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Nolan's Hunger: A Novella
This is a story about love and bloodlust and the things we do for both.
On a normal afternoon, Parker comes home to find his husband, Nolan, dead on the floor.
Later, resurrected with a few drops of Parker's blood, Nolan begins to transform.
Suddenly hungry for blood, without which he will die, Nolan commits an atrocious act.
As Nolan's hunger continues to grow, and his transformations become more frightening, he and Parker will seemingly have no choice in what comes next.
Neither of them understands why this is happening, nor do they know how to stop it.
Parker is terrified of Nolan but wants desperately to help him. Nolan is terrified he'll become a monster, and even more terrified that it has already happened.
Together they will need to decide if their love is worth all this spilled blood.
On a normal afternoon, Parker comes home to find his husband, Nolan, dead on the floor.
Later, resurrected with a few drops of Parker's blood, Nolan begins to transform.
Suddenly hungry for blood, without which he will die, Nolan commits an atrocious act.
As Nolan's hunger continues to grow, and his transformations become more frightening, he and Parker will seemingly have no choice in what comes next.
Neither of them understands why this is happening, nor do they know how to stop it.
Parker is terrified of Nolan but wants desperately to help him. Nolan is terrified he'll become a monster, and even more terrified that it has already happened.
Together they will need to decide if their love is worth all this spilled blood.
140 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 16, 2023
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Josh Radwell
3 books39 followersJosh Radwell is an author from Perth, Australia. Pictured with him is his dog, Lyra - she is the queen, lover of bacon and chin scratches. She matters far more than Josh's author bio.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 6, 2023
This was fantastic! It has all the classic horror elements that make for a loving homage to what we know of vampires, but also manages to make the vampire tale modern, real, and with the perfect touch of humour. This felt like a contemporary, comfortable, queer love story that just happened to feature a vampire to mix things up. I was so invested in Nolan and Parker as a couple. I loved the way the story looked back on their relationship with so much warmth while the main narrative grew colder and more uncertain. I won't spoil it, but the ending was perfect.
All in all a fabulous introduction to this author's work, and I can't wait to read more.
All in all a fabulous introduction to this author's work, and I can't wait to read more.
May 7, 2023
Some bias. :)
But actually, I'm excited to have finally put something new out into the world. I hope you enjoy it. Or even if you don't, I still really appreciate that you took a chance.
But actually, I'm excited to have finally put something new out into the world. I hope you enjoy it. Or even if you don't, I still really appreciate that you took a chance.
July 20, 2023
A unique take on vampirism, delivered in a concise modern story, celebrating queer love and devotion — amidst the terror of what happens when a seemingly ordinary life is turned into a horrific nightmare. I loved the flashbacks to how Parker and Nolan met (bonus marks for the proposal, Josh!), the timely reminders that showing queer affection in public is still a struggle, and the internalised thoughts as things turned distinctly darker as both tried to adapt to the horror of their new reality.
An author to watch in the future!
An author to watch in the future!
June 23, 2023
This felt like a love letter to love 😭 It was sweet and poignant and made me cry but the spooky imagery gave me goosebumps. It was at turns funny, cute, sad and scary. A wonderfully fleshed out novella that didn’t waste any of it’s story time. I really loved it!
July 19, 2023
Outstanding 🖤
Full disclosure: I am very, very fussy about vampire books. I always read them with a low bar. This one, though…this one raised it back up. Nolan’s Hunger by Josh Radwell is by no means a typical vampire story. And it isn’t *just* a vampire story…it’s a tale of queer love, devotion, and the lengths one will go to to protect a perfect love, even from an unpreventable shift in a relationship. This is not not a vampire romance, it is a romance romance. I’ve always believed that vampires are a perfect metaphor for queer love, and it’s something I shout about anytime I can. Hiding. Maybe not holding hands in public because you can’t stand the slurs or are afraid for your safety. Finding a home in the shadows, where all is well, all is acceptable and beautiful. This is a novella, and as such, I don’t want to say too much about it because it could be easily spoiled. But I will say this: the writing is perfection and it’s going on my top-shelf of vampire books. I adored it. And you should absolutely read it. All the stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full disclosure: I am very, very fussy about vampire books. I always read them with a low bar. This one, though…this one raised it back up. Nolan’s Hunger by Josh Radwell is by no means a typical vampire story. And it isn’t *just* a vampire story…it’s a tale of queer love, devotion, and the lengths one will go to to protect a perfect love, even from an unpreventable shift in a relationship. This is not not a vampire romance, it is a romance romance. I’ve always believed that vampires are a perfect metaphor for queer love, and it’s something I shout about anytime I can. Hiding. Maybe not holding hands in public because you can’t stand the slurs or are afraid for your safety. Finding a home in the shadows, where all is well, all is acceptable and beautiful. This is a novella, and as such, I don’t want to say too much about it because it could be easily spoiled. But I will say this: the writing is perfection and it’s going on my top-shelf of vampire books. I adored it. And you should absolutely read it. All the stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 20, 2024
Appreciated the extremely messy, imperfect relationship and completely understood why they both had to lie to each other so constantly. So interesting and affecting!
