Member Reviews
This was an interesting twist on vampire lore, that I was not expecting. I enjoyed the characters and the relationships that developed. The book was action packed, however it did get long at times. As expected it is graphic so be mindful of that going into it.
Thank you Duncan Ralston and `netgalley for the ARC of Pedp island Bloodbath.
Ive read quite a few of Duncan's books and really enjoyed them. They seem to have such a good balance of everything and this one was a really fun read! Pedo Island Bloodbath is light on the "Pedo" front. There is a storyline of underage girls being on a cruise ship heading for Little pearl Island, However, the suggestion of underage sex is very subtle and well done. The heavier element of the storyline is following the stowaway, Clarisisa, her sister Ava and what awaits them all on Pearl island. A dark, sinister entity who's going to unleash a horror so terrible - Its gonna be a blood bath carnage!
I found the main storyline really interesting, mixing these creeps on a cruise ship and a nice dose of folklore. The main characters are well fleshed out. I really bonded with Gabe and how his character grew throughout the book. Im looking forward to seeing any adventures he may appear in in the future! I also loved his shipmates Digby and Cheery. It was nice to see Duncan having some LQBTQ representation in his storyline. I know it's not for everyone. To me though, I feel that these underrepresented people can and do find places within storylines as they do in real life and accepted for who they are.
The story itself has some nice little twists, nice little tie in reveals at the end ( A few OMG moments! ) and aahhh ha! I wouldn't really put this book into extreme horror or splatter punk but it has a nice mix of both with the folklore so it adheres really well. I also love the subtle dark humour and the banter between the characters and very well paced.
This book is a definite 4,5 for and rounded up to 5 on here.
Thank you to Netgalley, and the author for a chance to review this book.
Duncan Ralston. I've read a few others by him, and he doesn't disappoint. The title alone already makes you look twice, and look at that incredible cover! If you're familiar with Ralston's work, yes there are some triggers, so this isn't for everyone, but it was a fun ride. I am normally not big into vampires, but this one was good.
It was fun, and gory. If you're into fun shocking horror, and aren't triggered by much, or nothing bothers you give this (and his other books a go). if you are easily triggers I would skip this (and his others.) I myself love horror, and rarely am offended by anything. I will be looking forward to Duncan's next book.
I really do like this author’s work, and I really did enjoy a lot of this book. However, it felt very slow at the beginning, almost to the point where I DNF’d it. The story does pick up in general, but I never regained any zeal or excitement while reading it. Some very tricky subject material mixed with a classic horror creature- interesting, but really difficult to read at some points because it was so disturbing.
“Pedo Island Bloodbath: A Vampire Novel” by Duncan Ralston is a splatterpunk horror novel that needless to say, pushes the envelope when it comes to this particular genre. Obviously, with a title like this, there are a ton of trigger warnings going into this novel.
Before I begin my review, here’s the long list of trigger warnings I found while reading...
- Pedophilia (extremely graphic scenes)
- Sex offenders
- Kidnapping
- Grooming young girls
- Sexual child abuse
- Facemasks
- Hazing
- Child abuse
- Rape
- Sex slaves
- Orphans
- Drugging women at parties
- Human trafficking
- Sexual predators
- #MeToo movement
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novel. I can’t stress this enough as there are a few scenes involving pedophilia that are so graphic that it’s beyond disturbing. If you’re not a reader of splatterpunk or extreme horror, stay far away from this one.
Moving along, I’ve been a huge fan of Ralston ever since I read “WOOM” back in 2022 which was one of the first splatterpunk novels I’ve ever read. I can’t read this horror genre all the time but when I do it tends to truly leave its mark on me which I do enjoy now and then. With “Pedo Island Bloodbath: A Vampire Novel” it was no different as it starts a bit slow but builds up to what is going on at around the 20% mark.
I felt the story was unique and all the references throughout gave way to what this novel was ultimately all about, vampires in all their bloody glory. Besides that, I loved all the mentions of death metal, Bram Stroker, Dracula, one of my favorite bands in high school Weezer, Blade, and two of my all-time favorite authors Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
This was an interesting way to write a vampire story that was original and kept me interested for the most part. The only thing is, there was way too much dialogue and once some nice plot twists hit, I felt they came too late. I wanted more of that and less of the dialogue.
There were some instances of fluff here and there and I was wondering when the splatterpunk parts would hit while reading. I was hoping that maybe this was done intentionally to build things up with this crazy story and compelling characters to bring a bloodbath toward the end and boy, was I right!
