Death by Orgasm: Seduction, Survival, and Wickedly Dark Fun by Baroque Medusa is exactly what the title promises: a collection of short stories that gleefully straddles the line between eroticism and horror, luring readers in with sensual delight before blindsiding them with wicked, often macabre twists. It’s provocative, campy, darkly hilarious, and unapologetically weird—like a fever dream where desire and danger tango in stilettos.

Baroque Medusa’s voice is bold and wholly original, leaning into the absurdity of the human condition with stories that feel like cautionary tales wrapped in fishnet stockings. Each story starts with the promise of pleasure, whether it’s a wild encounter or an exploration of taboo desires, but things rarely end well for the characters involved. In Medusa’s world, passion is never simple—it’s a force of nature, unpredictable and deadly.

The standout strength of this collection is the way it blends sensuality with sharp social commentary. The story about a Brazilian Butt Lift gone wrong, for instance, doesn’t just revel in body horror—it also skewers societal beauty standards with biting wit. The BDSM-themed stories aren’t just about domination and submission; they dig into the power dynamics we play out in everyday life. Medusa isn’t content with surface-level thrills—she uses eroticism as a scalpel, slicing open deeper truths about vanity, obsession, and mortality.

The writing itself is lush and cinematic, full of visceral imagery that makes you feel every pulse, shiver, and gasp. But for all its intensity, there’s a sly humor running beneath the surface—a kind of knowing wink at the reader, as if Medusa is saying, "I know this is ridiculous. But isn’t it fun?" This tonal balance keeps the stories from tipping too far into grim territory, making the darker moments feel more exhilarating than bleak.

That said, the collection’s commitment to its niche won’t work for everyone. If you’re not a fan of erotic stories that lean into the grotesque or absurd, this may feel more unsettling than seductive. Some of the stories also end so abruptly that they feel like they’re begging for an extra paragraph or two to fully land the emotional punch. While the brevity adds to the shock factor, a few tales could’ve benefited from a slower burn.

At 4 stars, Death by Orgasm is a wild, wickedly entertaining ride that’s equal parts titillating and terrifying. Baroque Medusa knows exactly what she’s doing, seducing readers with vivid sensuality before pulling the rug out with gleeful cruelty. It’s a collection that doesn’t just invite you to explore your darkest fantasies—it dares you to confront the consequences. Fans of dark erotica, biting satire, and stories with a Tales from the Crypt vibe will find plenty to sink their teeth into. Just remember: sometimes desire doesn’t just burn—it consumes.

Death by Orgasm is a collection of eight absurdly dark and humorous short stories where each tale ends in an outlandish, sex-related death. Blending erotica with satire, the stories range from laugh-out-loud moments to outright bizarre scenarios that often left me saying, “well, okay then.” While it’s graphic and definitely not traditional erotica—more weird than sexy—the quirky premise kept me entertained. The humor was hit-or-miss, and I found myself wishing for more chapters to explore additional outrageous situations. A quick, peculiar read that’s not for the faint-hearted. Three stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This one was a little out there for me. I normally read dark romance and am used to the morally grey/morally black, but I couldn't get into this so maybe it was just a preference thing. I don't see myself reaching for it or recommending it.

A crazy book... And I love it! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fun, weird, imaginative, completely inappropriate -- this little book is nuts. If this is the kind of thing that makes you laugh, I highly recommend it. There aren't many books like this out there. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

a collection of short stories with their own writing styles and views. I feel this book is a good balance of both males and females and their views of their sexual experiences. This is a good book for some who need s break from their usual and want something new and different. This book hit all the right spots in my brain it was detailed but left room for my own thoughts/imagination.

Death by orgasm is a collection eight dark erotica short stories that capture the senselessness that often accompanies lust. Even the most careful and restrained aren't safe. With a balance between male and female perspective across the collection, this book touches upon themes like BDSM, plastic surgery, and STDs. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a break from cookie-cutter erotica, a dark sense of humor, or in the mood for short fiction. This type of book is great for the sexually bored, offering both the high of fun smut and the WHAT! moments of horror. I was both turned on and appalled in such a lovely mixture that I have no clue how to feel, and yet, I simply love the newness of the feeling it gave me.

My favorite shorts were A Vibrating Deaty, because the MC is so sexually empowered and I really admire her, even if she was a bit extreme at times, and TPE's Deadly Delight, because the concept was so original and so funny. Whiskey and Death left me with many questions unanswered, too many for my taste.

This book has some grammar errors, particularly in TPE's Deadly Delight and Deadly Waters: The Hot Tub Tragedy, so I do recommend an edit of those two - I remember "asymmetrical" was used at one point where I think the author meant to use "symmetrical."

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for this book!

This was a quick read, I would describe it as the Final Destination of orgasms. Interesting stories, the first guy had stamina like I never seen before, lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of Death by Orgasm, in exchange for an honest review.

Death by Orgasm is a short and entertaining read with a good dose of dark humor. The stories in this collection are centered around people meeting their end while chasing after the big O.
So the title perfectly sums up what to expect.

