Beneath A Bethel

by April-Jane Rowan

Every youth of Elbridge remembers their Floris, the holy ceremony where their teeth are pulled out with pliers. It marks their ascension into adulthood and their right to have new porcelain teeth, ones that are embedded with magic, that grant the ability to make wishes. Angora's Floris will be upon the banks of the Eldwen river, the communal ceremony befitting his station. However he longs to remember his ceremony for the splendour of the Bethel, wreathed in candle light, drooping flowers and holy hymns. Seeking to fulfil his dream leaves him the victim of violence and an outcast from society, living on its fringes until a chance meeting brings him to the heart of the Masters Guild, the place teeth are made. Learning secrets he never thought he’d be privy too, he eventually discovers the dark cost of their tradition. Beneath A Bethel is a dark horror fantasy, set in a harsh, snow-covered city that hides its brutality with pageantry.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Queer, Gay, LGBT, Novella, Adult

183 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2020

About the author

April-Jane Rowan was born with a morbid fascination that she turned into writing so she could explain away her strangeness. Luckily for her, she found she rather liked it, so for many years, she has been creating bizarre, dark tales. When not writing, she can be found lurking in graveyards, libraries and museums. She lives in Sweden with her partner and their pack of beasties.

Reviews

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is exceptional. The author immediately throws you into her dark world all innocent and unaware. You won’t stay that way for long. It might take a moment to get your bearings but once you do it’s going to be very hard to do anything else but finish every word of this story.

I was going to write up the standard review with a little plot outline and all that but I’ve decided I don’t want to tell you anything about the plot because I went in completely blind and it shocked me. It horrified me with its cringy body horror and I think you all deserve that experience too! You’ll have to read it and discover it for yourself.

What I will say is that at its heart it’s about betrayal. Betrayal from those who should love you no matter what and those who you meet along the way who aren’t always who they pretend to be. It’s about a society so focused on appearance and putting on airs and receiving the best magic that they don’t stop to think about the true cost of any of it. It’s about what happens when people, hairy or no (these people are furry and have tails and I love the idea of them!), are so focused on having the best “thing” that they overlook basic decency and can’t be bothered to think about the true cost.

There are some images here that won’t leave my brain and that’s a good thing because that means it moved me. This story is magical and dreamy and also filled with pain, physical and emotional, trauma and secrets and if you don’t quickly grow to care for Angora I’ll have to give you the side-eye forever!

I can’t recommend this story highly enough. When my paper copy arrives (I read the ebook) I will hold it close forever and I don’t do that with too many books. It was SO freaking good and I know I don’t have the words to properly convey how much I loved this beautifully brutal morbid fairytale of a story so I’ll be here screaming at everyone to READ IT, READ IT NOW! instead.

[Audra (ouija.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This unique novella builds a strange and magical world where the inhabitants, each covered with fur and bearing horns, all desire one thing most of all: teeth.

But not just any teeth, magical teeth that they are gifted after a coming-of-age ceremony where their own teeth are pulled out with pliers. The new teeth grant the wearer wishes—and who wouldn’t want that?

The story follows Angora, an outcast who finds himself the apprentice of one of the masters who create the magical teeth. Though it seems like a dream come true, there are secrets that Angora is yet to learn, dark secrets that change everything.

This was a quick, one-sitting read, and I found myself thoroughly immersed in the world Rowan created. It is a fully realized fantasy, with interesting details like a tea shop where the tea you drink fills you with the emotion that you ordered off the menu. The tone is slightly elevated and reads like a fairytale, which works perfectly, juxtaposing the light and magic with some truly horrific moments.

For all the magic and wonder, there is a true darkness at the heart of this story. How far will people go to get their wish-granting teeth? Where does the power of the teeth come from? After all, everything comes at a cost.

My thanks to the publisher for my e-copy of this one to read and review.

[exorcismemily · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If I wasn't a bad omen now, I would become one, given time."

Beneath a Bethel is the debut novella by April-Jane Rowan, and this book is so unique and creative! I liked that this book had illustrations.

The beginning of the book was a little confusing, and I wish there would have been more world-building before jumping right into the story, but I eventually caught on. I wish the book would have been a little longer, but it still works out well enough.