Leading up to the end was worth the slow start, especially since multiple stories were happening at the same time to keep those pages turning naturally once they finally picked up. There was decent suspense between chapters and I also thought the graphics of vampire wooden stakes to break up scenes was a nice little touch. I love when horror authors do this as it brings me back to my horror paperback days as a teenager when every chapter had a creepy graphic to kick things off.
This novel featured some of the most disturbing characters I’ve ever read and don’t worry, I won’t ruin anything for you but let’s just say that the climactic ending delivered nicely. Those moments were incredible as they were gory, bloody, and horrific. This is where Ralston shines and delivers the most as his style of writing these splatterpunk moments is of such high quality. My goodness, the wild carnage-filled ending was beyond justified and was quite the rollercoaster.
I also genuinely went crazy with the awesome plot twist at the end which was a jaw-on-the-floor moment. This tied in nicely with all the vampiric lore and mythology which is always fun to read about but even more so when done in a splatterpunk kind of way.
Ultimately, this was a decent read but I felt the good parts took way too long to get there and Ralston saved most of the brutal violence for the end when I wish there was more of that sprinkled throughout reading. As I said before, some parts were pretty boring and I was just waiting for the splatterpunk parts to hit. Even at the end in an author’s note, Ralson mentioned that he wanted an old-school horror novel that wasn’t what he’s used to writing with tons of violence, sex, and deranged splatterpunk.
Either way, I went into this not knowing what to expect and bracing for the worse since the title alone was pretty out there. I also noticed that while reading, Ralson added “A Vampire Novel” at the end of the title across Goodreads since there wasn’t much buzz, reviews, or anything going on when this was released likely due to the title and likely turning people off from it. I also noticed a small typo towards the end (put Shannelle instead of Shantelle) which is a huge no-no in my book. I get that we’re all human and mistakes can and will happen, but little things like that take me out of the reading experience a bit.
I give “Pedo Island Bloodbath: A Vampire Novel” by Duncan Ralston a 3/5 as it was a decent vampiric read with a unique twist. This isn’t for everyone and if you can get through all the trigger warnings and the few disturbingly graphic pedophile scenes that will make you feel a certain way, it’s a good read. I enjoyed the characters, story, and honestly, the bloody viciousness toward the end saved this novel for me. Several parts dragged on which I didn’t enjoy but all in all, it’s worth reading if you enjoy splatterpunk with a vampiric twist. It’s good but not extraordinary. I’d like to thank NetGalley, Duncan Ralston, and Wicked House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
As much as I wanted to love this book, I really struggled to get into it. This was the sixth book I've read by Duncan Ralston, but unfortunately it's not one of my favorites. I'm not sure why this one didn't work for me, but getting through this was a bit of a chore. I expected an extreme horror novel based on the title and cover art, but thankfully it was less extreme than I expected. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for me to review.
"Is this real or am I tripping? Okay, like, I know I'm for real tripping, but is this actually f***ing happening?"
I have never been more thankful for @netgalley to approve my book request in my life. I read Woom a long time back and it left me in a state of "what the f**k did I just read?" but you know what? It stuck with me. and I think that is groovy.
I went into this book with nothing but excitement and NO IDEA what to expect. and boy was I not disappointed.
There is a lot of characters to keep track of BUT so much gore, so much blood.... did I mention the gore? Also Vampires. I forgot to mention the vampires!
Review Copy
PEDO ISLAND BLOODBATH: A VAMPIRE NOVEL, the title says it all. It went through a change and when I first saw it the vampire part wasn't there. It made all the difference in the world for how people saw the book.
It starts out with a family slaughter and moves into funnily enough into a satire of current events. Then then bloodbath begins. And weaved throughout the book is a love story.
And for the record I agree totally with Ralston.
4 rising stars for PIB!
"Pedo Island Bloodbath" is the latest, gore-infested book from author Duncan Ralston, and I want to thank Netgalley and Ralston and his publisher for the opportunity to read it. I was attracted by my knowledge of Ralston's earlier works, particularly his Woom. And "Pedo Island" delivers, with enough gore and bloody action that any fan of horror would be satisfied. Additionally, there's the obvious shades of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking for the world's rich and elite. Add some undead creatures of the night, and the book is a clear winner. Kudos to the author!
