Wilder Creatures

by Nadia Steven Rysing

Ruth McGowan's estranged brother has been killed. But not just killed--torn apart.

And David's not the only one. Shredded corpses are piling up in Grey County faster than the falling snow. Authorities say it's a black bear, though Ruth--called home from Toronto to ID the body and face her broken family--fears the answer is much more complicated.

While there may have been no love lost between Ruth and her brother, she refuses to let the evil claim any more of the ones she holds dear--not her beloved little sisters; not Ellie, the ex-girlfriend she still carries a torch for; not even Cora, the poodle she inherited along with the rest of the farm. So when a mysterious new ally shows up one cold night to offer help, Ruth agrees--against her better judgment.

But with so much responsibility to juggle, Ruth forgets to protect herself, and the bloody consequences are worse--and wilder--than she could ever have imagined.

188 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2024

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilder Creatures is a captivating sapphic horror monster novella. I really enjoyed this scary gruesome tale that introduces us to a new type of monster/creature. The story begins with Ruth returning to her hometown after her brother’s grizzly death. His death is ruled as a bear attack but Ruth begins to suspect his death is due to something more sinister. Soon more mangled bodies are turning up in town and even on Ruth’s property. Ruth has a strong desire to protect her family, especially her sisters Naomi and Esther. Her homophobic mom has a drinking problem and the sisters were mostly raised by Ruth and their now deceased brother. Her uncle is a friendly and reliable family member but the responsibility of the girls mostly now falls on Ruth. While she tries to solve what really killed her brother she reaches out to her ex girlfriend Ellie that she left behind when returning home. I was fascinated by the storyline and the creature feature. This novella was really well written and I look forward to reading more work from this author.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I loved the writing in this. I also liked the themes and the family drama but the execution of the plot had me scratching my head a bit. I don’t know, it felt like I was just dropped into the middle of the story and the plot felt a bit fractured and all over the place. Granted, that could’ve been the author’s intention but it just isn’t my favorite type of story telling style. That’s totally a me thing and I can definitely see people enjoying this way more. It wasn’t bad in the slightest and like I said the writing was seriously good.



*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Minishca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m thrilled to have received this advanced reader’s copy because it is certainly not my usual fare and thus I would have sorely missed out on an excellent debut. Ms Rysing has definitely changed my mind with regards to the sapphic light horror genre. She is able to generate flow and desire to continue reading almost effortlessly with prose that is engaging and plot twists and turns that draw the reader in. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and managed to easily devour it in a matter of hours. Most deserving of a 5 star review! I hope this is the beginning of many more to come.

[Micki-D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting and entertaining I really had no clue what I was getting into but I enjoyed the ride it took me on. This was a quick gruesome
Little novella that introduced me to a new kinda creature lurking in the woods and I was here for it. It has family drama, blood guts, monsters, & a women trying anything to protect her family while more and more torn apart bodies are being found all around town and on her land.

What will happen when she comes face to face with the monster that killer her brother?
Was it really a bear attack or something worse?

[Christine Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a thrilling storyline I loved this book so much it captured my attention and nothing was going to stop me reading it all , the twists in this story were exceptional you could not see it going the way it did, its a new type of creature one of pure terror in nightmares this story was epic a highly recommended must-read congratulations