Devoured

by Risshan Adele

Emma struggles with her new life as a mom, caring for her needy twin babies while trying to maintain a clean household and be the perfect wife on top of it all.
When her sister takes Emma and her babies out for some fresh air and a trip to the shops, something clicks for Emma...

96 pages, Paperback

Published February 16, 2026

Reviews

[Dan.reads.horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Devoured is a brutal little novella, one that drags you from postpartum depression into full blown postpartum psychosis and then straight into visceral body horror and body transformation. It absolutely goes in a direction that is completely unexpected.

The body horror and gore are vivid, also the way Risshan ties emmas physical transformation to her emotional breakdown was genuinely unsettling. For a book under 100 pages, it’s shockingly effective, well written, and relentless. But Be warned, this one is not for the faint of heart; make sure to check your triggers.

I tore through it in one sitting. I devoured it

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

And just like that I will never look at hamsters the same again ....

Postpartum psychosis and some serious body horror combine perfectly to create an unforgettable novella.

Full rtc

[Morgan Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Devoured' by Risshan Adele
Releasing Feb. 16, 2026
4 🌟

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this, and WOW. I had no idea where this story was taking me, and I'm so glad I was able to go in totally blind.

Emma is a new mother to twins, and as a mother myself to just ONE crazy boy, that was a terrifying beginning in and of itself. Emma takes a walk with her sister one day, and finds something she didn't even know she was looking for.

I was surprised the whole time I was reading this. It was heartbreaking, bleak, and a curious dose of "What the actual f*ck is going on??". The themes in this can get pretty heavy, especially if you are a parent, so please be mindful of triggers before taking the plunge. This is a crazy second novella from Risshan that is going to stick with me for a long time, and I'm headed to see what else she has done that I can get my hands on 🙌

[Eve L. Fell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 🍒

Emma just had twins with her husband Blake. Blake is not helpful when it comes to taking care of the twins. Emma is starting to feel the weight of being a mother to two needy infants who constantly need her to survive.

She begins losing herself piece by piece as the new motherhood begins smothering her and everything she does. She is nothing but a human milk jug to two infants and it causes her to begin detaching from her life in general. Post partum psychosis slowly starts creeping in.

After an afternoon with her sister Heather Emma’s brain snaps. She loses it and begins borrowing inside her brain, feeling as though there is a new god in her life. A god that has chosen her to become like it. So she does. She slowly transforms into something inhuman and scary.

Her husband goes on a trip at the wrong time and has no idea that hell has unleashed in his home and his wife is at the head of the throne right next to the devil. Will Blake come home to nothing or will he make it in time to save his kids and wife from her self?

This is my first book from Risshan and this will not be my last. I normally am not a fan of books that go off into fever dream territory but this was written well and I didn’t get lost along the way. Im also glad she wrote a book that touches on Post-Partum Depression and Psychosis. It’s a very scary and real thing for women and I believe it needs to be talked about more. I’m excited to read her other books and I’ll be on the lookout for what she puts out!

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ate thing novella up! I literally got the arc last night and could not wait to read this! This is fast paced and disturbing. I genuinely felt so sorry for this main character. She needs help so badly, and I think every new mother has felt some of the things she experiences..SOME of the things..the story is told in a way that the reader honestly feels like these terrible things are happening to them. I will be forever changed by this novella and it is one I will never forget!

[Zane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some horror stories creep under your skin.
Devoured rips it open and crawls inside.
Risshan Adele doesn’t just write violence she makes you sit in it.
Feel it.
Taste the copper in your mouth.
From the first page, you’re trapped inside a nightmare that smells like sweat, fear, and old blood.
This isn’t cinematic gore.
This is intimate brutality.
Every injury feels personal.
Every moment of helplessness drags like a hooked blade.
The horror here isn’t just what happens to the body it’s what happens to the mind when survival becomes humiliation… when pain becomes currency… when hope gets eaten alive.
And Adele refuses to look away.
She forces you to witness:
• cracked bones
• desperate breaths
• trembling hands
• the kind of violence that makes you flinch and whisper “please stop”
But you can’t stop reading.
Because beneath the carnage?
There’s raw humanity.
Fear.
Desperation.
The animal instinct to live.
That’s what makes it hurt so much.
This book doesn’t “shock for fun.”
It punishes you emotionally.
By the end I felt hollowed out like something had chewed through me and left scraps behind.
And honestly?That’s exactly what extreme horror should do.

