Firstly I would like to thank S.C. Mendes , Blood Bound Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of ' The Little Season' to read and review. Although I am an avid reader of splatterpunk and extreme horror , this is the first book I have read by this particular author apart from his work on anthologies. I am always excited to receive publications within this genre as I relish in gut churning intense horror and from the very first chapter I was hooked and instantly knew that this would not disappoint.

Due for publication in July , the story follows a young man called Jordan who is offered an opportunity to join a mysterious food tasting panel. Although he feels ill after the first meal he puts this down to coincidence and attends another sampling when more money is offered for his time. After the second dining experience Jordan instinctively knows that there is something drastically wrong and from this moment embarks on a journey diving into the rabbit holes of conspiracies.

The story was well written and I loved the angle about how food can be traumatised in terms of it being made from molecules so it can be susceptible to vibrational energy. The images sporadically placed within the text added immensely to my reading experience , but I must note that I believe that these will only be featured in the limited edition paperback and not within the mass market copy.

At only 150 pages I enjoyed the pace and it was a novella that kept me reading into the night. . Whilst splatterpunk is a niche genre and certainly not for the squeamish I recommend this short story to anybody looking for a fun and quirky read. It certainly wont be the last book I read by this author .

#TheLittleSeason #NetGalley

Overall I really enjoyed this reading. It was the right amoint of background details and vividry that really made the story come to life. As thr story progresses it leaves you wondering what will happen next as well as what exactly is real and all just a part of dreams? The way the story made you really question everything happening and being stuck with the decision on what to believe alongside the character made this story even more engaging and interesting. Honestly was really great though i would have loved to know more with what happens with Michelle..

I am very much into Splatterpunk books so I was very excited to read this one! It was a quick read and I will definitely be reading more by the author again.

This short story really grabbed my attention from the start and every page left me wanting more.
The book flows at a decent pace and builds tension well. The theme was original and like nothing I have read before. My only criticism was that it seemed to end quite abruptly and I felt a bit let down by the ending as I was just craving more information. I would read more by this author.

4 stars

This book is wild and so much fun. It certainly packs a punch too. I loved The City by Mendes, and this is a strong addition to his catalog.
If you’re into this kind of horror dont skip this one. Maybe even if you’re unsure, give it a try, it was a quick and insane read.

The Little Season was a quick and pretty fast-paced story about Jordan, a young man in desperate need of money after suddenly becoming unemployed. Jordan jumps at the chance to earn fast cash for being a part of a focus group in which all he has to do is eat food and give his feedback. After the first meal and few hundred dollars in his pocket, Jordan becomes incredibly ill, but figuring it a fluke, agrees to participate in another one of the focus groups, but things begin to unravel from there. It's unnerving and gross with some twist that you likely would not guess. I'm sure this book will be a hit with so many people!

I really liked the beginning and I feel like the story started to ramble. Whole time reading this during the day I considered what the animals go through before we eat them n if it would actually cause our behavior to change. I loved the concept. I found the main character Jordan was oblivious and became aware and drank the koolaid anyways. Wasn’t the ending I was expecting

Splatterpunk mystery/horror… count me in right?

At first I was like… I don’t think that this will be for me, I just didn’t vibe with it. But the more I read the more I couldn’t put it down, and when I read the last page I was like WHAT!!! I wanted more to the story! Fast paced, short little novel that you will either love or hate.

Check your triggers though! Some of them got to me.

What in the world did I just read?! This book was wild. At any given point I had zero clue where it was going, and to be honest, by the end I was still left confused.. But in a good way. I could not put this story down and I almost wish it had continued on only because I was sad to see it over.

THE LITTLE SEASON by S.C. Mendes tells the story of Jordan, who took a food-tasting gig from a secret restaurant called Talons.

Even after the first meal had gotten him sick and had given him disturbing dreams, the pay had lured him to do another tasting and another.. Until the puddles of bloody vomit and nightmares become too hard to ignore.

The first third of the story had me on a chokehold (those dream sequences, man). The middle had enough to keep me intrigued and tethered.. but by the last bit, it lost me. It made me feel like I was reading a totally different book than the one that I started with - and not in a good way.

There was a lot of astrology, tarot reading, crystal healing, secret societies, and new-age "science" in the story, and unfortunately, I am not into those things.

