TLDR- It is a good book for those who like books that are not deep into horror but more on the fringes of the genre.

Deerstalker mainly follows two boys, Wendell and Jacques. Wendell suffers from a curse that has afflicted the village he was born in for centuries. Meanwhile, Jacques is a traveler on the run from his past. The two are brought together when Jacques wanders into Wendell's village right before the curse activates.

I found the story's plot to be a little basic. At no point was I taken aback or surprised during this book. I also found it to be light on the queer romance. So I think this book is better decsribed as lightly queer and midly horror. I am not a horror connoisseur, so if I thought it was light, that is saying something. It did feel like more of a horror story in the beginning versus the end. But I probably enjoyed it more with it being light on the horror since it meant there was a "happier" turnout.

As for the good- the writing was engaging. The characters were well developed. And the setting felt authentic. Being set in a historical time helped round out the story and not detract from it. It was also a pretty quick read.

Overall, I thought it was good for me and my lighter taste in horror, but I still wish there was more to the overall plot.

This one really just wasn’t working for me in any way. The writing in particular was clunky and overly written. The dialogue especially felt stilted and it didn’t have a historical feel to it at all.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a free arc copy.
I was super excited to get this one. I love historical fiction, and blending it with a sort of grimms fairy tales setting was tempting. The cover is also beautiful. Unfortunately, I think this book lacked developmental edits that would have taken it to the next level. A few problems I had were the constant pov changes mid chapter, the lack of immersion (this didn’t feel like 1660s Germany. Literally could have been whenever), and weak prose. The romance also wasn’t compelling. Why did Wendell and Jacques like each other? Because the book says they did with no evidence. I don’t know. I really wanted to like this one but it just fell flat for me. I’m sure it will find its readers but unfortunately I am not one of them.
2 stars

ARC REVIEW, thank you so much to Nicole M. Zaunbrecher, Indigo River Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC. My review is not influenced by receiving an ARC. This is an honest review!

3.5 stars

Deerstalker tells the story of a cursed 1600s German village. The town itself feels claustrophobic. We follow Wendell and his grandfather, who allow an unwelcome young traveler to stay with them for his brief stay in the village.

This book has fairy tale/folk lore vibes, found family, LGBTQIA+ characters, curses, and sacrifices. I loved the body horror and gore that this had.

I enjoyed this book, but there is still criticism to be had. I don’t know if this can truly be considered a historical because it didn’t feel like it. The conversations didn’t read like a historical usually does. The romance is pretty minor in the story. I feel this book is being pitched the wrong way and will alienate some people who would have otherwise picked it up. It reads more like a cozy horror.

I wish we got to know things more about the world, the characters, and how everything worked. I’ll probably pick up other books the author makes because the story and concept were good. The execution wasn’t the best, which will improve with each book release.

Deerstalker tells the story of a traveler who wanders into a cursed village and the village outcast turned monster who haunts it.

Unfortunately, this book doesn’t know what it is. Is it a romantasy? In a way, but the love story is severely under-developed. It’s not insta love but it basically starts because Jacques is the first person to ever treat the victimized MMC with any bit of kindness. There is no passion, no banter, no deep vulnerable conversations. Is it a fairy tale retelling? Not any fairy tale I’ve ever heard of. Is it a mystery? I hope not because there is not a single satisfying reveal to be found.

What saves this from a 1-star rating is the setting- the Black Forest is fairly unique and nicely described, and good readability- it was easy to read in just a couple days.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In seventeenth-century Germany, as an ugly war rages through the countryside, an otherworldly nightmare spends years stalking a small Bavarian village. The villagers have built their entire lives around their curse and the hefty toll it demands
A very sweet story hidden in a horror novel. I really enjoyed it.

Deerstalker is a dark, fairytale-esque fantasy that delivers an intriguing premise with a unique monster and an engaging setting. While I enjoyed the eerie, folklore-inspired atmosphere and the direction the story took with the Inquisitors, the book ultimately fell short in its execution.

One of the highlights for me was the cast of characters—particularly Wendell, Jacques, and, of course, Jacques’s grandfather. They brought some much-needed depth and charm to the story. The monster itself was also a strong point; it was original and eerie enough to keep me invested in how the conflict would unfold. The world Zaunbrecher created had a lot of potential, and I appreciated the way she wove elements of mystery and horror into the narrative.