If you love:
🩸 Aron Beauregard
🩸 Kristopher Triana
🩸 Judith Sonnet
🩸 body horror + psychological suffering
🩸 stories that make you uncomfortable in the best way

Devoured will absolutely wreck you.
Read it with the lights on.
And maybe don’t eat while you do.
Huge respect to Risshan Adele for going this hard and not pulling a single punch.

[Becki 🤎 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured 😳😮🫣

Oh I’ve been waiting for this since the day Risshan told me she was working on something! I absolutely loved her writing style in Vile Confection so as soon as this hit my inbox I started & totally devoured it 👏🏼🤎

Emma should feel elated, she’s got what she always dreamed of, beautiful, healthy twins. Her own little family! But the reality of this isn’t what she expected.

She has no help from her husband, Blake, she’s feels like her body is no longer her own she’s just their to feed 2 little mouths every 3 hours. Running on very little sleep she’s suffering!

Postpartum depression has got her, her own thoughts are suffocating her. She’s becoming delusional, totally transfixed on her own delusions…

Has Postpartum psychosis taken over any rationality she may of had? 🫣

Omg Risshan!! You are insanely talented!! This shook me to my core 😭 I am lost for words at just how brilliant this actually was!

It sucked me in from the very first page & spat me out a little over an hour later feeling empty & speechless! 😮‍💨 I’d never heard of postpartum psychosis before this! But my god this was crazy good! I really can’t put into words how brilliant it was!

I’m going to pre-order a copy for my bookshelf RIGHT NOW! Releasing 16th Feb, this is not one to be missed!! Do check those triggers though, it’s rough! 😭

Thank you so much for the ARC, you are incredible 🫶🏻🤎

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Toni | Dark Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for an extremely disturbing psychological Horror that will stay with you long after you have finished the last page, this is going to be right up your street.

In this story we follow Emma, She is a new mother to twins and is finding adjusting to her new life really difficult.
This isn't helped by her husband who since the babies have been born has been little to no help either being hands on or emotionally.

Emma is exhausted and feels very alone. She is clearly suffering from postnatal
depression which very quickly spirals into postpartum psychosis. Emma begins to become Confused, and she starts to experience hallucinations and delusions that become increasingly more terrifying.
When she snaps out of these absences She realises that she is loosing time and the line between what Is reality and what isnt becomes completely distorted.

Her delusions become so bad she begins to believe she is no longer a human and that’s when things get really hard.

I dont want to spoll anything so that's all I will say on the plot. But wow, this was a disturbing and unsettling read. You experience the things that are happening with Emma, and it’s like you are living in a feaver-dream.

With each Chapter, this book becomes more and more claustrophobic and you know when you get that feeling of dread in your stomach, there was lots of that.

I Just knew Something really bad was going to happen.

This one is Heavy, check your triggers.

Devoured is unsettling, disturbing and thought provoking and "Comes highly recommended from me!

[Allison | crazypageturner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma has been committed to a psychiatric hospital. Emma is a new mother to twin babies and life has been hard but she didn’t think motherhood would bring in all these dark thoughts and suck the very essence from her. Her marriage is slipping and her love for life in general has evaporated. She eventually loses her sense of reality and completely spirals out of control.

Emma is such an incredibly damaged and flawed character who eventually loses her mind. She is lonely. Depressed. Miserable. She begins hallucinating, losing herself and begins transforming into a totally different person

A Hamster god. Yep, you read that right. Emma finally found something or someone to help guide her. Her God!!!! And👏It’s👏A👏FRICKIN👏HAMSTER👏!