Also just really enjoyed the style and imagery…
“…poured down his throat like spiced wine, like mead, like a strawberry milkshake, like a pitcher of sweet, iced tea”
Yum. Should I give it a go?
Loved the ending HEHE
Thanks Josh
Also just really enjoyed the style and imagery…
“…poured down his throat like spiced wine, like mead, like a strawberry milkshake, like a pitcher of sweet, iced tea”
Yum. Should I give it a go?
Loved the ending HEHE
Thanks Josh
August 11, 2025
Heartwarming, sad and horror infused all at the same time. A short, somewhat scary, love story xx
Bonus points for being a local author- feel a little bit special with a signed and annotated copy, not knowing that’s what I’d gotten at the time!
Bonus points for being a local author- feel a little bit special with a signed and annotated copy, not knowing that’s what I’d gotten at the time!
November 7, 2024
SPOILERS AHEAD!
If I had to summarise my review into a single sentence, it would be this: Radwell has crafted an excellent piece of experimental fiction and has expertly blended elements of horror, romance, and the supernatural together.
I normally don't pick up and read books that feature vampires or vampirism because I've been burned continuously by the same old tired tropes and poor writing that permeates the genre - however, Radwell's work is neither. Radwell expertly uses vampirism as a representation of something beyond being a creature of horror. And I think that's why I love this book so much and rated it so highly - it's a romance, first and foremost, with horror aspects.
On a surface level, this book to me is a beautiful love story between two gay men who face unexpected adversary (to put it lightly). I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid and unique descriptions (particularly how he described drinking the blood out of supermarket meat - utterly disgusting and skin-crawling in the best of ways - and the way he described the vampires' marble-y eyes will haunt me), the eerie scene setting, the action scenes (when I saw the scene that's on the cover unfold in the book, I audibly gasped), the realistic inner and outer dialogue, and especially the unexpected happy ending.
People have mixed opinions on the ending, but I love it. It's an instant, sharp, welcome relief after all the crap that happens to the two in the book. It also serves as a beautiful end to the 'past' scenes of romance that are intermittently dispersed throughout the book. But I digress...
If you were to ask me on a deeper level as to why I enjoyed this book so much, I'd say this. To me, Nolan's vampirism is a symbolic portrayal of how long-term love changes, grows, evolves, devolves, over time. As a gay man myself who is in a long-term relationship, bordering six years now as of writing this review, I really found myself relating to the struggles Nolan and Parker faced (of course, minus the murder, taped newspaper on the windows, and craving for blood, lol). Radwell uses vampirism as a device to portray what it takes to keep a relationship strong, the good and the bad - the devotion, the open communication of doubt, the innocent white lies, the ride-or-die attitude, the diminishing and reignition of a romance's spark, and of course the passionate sex that ebbs and flows.
This book will really appeal to those who, like me, adore love stories that have other supporting elements that elevate the romance.
Overall, a wonderful piece of fiction that deserves high praise. I can't wait to read more of his work.
If I had to summarise my review into a single sentence, it would be this: Radwell has crafted an excellent piece of experimental fiction and has expertly blended elements of horror, romance, and the supernatural together.
I normally don't pick up and read books that feature vampires or vampirism because I've been burned continuously by the same old tired tropes and poor writing that permeates the genre - however, Radwell's work is neither. Radwell expertly uses vampirism as a representation of something beyond being a creature of horror. And I think that's why I love this book so much and rated it so highly - it's a romance, first and foremost, with horror aspects.
On a surface level, this book to me is a beautiful love story between two gay men who face unexpected adversary (to put it lightly). I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid and unique descriptions (particularly how he described drinking the blood out of supermarket meat - utterly disgusting and skin-crawling in the best of ways - and the way he described the vampires' marble-y eyes will haunt me), the eerie scene setting, the action scenes (when I saw the scene that's on the cover unfold in the book, I audibly gasped), the realistic inner and outer dialogue, and especially the unexpected happy ending.
People have mixed opinions on the ending, but I love it. It's an instant, sharp, welcome relief after all the crap that happens to the two in the book. It also serves as a beautiful end to the 'past' scenes of romance that are intermittently dispersed throughout the book. But I digress...
