This was a great mix of cosmic horror and a possesion story, which is my favorite kind of story to read. I enjoyed the different POV changes, but I would have liked to see the chapters named by character or something to identify which character's POV we were reading. Although it can be easily figured out with context. Overall, it was a great story and was left open for a sequel which I would love to read.

Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC!

This was a solid 2.5 stars for me; so, about average. It was an odd read, and I've read a fair bit of weird fiction. Also, this would be my first actual delve into the splatterpunk genre.

As for what I liked, I'm fond of things being left as a mystery. There's a lot of concepts that aren't fully uncovered by the end of the novella. A lot of this novella was kept vague, in my opinion. The vagueness leaves you to draw your own conclusions as to what is transpiring. Pretty neat! The pacing was fine, I don't have any complaints in that department. I really like how the "demon" is cosmic in nature; it's an interesting spin on the usual possession story.

Now, I really like weird fiction and horror in general, but Stred's writing style just wasn't hitting my tastebuds quite right. I liked how he wrote the interview chapters as I like to call them, but outside of that the narration ones fell sorta... flat for me. Also, it was a bit confusing at times figuring out who was narrating a chapter, haha.

Overall, it was a decent entry into the splatterpunk scene for me. I'll likely try out other books in the genre! I read this in one sitting and it was pretty easy to digest after getting past the initial confusing regarding who was narrating certain parts.

I am a sucker for a good possession book! A solid 3.5 stars. Completely enjoyed the clinical setting that transformed into a darkly beautiful and deadly cosmic nightmare. The character development and world building was perfect for this novella but left me wanting more. I want to know more about ALL OF IT! A first read for me from this author but not the last. The only downsides were that the narration was confusing at times and the story ended too quickly.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you netgally, Steve Stred and DarkLit Press for this eARC








I absolutely enjoyed "When Look At The Sky, All See Are Stars" by Steve Stred, although "enjoyed" feels odd considering the chilling themes of violent demonic possession.

The protagonist, David, serves as an unreliable narrator, keeping readers on their toes about what exactly is happening. The exchanges between David and Rachel hint at something sinister, yet remain tantalizingly vague. Despite the familiarity of demons and possession, Stred's portrayal of expert limitations is commendable.

The direct and forceful writing style heightens the terror, particularly when coupled with David's unsettling past. The ending is nothing short of spectacular, delivering a terrifying conclusion.

However, I found the story's overall structure and POV shifts a bit confusing. Chapter titles indicating the narrator for each section would have been helpful. Additionally, certain concepts like the cult, cosmic gods, and David's claim of being centuries old felt underexplored, leaving a sense of missing puzzle pieces.

This book was... Interesting. Honestly I was confused throughout the whole thing. Mostly because each chapter would follow a different character but didn't tell who it was so I would think it was still following David and then realized it was Rachel or someone else.

I also don't think cosmic horror is for me. The story was interesting and I wanted to know how it ended but it didn't really do anything for me. I expected more splatterpunk and was disappointed that it fell flat in that area.

But if you like cosmic horror and possessions, this would definitely be for you. I can see some people loving this book but I'm sadly not the right audience for it.

This was a 4 star read for me. Loved this story and this is well written. So so so good. Loved reading this book.

4.5 stars
I loved this book. It was a totally original (for me) take on the demon trope. It was dark and exciting and fun to read.
This was my first book by Stred (whyyyyy????), I’ve know his name for a long time. Why in the world did I wait so long. He’s definitely going to become a common name in my tbr.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley, and this review is voluntary

The story is about Dr. Rachel, and her treatment of a patient named David, whose belief it is that he's a four-hundred year old demon. As a renowned specialist in her field, she takes the case thinking it'll be more of the same with delusions manifested through extreme mental illness. However, as more appointments with David come and go, the atmosphere of the situation turns weird. The things he says, or what Rachel thinks she sees when looking at him. Odd-little differences that appear so quickly, to be unsure if they were even really are. She doesn't know what ails David, until the very end.

David as a character is an unreliable narrator, but between the conversations between himself and Rachel, it's obvious something isn't right, but it's not clear exactly as to what. Although cliche in the realm of demons and possession, the author did do an amazing job with conveying the limitations of the experts in the room. In addition, despite the unreliable narration of David and events in his past, it was chilling to read because of how direct, and forceful the writing was. The ending was specular, and provided a terrifying send-off.

In a world full of so many demon novels the best you can aim for now is to at least be fun and boy this does it in spades. Definitely picking up more by this author now, very excited to see what else I can find from them.

This is my first experience with Steve Stred as an author, and with the splatterpunk genre, and I'm happy to report it was a good first experience on both ends. I feel that this story really benefits from being a novella, and left me with so many questions that I will definitely be thinking about it for a while. For being so short, this story really packs it's punch. It's graphic, violent, and disturbing in ways that I can mostly appreciate as a horror lover. There were a few scenes in the story that were very graphic sexually that I didn't care for- mostly as a personal presence- but at the same time I see the purpose that they served here. If you're seeking some stomach churning fear then turn the lights down and give this one a read, it won't disappoint!

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a free ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, parts of this story I loved! The cosmic horrors, creepy possessions, etc were perfectly described and gave me the shivers. I really like how Steve can get the reader viscerally into the scene, and I often felt like a bystander watching these events happening.

