All Creatures Living Beneath The Sun

by C.S. Fritz

Most are familiar with the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, but few of know of the lore that surrounds it.
This harrowing myth tells of a mysterious piper who lured the town’s children away, never to be seen again.
All except three.
One blind, one lame and one deaf.
This is their violent, brutal, grotesque, disturbing and heartwarming story.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

Paperback

Published May 1, 2024

About the author

Casey "C.S." Fritz grew up on a farm in Oregon, where he milked cows and had a pet pig. To escape the endless chores of cleaning chicken coops and watering tomatoes...Casey would draw.

As a young child, Casey's family moved to Arizona. It was there beneath the fiery gaze of the Southwestern sun, that he spent most of his life. Graduating school, marrying the love of his life and having two wild kids. It was also there that C.S. Fritz's work began to take traction with local galleries and art publications.

C.S. Fritz now is an award-winning author and illustrator with published children's titles as...
The Cottonmouth Trilogy, Good Night Tales, The Moonman Cometh, Seekers, and Good Night Classics!

Fritz's debut novel, A Fig For All The Devils released Halloween, 2021. Fig won best in horror with the IBPA's and is now in the works to be a major motion picture.

Other horror works by Fritz are, All Creatures Living Beneath The Sun, and Cabbage.

Reviews

[spookybookz · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading a fig for all the devils and loving it I was eager to read his next novel. This unique and gruesome retelling of the pied piper was a horror fans dream. I loved the characters and story, Fritz writing is just a pleasure to read he’s an awesome author. Another great book 📖 👏

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to follow up the beautifully written A Fig for All The Devils, but Casey managed to do it again with his second book, All Creatures Living Beneath The Sun (another great title). The illustrations throughout pair so well with the text, and the design of the book makes my design-inclined heart swoon. I absolutely loved the Belly Slitter god. What a cool, imaginative concept! There were a lot of twists that I didn't expect but that made sense to the plot. I loved following Wenty & Dot so much (And Archie and Puck...). Also, don't forget to read the Epilogue. It really made the book come full circle.

Can't wait for his next book!

[Mark Shayler (mark_reads_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some authors that I get very excited about. Top of that list is C.S Fritz. His first book, A Fig For All The Devils, blew my mind, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. So I have been waiting like a kid at Christmas for the release of All Creatures Living Beneath The Sun!
.
.
All Ceatures Living Beneath The Sun is a disturbing, brutal, grotesque, troubling, and violent retelling of the pied piper myth and follows the story of 3 children that evaded the pipers lure. A deaf child, a blind child and a lame child.
.
This book had a lot to live up to, and all the pressure was on Casey to deliver. And deliver he did! In a big way!! It was everything I wanted and more. It far exceeded all of my high expectations and left me exhausted and disgusted in the best possible way. Not only is the story just so engaging and well written, but it's seamlessly entwined with Caseys trademark wit and understanding of how important character development is alongside a strong story. The last time I read a book that wrote child characters this well in horror, it had Stephen Kings' name on it and a killer clown on the cover! Casey is a master, and All Creatures Living Beneath The Sun is nothing short of a masterpiece!

[maddie | madsterbooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

um wow. the ending did it for me. and the epilogue. review to come, but damn. so good.

[Matthew Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very disturbing and made me stare blankly at the wall in the middle of reading it. Some moments made my stomach sick, and other made my mind sick, but I loved every bit. I couldn’t put it down and it certainly is a book I’ll never forget.

“Ga ga ga”

[Booksasmeals · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Creatures Living Beneath The Sun, by C.S. Fritz, is a meat pot pie.

The pie rests on a windowsill to cool in the night air, steam escaping from its seams. The crust pulled tight over its contents to prevent a messy deluge of creamy sauce, carrots, onion, and a few hunks of various meats a day away from rot.

Finally, it is time for rest.
It’s been a long day.

