a slow start but picks up quickly. The religious zealotry, homophobia, transphobia, and horror really pushed the darkness forward. It was also a lot spicier than I was expecting. I didn't hate the monster erotica but I also didn't love it. The atmosphere of the book as a whole was memorable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this eARC. The Woods All Black is out now.

The Woods All Black has gothic vibes and an immersive historical setup. Although the overall pacing is good it would've been nice to get more horror throughout, mixing more with the religious fundamentalism.

This book is not for everyone. But it is for some very specific people who will cherish it.

The book is graphic, both sexually and with regards to violence. It is a dark, dark novella. It begins slowly, but when it picks up, it REALLY picks up, and I didn’t want to put it down.

Leslie is a trans man serving in the Frontier Nursing Service in rural Appalachia in 1929. When he is assigned a post in a small, religiously zealous town, he struggles not only achieve the medical ends he wants to achieve to help the people of Spar Creek, but also to find ways to help Stevie, a young man with whom Leslie thinks he may have much in common. As trouble between Leslie and the town grows, so does the sense that something supernatural is afoot.

If you you can stomach the intensity, this book has much to say about belonging, revenge, and religious zealotry.

Lee Mandelo is a stellar voice in the queer horror genre, if not my current writer operating in that space right now. This novella was amazing.

Content Warnings: Homophobia, Transphobia, Rape, Death in Childbirth, Conservative Religion, PTSD

For sex repulsed, there are two explicit sex scenes, both of which are well telegraphed and skippable.

This book follows Les, a frontier nurse invited to a town and then immediately shunned and shamed upon his arrival. Les is also an invert and gender ambiguous, though clearly assigned female at birth and preferring masculine dress and pronouns, but that alone doesn’t account for the town’s ostracization. As Les struggles to give out life saving vaccines and administer women’s care, he must help inhabitants like Stevie, a trans man trying to escape an arranged marriage, and navigate the social dangers and those of the woods, where a creature lurks.

For me, I found the horror needed more time to steep and spread. Events happened too quickly for me to develop much of a sense of dread, and the more effectively spooky elements (like the creature in the woods) weren’t showcased as much as the social horror elements. Overall, though, it was a satisfying read with a cathartic ending.

This book also had an excellent bibliography so that those interested in the Frontier Nurse Service and/or queer literature of the time can research further, which I appreciated.

This is my first Lee Mandelo story and I don't think it'll be my last, but this sure was interesting.

The story begins with our protagonist nurse Leslie traveling to a remote Appalachian town to help out with vaccines and childbirth. It's made apparent quickly and subtly that Leslie is a transman just trying to go about their life. Which ends up being difficult in this small town after living in the city where it sounds like they weren't often misgendered. While most of the townspeople are busy being ignorant bigots Leslie starts to noticing unsettling things at night, especially outside their cabin and in the woods. This all comes to a climax with Stevie, another transman who was born and raised in the town, finally having enough of everyone's bullshit.

Thus comes in the horror element. I won't say any more so as not to spoil anything but I wish the horror and tension had started much earlier. This might be my own issue where sometimes shorter stories just don't go in depth enough for me. I always end up wanting more.

The pacing, even for a short story, was frustrating in that it started off very slow and picked up break neck speed at the very end. That, along with the surprise monster lovin', kind of took me out of it. With that said, I'm off to look at the other books from this author.

The Woods All Black was a really creepy yet awesome read! I liked that it was short but packed a lot of action into it.