“Storyslave” is a collection of terrifying fiction & also part wild memoir by the author. Bower’s book is totally captivating. His life events and imagination transform & elevate his prose into fantastic scary stories. I really appreciated the insight into how his experiences show through in his work.

Within these pages readers learn to beware of black cat bones, follow a family of addicts during the last hours of humanity, and meet a grieving mother who is willing to help the spirit of a child.
I enjoyed each one for its randomness, interesting characters, and endings.

This was just plain good storytelling.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and RDS Publishing/ Uncomfortably Dark Horror for a copy!

I picked this up off Netgalley but I really saw a review from Danielle and knew I needed to read it, and lucked into it there.

This was wonderful, and will be getting purchased by me when it released.

Do I have a new to me author I will be checking, out?
Yes !

Three novelettes and I need to pick a favorite, or do I ?

Scarlett ( I know, I know this is what caught my eye)
This one is a wild take on a serial killer, and how one person hunts them down, I loved it in the same way I loved The Shining Girls and Black Phone, if you know what I mean, that weird, crazy, story that unfolds and you are like, holy crap what is happening, but you can’t stop reading it. I was gripped the entire time.

Countdown to Oblivious
Maybe it was the family feud, maybe it was the drug use, and how it makes everything worse, but something about this story just hit hard for me, and I loved it, when that comes together in a down to the wire type situation, it just had all the elements I love in horror, the “people pressure” I like to call it where its not just the things going on around you that make shit scary, its the people, the ones you can’t tell what they will do next, that make the real horror in the story.

Black Cat Bones ( I am a liar, this was my favorite lol )
I enjoyed this one as well, how could I pass up a kid destroying her actual real monster??
I dont want to spoil too much, but while on the run with her mother, they run into someone or something and well, when your a kid, that not only endured the monster, but also slayed it, well it leaves some marks that you can’t just roll on past, and somehow this stranger, helps her out with that.

I loved this, and will be checking out more by Brian, this is the kind of author I love running across.

This was a creepy little horror anthology! Worth picking up for anyone who enjoys extreme and/or short horror stories. Sometimes I think short horror is the best, although it is difficult not to love it all.

Storyslave is 3 short stories and an autobiographical short story. In one, a serial killer at large uses the blood of children that he will imminently kill to create paintings. Our protagonist forms a bond, if you will, with one of these paintings and uses it to locate the killer, and ultimately, her own artistic inspiration. In another, a meth-fueled family feud turns into something even more intense, if you can believe it. In the third, a little girl and her mother go to great lengths to hide from the police after our young protagonist takes out her real-life boogeyman. The kindness of a stranger, and strange he is indeed, helps her to move on. In the final story, we get a glimpse into the youth of author Brian Bowyer's own life, and it informs the stories that came before.

Honestly, on reading the first 3 stories, I had a hard time following the motivations of the main characters. At times their actions, and reactions seemed extreme, or permissive, or unusual. That was the biggest hang up for me here. I still think that my opinion holds, although I do believe that Brian's own experience sheds light on a very different upbringing and background, one in which people are subjected to circumstances in which they might act in extreme ways, from an outsider's perspective.

These stories stuck with me. It's been 10 days and one will surface in my mind from time to time. Thank you for sharing a little bit of your world with us Brian. It was very cool to put together that you grew up not too far from where I'm living now, in Huntington. I'm glad to read that you found a place that you like much better and that you are creating these stories to share with us.

Thank you to Brian, NetGalley, and RDS Publishing for the eARC!

Title: Storyslave
Author: Brian Bowyer
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Gore Level: 💀💀💀💀
Genre: Horror · Psychological · Occult · Extreme
Format: eReader ARC via NetGalley

Review:
Storyslave is a dark and disorienting collection that felt like three bite-sized episodes of American Horror Story. Each novella offers a unique horror experience — whether it’s a grieving woman pulled into a surreal relationship with a mysterious art curator, a descent into apocalyptic madness and addiction, or eerie encounters with folk magic and death rituals.

This collection leans hard into grief, violence, and emotional trauma, with plenty of blood and bleakness for horror fans who like their stories sharp and unflinching. It's not for the faint-hearted — and definitely not a casual horror read — but it's a compelling one.

Bowyer's writing is unsettling, occasionally poetic, and unafraid to dive deep into discomfort. It’s a brutal yet strangely beautiful introduction to extreme horror, and a strong first foray into the genre for me. I’ll definitely be reading more.

I didn't love this one.

The writing felt curt—short sentences, sparse details, basic language. There wasn't much tension or intrigue. And the characters acted in ways that made willing suspension of disbelief very difficult.

Overall, the book felt rather flat. Not my cup of tea.

Wow! What a delightful collection of short horror stories! I have not read anything by Brian Bowyer before and I'm glad this collection was my introduction to his work. My favorite story was COUNTDOWN TO OBLIVION- a drug-fueled, end of the world ride with a touch of depravity. I was hoping for a bit more extreme horror, but these were a joy to read. I will definitely be reading more from Bowyer!

Brian Bowyer is easily one of my top authors in this genre. His writing can literally do no wrong. I became obsessed after reading Flesh Rehearsal, and never once has one his books disappointed. This new collection showcases his impeccable writing. If you’ve ever read anything by him, or know who he is, it’s safe to say you know what I mean when I say the guy is just a total vibe… and so is this collection. On that note, let’s take the stories one by one.

Scarlett:

“Yes. Some whisper, and others scream, but all works of art must say something. And I definitely want my first painting to say something. I’m waiting for a story to tell.”

Ah. Perfect story to start a collection. Quick one sitting read and really shows off what I love about Brian. His ability to tell a hell of a story whether it’s 20 pages or 200+. I love a good haunting story, and this is top tier.

Countdown to Oblivion:

“The drugs made her hideous, but pain made her beautiful. She’s flying with all the angels now.”

This little gem was absolutely perfect. Less than 50 pages; so a nice quick read but everything you could want and more from plot, character, detail, etc. It’s a heavy hitter and packs a punch. I read this story in the past as a standalone and it was one that actually got me out of a reading slump. Fantastic story.

Black Cat Bones:

“The mind’s an awfully big place. There’s a lot of places people can go and hide inside their minds.”

Brutal. Brilliant. Beautiful. Around 40 pages and like the others, packs a hell of a punch. Definitely a page turner. I love how his stories can be read in one sitting and be so impactful. This story is a perfect example of that with his writing.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this book.

Wow. This was messed up, but in a good way. The stories were interesting, they kept me engaged. We have a haunted painting, an Armageddon-type situation, and a child following the Antichrist. These stories are raw, original, and disturbing. A lot of trigger warnings, so definitely check that before you decide to read this.

Other than that, I really enjoyed these horror novellettes. My favorite was Scarlett. I also enjoyed the little autobiography at the end - you definitely get a sense of where these stories originated from by learning about the author's young life. I liked that aspect because I was wondering how he came up with these stories. I'll definitely be interested in reading other stories by Brian Bowyer.