Brenda S. Tolian is one of the few and revered horror creators who makes you drop everything you’re doing and immerses you in her immersive prose with a pull so powerful, it can transport readers far. It affects me in a way I am having difficulty putting it into words. Her previous book, “Blood Mountain,” left me hungering for a lot more of Tolian’s work, which has an intensity that few other writers possess.

Like her contemporaries Christina Sng, Stephanie Wytovich, and Cina Pelayo, all of whom who have also had award-winning poetry books from Raw Dog Screaming Press, Tolian joins this earth-shaking coven. Her poems are suffused with an energy of rage, of showing women’s power, of warning those who doubt it that they will suffer. Tolian also weaves in expressions of her own disability in a way that is breathtaking.

Her use of language and choices of new lines, of phrases that slap the reader in the face, is a distinct strength of her poems. With things like “snapping of jaw” and “virgins done wrong” and of couplets “some thing you tell” while “others you swallow,” there’s a way that she constructs and deconstructs the storytelling aspects of the poem as a whole, and it is marvellous to experience.

Tolian’s poems also imbue the reader with a sense of hope in the same way that the other RDSP authors mentioned have also done so. I am thinking of Sng in particular and how the messages in her poems make the promise of justice for the wronged, of those who have caused harm finally get their retribution, that women are going to fight back even harder, that we cannot go back.

The metamorphizing affects and transformations in Tolian’s poems are also vivid, taut, and deeply visceral. At times there is raw desire, and it does not apologize for its need.

Tolian is also a writer whose playing around with shapes and forms in how the poems look on the page in shapes is something else that astounds me and is a pleasure to follow.

And there is a sense of magic that blankets the entire collection as the reader can see Tolian in their mind’s eye, weaving magic like the sorceress poet she is, a siren of dark poetry.

So many of the poems are fraught with an intense energy, and of beauty but also ugly truths and all of them come together in what makes for a *magnificent* collection from Raw Dog Screaming Press.

Do NOT sleep on Brenda Tolian’s newest poetry collection. It deserves to win so many major accolades.

Thank you NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the e-ARC of this book ❤️

I didn’t know horror poetry was a thing but the cover caught my eye. This was really creepy and interesting. I liked the mix of horror and feminine rage.

Jonathon Fry was my favorite one, it reminded me of Jack the Ripper.

Beautiful visceral poetry! I loved this so much!! Horror poetry is such an awesome genre and this author didn't disappoint!

I loved this collection of poetry, the multilayered and at times dark imagery. It is definitely one that I will reread.

This was phenomenal. The grotesque physicality of Tolian's writing embodies the gothic, folk, and horror intersections of genre. The poetry's form took a bit to get used to and I wonder how it is intended to be performed/spoken. The descriptive and vivid languages lends itself well to the imagery the poems create. Would definitely recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley, RDS Publishing and Raw Dog Screaming Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Through the poetry in this book, I felt like I was in the roots of this magical, raw, feminine charged existence. Beautifully written and often moving. The author does well to take us through a journey in these primordial almost tribalistic words of verse. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would recommend to other fellow poetry lovers.

Review of Bestial Mouths by [Author's Name]

Bestial Mouths is a mesmerizing and unsettling collection that plunges deep into the realms of nightmares, metamorphosis, and the liminal spaces where the beautiful grotesque resides within the human psyche. The author’s mastery lies not only in the vivid imagery and striking metaphors but in the haunting way the poems linger in the mind long after reading.

The collection is built upon the unsettling and surreal, blurring the boundaries between dream and reality. Each poem feels like a fragment of a dark, twisted dreamscape, where the familiar is distorted into something eerie and unfamiliar. The exploration of metamorphosis is particularly striking, as the poems twist the human form into something animalistic, monstrous, or alien, challenging the reader’s perception of self and identity. This is not transformation for the sake of horror alone, but as a way to explore the fragility of the human experience.

What stands out most in Bestial Mouths is the ability to navigate the liminal spaces—the thresholds between life and death, sanity and madness, beauty and decay. The grotesque in these pages is not merely shocking or disturbing; it is beautiful in its vulnerability, raw in its honesty. The imagery dances between dark eroticism and existential dread, creating a sense of both attraction and repulsion. The mouths that inhabit this collection are not just literal but metaphysical, representing voices that speak from the shadows, from places of unspoken desire and hidden fears.

The language is at once poetic and primal, with moments that are lush and lyrical, followed by sudden, sharp fragments that jolt the reader into a new reality. The tone shifts between quiet introspection and feverish urgency, echoing the instability of the human mind as it grapples with its inner monsters.

Ultimately, Bestial Mouths is a powerful meditation on the duality of beauty and horror that resides within us all. It reminds us that the things we fear most—the monsters, the nightmares—are often reflections of our own inner turmoil. This collection will not be easily forgotten; it invites readers to confront their own dark corners, embracing the grotesque beauty that lies hidden within.

For readers who appreciate poetry that pushes boundaries and explores the visceral, the primal, and the uncanny, Bestial Mouths is a must-read.

Publishing date: 14.11.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Now THIS is horror poetry. This was exactly what I have been looking for all year in this very specific genre.

I probably like this a lot more because I am a woman that goes through phases of feminine rage, and this book has been infused with the essence of feminine rage. You can really feel the surge of emotions through the pages. The horrors of womanhood, the beauty of it, and the dangers of pushing a woman too far.

The poems were so descriptive and visceral without being crude and overly saturated with gore. I could imagine my own place amongst the lines, in the poems, in their shoes.

I experienced emotions from unbridled rage, to deep and drowning sorrows from this collection. I think a lot of women will when reading this.

Final ranking and star rating?
4.5 stars, A tier. Absolutely stunning. This is prime horror poetry. Beautiful and magnificent. If you, like me, have struggled with finding horror poetry that touches upon the "horrific and beautiful" ... Don't sleep on this collection.

Favorite poems:
Asudem
Skinwalker Moon
Jane
Impulse

The cover is awesome! This is a great collection of poetry! They are dark but very well written. If you enjoy poetry, I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Brenda S. Tolian, RDS Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.