If you were to ask me on a deeper level as to why I enjoyed this book so much, I'd say this. To me, Nolan's vampirism is a symbolic portrayal of how long-term love changes, grows, evolves, devolves, over time. As a gay man myself who is in a long-term relationship, bordering six years now as of writing this review, I really found myself relating to the struggles Nolan and Parker faced (of course, minus the murder, taped newspaper on the windows, and craving for blood, lol). Radwell uses vampirism as a device to portray what it takes to keep a relationship strong, the good and the bad - the devotion, the open communication of doubt, the innocent white lies, the ride-or-die attitude, the diminishing and reignition of a romance's spark, and of course the passionate sex that ebbs and flows.
This book will really appeal to those who, like me, adore love stories that have other supporting elements that elevate the romance.
Overall, a wonderful piece of fiction that deserves high praise. I can't wait to read more of his work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2023
I think you CAN judge a book by its cover. I bought this one because I saw the cover and I thought "good grief!", and yet I wanted to read it. So, I did. First the good news: the writing is very good. The character descriptions are well written, the story is interesting, and it's a good length, I love novellas. (I hate long, bloated books.) Adult relationships are sometimes difficult to write but Radwell does a good job of walking the narrow plank between irritating mushiness and sterile dialogue. As it's written, Nolan and Parker's back story is interesting and sympathetic.
Here's the bad: the author's warning about graphic writing is an understatement. The F-bomb is almost constant, the gore is clearly described, and if lucid sex scenes make you uncomfortable, skip over them. And the ending is seriously lame. We don't know how Nolan got infected and we are left wondering how he got cured. I liked the two main characters but how the heck did Nolan defeat it???? I must have missed something. Oh and what does Nolan do for a living? And I wondered about Parker using traditional mediums of art for commercial purposes: most professional artists use digital mediums, not charcoal. ( I know. It would have weakened the story)
This book isn't horror in the traditional sense, the ending is too positive. But there are elements of horror in it. If you prefer your horror sweetened with a happy ending, this book is for you. I admit, although I prefer a more traditional horror story, I enjoyed this one.
Here's the bad: the author's warning about graphic writing is an understatement. The F-bomb is almost constant, the gore is clearly described, and if lucid sex scenes make you uncomfortable, skip over them. And the ending is seriously lame. We don't know how Nolan got infected and we are left wondering how he got cured. I liked the two main characters but how the heck did Nolan defeat it???? I must have missed something. Oh and what does Nolan do for a living? And I wondered about Parker using traditional mediums of art for commercial purposes: most professional artists use digital mediums, not charcoal. ( I know. It would have weakened the story)
This book isn't horror in the traditional sense, the ending is too positive. But there are elements of horror in it. If you prefer your horror sweetened with a happy ending, this book is for you. I admit, although I prefer a more traditional horror story, I enjoyed this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2023
This very thin novella depicts a little episode in one couple's life. Nolan, just a random dude who did nothing out of ordinary, suddenly becomes a vampire and together with his partner Parker must come to terms with such a drastic change. More than a typical vampire story I see a parallel with a moral problem every partner faces if their significant other changes suddenly (mentally or physically) - is it OK not to like the change and still love the partner, should one walk away or stay? I liked the twist at the end and that there was no explaining of HOW ... it just kept the microstory together.
I feel like the author is still finding his style, there were some inconsistencies (e.g. how long the couple lived with the change) and repetitions that thesaurus should have solved as well as scenes that led the story nowhere (I like hot scenes but here it was too brief to be considered romance novel worthy and therefore it could have been hinted at without actually showing such a short paragraph that served no purpose). I guess the story is self-published and the usual cruel editorial process was skipped which is a shame in this case. But there is still hope.
And for my fang-lovers I have the summary of what's new. The usual vampire tropes are present (bloodlust, no sun) but some refreshing twists were added. Our vampire's eyes turn white and later almost marble-y, and his night vision is only slightly better than that of a human. I think those eyes will probably haunt me for days.
I feel like the author is still finding his style, there were some inconsistencies (e.g. how long the couple lived with the change) and repetitions that thesaurus should have solved as well as scenes that led the story nowhere (I like hot scenes but here it was too brief to be considered romance novel worthy and therefore it could have been hinted at without actually showing such a short paragraph that served no purpose). I guess the story is self-published and the usual cruel editorial process was skipped which is a shame in this case. But there is still hope.
And for my fang-lovers I have the summary of what's new. The usual vampire tropes are present (bloodlust, no sun) but some refreshing twists were added. Our vampire's eyes turn white and later almost marble-y, and his night vision is only slightly better than that of a human. I think those eyes will probably haunt me for days.