However, the storytelling itself felt lacking. The writing style came across as clunky, making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the world. The pacing was inconsistent—at times too slow, at others too rushed—which made it hard to get into a steady rhythm while reading. Most of the characters, aside from a select few, felt shallow and one-dimensional, which made it difficult to care about their fates or motivations. While the story had a solid foundation, it could have benefited from more refined prose and deeper character development.

Overall, Deerstalker had an interesting premise and some compelling elements, but its execution left a lot to be desired. Fans of dark fairytales and atmospheric horror may still find aspects to enjoy, but the writing and pacing issues make it a less satisfying read than it could have been.

Thanks to NetGalley and Indigo River Publishing for a chance to review this eARC.

A 17th century town is plagued by a curse. This curse is bestowed upon a child born under a new moon. They are doomed to change once a month starting around age ten and a sacrifice must be made or crops will fail, sickness will spread, drought will come etc. Everyone of course is terrible to the person that is stuck with the curse, this time a young man named Wendell, with the exception of his grandfather and the town's doctor. He spends most of his days and nights alone reading in the library just existing best he can. Then a mysterious traveler shows up and comes face to face with the creature and sets off a chain of events that threaten the little village in a new way.

Pros: The cover is beautiful, it's what made me look into what it was about. The premise contains so many of my favorite things. Creepy monsters, mysterious curses, secluded towns, queer characters and religious themes mixed with horror. The two main characters were distinct from each other, both flawed but likable. It was atmospheric and the woods and village felt like their own characters. The romance comes secondary which is what I prefer in a horror novel.

Cons: I believe this will be a favorite for someone, but sadly, not for me. The writing became repetitive and the halfway point is when the book lost steam. I picked up on repeated words and phrases. Folk horror rarely has many concrete answers but I did find myself wishing we got a 'why' or a reference to real folklore of that area. The random dancing bit towards the end was an odd addition. I think we were supposed to imagine what the dance was, but it wasn't very clear. Also this is one of areas where characters became very wishy washy. Towns people when from vehemently saying Wendall needed to stay away to a reaction of "oh I guess he's ok now" and this was after one afternoon. The ending in general was abrupt but not left in a way where a sequel would make sense. The inquisitor characters were a nice addition to give variety and have people on Wendall and Jacques side but when they showed up is when the time period seemed to fade away. The dialog was already clunky with a limited cast of characters but adding more just made me notice more issues with dialog and character discrepancies.

I am giving it a generous 3 and I'd pick up anything else published by this author in the future!

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately I just could not get into it. As other reviewers have mentioned, the dialogue is very clunky and basic and quite exasperating at times. The blurb is misleading - this didn’t feel very historical at all, and the romance was very teen. This was billed as a supernatural horror, which I think is to the book’s detriment - it’s really more of a YA or teen fantasy which I think affected my expectations. The story has definite potential but ultimately I struggled.

Thank you to Indigo River Publishing and NetGalley for an e-Arc in exchange for a review!

I really find the blurb of the book to be very misleading. It is not very historical, and I did not find that it was really a "tantalizing" romance either. If I didn't read the dates at the chapter titles, I wouldn't have recognized this to be taking place in the 1600s at all. The relationship between the two leads read sweet at times, but nothing really happened between them. It felt incomplete by the end of the book.

Overall, nothing really happened within the story. The writing and dialogue was very choppy, and with the abrupt changing of POVs during the first half of the book, it made the reading experience disjointed with no flow. The characters, who were supposed to be adults, did not feel like they were adults at all. This book read more like a Young Adult book or younger if anything.

I am actually quite sad I didn't enjoy this very much! The story is very interesting and I can feel the author's passion, which is part of what kept me going. It's clear what their favorite parts to write were (the monster scenes), as they are the best written. I overall enjoyed the story, but sadly, the prose was quite simply underbaked. It reads like a first or second draft. This feels very strongly like a book I would really enjoy after a couple more drafts, after a little longer in the oven.

The pros: The story itself is interesting. I like it conceptually, and I like it as it develops. The characters feel distinct and are fun to read and be with. The queer aspect was much more minor than expected/it's marketed as, but I like it. I very much loved the monster/horror scenes, they were the standout part of the book. It's easy to read.

The cons: It's... *too* easy to read. The prose was very lacking, even in the monster scenes where it is notably better. I can't quite call the characters "strong," because they overall feel very one-dimensional. I kept imagining Wendell as much younger than he actually is, which could be a me thing, but it certainly took me out of the romance at times. Speaking of, the romance feels underdeveloped, leading to a confession that feels pretty out of nowhere. The ending was abrupt and didn't feel like it was being built up too much at all. I think it *could've* worked, but in its current iteration, I felt kind of let down.

