The Sweet Scent of Liver

'The Sweet Scent of Liver' feels like something genuinely new and fresh for both anthologies, and for zombie fiction.

For anthologies because of its unique episodic structure, the interconnected stories building up a greater narrative over time such that each tale becomes exponentially more engaging.

For zombies, through the way Eli Wilde subverts the tropes of that creature, with the gore and horrific body horror taking place primarily on the undead creatures themselves rather than their prey, and with their plague spreading not through biting their victims, but asking the living to eat from their flesh.

These 'sharded' creatures are brought vividly into the reader's mind through a combination of simple but evocative prose and an original style of illustration that means all of the diverse selection of sharded exists permanently in your subconscious.

Diversity can be found through the narrative as well as its antagonists, since each of the eight stories draws from a different subgenre, while weaving in its core body horror, with my personal favourite, as well as the most frightening, story, Iz, involving elements of surreal horror, and the most tragic story, Gleb, incorporating a heavier science fiction angle.

Every individual story here, not to mention the overarching narrative, is fascinating, compelling, and the subversive originality made this a must read short story collection. I can't wait for a potential second edition with full colour illustrations, and recommend this one to anybody interested in gory body horror, or simply looking for something new from the genre.

[Advanced Reader Copy provided by the author]

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

Okay, wow, this was good! It was a fresh take on anthologies and I think the author killed it! I loved the gruesome details of the creatures and the world in this time, I had chills constantly! I also loved it was shorter book so I devoured this quickly.

I wish dream sequencing was real so I could peek into Eli Wilde's mind.
Usually, short stories are not my thing, especially ones that interconnect as I feel like we could've just gotten one story and that's that. But in 'the sweet scent of liver' it makes sense! Each story gives us a different perspective of what the world had become, and it all comes full circle in the end.
Honestly, I NEED more of this! I want to know how things progress as time goes by and things get worse.
The writing was superb, graphic, bloody, horrifying. And those illustrations will haunt me for a while.
I'm officially part of the Eli Wilde fan club.

An interesting story full of twists, turns, fun characters and overall a book I would consider reading time and time again.

this book was absolutely horrifying and Ioved it ! Each stories made my skin crawl and some of them really put a shiver down my spine and this is exactly what I was looking for.

The Sweet Scent of Liver really lives up to the promises of its premises (and of its awesome cover), it's bleak, dark, violent, often gross, and occasionally poignantly sweet.
I loved the religious aspect, it added to the overall Event Horizon vibe I got from the novel (the story doesn't have too much in common with the movie I'm really talking vibe here). If you like a story that packs a lot of action in a small package without feeling rushed at all that's exactly what Wilde delivers here.
For my sex repulsed peeps; there is one graphic "sharded" procreation scene which is really repulsive and intended as such (I assume) but otherwise there really isn't really any spice.

The Sweet Scent of Liver is a collection of short stories that are intertwined in a horrifying apocalyptic universe. While reading this I felt I was emerged into a world relatable to Hellraiser and Alice in Wonderland. It was a terrifying fever dream read, unsure of what nightmares were next to come, and I could not stop reading it. I wanted to learn more, see where the story would take me. You follow a few main characters form human to sharded from the very beginning of the end, what their experiences are which is mostly painful journeys of violence, transformations, confusion.

~ e-book provided by NetGalley after publication

The Sweet Scent of Liver weaves horror and gore with a foundation of divinity in a rich religious tone. This entire read felt like a fever dream, shifting through different periods in time with characters that are more that what we first see. What began as the 'hot place' in a renounced priests dreams developed into a living hellscape with sharded horrors roaming the streets. There is no way of predicting where these short stories will go, and this is what makes it so alluring - I finished within a day. The images within these pages only add to the dense atmosphere of Eli Wildes' imagination. I would love to read more one day.

“Beauty loses its appeal if it comes out to play too often.”

This is a of collection is creepy , gory and horrific short stories and I loved it ! The author did a great job maintaining the creepy unsettling vibe and each story provided a different look into this bizarre and horrific world .

Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for sending me the ARC of The Sweet Scent of Liver in exchange for an honest review!

This was weird! But a good kind of weird! In The Sweet Scent of Liver we follow different kinds of people during a new kind of apocalypse, from the start of this event to the climax when shit's about to go down.

When I first started reading, I almost immediately realized that I shouldn't have read the blurb before going in. It's a story that you need to experience, rather than know the plot beforehand. The writing style was something I struggled with, but as time went on, I seemed to get used to it and it felt true to the story. Almost like Wilde introduced a new way of storytelling. Another feature I really liked was the references to religion, specifically God and Satan, which weren't necessarily overt but you really had to work for to get. Coupled with imagery of the sharded, this story was very unique!

I wouldn't recommend picking this book up if you're not already familiar with graphic horror stories. But if you are, I very much recommend you read this book!

This definitely took a unique approach to short story collections. We've got our horror and gore, even the bloodier aspects but what I was surprised by was his ability to intertwine these stories so well that I didn't expect it. The ending and the way it's tied off beautifully made me almost sad it was over. It gave me very slight Black Mirror vibes and if you like strange monsters you'd definitely love this one too. I would enjoy seeing this one taken further just because of the vibes it gave me. I think that's definitely what this one boils down to. The absolute insanity of it was so so interesting and I'm always a sucker for apocalyptic stories. This was very fresh and original with it's take on infected and how we as humans are deemed worthy. The title completely ties in and I loved it.

My first experience with this author was with the book Cruel and four days, I knew I would be in this for a weird experience, what I didn’t expect was that I didn’t connect with this book the same way that I did with the aforementioned books.

I still recommend this author way of writing, he goes very deep and very deep without using humor to make things seem more light as other writers of the genre do, beware, if you start this book you will fall deep, there’ll be times where you’ll ask yourself, why am I reading this, and then you will come back for more, is like poetry in prose, it is short, but if you read it the same way as I did, you’ll take it slow...

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

i feel like the story really pulled me in and i can't remember the last time that happened. i have been recommending this to everyone who enjoys short stories as well as the zombie trope!!

I really liked how all the stories fit together and the descriptions of the gore was great! I found it to be easy to read but could definitely see it being difficult for people if you aren't used to horror.

Eli Wilde will always be a favorite of mine and this didn’t disappoint. Anthology series are quickly becoming one of my favorite book types!

"An Unforgettable Dive into 'The Sweet Scent of Liver'"

"The Sweet Scent of Liver" not only lives up to the high expectations set by its intriguing premise and captivating cover art but also takes readers on a gripping and often visceral journey through a bleak, dark, and violently vivid narrative, occasionally offering moments of poignant sweetness.

The inclusion of religious elements adds an extra layer to the story, creating a unique atmosphere akin to the unsettling vibes of the movie "Event Horizon," although the narrative itself differs significantly from the film.

Eli Wilde's storytelling shines with a remarkable ability to pack an abundance of action into a compact space without ever feeling rushed. It's a skill that keeps readers engaged and eager to uncover what's next.

For readers who may be sensitive to explicit content, be warned that there is one graphic procreation scene that is intentionally repulsive, serving a specific purpose in the story. However, aside from this, the narrative doesn't delve into explicit material, making it accessible to a broader audience.

While short stories often leave me wanting a more in-depth exploration, "The Sweet Scent of Liver" expertly interconnects its stories to provide various perspectives on the world it portrays, creating a holistic narrative that feels both comprehensive and satisfying. I, for one, am left yearning for more of this gripping world. I'm eager to witness how the story progresses as time passes and the world continues its descent into darkness.

The writing itself is a standout feature, characterized by its superb, graphic, and horrifying quality, while the accompanying illustrations only serve to heighten the sense of unease and haunt the reader's imagination.

Consider me an official member of the Eli Wilde fan club, eagerly awaiting more from this talented storyteller.