This review contains spoilers. Proceed with caution.

Everyone who’s been in the extreme horror realm for even a short period of time has probably at least heard of No One Rides For Free. The things Judith did with words in just ten days in debatably unmatched and, not only was it amazing, but she was able to begin writing full time using that little novella; and people turning their passions into full time careers is the thing that I LOVE the most.

I really want to get her on the podcast and I knew I had to get AT LEAST one more book under my belt before I did such a thing.

Judith is super active on Facebook and I saw her make a post where she included Beast of Burden as one of the novels that she’s most proud of. On top of that, I’m a HUGE Black Metal fan and I love a creature feature, so settling on this being my next foray into her work was a no brainer.

Beast of Burden is a slick, quick paced novella that just hits so many boxes it for me. The introduction just paints such an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of some of my favorite Black Metal albums (black metal is ALL about atmosphere) and that atmosphere continues to flow throughout the entire book.

I spent a lot of time in the punk rock community, a little time in bands and, though not a black metal band, I really related to Virtue’s constant wonder of whether or not I had anything to contribute to the band, or the scene, so filled with people that seemed to truly personify the lifestyle so much better than I.

Imposter syndrome is something I’ve struggled with quite a bit, I guess.

Also, much like Virtue, I had a father who was ALWAYS extremely supportive of decisions like that. Always trusted me to find my way, something I have always been appreciative of and aspire to recreate with my own son.

What I say all that for is that I loved Virtue and related to him on such a deep level and I love when that happens with a main character.

One thing I’ve loved about Judith’s writing is her pacing. She has a a great way of introducing enough of the characters, whilst also continuing the story moving along. Many writers can balance the ebb and flow of character development and story progression, but I think it’s a talent to do this simultaneously and Beast of Burden hits this on the mark.

I also really empathized with Leonard, despite the horrible things that the Beast of Burden makes him do. I truly felt his anguish when he killed his mother, I wanted to lather him in ointment after he slithered naked through poison ivy (which was descriptively disgusting) and I was so enraged at his inevitable demise.

The entire ending from Leonard’s first strike of the band to their journey into the cave was everything I was hoping for in the climax of the novel. From munched entrails to grinded faces to demonic sodomy, I had so much fun and loved every disgusting second of it.

The few critiques I had were minor. One of the things I took issue with was the narration just prior to Morts arrival. There was a lot going on and it just felt a tad jumpy which had me rereading a couple of passages to make sure I was getting it right. I also would have liked a little more interaction with Rufus, so I could have felt more connected to the entirety of the band’s remaining members.

However, Judith closes it off with such an amazing fucking epilogue that was just *chef’s kiss*

Those aside, I still loved my time in this book. It felt like an twisted adult Goosebumps book (this is a compliment of some of my highest regards) and I had a hard time putting it down.

4/5 stars