Devoured. Devoured by her disdain for her newborn babies and their needs. Devoured by her self/loathing and failure as a mother. Devoured by her hatetred for her husband. Devoured and consumed by dark thoughts.

You could call this a horror creature feature maybe mixed with bizarro? I don’t know but I love it!!! It went from sad to comical and still had gore and brutality mixed with sorrow. It was very entertaining and made me say “WTF did I just read!?” 😂 Thank you so much to the author Risshan for the ARC! Definitely recommend!

[VibekeN · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Having a family is normal. That is what society expects from women. You grow up, go out into the world, and then start flinging miniature versions of yourself out of your vagina, and everyone’s happy.“

Valley Hospital. Psychiatric facility. Room 23 houses a dangerous patient. Her name is Emma.

Emma and her husband Blake have twins. The family is complete. Blake returns to work. Life continues, as it should.

But Emma is drowning. The joy she was promised never materializes. The twins are relentless and are always demanding something from her. Her mind begins to fracture. Emma’s sister tries to help. A harmless trip to the pet store changes everything. She finds the answer she believes she needs. The solution. God, in all its furry little glory.

This story is fast and disturbingly vivid. Risshan writes hallucinations that feel suffocating. Postpartum psychosis is not exaggerated horror. It’s clinical. It’s real.

I’d recommend Devoured to readers who want something quick, brutal, and unsettling.

Stay aware of your surroundings and check on the people you love.

And maybe pet a cute hamster. But if you find yourself staring at one in the pet store, thinking you’ve finally found peace—leave.

-Vibeke 🖤

[Brianna Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story dives into the mind of a wife who has given birth to twins and is basically acting as a single mum as the husband isn't ever around to help, and when he is it's still on her to do everything.
Not only is she overwhelmed with the stress of being a mum and house wife, but she also suffers with postpartum psychosis which leaves her having black outs and insane hallucinations that turn her life upside down and leads to the ultimate tragedy.

This story was so intense and had me gripped on each page.

possible spoiler below in trigger warnings.....
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Trigger warnings for-
PP (Postpartum Psychosis)
Death of a baby

[Rebecca Woodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent this as an Arc from the author.

Wow what an amazing story. Emma is a first time mom to twins her husband is no help and just seems to take her for granted. The author takes you on the journey with Emma who slowly goes into postpartum depression and eventually turns into postpartum psychosis. This story is so heartbreaking and disturbing but so wonderfully written. Please check your tw as this story is extremely dark but jn my opinion worth it. I look forward to checking out her other books she has written 😊

[Madame Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Devoured” - I’ll never look at hamsters quite the same.

★★★★☆ (4.5)

This story has saddened and unsettled me in equal measure. What starts of as slightly disturbing spirals into full blown unhinged carnage fast. I can never look at cute little rodents the same way after “devouring” this novel. Risshan has a way with words that gnaw their way into your brain and I’m not mad. Thank you for letting me read this story as an ARC.

[Rachal Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book went into a direction I was not expecting but it was still enjoyable and gory

[J. Tarmac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little splatterpunk novella, dealing with motherhood, mental illness, and mind-bending horror.

Emma's newborn twins are a handful, maybe more than she can cope with, and her partner, Blake, isn't much help either. As a wave of post-birth depression hits hard, it brings with it an altogether more insidious form of delirium, throwing Emma's world into a scatter-shot cavalcade of misery and pain. When a small furry creature makes an appearance, radiating an aura of divine supremacy, Emma can barely resist, and in doing so, enters a truly dark world of body horror and pure splatterpunk chaos.