I really can summarize this as a victim of being undercooked. This has the passion of a novice writer, but also the prose of a novice writer. I would be interested in reading more from this author in maybe a couple years.

It was a nice story about a cursed boy finding a family among people new to town and gaining strength in them through their love and support.

The first half of the book is mostly told through snippets, with constant changes in pov and time, but the later half has fewer changes and longer scenes, which gives it a sense of stability and makes it feel more alive. This goes well with Wendell’s journey of starting to live as a person and becoming more than a cursed boy who must hide to survive. Still, throughout most of the book, the scenes are short and to the point, which can feel a little dry and doesn’t exactly allow for bigger emotional moments.

Being horror, I thought it would be scary, but aside from some slight body horror, the scariest thing was the actions of the villagers, who were just as monstrous as the monster they condemned.

I really liked the description of the cursed animals.

I wouldn’t classify the romance as tantalizing. It is a little understated. It's very sweet, the signs are there, and the characters are very supportive and protective of each other. It’s nice for when you need a break from over-the-top emotions, but not if you like going deep into the emotional state of the characters or a story that focuses on romance. Or if you are looking for spice, they don’t even kiss.

The story left me with a lot of questions. I wish they had been answered since I was most interested in the curse and how the couple was connected through it.

Thank you to Indigo River Publishing and NetGalley for providing an e-arc of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I'm afraid that this book isn't me, and I have had to DNF. The premise and jacket drew me in, but at a sentence level, the writing and characterisation just weren't complex enough for what I look for in a novel.

received the arc from netgalley, i would say thanks but i really don't want to.

i tried so hard but this is unreadable. this is the least historically grounded historical i have ever encountered. it reads fully contemporary, and like the author only did the most surface level, skimmed a wikipedia page research. the characters are flat, the dialogue is so clunky it reads like it is talking to a five year old, and nobody is going around casually asking others "are you religious" at the dinner table in germany in 1629. one of the more severe cases of people-don't-talk-like-that i have ever had the misfortune of reading.

i only made it 19% of the way in, but still. i encountered nothing that made me feel at all tense, or spooked. so much for horror?

anyways, really unfortunate that this didn't go well, the cover is really cool and the description was interesting but alas, we can't all be winners.

This book is not very good. I would say part of this has to do with the advertising. It is described as being a "supernatural horror" story and having a "tantalizing LGBT+ romance." This book had some supernatural elements, but I wouldn't describe it as a horror at all. I would honestly say it is a pretty basic fantasy or fairy tale story. There are technically some horror elements, but they are few and far between. As for the romance... what romance? There was barely any romance in this book. It was lightly implied throughout that Jacques and Wendell were into each other, but it was barely there. I wouldn't even really call it a slow burn, just nothing really happened. In fact, I would say that is a common theme with this book: nothing happens. The book is only 240 pages long but it just dragged. We barely get any answers and the few we get are either very obvious or come out of nowhere. The world is also very underdeveloped. This book supposedly takes place in seventeenth-century Germany, but you would never guess it. Even though this book is already pretty short, I think it would benefit from losing about 100 pages.

Deerstalker by Nicole M. Zaunbrecher is my favorite kind of queer horror story. There's body horror, gay pinning, found family, and more. It was in my opinion a very satisfying read.

Although the premise of this book was really promising, it kind of fell flat for me.

The story follows Wendell, who is cursed to turn into the form of a monster known as Nightmare once a month. Once a month, a villager or traveller ends up dead, as Nightmare demands a sacrifice. This is the way it has been for hundreds of years.

When a lone traveller named Jacques stumbles upon the village, survives the attack from Nightmare, and befriends Wendell, everything begins to change.

The beginning of the book does a lot of hopping around during Wendell's childhood, mostly just for a paragraph or two, and at times this can be very confusing. Some of the dialogue felt out of place for a setting in 1600s Germany. Despite these elements, I did enjoy the setting of the book and the elements of some of the other fairytales in the book.

Alright. The cover art pulled me in more than anything else, I'll be honest. The hook is decent. And! There's a twist with Jacques at around the 60% mark that was cool even though I saw it coming.