Soon you are in the foggy purgatory between dreams and the waking day, so when you hear that strange call, you believe it must be part of your vivid dreams.
But then, there it is again.

GA GA GA

One of your eyes winks open. Listen. Then, worse: the sound of something sharp hitting wet sludge.

Up and out of your chair, you’re back in the kitchen and find the pie gone. Cautiously, you peer out the window.

A woman dressed in rags hunches over the pie, caressing it like it’s her empty womb. She cries, softly.

But you are no fool.
This is no woman of God.

She turns to you, then, her face swallowed by the only feature left: a black beak, thick like a Buffalo horn. Your hands sweat, a tremble starts in your throat. But your feet are frozen to the floor.

She stares at you without eyes. She listens to you without ears.

Then, another screech. A tortured creature, a seabird strangled.

GA GA GA

The Belly Slitter. Somehow she grins, satisfied you have come to watch her performance. Satisfied you cannot move.

She slits the pie with her entire face, the sharpness of a butcher’s knife.

A pink liver is exposed and she stabs it, and with one quick snap of her neck she swallows the organ whole.

GA GA GA

She calls to the earth, the sun, the moon, shrieks with that horrible cry. It is an embittered cry, for the liver was not fresh. After she has pecked out all the boiled meat, she replaces the innards with rocks.

She has swallowed all your hope, hid it from you in the deep crevices of her pelican-like beak. Tucked into a spot no one dares to venture.

You know this pie will not be her last.
She craves a fleshy belly that still pulsates to the touch, globose and full of fresh organs.

This is the first pie of many, the first belly of thousands.

A different kind of plague has begun.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: “A disturbing, brutal, grotesque, troubling, violent retelling of the Pied Piper myth.”

Those words are not to be taken lightly. Neither are the trigger warnings that the author has so generously placed in the beginning of the book. Don’t let that scare you away though; this is easily my favorite book that I’ve read this year, and will definitely be a top 10 read by the end of 2023.

This is gross, y’all, but in the best way. This was such a unique story, and even though it was often disturbing and violent, it still felt like I was reading a fairytale. When I go into stories involving children, I always think that they’re safe. I always think that they won’t get hurt because they’re little, and when they do get hurt, it always leaves me in a bit of unexpected shock.
This book said “fuck them kids and fuck you too”. Lmao

This was just incredible. It was entertaining, visually descriptive and all the illustrations through out really helped to tie everything together. I just really loved this. @casey_fritz I hope that you continue to write and publish novels; please turn every myth into a hellish nightmare scape. You’re really great at it lmao.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

[Derek Hutchins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved A Fig For All The Devils — reading a C.S. Fritz book is an EXPERIENCE. The artwork, the quotations and print layout, the soundtrack for reading — it’s so much more than a book. Those same features are included in this book as well. I was fascinated by Fritz’s inspiration to retell this folkloric story, the one we all heard as kids. What I loved about this story is the characters of Dot and Wentworth — these two are so damn likeable. They are cursed with misfortune, physical defects as well as being orphans — and so to plunge them into a rat and plague infested world where the only way out is to make an offering to some mysterious God — how could you not root for these characters? And they are sassy and have good hearts as well? Take my money. I will be reading all the CS Fritz books.

I gave it 4 stars because there were some elements that confused me, some of the more fantastical elements I didn’t totally understand and there were some subplots that I didn’t feel paid off — but this is personal taste and I think many will either not care or perhaps connect to these parts more than I did. Overall I really liked it!

[Kathryne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ‘Blind Date With A Book’ packaging said that this book had

-a fairytale retelling
-James Wan-style horror
-rats

and it definitely delivered on those aspects (especially the rats). I also really like how the epilogue contrasts with the ending.

There was a subplot or two that didn’t feel fully resolved, but that’s my only criticism that can’t be fixed with suspension of disbelief.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a fairytale reboot, especially one in the horror genre. The story stood alone on its own - it didn't NEED a fairytale behind it's plot - but the Pied Piper of Hamelin backdrop really enhanced the experience.

