I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Of Beasts by M. Jane Worma Published by CLASH Books on February 10, 2026
Genres: Fiction / Hispanic & Latino / Horror, Fiction / Horror / General, Fiction / Horror / Occult & Supernatural, Fiction / LGBTQ+ / General
Pages: 120
Format: ARC
ISBN: 9781960988867In this queer horror novel debut, a priest falls in love with the antichrist and even God can't stop the horror it will bring.
Dante, a protestant young man, and Jude, a sadistic pastor of a small Texas church, harbor a terrible secret from the world; they're together. The two share a taboo and passionate relationship in hidden peace, until the dreams start.
God speaks to them in visions of smoke and fire, night after night, until the two of them come to a truth they cannot ignore; Dante is the Antichrist, sent by God and urged to start off the apocalypse.
Dante refuses to participate in the end of the world and the damnation of souls. But Jude is a loyal pastor, indifferent to the suffering of others, and is compelled to do what God tells him; even if it means killing the love of his life.
This queer horror love story hones in on the humanity of the Antichrist, a half-human entity as flawed, complex, and doomed as any other soul. With lyrical prose reminiscent of Clive Barker, blasphemy is redefined and love is tested. In Of Beasts, Worma explores if love is enough for someone born to be evil.
I keep going back and forth on if I liked this book or not. The writing quality was definitely top notch and stunning (while being horrific at times). Yet, there was some aspects that didn’t sit well with me.
For most of the book, I assume Dante is 18, but it was over 60% before it’s revealed that Dante is only 17. Yes, it’s technically legal (the age of consent in Texas is 17) but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Jude’s in his early twenties and in a position of power and authority over Dante. It doesn’t help that the sex these two engage in is of a more sadistic nature with Jude as the dom and Dante as the sub. Again, an imbalance of power. Even when I thought he was 18, I was uncomfortable with this relationship and the themes in the book about if love is enough for someone born evil.
I thought the horror elements of Dante being an anti-Christ, Jude killing him (slight spoiler), and Dante coming back from the dead being praised as a miracle were horrifically compelling. Jude’s inner struggle to follow god or his heart can be felt in each page.
The ending was really odd. I don’t understand why Dante still wants to be with Jude after Jude killed him. That felt really odd to me, but again it goes back to the imbalance of power between them. They end up going off into the woods and eventually what feels like off the map into hell with Dante’s last thought thinking he feels horns on top his head. I guess it does uphold the theme that someone can be loved even when they are born evil.
After thinking about it for a few days, I’m still trying to figure out what the point was of the book. Is it that loving someone who is evil is okay? That queer love is okay or monstrous? I’m lost and was definitely hoping for a bit more when I first went into reading this.
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