Deerstalker has many elements that I enjoy in *other* books, so I really thought it would be for me. Curses. Claustrophobic towns that you can't leave. Fairy tale vibes. Queer characters. Unfortunately, I was hopelessly bored. Maybe that's my fault. Maybe if I re-read it down the line, I'd love it. But if I'm being entirely honest I wasn't excited to read this book once I'd actually started. I wasn't invested in knowing what came next. Deerstalker is only 240 pages but it felt much longer.

The blurb calls Deerstalker a supernatural horror and for the life of me I don't understand why. I fully admit and recognize that horror is subjective but I never once felt anxiety, dread, unease--let alone fear. I can't even point to anything that others might be afraid of because the book skips over anything remotely uncomfortable.

I found the scene where Jacques is attacked to be a huge letdown. This was such an important moment, this is where any horror elements could have really shined. Instead, it felt handwaved and glossed over. Which feels like a missed opportunity in a book that's supposed to be supernatural horror?? We get some descriptions *after* the attack when caretaking is happening, which is nice, but I would have preferred having more vivid and visceral descriptions of the injuries when Jacques was in immediate danger.

Similarly, I can't bring myself to care about what happened to Wendell's parents. Not just because they're unlikeable, but because they were around for such a short time. If that was intended to hit an important emotional beat, it was lost on me.

I don't have enough knowledge of Germany in the 1600s to speak much on what is and isn't accurate--but the existence of shotguns, especially having them be called such, was jarring and didn't feel right to the time period.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A haunting and hopeful tale

Set in a village cursed by death, this story reads like a slow-burning nightmare. Every new moon, a man becomes a beast, killing without mercy. The villagers tried everything to break the curse, but ended up resigning themselves to live with the horrors—if you can call that living.

Wendell has carried the curse from birth, knowing he will become a killer once a month. Feared and shunned, his life has been marked by cruelty.
“When I was young, I learned how to run away from the rocks other children threw at me.”

This is a story about unflinching kindness and fear—about what happens when people turn against what they don’t understand.

The book isn’t the most polished in terms of writing, but it does a good job of exploring human nature. It filled me with sadness, yet there’s a point in Wendell’s journey where he’s no longer alone, where he dares to hope. And that hope, however fragile, is powerful.

I expected more horror, and I’m actually glad it wasn’t terrifying. Dark? Absolutely. But more than that, it’s about love, survival, and what truly makes a monster.
“A parent who cannot love their child is more a monster than someone like us.”

I loved Wendell’s resilience, Jacques’s bravery, and the Grandfather’s unwavering love. While I’d love to read more about their journey, the ending left me satisfied. A beautifully haunting read.

This was a strange, twisted, fairytale-like story that was full of folklore and curses. Set in 1600’s Europe (I believe Germany, although I don’t think it’s stated) it follows Wendell, a young man cursed to turn into a monster every new moon and to claim a ‘sacrifice’. When traveller Jacques passes through the cursed village, the monster almost kills him, but somehow he survives the attack and Wendell, back in human form and wracked with grief, vows to nurse the traveller back to health.

I loved the claustrophobic way the story is told; Wendell is prevented from leaving the village that he torments and he is hated by everyone who should hold him dear. Jacques is keeping secrets and is running away from a mysterious past… I enjoyed the addition of the ‘Inquisitors’ who initially sparked fear in Wendell and Jacques, but eventually became their salvation!

Rating this one was really hard… because on one hand I thought the concept was really interesting, I loved the way it felt dark and hopeless and creepy (someone else described it as ‘cosy horror’ and I absolutely agree) but equally I felt like it needed to have been developed a little further - the speech in places was extremely stilted (although I’m wiling to give it a pass as it’s set in the 1600s) and I thought the revelation about Jacques’ past needed way more information to make it make sense! You can’t drop that bombshell and be like ‘okay, moving on’ 😹 That being said, I found it an enjoyable read and once I’d come to terms with suspension of belief I was happy to overlook Jacques weirdness, so it gets 4* based on vibes alone but probably should only get 3* for technical writing. But y’know, reviews are about vibes and if you want a cosy horror with some co-dependent sweethearts looking after each other and battling a curse then give this one a go!

Read Deerstalker for:
✨ Cosy horror
✨ Human(??) x Cursed Monster
✨ Claustrophobic vibes
✨ Folklore and fairytales
✨ Curses and sacrifices
✨ 1600’s Europe
✨ Found family

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. It’s available on 15th April 2025.