The Butcher's Lot (2024) - Cate Baumer (SFINCS semifinalist)

 

The Butcher is a an ancient vampire who has been chained like a dog, stripped of anything that makes her dangerous, and shipped from town to town to work for a year in order to atone for the thousands of people she killed in the past. Marguerite takes on The Butcher's help in her little fishing boat the year she comes to her town, hardly expecting the events to follow in the coming year.

This novella was reviewed as part of SFINCS 2025.

    This is a short and sweet little novella that has a folklore vibe. I very much appreciated Baumer's take on vampires in this story, keeping some traditional lore and adding some new of her own. The relationship between Marguerite and The Butcher is the central focus of the story, starting as a warry employer/reluctant but obligated employee, to cautious acquaintances, and gradually developing into something more as Marguerite realizes the Butcher can offer her a life much better than the one she lives.

    Another focus in this story is the contrast between Marguerite's 'sins' (as perceived by the townsfolks) and The Butcher's 'sins'. She realizes they aren't so different, two women villainized and ostracized by society for things that were not entirely in their control (okay sure, maybe The Butcher could have not killed a bunch of people, but a vampire has to eat).

    Something I really loved about the setting of this story is how grounded it felt. Don't get me wrong, I love a high fantasy story with powerful magic and fantastical beasts galore, but lately I've found myself drawn to fantasy settings that feel like they could actually exist, and The Butcher's lot is definitely one of those. I really enjoyed the small lore drops we got here and there and the nature of the dragons of this world.

    If you need a quick read and enjoy vampires and sapphic stories where women get what they want then I definitely recommend The Butcher's Lot.

From These Dark Abodes (2024) - Lyndsie Manusos (SFINCS semifinalist)

Lethe and Petunia are servants at St. Edha's house. Every night, their masters shed their skin and dance as skeletons to crooning jazz in what they call The Revelry. They both desperately want to find a way to escape, but when one of their masters doesn't return to his skin the next morning, life as they know it at St. Edah's starts to unravel.

This novella was reviewed as part of SFINCS 2025.

    

    When I first started reading From These Dark Abodes I wasn't sure it was going to click for me. I felt like the prose was a little too poetic/flowery for my tastes. But, as I read further, I found myself fully immersed in Lethe and Petunia's story. There are some fantastically described moments of body horror woven together with an intense longing we feel with Lethe, for memories of her past life, for Petunia, and for a way out of St. Edah's house. 

   Manusos does a wonderful job at weaving in little hints as to the true nature of the house and the inhabitants roles within it (which I won't spoil for you here because it was truly a miraculous thing to experience firsthand).

Some things that stood out to me about the story.

    The way Manusos describes sensory details is so visceral. It made my skin crawl every time I read a description of one of the immortals peeling their skin off to reveal their skeletons beneath. The tenderness between Lethe and Petunia, the way the support each other and push each other to keep living another day in the hopes they'll finally find their escape. The character Bloody Bones the rat was a big highlight for me, I love a gross, weird little guy and he is the grossest and weirdest of little guys.

    I honestly have no criticisms of this story. I would talk about it more but I really don't want to spoil the experience for you. This is one of those books that is best experienced with little knowledge of what it's about. From These Dark Abodes will stick with me for a long time. A story of love, loss, and a desire for freedom, this story will be best enjoyed by those who like rich prose, body horror, and tales that divert your expectations.