"Pedo Island Bloodbath" by Duncan Ralston is a riveting and multi-layered narrative that transcends its initial impressions. While the title and cover may suggest a straightforward theme, the story unfolds with unexpected depth and complexity. Ralston masterfully crafts a world rich in detail, allowing readers to deeply connect with well-developed characters. The story's surprising twists and turns add to its engrossing nature, ensuring that it's much more than a mere tale of brutality. This book is a compelling read, offering a blend of intense moments and a well-constructed plot that keeps you engaged from start to finish. A truly enjoyable and thought-provoking journey.
Pedo Island Bloodbath is Duncan Ralston at his most horrific and terrifying yet!
Pedo Island Bloodbath is at its heart about family! This story has several characters who, in a lot of ways, are attempting to find family. There is Clarissa, whose sister has been kidnapped and she thinks that she has a lead on where to find her. Gabe is working on the luxury boat attempting to ferry passengers to the mysterious island set up by Emory Jackman. Emory is naturally the supplier of all luxuriousness in this story - it is his venture to this island with this unique and terrifying band of passengers. There are so many more characters to discover, however, you will just have to dive into these pages to learn who they are.
I loved this book, even if I did find it so strange to begin with. There are some twists that I NEVER saw coming. Like for example, what exactly is being transported in the hold of this ship? I never saw some of the connections that occurred in this story. When they finally were revealed, I was shocked (and perhaps a tad bit amused). I know that both classic horror readers and newer readers are going to love this story because there is a little bit for everyone.
This is an extreme horror novel. So if you feel like you need to double-check those trigger warnings, I encourage you to do so. There are some very DARK scenes in this story. As someone who has enjoyed a majority of Ralston's other stories, this is very on par with what he has put out before. However, don't think that this is like anything else that currently exists. This is such a uniquely dark and terrifying experience. I didn't know what twist was going to come next and I was left guessing who was going to survive until the very last page.
Check this story out! You won't be disappointed!
3.25 stars rounded down! I’ve known of Ralston since Woom went viral, but that’s never been my vibe so I haven’t read it. I *did* enjoy Puzzle House so I was looking forward to PIBB.
It had a solid story that kept my interest. I *definitely* recommend checking tws prior to starting this one. I don’t have any, but there were still a few uncomfortable scenes.
Overall the action is great but there are quite a few characters to keep up with.
I look forward to more books by Ralston in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Since I was such a big fan of Woom I was very excited to see how this book would turn out. Well the best part of it is definitely the title. Has no need to be almost 400 pages long and constantly felt like a chore to finish it.
This is one of those books where the title makes you think it's going one way but then it winds up being much better than expected.
This is a vampire novel but one that doesn't play by the rules. It's set on a private yacht that's headed to an island owned by a Jeffrey Epstein like character. The rich and famous clamour to be invited so they can make their very sick twisted desires come true.
But what they don't know is the secrets their potential prey holds. This novel has a lot of great stuff. Tension filled action sequences, multiple character arcs that will seamlessly come together, a lot of bloodshed and carnage, and vampires that are more 30 Days Of Night and not so much Twilight.
Getting to know all of these characters was great. You'll have some you'll love and some you'll despise and that will cause your heart rate to go up as they find themselves in danger from every side. And they all won't make it.
Being set in the ocean gave this book a claustrophobic feel as there is no place to run and very few places to hide. And once they arrive at the island, it's not much better.
I really loved this one and I highly recommend it if you like your scares straightforward and gruesome.
This fast-paced novel is set mostly on a small ship, and on a tropical island. Seventeen year old Clarissa is "called" by her twin sister. The problem? Her sister disappeared ten years ago, at the time their parents were grusomely murdered.
I'd recomend checking trigger warnings on this one, if you have any. I didn't think the gore was over the top, but there are a few descriptions of child SA, which I definetely could have done without. I've realized after reading this book that extreme horror (even though I would categorize this as extreme horror light) isnt' for me.
Five, effed up, crazy stars!! I loved this book! It was absolutely horrific in classic Ralston style, but so much more than I had imagined. Going on the title alone, I expected this to be a gruesome tale filled with sick, twisted pedophiles whose actions that I would find hard to stomach. Not really. There are some parts that were definitely disgusting, don't get me wrong, but the story's main focus is on revenge. And I loved every minute of it!! The storyline was compelling and there were even some twists thrown into the mix. I loved all of the song and movie references, too. I feel like they made the story seem less fictionalized. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, and I am so glad that I gave it a shot. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!
4 stars
There seems to have been a great deal of talk about this book in all of my fb horror groups. And let me tell you the hype is real. Well written, and the gore and horror aren’t just for shock, it has its purpose and is done well. I loved this book far more than I expected to, and I’ll definitely be getting more Ralston’s books on my tbr after this.