Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/229217730-flesh-and-bone
ARC Review for Flesh and Bone (Arden Powell):
far out in the canadian wild west. two cowboys. marshall and everett. frequently and secretly fond of each other. except everett is being eaten alive by the hunger inside him.
also a monster is chasing them. some hungry devil.
this novella is short but it sure is a ride.
if you're looking for queer horror, yearning, corruption, and monsters, this is it.
follow everett as he's consumed by the guilt of doing something he shouldn't have with marshall.
the prose and body horror is raw and grotesque. makes the words spin before you until you see red. stomach churning and mind numbing. you will feel just as feverish as everett is.
this is horror. they are cowboys fighting to survive. the romance isn't soft or fluffy, it's gritty, painful, gut wrenching. teeth clenched. guts and gore. queer horror and guilt and internalized homophobia. sickness, grief, terror. the only time they have to breathe is when they have blood in their lungs. they can't get close to each other, and that's the point. the moments they share are poignant. yearning. the softness hides under a layer of grime and guilt. it's built upon the subdued affection and tension of everett's slow corruption. marshall can only watch the horrifying tragedy as it unfolds. ease the pain a little. come to terms with it all.
the ending was shattering. it all melts away.
loved it.
( Received an advanced reader copy for review. Flesh and Bone, Arden Powell, 3 26 2025. queer mm horror-romance novella, western, canadian wild west )