This is my second time reading a CS Fritz novel. What I love about his work so far is the overall attention to detail. His descriptions are thorough, and the gorey bits are enough to disturb without being too much (I can still sleep at night). He includes photos of characters in his novels to help with visualisation. Fritz even creates playlists with QR code access to add more to the reading experience! One of my favourite bits of the book was the dandelions at the start of each chapter - as the novel progresses the dandelions change. It's such a small detail, but it really shows the care and thought that goes into his work.

[Belladonna Le Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am literally ready to reread this gem again. It's what I love in a good read.
Humor, disturbing, horror, etc. Reminds me of the character child keeper from chitty chitty bang bang mixed with the movie Willard with a tWiSt.. , I definitely would pay for this again. Enough said. Just go and pick one up and I promise you will love it. ❤️ Fritz, I can't wait for another book to come out.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

C. S. Fritz has done it again, this book delivers on its promises. And the same as A Fig for all the devils, this book will stay with you after you close it the last time.

I’m very excited to read whatever is next.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK. LISTEN. Did I have high hopes?? ABSOLUTELY. Were they met?? ABSODAMNLUTELY. OF COURSE. STUPID QUESTION. To make the innocent seem vile and grotesque is no easy task, and here we are. I wanted to save them, yet make them learn that there are consequences. I wanted to vomit and cheer at the same time. I loved every second of it. PLEASE DO IT AGAIN!!!

[Jessi B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was as stunning as it was sickening and as gorgeous as it was grotesque. It was an absolutely demented fever dream of a read but I could not get enough of it!

[Lauren Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.S. Fritz leads readers into the gruesome retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamlin with his latest book All Creatures Living Beneath the Sun. The book follows the story of three orphans —Wenty, Dot and Archie—who are living in a rat infested orphanage on the outskirts of Hamelin. When the clearly disturbed new child Francis shows up to the orphanage, things take a turn as the children battle an even greater threat than the rats. This is a horror story with a heart. Sandwiched between the gore and the scares are three abandoned children bonded in their friendship and love who must face terrors and circumstances that threaten what little joy they have in their lives.

Grotesque and disturbing, All Creatures... is a deliciously dark fairy tale retelling. Fritz is an excellent writer and one thing I appreciate about his work is the many layers to the plot. Creatures works on a historical level bringing in commentary on the bubonic plague that ravished Europe. He also taps into the philosophical layer (something fans of his A Fig for All the Devils will appreciate) by taking a look at good vs. evil, religion and even existentialism. At its core, it’s creepy AF horror about children being lured to their deaths by a monster.

If you’re a fan of illustrations, you’ll also appreciate that aspect of his work. He also used them in Devil and they add a very cool and creepy element to the reading experience. The guy also knows how to title a book.

All Creatures Living Beneath the Sun is another slam dunk for Fritz and I very much look forward to whatever other stories he has in the works for us. 4.5 stars

Thank you to the author for my gifted copy of this book

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok ok ok - these kids GOT TO ME. Casey does an amazing job with their voices and interactions. Very early on, a kid says, “Every woman’s butt sneezes out a baby after the man puts a tadpole inside her. Duh” 😂 I snort laughed and knew I had no power over how I was going to feel about this threesome. I especially loved the chapter headings and the changing of the dandelion throughout. #iykyk It’s the little things that truly pierce my reader heart.

Full review to come in Scream Horror Magazine but just know that I loved this read and imaginative retelling of sorts. As a NYC dweller, rats are shiver inducing and I fear I’ll be taken by a swarm of them one day. Or maybe they’re just coming for my pizza. 🤷🏻‍♀️🙃

In any case, snag you some @casey_fritz and take a disturbing trip to your childhood.
.

[Moses CW · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite read!

[Garrett Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book. Very visceral, and difficult to stomach at times.