The world in this book was so intriguing, and I would love to see a prequel or sequel if one ever exists. If you're into horror / dark fantasy / fairytale-esque stories, I highly recommend picking up Beneath a Bethel!

CW - assault

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow. Wow.

This novella is like nothing I've ever read before. Set in a magical world full of faun-like creatures with horns and fur, the story follows Angora as he prepares for a celebration called a "Floris" that will mark his becoming a man. However, when Angoras trust is misplaced and then violated, he loses everything in an instant.

Teeth. Magical teeth. Teeth that hear your whispered wishes and bring them to life in a puff of smoke. The concept of this novella (which I can only describe as a fantasy horror) is entirely new and gory and magical and amazing. I was riveted the whole time I was reading and it has stuck with me since. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and unique read (also, that cover!!).

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. This is a premise unlike any that I've ever come across (sort of Bluebeard's wives, but with magic teeth and...fauns? Satyrs? In Fantasy Lapland?), and I've read a lot of weird books; kudos is due for that, firstly. The story trips along at a fast pace, the setting was perfect fantasy and the action was pure horror - a mash up you really don't see enough of.

I wish it had been longer; it wrapped up just as it was getting really good(/dark), I'm sad about that. The pace was exciting but also didn't allow the reader to sit with the horror, letting it sink in, so some of the effect was lost, I think. I also found the inclusion of illustrations a bit jarring; in the ebook they appear mid-sentence sometimes, which obviously distracts from the narrative, and honestly I just don't like it as a thing. The descriptions here were great, I pictured the scenes clearly as I was reading, and the sudden appearance of drawings forced me to stop and reconsider/compare what I'd been imagining with the picture. Not a fan of that.

Badass ending; would like to high-five the protagonist. Looking forward to seeing what else this author writes.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read anything like this before and it is such a refreshingly unique book. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes dark fantasy.

I will advise you that it's gory and disturbing. It actually gave me nightmares, which barely ever happens from books. If you're okay with the blurb, then read the first page of the book; if you're okay with that, then proceed with caution. I would add a trigger warning for assault, and the way it's spoken about makes it read a lot like sexual assault - the feeling of something precious being taken from you, of being violated. I think it was very well-handled.

The world is fascinating, and the magic system is so interesting. It's a short book; a novella. So it's fast paced and nothing is drawn out. It could easily be a whole book, but maybe that's just because I liked it so much that I want it to be longer.

And the illustrations are so cool.

Thank you very much to Gurt Dog Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Entazis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Losing teeth is one of my fears. So, you know, reading this was both my worse nightmare but also weirdly fascinating. The story is about a society where is completely normal to replace all your teeth with magical dentures, which said like this doesn't sound that horrifying. Except it is. The way the ritual is depicted, the way worldbuilding shows an obsession with teeth, the magic of it all are so disturbing and unsettling which make for a great horror read. I loved the premise and main character, the dark winter atmosphere, the subtle build of the dread to the end, and poetic language. When you know something is wrong and just wait for the other shoe to drop. I couldn't stop reading it, wanting to get to that moment of truth.

I absolutely recommend especially if you search horror fantasy with something different done with it's magical systems and characters.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly fantastically creepy novella. April-Jane Rowan had me enraptured immediately with her unique worldbuilding. Every description of teeth pulling made me cringe with phantom pain. There is a sense of dread that she captures so well and weaves throughout the story. I am not usually a fan of horror but I really loved this novella.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something a little different - which was refreshing.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

April-Jane Rowan has created a marvelous world in this novella. I would gladly have read two or three times the number of pages to get to the glorious conclusion. This is an author to watch!

Beneath a Bethel opens with a brief introduction to a remarkable world. The characters are fur-covered and have tails, and teeth are the center of an intriguing culture.

Angora is facing the ceremony during which his teeth will be removed. In this culture, teeth are removed when children are of age and they are replaced with porcelain teeth embued with magical powers. Because of the poverty of Angora's family, his Floris won't be done with the pomp, circumstance, and ritual that is provided to the wealthy... it won't even be done in a Bethel. But... Angora is involved with Gillis and has been told that he can experience the beauty of the ritual. In a frightening turn of events, things don't go the way Gillis has promised and Angora is left terrified, wounded, and forced out of his family home to become a pariah.