I think the overall story and POV shifts were a bit muddled for me, I think chapter titles naming the narrator for each section would be helpful. There were also a lot of vague concepts alluded to, but not overly explored (cult, cosmic gods, David claiming he was 400 years old, …), so it felt like pieces of the puzzle were missing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & DarkLit Press for a copy.

I’ve found myself reading more and more horror books lately. I am really enjoying them! However, I have never read anything that categorized itself as “splatterpunk”. Listen, I’ve watched my fair share of horror movies heavy on the gore, so… I just dove right in 😅.

I “enjoyed” this one! (Enjoyed is a hard word to use when reading about violent demonic possession.) It was well paced and written. At times, I was a bit lost in the ramblings when it went into first person but I think that was the point. It left me feeling confused and vulnerable! Religious horror plots always get me though.I was on the edge of my seat with nerves to see where this was going to end up… and wow… that finale! 😅
I definitely felt uneasy while reading and found myself looking over my shoulder to every little noise the house was making while I read. BUT I think I handled this *new-to-me* genre/trope like a champ 😂🫣! If graphic/religious/cosmic horror is something you think you’d enjoy, you definitely have to check this one out!! I am still sitting here thinking about what I just read…

This book was dark. Very dark. My kind of book. I love how it's connected to the father of lies trilogy. I really enjoyed those books as well. A therapist must decide if her patient is posessed by a demon or simply schizophrenic. Or is it something else?! Look to the stars!

Before this, I was a Steve Stred virgin, obviously I'd been sleeping under a rock or something. I've always said I like a dark book, that is true. Add to that some graphic violence and horror, yes! But I can honestly say, in all my time reading (At least 35 years now of reading horror - Richard Laymon back then got me into the reading bug) I have NEVER read ANYTHING like When I look at the Sky, All I See Is Stars. I don't believe I'll ever read anything like it again.

This book is not for the faint hearted. I loved the graphic horror of it, loved the psychological mind **ck of it all. I wasn't expecting the sexual perversion of it all and yet.... It worked. In some crazy, messed up way it really came together. I have never been a fan of novella's, I always crave more. Yet Steve (Author) has penned something that just worked as a whole at this length. I am daring to say I've already queued up more of his books from Amazon!

This was a solid 4 stars, seriously unexpected and I'm still here thinking, 'What the hell did I just read?' A book shop friend once said to me, 'Horror is a dead genre'. If he were alive still I'd be calling him now saying, 'Have you heard of Steve Stred?'

Thank you to NetGalley and DarkLit Press for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

As Steve Stred recommends at the beginning of this cosmic horror novella, please read the content warning. This may not be a book for you.

Dr. Rachel Hoggendorf is a respected psychiatrist who has had overwhelming success with patients in the past but is having trouble connecting with David, a patient who knows things he shouldn't and is presenting with potential multiple personalities. As David starts to express himself more, violent, supernatural events begin to take place.

I was caught off guard when I started reading this, as I wasn't sure exactly what was happening. We have a man, David, who seems to be in an interview room at a psychological facility, but it is unclear who is interviewing him.

Stred uses some exciting yet risky approaches in telling this story that, for some readers, may not pay off. I am not one of those readers. I really appreciate the way his style makes you think about the plot and comprehend what's happening.

The plot is not spoon-fed to you, and its whats not written that really gave this story so much punch, making me feel intelligent as a reader, constantly assessing the characters mentally along the short 97 pg thrill ride.

When ‘I Look at the Sky All I See are Stars’ gave me HUGE ‘Berserk meets Lovecraft’ vibes, I would LOVE to see a graphic novel adaptation of this story!

As someone hitherto unfamiliar with the works of Steve Stred, I was lured in by the title and the promise of cosmic horror - and it certainly delivered.

In fact, "lured in" may be the most fitting summary for my reading experience, since I immediately found myself drawn into an eerie tale that almost felt like willful entrapment. Although I'm completely new to splatterpunk, I appreciated that the graphic depictions were horrifying enough to elicit real-life grimaces, but not distractingly protracted beyond the needs of the story.

While this may not be the horror niche for me after all, the story served as a worthwhile introduction to the genre. A quick, well-written read that can best be described as a fever dream.

This book follows a psychiatrist, Rachel, and her newest patient, David Stewart who claims to be possessed by a 400 year-old spirit.

I enjoyed this book to an extent. I really appreciated the writing style that Stred used. In certain chapters, he wrote as if he was speaking directly to the reader which made me feel more encapsulated in the book. While reading this book, however, there were a decent amount of times when I didn't understand at all what was going on. there were a lot of vague concepts and I felt they weren't explained thoroughly enough, and had they been, I would have enjoyed it more.

The direction of the plot seemed well thought out and I had no issues with that whatsoever. If you do consider picking up this book though, definitely read the content warnings before starting. There were some scenes that made me a bit uncomfortable, but as is to be expected.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Quotes:
“The stars. That’s what I remember most.”

“Do you know that moment when it gets dark, and you look upon the stars in the sky and you understand that each little light above is forever? That each shining beacon is where you could be, where you should be, and at that exact second, you could be whomever and wherever you longed to be?”