Wow! What a ride! So, based on the initial starting point of this story and the cover design, I had no idea that things were about to get quite so crazy... In all the best ways! I really enjoyed the structuring of this one - book ending the main storyline of Emma between Chris's story was a great touch. The level of splatterpunk madness and vividness of the descriptions is stomach-churning, hair-raising, and ultimately executed with an effective poetic impact. The pacing of Devoured is fast, but only means that a solid chunk of story is encapsulated in the small page count, also leading to a great cliffhanger, or maybe ammo for a sequel. Managed to get through Devoured in two relatively quick hits, which was nice, and I can only put it down to Risshan's great writing style that I was so captivated to flick through to the grisly end! Overall, this is a wicked little story that deals with a lot of heavy topics, while also delivering in spades when it comes to hardcore/ extreme content and gore. Honestly, did not see this book going to the places it did, but I'm all the happier that I got caught so off-guard by the total insanity! Great stuff!

[Heather Peragine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured is a disturbing, darkly compelling psychological horror that dives headfirst into the terrifying reality of postpartum psychosis. The story centers on a woman who has just given birth to twins and begins to unravel in ways that are both shocking and strangely intimate. As her mental state deteriorates, she becomes convinced she is possessed by a hamster, an idea that sounds absurd on the surface, yet is executed with such commitment that it becomes deeply unsettling rather than comedic.

What makes Devoured so effective is how claustrophobic it feels. The reader is trapped inside the protagonist’s fractured perception, never quite sure where reality ends and delusion begins. The author doesn’t rely on cheap scares; instead, the horror creeps in slowly through intrusive thoughts, distorted logic, and escalating behavior that becomes increasingly hard to look away from.

The book is brutal, unapologetic, and emotionally raw. It doesn’t shy away from how terrifying postpartum mental illness can be, nor does it offer easy explanations or comfort. While the events that unfold are extreme, they’re grounded in psychological dread rather than supernatural spectacle, making the story feel disturbingly plausible.

Without giving anything away, Devoured is not for the faint of heart but for readers who appreciate psychological horror, body horror, and morally uncomfortable narratives, it’s a gripping and memorable read. It lingers long after the final page, leaving you unsettled, conflicted, and strangely impressed by how far it dares to go.

[Lia's Haunted Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is unhinged in the best possible way. Yes, God is a hamster, but don’t let that distract you from how sharp and brutal this story actually is.

Emma gives birth to twins and immediately starts drowning. The exhaustion, the pressure, the feeling that she’s already failing at motherhood before she’s even had a chance. Everyone expects her to be grateful, glowing, maternal. Instead, she’s breaking. Whether what she’s experiencing is postpartum psychosis or something supernatural is part of what makes this so effective.

Motherhood here is not romanticized. Babies need everything. Time, energy, pieces of you. They take and take. Add a useless husband who contributes little beyond existing. Jake isn’t evil, he’s just absent in the way that matters most, which somehow makes it worse.

The expectations placed on women, the myth of the perfect mother, the quiet erasure that happens when a woman becomes “mom” before anything else.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I promise you, this is one horror where you will not see anything coming! 'Devoured' follows a mother as she experiences this new and bleak life since the birth of her twin sons. But a trip to a shopping mall changes everyone's lives.

This book not only deeply unsettled me, but made me extremely mad as a woman, with some heartbreaking moments throughout.

Risshan has an incredible writing style and a way with words that really & truly impact the reader, like a tonne of bricks to the chest.

A miserable and devastating tale of post natal depression sprinkled with some body horror, with and evil, little twist!

A wonderfully unique horror that I quite literally 'devoured'!

Thank you so much to Risshan for an arc of Devoured. All opinions are mine and have been left voluntarily.

[Lesley Camphouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Risshan's writing, and I feel so privileged to have beta-read this one.

From the moment she shared the blurb, I was on board.

In Devoured, we follow Emma, a woman who just given birth to twins, and her husband is... well, absent. Emma is left on her own to deal with the needy babies and somehow needs to find time to be her best self as well.

All of this changes when her sister picks her up for a well-deserved day out.

Risshan has a magical way with words, which makes you truly experience her stories. You feel it, smell it, envision it.

I devoured this book, and I can't wait to see what else Risshan has in store for us!

[K D Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris bags himself a job in a psych unit. Patient Emma stands out to him. The units most dangerous patient. She had found the demands of parenting difficult. She’s bone tired and feels like she’s having to do everything alone. She’s unwell and that’s where I’ll leave the plot. Her descent into psychosis unfolds throughout these pages. Given this is a short I don’t want to ruin the story for you future readers so I will leave the plot at that.
This is one of my favourite reads of 2026 thus far. If you’re looking for a short read with themes of mental health, with a bizarre twist pick this one up!

[LeighAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review — Devoured
Devoured is a raw, unsettling novella that definitely earns its content warnings — check your triggers before diving in. This story doesn’t hold back, tackling themes like postpartum psychosis, body horror, and cannibalism in a way that’s intense but undeniably gripping.
It’s a fast, chaotic ride that keeps you slightly uncomfortable in the best horror-reader way. Just when you think you know where it’s going, it takes another sharp turn. And honestly? This book convinced me that hamsters might know more than they let on…
Dark, wild, and memorable — a quick read for extreme horror fans who like their stories bold and boundary-pushing.

[JRo Splatter Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute, little novella is absolutely terrifying! Listen I’m a man, husband, and a father. How this book makes you feel the postpartum horror, just left me so unsettled. The husband is such a hateful partner and the feelings through this book were tough.

What an absolute ride this was!

I was not ready for the twist and was reading it differently until it was truly shown.

Absolutely gut wrenching read about a terrifying subject that men will never understand and hope mothers never go through!

[Eva Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say that I am blown away would be an understatement! 😍😱
Devoured was so intense, so dark and twisted, and just everything. I know I will definitely do a reread! 🖤
What I loved the most (other than the fabulous writing and the story itself) is that you don’t know what’s real and what’s not until late in the story, and omg, did it keep me on my toes 🖤🖤

Without spoiling anything, I’ll end this review with this: if you like horror and a mindf*ck of a story, Devoured is 100000% the book for you!

10000000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[SeveredTherapy]

I wanted to enjoy this. I really and truly did. It started out strong, with the nurse who was starting at a mental hospital (much like the one where I work).

However, I just couldn't get into it. The random points of slipping out of reality, interspersed with being a mother. It just felt disjointed and I stopped around 50%.

Obviously, there are others who thoroughly enjoyed it and I wish I could have been one of them.

[Abby Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a bit to form words for this book. I was so hooked I swear time stopped. The visual was surreal. I’m so impressed by the writing! The rollercoaster of emotions I felt reading this…. DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS BOOK! It’s unhinged, so fast paced, terrifying, disguising, and you won’t be able to plug it down!

[Justin Boote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had the pleasure of reading an arc of this by Risshan Adele and what a weird yet extremely good story it was!
Emma is struggling mentally to raise newborn twins. Her mind starts to wander, then after visiting a pet shop, something is unleashed in her mind and things won't be the same again.
This is a dark story with some pretty trippy moments, but very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

I was completely pulled into Devoured from the start. It's intense, unsettling, and very hard to put down. The story moves quickly, pulling you deeper with each page, and the twists land with real impact. A short read, but one that keeps you hooked until the end.

[Archer Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author never fails to impress. This book is raw, and full of all the chaos and goodness fans of the genre love! 5 stars highly recommend all her work!

[Claudia Rambles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like Hamster’s ball meets Postpartum depression.

Emma is a new mum, of twins, and doing her best to cope with her new life and being a good wife.
But spending too much time by herself makes her spiral, and suddenly we feel like we were thrown into a fever dream, where hamsters are her spirit animal.

Devoured is not only bizarre, it’s unhinged, unsettling, emotional, and made me question how many times we disregard the signs until it’s too late.

If you’re ready to look at motherhood through a different set of eyes, I definitely recommend this book.

This review and more here:
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[[redacted] · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖 ARC Review (Ty Risshan!!)

Postpartum Psychosis is a serious condition that is typically misunderstood, however Risshan highlights it well in Devoured! Mindfuck from front to back. Can’t wait to read more of their works!