Nevertheless, it explored the lengths one will go to out of desperation. In Filipino, we have a saying, "kapit sa patalim" which literally translates to "clinging to a knife." Is it risky? Yes. Is it painful? Definitely. For a lot of people, living along the razor's edge is the only way to survive.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a free ARC to read and review. This book will be out on July 4, published by Blood Bound Books.

“The Little Season” starts off strong as a true horror contender, making readers uncomfortable with its initial set-up. Personally, I would categorize this book more as a thriller than horror, as the author fails to test limits and does not lean in to the “splatter-punk” genre. Reader may begin their journey expecting much more horror/gore elements, but are instead met with the involvement of religious cults. While not a bad premise in its own, I believe this book started in one genre and ended in another. I did, however, enjoy the ambiguity of the ending, shocking readers with how easy people can be preyed upon/manipulated.

The Little Season
by: SC Mendes
Blood Bound Books
due:6-9-24
Limited First Edition of 613 copies
5.0 stars
#NetGalley #TheLittleSecret

I am such a fan of the weird, strange and unexplainable stories or novels. Thats one reason I am such a fan of SC Mendes. He can write the most disgusting horror, but has great characters that always remind you that tomorrow is never a guarantee, but there is hope. I was sucked right into this wild story, and really liked the protagonist, Jordon Carter. A perfect balance of humor and horror.
Talon is looking for taste testers and is offering a huge amount of money to join them. Jordon is looking for a job and is hired by Talon to be a taste tester. The location is secret, the menu is strange and Jordon becomes ill and has hallucinations and bad dreams after the taste test. He vows to never return, it just seems too weird. But when they offer him twice the amount as last time, to return for a second taste testing, he cant turn it down. Its to much money.
Jordons nightmare begins when he returns, and begins his own investigation into the church.
The horror is gory, the characters are so perfectly crafted for the story......I couldn't put this down. SC Mendes is an author I always look forward to reading.
Thanks NetGalley and Blood Bound Books for sending this e-book ARC for review.

This book went in a surprising direction , with some religious themes I was nervous about at first, but the plot was thought and I really enjoyed this!! Splatter/extreme fans may be disappointed that the gnarliest action takes place at the beginning of the book, but going along with the themes of the book I’d suggest looking at it like a delicious meal to enjoy and enjoy the ride along the way.

I love the artwork throughout this book. It's a fun splatterpunk read for people who like other writers in the splatterpunk/ extreme horror genre like Nikki Noir.

I had to read this after S.C. Mendes, the author, made a post about listening to your reviewers and their feedback. And I have to say it is a good thing he listens. Anyone going into the story looking for splatterpunk will be ready for a doozy of a story in the first chapter. And then the most of the rest of the tale is not.

Now that that is out of the way... I really enjoyed this tale by the end. About halfway through I wasn't sure if I was enjoying it or not. This book makes me think of 60's/70's witch movies that have moments of being so convoluted that you're not sure if you're enjoying it or not. It's generally the last 3rd of the movie that either seals it as a favorite or kills it for you. This book is very much that. Or at least, it was that for me. In the last third, maybe even quarter, I was thoroughly intrigued by the organization that is leading the protagonist(?) in this journey.

As a whole, I enjoyed the characters. Well, the ones that have time to actually show personalities (the ones that don't aren't important enough to the story, so that's ok). I felt the protagonist didn't need the influence of a certain podcast... he could have made poor decisions on his own without following their guidance, but I digress.

The book opens with strong splatter/extreme themes then moves to surreal to weird metaphysical themes that makes it a bit of a rollercoaster (thematically) but intriguing enough that I'd like to see a series revolving around the "organization" in the tale.

I give it 4 stars for my enjoyment and weirdly having a surreal vs reality feel of classic "witch" movies... but think many readers will probably give it a 2 to 3 star review.

This book was deeply unsettling and, at times, downright disgusting. The vivid descriptions and disturbing content made me physically recoil more than once. It’s a story that digs under your skin and lingers long after you’ve put it down. Not for the faint of heart, this one pushes boundaries in ways that will definitely leave a lasting impact.

This is more of a splatter punk, horror vibe. I liked it, I’ve never read anything like this before, but it was good. I would only recommend this book if you’re into this genre, I know it isn’t for everyone. This was actually my first time ready splatter punk.