As the cold weather arrives, Angora is lucky enough to catch the eye of Barnaby. Barnaby is a Master and one of the few people who can create magical teeth. He's interested in Angora because he has seen him drawing, and offers him a place that will change his life.

There is a macabre feel to this story, it reminded me of the feel of the movie Crimson Peak, it's gothic and dark but that is wrapped up in the hope and trusting nature of Angora. Angora has suffered terrible trauma and yet he still finds it within himself to love and hope. That is the true nature of being human.

Things in this novella are not what they appear and I hope that everyone will get an opportunity to read this remarkable tale without having it spoiled for them. This is a book made better by knowing as little as possible. Trust in this author to deliver a story that is worthy of making you shiver on a cold night.

April-Jane Rowan demonstrates a fantastic ability to create characters that seem to come alive. I was shocked that in such a short work, I could come to feel such empathy for a character. I felt as though I could see Angora in my mind at the end of the novel after a stunning and crucial scene.

The book is only made better by the accompanying line drawings by Nem Rowan. The drawings were small in the ARC copy, but they are detailed and beautiful. The drawings were exactly as I pictured the characters and I loved that! Please read the warnings, but I would confidently recommend this book to anyone with an appreciation for a well-told, original story.

[L.B. Shimaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written horror fantasy

April-Jane Rowan has a delicious writing style that made this book a pure delight to read. The story takes place in a very cold climate and it's described so well, I craved a hot tea and my blanket while I read it. In certain scenes, the smell of gore almost wafted up from the pages--and I loved it!
I found myself clinging to every word and thus finished reading this in just two evenings--but while the story might be on the shorter side, it did not feel rushed or if there was anything left out. Sure, you can always desire more, but this story as it is, feels complete and the pacing was just right.
At the start of the book there's a very vivid assault scene, and I have to admit that I read that with a pounding heart as it was so well written--meaning it was extremely terrifying. There were several parts in the book where I felt all the more for the MC because of my own trauma background, so I truly want to give points to April for having written these parts with such care and skill--it was extremely well done!
The lore behind this race of people--as they aren't human--is distributed throughout the story and only as much as is needed (which makes me hunger for more). The frigid town where this story takes place in begs for more books and I truly hope there will be further stories that take place there or in the same universe--as there are also hints about other towns and cultures with different magic use/abilities.
The illustrations done by Nem Rowan give this book just that little extra and I greatly enjoyed looking at them, but even without them this story is so well written that it all played out like a movie in my head--I would honestly love to see this as a(n animated?) movie ♥
By the end of the book I was reading with my mouth agape because it was just gruesome--in the good way because hey, this is a horror story! I was moved to tears multiple times too.
All in all, this was an amazing read and I gave it a special spot in my bookcase.

[Beverley Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beneath A Bethel is the debut novella from April-Jane Rowan, an author I'm sure we'll be seeing lots more of.

I went into it blind, which is the very best way, and quickly found myself in a magical world with a very bleak undercurrent. Teenagers await their Floris, a ceremony where their teeth are pulled out with pliers, and then they await new teeth, ones that grant wishes.

We follow Angora, who is cast out when his own teeth are brutally removed, and where he is eventually taken in by one of the masters who creates the magical teeth. And where he discovers the most horrific of secrets....

Brilliantly imaginative world building give this dark fantasy (very dark) a fairy tale edge as the setting almost seems like a Christmas village.

And did I mention that the characters aren't human - they have fur and horns, and somehow this just really works.

A lovely touch was the added illustrations, which gave this story a very unique feel.

A name to definitely watch!

My thanks to the publisher and the author for an e-arc.