November 3, 2023
It takes me a while to get into books with slower starts, but this book took me by surprise! This book is a slow burner in the best way possible.
It starts without hesitation - protagonist Nolan is already in the throes of a terrible transformation, while his husband Parker struggles to cope. But throughout the book, you get little snippets of their life before this change - their dating, falling in love, the little domestic moments that make you feel for them even more, before the book slaps you back to the present moment. You fall in love with both of them as the book progresses, and you watch the both of them struggle with both their relationship, a new vampiric transformation, and the push to do what’s best for both of them.
The book’s happy ending, while abrupt, feels like a well needed relief after all the pain they’ve both been through, so I personally didn’t mind it at all. You’ll feel compelled to follow Parker and Nolan’s story as it worsens. Once it picks up, it’s very hard to put down. Excellent job, Josh!
It starts without hesitation - protagonist Nolan is already in the throes of a terrible transformation, while his husband Parker struggles to cope. But throughout the book, you get little snippets of their life before this change - their dating, falling in love, the little domestic moments that make you feel for them even more, before the book slaps you back to the present moment. You fall in love with both of them as the book progresses, and you watch the both of them struggle with both their relationship, a new vampiric transformation, and the push to do what’s best for both of them.
The book’s happy ending, while abrupt, feels like a well needed relief after all the pain they’ve both been through, so I personally didn’t mind it at all. You’ll feel compelled to follow Parker and Nolan’s story as it worsens. Once it picks up, it’s very hard to put down. Excellent job, Josh!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2025
One of the great things about Queer BookClub is that it points me into books I’d never normally choose. Nolan’s Hunger by Josh Radwell was one of those.
Reading it felt like standing too close to a fire — you want to step back, but its the heat keeps you there. Raw, heavy prose. A character who’s hard to like but impossible to ignore. It reminded me of Douglas Stuart’s Young Mungo — that same uneasy blend of violence and tenderness, where intimacy carries a shadow.
What stays with me from this novella isn’t the grit alone, but the questions it leaves behind: if we all carry our own hungers, what happens when they collide with those we love? Can we feed our desires without being consumed ourselves?
Reading it felt like standing too close to a fire — you want to step back, but its the heat keeps you there. Raw, heavy prose. A character who’s hard to like but impossible to ignore. It reminded me of Douglas Stuart’s Young Mungo — that same uneasy blend of violence and tenderness, where intimacy carries a shadow.
What stays with me from this novella isn’t the grit alone, but the questions it leaves behind: if we all carry our own hungers, what happens when they collide with those we love? Can we feed our desires without being consumed ourselves?
May 9, 2024
This book was unputdownable for me. More than a queer contemporary vampire "marriage story" romance, this book felt like an exploration of the sudden pressure that determines whether a long-term relationship can cross over into true life partnership. An exquisite combination of horror, romance and the sweetly mundane, it confronts Nolan's and Parker's deepest fears about who they are and who they might become. Don't expect a generic paranormal romance, but something altogether quite special.
September 3, 2024
A look into what happens to normal couples when shit happens.
How do we cope with the unexpected, the horrific, the unknownable, the incurable. It's easy to say that you'll always be there, forever, when things are good. But when push comes to shove, how much can you be expected to deal with? How much can your partner ask you to put up with? How much can you ask yourself to let your partner sacrifice?
How do we cope with the unexpected, the horrific, the unknownable, the incurable. It's easy to say that you'll always be there, forever, when things are good. But when push comes to shove, how much can you be expected to deal with? How much can your partner ask you to put up with? How much can you ask yourself to let your partner sacrifice?
December 16, 2024
I loved this book. It’s as simple as that. I was raptured by the plot by the characters, I was right alongside them on the edge of my seat begging for Nolan to be okay praying that Park and Nolan would make it through. I was rooting for this unexpectedly warm love story amidst vampires and death and disfunction. 5 beautiful bright stars.
July 1, 2024
Nolan’s Hunger is so much more than your typical vampire novella; it's a fresh take on the horror genre, combined perfectly with a contemporary queer love story that delves deep into the intricacies of relationships and the lengths we go to for those we love.
June 5, 2023
Excellent. Highly recommend.
August 31, 2023
I am so relieved it ended like that, literally cried with happiness hahaha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2023
shit happens
iconic, truly (this made me cry)
iconic, truly (this made me cry)
September 5, 2025
brb gonna go ask my partner if she'd buy me raw meat and watch me drink it up
January 24, 2025
A tragic and heart crushing story but in the best sort of way. It felt like being stuck on a roller coaster and not knowing when the drop was coming. This book was such a unique and beautiful portrayal of love.
July 25, 2023
Review to come
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews