Thank You Net Galley and DarkLit Press for the Arc copy of: WHEN I LOOK AT THE SKY, ALL I SEE IS STARS in exchange for my honest review 😍

Upcoming Release Date: June 24th 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐

This compact horror novel, with a small side of spice, delivers a punch.

The story begins with David, a psych ward patient accused of murder claiming to be possessed by a demon.

Dr. Rachel Hoggendorf takes David's case but when David reveals secrets about her no one should know, she starts questioning reality. As treatments progress strange phenomenons and violent attacks escalate.

The novel concludes in fast and furious tail spin with an unexpected surprise of a demon orgy 😂

There were some things that I really enjoyed about this Novella and some things I didn't love so much. I'm going to start with the things that I like!

I really loved the setting of a mental health facility and I really enjoyed the conversations and interactions of the doctors. I thought this story's take on the possession trope was really unique and loved that the doctors were working with the church. I am a fan of Stred's writing style and found the gory descriptions and action scenes immersive, engaging and horrific.

Some things that I didn't love so much; I had a little bit of a hard time following this book and found it incredibly confusing at times. I didn't expect the cosmic horror aspect and while that's not a problem with the book, it's just something that's not my particular jam. I'm not sure if there's more to come but this one felt a bit unfinished.

Stred's new book, 'When I Look at the Sky, All I See are Stars," is his best book ever: tight plot, skilled narration, a mix of slow- and fast-pacing that fits the bizarre story, and a bucketload of utter and grotesque insanity! Possession, Lovecraftian-inspired cosmic horror, several instances of gory and unsettling imagery, body horror, assault of all kinds, cannibalism and self-harm, and an atmosphere of dread, mystery, and suspense. The trope of demonic possession is employed in a very original way, blending religious and occult themes with cult and cosmic horror elements without undermining itself by too much psychological baggage. Everything felt just right, also very new, since Stred chose a writing style which allows for novelty: the reader learns of what's going on both directly and obliquely, via other people's testimonies; the glimpses into the possessed mind is at turns a matter of bare-bones descent into madness, at other times a disorienting experience of being told too much too fast, too soon. The novella's ending is quite hard-hitting - if it's really the ending. Ash and dust and dirt are the real stars of this story, so prepare yourself for some nasty swinging from the brutal to the beautiful to the macabre and back again!

Steve Stred ventures into the realm of the unreliable narrator in When I Look At The Sky, All I See Are Stars. Psychiatrist Dr. Rachel Hoggendorf is assigned a new patient when David is remanded to a mental health care facility following the gruesome murder of a priest. Told in alternating points of view, Stred keeps us, as well as Rachel and her colleagues, guessing about David's true nature. Is he schizophrenic, a sufferer of multiple personality disorder, or is this an actual case of demonic possession?

For starters, David knows things he absolutely shouldn't, like the sexual assault Rachel has buried deeply in her past. Beyond knowing the secrets of total strangers, he also speaks confidently of cosmic gods and the false natures of mankind's more prominent beliefs. There seems to be something lurking in his eyes, too, and in the way he carries himself. The hospital's surveillance cameras record instances the doctors either failed to observe or have no recollection of... or maybe it's just digital noise on DVD playback?

In some respects, When I Look At The Sky almost feels like an ode to Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, particularly in regards to the doctor-patient relationship between Rachel and David as she works to suss out the true nature of his mental affliction, only to fall deeper into the rabbit hole. What she is forced to confront is a madness beyond all reason, and certainly well beyond the scope of her training and education as a mental health advocate.

Of course, given Stred's pedigree as a two-time nominee of the Splatterpunk Awards, this Lovecraftian concoction is far more explicit in its cosmic horrors and (in)human violence than the now-antiquarian quaintness of early-to-mid-20th Century weird fiction efforts. Stred has no difficulties shoving his characters toward extremes and inflicting upon them shockingly violent grotesqueries and sexually explicit revelries. What is a modern-day cosmic horror story involving cults and ancient uncaring gods without its massively ripe orgies and voluminous bloodletting, after all? When I Look At The Sky may owe plenty to the realm of Lovecraftian horrors, but Stred's approach to the material would no doubt have old H.P. himself struck with a curious case of the vapours, cursing and decrying this Canadian author as loudly as if Stred were an Italian.