[Paddy Pikala · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fantasy horror story which follows Angora, who has to face being toothless in a world where artificial teeth have great cultural and magical significance.⁠
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It might be my educational background speaking, but I love it when authors come up with worlds that have their own unique cultural elements. It's a thing that people often don't think about, taking their own assumptions as a given, but to me, it's a sign of a writer taking a full advantage of the opportunity to create a world. Even a small thing, like making teeth an important cultural artifact, proves the author's imagination.⁠
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The story was appropriately creepy, but I think it was more on the dark fantasy side than horror side.⁠
⁠
🤫 Psst, I think loosing your teeth is such a violent way is a metaphor. I think that there should be a trigger warning included, because to me, the scene where Angora's teeth get stolen looked more like a rape scene than anything else. But then again, it's supposed to be a horror.⁠
⁠
The book does explore this trauma a bit, but I think this exploration could have been more profound. All in all, it was a decent albeit quite short fantasy book that would definitely benefit from 100 more pages.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uniquely magical, Beneath a Bethel, creates a wonderful atmosphere to tell Angora’s story centering around the gifting of magical teeth once one as come of age and his journey into an unexpected new life. Speaking of teeth, I am not sure I’ve come across a book about teeth in this way, much less a ritual where everyone removes them for a set of newly decorated and magical teeth. As someone who is a little creeped out by the simple act of flossing, the descriptions in this gave me some chills.

While it took me a bit to get engrossed into this novella, as soon I did, I could not put it down. April-Jane Rowan created a world that makes me want to sit in my favorite reading chair on a rainy day and a hot cup of cider. Along with the great writing, Nem Rowan’s creepy and beautiful illustrations throughout the book fit perfectly and really added to the storytelling.

I cannot wait to see what other original ideas Rowan as coming for us.


*Thank you so much to the author, Gurt Dog Press, and BProudPr for giving me a chance to receive an eARC copy for review! *

[RACHEL REED · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars)

This story follows a young man named Angora, who was brutally tricked and robbed of his teeth by his lover, Gillis. But not just any teeth, but teeth infused with magic that he was to be gifted at his Floris, a coming of age holy ceremony.

The world building was unique and spun very beautifully. It touched upon gothic, horror and macabre themes.
The creatures are beings of a magical world with fur and ram like horns.
I was captivated by Angora's journey of overcoming betrayal to acceptable and to finding a way to fit in. But soon he stumbles upon a web of dark secrets that opens a can of worms that shouldn't have been opened.

The overall storyline was compelling and I was quickly engaged in the beautiful universe spun by this author.
The characters, though fantasy were relatable and well fleshed out. The author's writing style was compelling and appealed to me.
I also loved the beautiful illustrations included in the book.

If you like a gothic, dark, coming of age fantasy novella with a beautifully spun universe, this is for you.

[Therése Åström · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is like nothing I've read before. There's magic teeth! And magic tea! And people who behave like people but look like something else. There's cruelty and gore but also beauty, and the frozen world that Rowan has created is, well, magical. It is a very dark story.

I really enjoyed this novella but I had one issue with it. It's that it is a novella and not a full book! I would have loved for it to have been longer, because there were elements at the end that I would have loved to read more about. Considering how short it is, it still made a great impact!

I got a review copy of the book (but have bought my own copy) - the illustrations accompanying the chapters are so extra, I love how all aspects of the experience of reading this book has been taken into consideration!

[Merle (readinginvelaris) · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: assault, gore,
edited because I added spoilers now that the book is out!

I don't really know what I expected, but it definitely wasn't this. I'm usually not a fan of horror, but my oh my, this one got me. I guess it wasn't like *that* scary. The magic system and the world it is set in are so fascinating (and gruesome) which really took a lot of my attention away from the creepier parts :D Until the very end, I did not see the 'big reveal' coming, although I guess the usage of souls makes sense.
I do want to highlight the trigger warnings for assault and gore. The way the situation and the trauma are described in the first chapter of the book makes it feel very much like sexual assault, but it really depends on each person and how much they can handle. The mc is restrained by their stronger opponent and gets their teeth violently yanked out, which is not a nice picture for anyone to imagine, I would say. The same goes for gore in that scene and another towards the very end - it's not very pretty. The latter one contains decapacitated body parts and lots of blood. I would say read the first chapter with caution and judge from there and keep in mind that things are coming.

I do really want to know how this story continues because, of course, I would like to know what the wish was that Angora spoke in the end and where the story leads him.

Thank you so much to Gurt Dog Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Catherine (Cather.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully spooky and absolutely wonderful!

longer review to come!

[Alex | | findingmontauk1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - review to come!

[Joshua Hair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.