Although the novella is brief, I laughed at the absurdity and humor throughout each story. It’s a fun, offbeat read that blends dark comedy with a unique concept, making it an enjoyable experience from start to finish. If you are a fan of dark humor, this book is for you
.
4 Stars!

Very strange book full of short stories. I would have enjoyed it more if some of the deaths had been more believable, I can get on board with the allergy to latex or the heart attack but the car crash or the man who didn't go to the doctor it just wouldn't happen!

Death by orgasm is a collection eight dark erotica short stories that capture the senselessness that often accompanies lust. Even the most careful and restrained aren't safe. With a balance between male and female perspective across the collection, this book touches upon themes like BDSM, plastic surgery, and STDs. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a break from cookie-cutter erotica, a dark sense of humor, or in the mood for short fiction. This type of book is great for the sexually bored, offering both the high of fun smut and the WHAT! moments of horror. I was both turned on and appalled in such a lovely mixture that I have no clue how to feel, and yet, I simply love the newness of the feeling it gave me.

My favorite shorts were A Vibrating Deaty, because the MC is so sexually empowered and I really admire her, even if she was a bit extreme at times, and TPE's Deadly Delight, because the concept was so original and so funny. Whiskey and Death left me with many questions unanswerer, too many for my taste.

This book has some grammar errors, particularly in TPE's Deadly Delight and Deadly Waters: The Hot Tub Tragedy, so I do recommend an edit of those two - I remember "assymmetrical" was used at one point where I think the author meant to use "symmetrical."

Thank to the author and publisher for the free ARC to read.

This is a hilarious, dark erotica novella. These short essays will make you chuckle and sometimes leave your jaw dropped. It's unhinged and truly a good read.

I guess one could say they all died doing what they loved. This book is an anthology of 8 very short stories all based around sex where someone ends up dead at the end. I was hoping the erotic elements would have been actually sexy, but in most of the stories the smut was leaning far more towards weird. Multiple endings just had me saying “weird. Ok.” While the stories weren’t very sexy or particularly scary, they all were incredibly weird. With any anthology the reader will enjoy some more than others, my personal favorite was Latex and Death.

I do appreciate the opportunity to read this book early and review through NetGalley and Baroque Medusa.

It was .. an experience. I did not enjoy it too much, I was not surprised or moved, or found it funny, but maybe I expected too much.

Death by Orgasm is a compilation of short erotic stories about different people getting off while simultaneously meeting the end of their lives. This had me audibly gasping and genuinely feeling sad for some characters. Worth giving it a read!!

A quirky short read - Baroque Medusa's Death by Orgasm presents short stories on the chase for a sexual high, and the unintended consequences. The humor is dry but quick, the stories are fast but satisfying.

Aesop's erotic Fables?! Curiosity got the better of me.

This caught my eye, I couldn't resist, at 43 pages. I'm not really a reader of erotic fiction, it's usually a bit cringe-worthy a topic for me to read on paper, but I thought, at this length (ahem), why not? This sounded amusing, quirky, fun.

And while it was actually not exactly 'fun', as each small chapter (2-6 pages) detailed the s*x-related death of one of its participants, it was dark humour abounding. You can't easily see how someone is going to die in each s*x-capade. Some are preventable, others sadly natural.

Some of these pleasure seekers are alone, some are with others, some are a little naughty - none expect death. Though I suppose there's a lesson in the releases of both s*xual pleasure and the end of life? Bit too deep (oops) for this review perhaps.

But this is GRAPHIC. So please don't read this for Mills and Boon swooning and yearning. It's detailed, in-your-face (oh dear, these puns just write themselves) and while I can't say I was turned on by these savages incidents, I was entertained and have learned a few useful life lessons (mostly involving using vibrator apps while driving, but still - could be life-saving!).

Would have quite liked this to contain a whole load (sorry, anything you write smutty when you look for it) more chapters and situations.

You've been warned about the content. Enter (oh I give up) at your peril.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Baroque Medusa for providing a copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Death by orgasm is a collection of 8 very short stories each one even more absurd than the last. It blends erotica with dark humour where every story ends in someone dying during sex. Whether it be by choking on public hair, or air embolism from a botched BBL.

Despite the synopsis and general idea of the book I wouldn't necessarily categorise this as erotica. The 'spice' isn't sexy it's just weird. Though that is not necessarily a bad thing. I've certainly read weirder.

Some stories had me laughing out loud and others just had me audibly saying "well okay then". The humour was a little bit or miss for me.

Overall a short and enjoyable read

My second Medusa and while the first one didn't work for me, this one is a banger! A quick and 'enjoyable' read, the weirdness is not for everyone but I find it amusing. All stories end with death and yet so engrossing, not a single word is wasted. This was a surprise and I would recommend especially if you are into these themes.

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Really good short stories on how people came to their deaths during sex and having a orgasm, the first short story had me howling it was absolutely hilarious 🤣