UGH! Just give me ALL the Steve Stred short stories! He is so darn talented with this form of storytelling.

Longer review to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy. The opinion is my own.
I've been thinking how to describe my feelings about this books and in the end I think a simple mixed feelings works best.
While the premise is interesting and the pace is fast, it does end up falling short in readability - or more specifically, the pov changes are abrupt and somewhat confusing, which some people might like but I got annoyed by it fast.
As for the content... I think giving the story a bit more pages to breathe would have been better.

I was intrigued by the title and cover of this one and DarkLit Press has done me no wrong (yay, DarkLit Press!), but this book did not do it for me in any way.

This is my first and last read by the author. He may be a match in heaven for someone else (who is most decidedly not myself).

The story felt like it was written by a teenage boy trying to write the most shocking horror novel ever. I didn't find it shocking, offensive, disturbing, scary, or annoying. I just felt confused about why it was written and why anyone would want to read or enjoy it.

That said- if you've ever thought about biting your own nipples off, I think you should try and take a chunk out of this one. The book. Or your nipples. Why not both? At the same time??? If you are intrigued, you're ready to read this. Have fun.

Dark, gore, multiple personalities, possession, the psychologist and the patient trope, demons and voices. Horror. Interesting but not for me though.

This was an interesting read, but I have to admit I have mixed feelings about it.

At times I felt like I’d walked into an art gallery with absolutely no knowledge of art and tried to figure out an abstract painting. In other words, another reader might enjoy this writing style more than I did. I struggled to keep up with the jumping around and I didn’t enjoy having to guess who was speaking when it changed points of view without telling me who I would be reading about next.

There were some content warnings listed at the end of the book, but I would encourage the author to add cannibalism to that list. (Then again, is it still considered cannibalism if the person who committed the act was possessed by a demon?)

While there were some interesting concepts in this book, I don’t think it was for me. I’m giving it three stars mostly due to the confusing layout of the book and the fact that I’m still not completely sure what I read.

Thank you to DarkLit Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this, it had everything that I was looking for in a horror novel. I appreciated the psychological elements to this and enjoyed the overall story being told. The characters worked in this world and thought the overall feel worked with what I wanted. It was a strong novella and glad I got to go on this journey with the characters. Steve Stred wrote this perfectly and left me wanting to read more.

Brilliant and terrifying all at once. A well written horror novella from an author I'm gonna keep an eye out for now. Dark & disturbing..

This story promises disturbing scenarios, gore, and cosmic horror and it delivers on all of those things. I did struggle somewhat with the structure of the writing since every chapter the perspective changed from the mind of one person to the other. This had the benefit of providing a glimpse into different people's thought processes and specifically gave us a disturbing image of what was going on in the minds of the people being 'possessed' or otherwise experiencing the power of the entity tormenting the characters. Which was interesting, however I found that at some points it made details very confusing and I ended up doing some back tracking trying to figure out exactly whose thoughts I was reading about. But for some people I think that aspect of the writing would be really neat and add to the atmosphere.
Ultimately it delivers on what it claims to be, but I do wish there was more of it. The story ends up wrapping up just as it is getting started.

I didn't love the writing style - but the story was great. I loved that it was around 100-pages, which made the length perfect for what the story was trying to convey.
At first it was a bit hard to follow, jumping between characters was more confusing than anything.

I love a good cosmic horror!!

Another awesome novella from Steve. I couldn't put down. This was just the perfect pace for a short read that managed to get a story set out so well in under 100 pages. He always manages to keep your attention the whole time and as always the writing style is so wonderfully written and easy to read and keep me invested. I'm going to keep this super brief because I don't want to spoil it for anyone and it's an easy read in one go. It's completely different from anything I've read recently. I don't know why I'd expect anything less from Steve tbh.
I'd really recommend this to anyone else that's enjoyed his work & anyone who enjoys anything about the occult like me.

An erotic cosmic horror which will have you questioning your sanity.

This is my first Steve Stred book, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but wow! I'm so glad I read this novella. I love erotic horror, and this was a really unique story within the genre.

There is a lot packed into this novella, we have a psychologist/patient, we have dual POVs, we jump forward and backward in time, and graphic sex with cosmic monsters.

Because this is a novella I don't want to share too much about the story, but here are some things you can expect:
Erotic horror tropes
👹 Monster orgy
👹 Knotting
👹 Chaos Gods
👹 Religious possession

This book is best read after making an appointment with your therapist. Trust me, you'll need it.

Not gonna lie, when I downloaded this from Netgalley and read the warning that this was considered splatterpunk I was very worried. I have very limited experience with the genre and I didn’t know what to expect. The author does list triggers warnings at the back of the book (which I love more authors need to do that) but I didn’t know how explicit those things were going to be.

I’m just gonna say it now this is one of the best horror novellas I’ve ever read. They story is very short so it just progresses at they breakneck speed that doesn’t leave a reader much time to catch their breath. This is very much a good thing in this case.

You’re following the story of a man who is either deeply mentally ill or processed by demons. I like the way his character was developed over the course of the book. At times he is a normal person and at other times he just had this active aura of real menace that I just loved.

Things truly got unhinged toward the end of the book and I had to go over some things a couple times in my head so that I could be sure I was getting a clear idea of what was going on in the book. Every part of this story is just wild and I loved reading it.

I’m not 100% recommending that fans of horror (especially leaning to the splatterpunk side of things). Read the trigger warnings before you read the book. I’m not saying that to say it please read all of the trigger warnings before you make this. Most of what was going on didn’t bother me much but I seem to have a higher than usual tolerance for the bloody and gory aspect of this. Be prepared to be grossed out if you decide to read this.

Whem I look At The Sky, All I See Are Stars By: Steve Stred
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!

I love horror and books involving a Psychologist/ Psychiatrist as the main character, so when I read the synopsis of this book, I was sold.

Fans of Horror, Extreme Horror, Splatterpunk, and Possession stories will definitely enjoy this Novella!

Thank you to NetGalley and DarkLit Press for providing me with an ARC of When I Look At The Sky All I See Are Stars to read and review!

Steve Stred's novella "When I Look at the Sky All I See Are Stars" promises an intriguing journey into the realms of psychiatry and the supernatural. Dr. Rachel Hoggendorf, a seasoned psychiatrist, finds herself faced with a patient unlike any other when David arrives, claiming to be possessed by a demon and centuries old. As Rachel delves into David's psyche, she confronts unsettling truths that challenge her understanding of reality. However, despite its promising premise, the novella falls short of expectations.
One of the novella's strengths lies in its readability. Stred crafts a narrative that flows smoothly, allowing readers to breeze through its pages in just a few short sittings. Additionally, the incorporation of elements of splatterpunk and cosmic horror adds a layer of intrigue to the story, promising a blend of gore and existential dread.
Yet, despite these promising elements, "When I Look at the Sky All I See Are Stars" ultimately fails to deliver a truly engaging or emotionally resonant experience. While there is no shortage of intended gore and horror, the novella lacks the depth and emotional complexity needed to truly captivate its audience. Instead, it reads more like a clinical report, detached and devoid of genuine emotion.
Furthermore, the novella's pacing and narrative structure leave much to be desired. The abrupt shifts in perspective without clear delineation make it difficult for readers to fully immerse themselves in the story, resulting in a disjointed and confusing reading experience.
Overall, "When I Look at the Sky All I See Are Stars" may appeal to readers seeking a quick and easy read with elements of horror and the supernatural. However, those expecting a deeper exploration of the human psyche or a more compelling narrative may find themselves disappointed. In the end, while the novella has its moments, it ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression.

I really liked this creepy novella. I loved the possession story and unreliable narrator trope. I like that at parts it made you feel like you were losing your mind. Overall, this was a novella that I really enjoyed and I definitely want to read more by Stred!

3.5 Stars. Overall a decent read. The author writes well. The story was clever but I wish it was more detailed in some parts. I feel like this novella could have been a little longer and filled in some of the gaps. The beginning is slightly confusing and the plot doesn't start to make sense until chapters 4-5. I feel like a little more backstory would make the world of difference.