In the Garden of Echo

by H.S. Wolfe

Echo and Ender have existed nearly as long as the earth itself. They’re hungry, in love, and indestructible.

For centuries they’ve wandered across continents feeding from their favorite food source - humans. But the mess they’ve left in their wake starts their prey on the path of discovering that they are not what they seem.

After being forced to curb their feeding and go into hiding, a tragic incident leads Echo and Ender to learn about what they are, and the power they are truly capable of.

In The Garden Of Echo is an erotic botanical horror about two codependent monster of unknown origins born to torture the human race for their sins against the earth. Please see author's carrd for full TW's.

Genres: Horror, Queer, LGBT, Fantasy, Novella, Romance, Angels

120 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2023

About the author

(He/They) HS Wolfe is a queer author and artist from the midwest now residing in Denmark with their spouse and two bonsai trees. When they are not juggling manuscripts he can be found wrestling with procreate and the mortifying ordeal of being known. Find wolfe across social media everywhere as WOLFEHORROR

Reviews

[Jun · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels like cheating so post a review about a book dedicated to yourself, that you helped birth. So as a warning, this might be a little bit biased.

In The Garden of Echo is hot, horny and disgusting in the best way possible. I didn't know it was possible to make gore that fucking sexy. If you have a weak stomach, don't read it. This one is for the lovers of extremely obsessive and codependent queer relationships. I won't be surprised if Echo and Ender become the definition of romance among the queer indie lit community.

I'll never stop being amazed at how queer people write horror, it's refreshing and creative and simply delectable. Similarly, trans people always manage to take body horror to a whole new level of fucked up, which Wolfe heavily capitalised on for ITGOE. Not gonna lie, wish it was me.

I can't wait to see what comes next in the series, I just know it will be the grossest sexiest stuff I've ever read. Needless to say, I'm ruined for vanilla smut, if there isn't at least one unconventional hole being used I don't want it.

Happy release day, my love.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every minute of this book. The body horror, the love story and the reimagining of the Adam and Eve story were blended absolutely seamlessly and flawlessly in my opinion. The imagery was pretty frigging fantastic and I really liked the characters.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The debut novella, In the Garden of Echo, explores concepts of gender, existence, and purpose through a lens of eerily haunting descriptions of two timeless beings designed as an amalgam of flora and fauna. As we followed Ender’s perspective, I fell in love with both him and Echo. The descriptions H.S. Wolfe provided created an environment I could feel, see, hear, around me. Pleasure and pain were combined to depict the codependent relationship to end all codependent relationships. I was rooting for these two and thus consequentially rooting against humanity. This author’s debut exceeded my expectations and I’m in awe of the images they were able to create in my mind. I will be eagerly awaiting more. Echo and Ender have burrowed so deeply into my heart. 


I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my commentary and an honest review.

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

whatever echo and ender have going on scratched an itch I didn't even know I had

read for super weird trans selfcest plant horror

[Kaye N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I BETA READ THIS AND IT IS SO GOOD, please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy!!!

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not exactly a beta, not exactly a hype man, but a secret third thing. Full disclosure. But this is one of my absolute favourite books I've read this year. I'll leave a more detailed review later but right now I'm just blown away. It was both everything I wanted and somehow not at all what I thought and therefore what I hadn't realized I needed.

[Ronan Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I just finished it in one sitting, but I already want to read it again. An absolutely stunning debut.

It’s gross! It’s horrible bug spouses! It’s tender! It’s ECHO AND ENDER!!

H.S. painted such beautiful imagery that left me both in awe and in horror. Echo & Ender’s love is a remarkable force of nature that will genuinely make you want to weep. Or eat a penny.

[Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was both a stunning debut and a deliciously freaky meal all wrapped up in one neat package.

It’s so refreshing to see more chaotic queers, unique gender expression and horror done in such a way that leaves me yearning for more.

OBSESSED. Echo and Ender are freaks and I don’t know if I want to date them or be them.

[⋆˚꩜｡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so weird, gross and ethereal at the same time.. finished it in one sitting and i am obsessed. also echo can do whatever she wants to me

[Vesper Doom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give my life for Echo. She can pop me open and slurp out my insides anytime.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected in a number of ways, but a very unique and enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to the rest of the trilogy whenever they may materialize!

I would highly encourage prospective readers to check the content warnings before beginning.

[Ulalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so so SO incredibly good i can't even put it into words???? HELLO????? I thought I was going to be freaked out about all the bug and gore stuff but the writing is so gentle and fluid and the tone is so loving and codependent even with all the gore?

I'm so grateful to this author for mixing gender, a religious theme, codependent love and horror so seamlessly. A MASTERPIECE. Can't wait for the second book!!!

[Lysander Arden · Rating 5 out of 5]

actual rating: 4.75

I know that I am gorgeous, I am made in Echo’s image…

This is without a doubt the most bizarre book I have ever read. It was a quick read and hard to put down. It also gave me nightmares. Twice. I loved both Ender and Echo, but Echo was a particularly endearing and loveable character for an ancient bug/plant shifting creature. A few lines made me laugh out loud.

This style is in now, she tells me. I think she’s just making shit up.

I could probably remember all of the places we have to go on my own, but Echo likes crossing things off, and who am I to deny her small pleasures.

They are just so weird and, at times, oddly relatable. Overall their romance was really sweet, and I also like how we see an established relationship, which is rare in love stories. They are both madly in love centuries before the story even starts, and it’s nice to see how they live, eat, and interact with each other after all this time.

The descriptions and details regarding their sexual encounters and feedings were all well-done. I’ve never read anything like this, but it was written in a way that made sense of something completely alien.

I feel like the story could have been a tiny bit longer. I won’t spoil too much, but something happens to Ender, and the incident happens pretty fast. I was left wondering how something like that has never occurred before or why/how he couldn’t heal himself (was it because he was in a weakened state at that point?).
I appreciate that there wasn’t any info-dumping, but a few more hints on their background and abilities earlier on in the book may have helped some events in the second half of seem more plausible.

Overall, this was a fun and disgusting read, sweetly romantic, and the kind of book that sticks with you for a long time. I’ll definitely be reading the next in the series and I am looking forward to more from H.S. Wolfe.

[Julia Mohler · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3 ⭐️ There are some really interesting, bold, creative choices here, and the book design is gorgeous (cover, chapter headings, etc.) but I do wish it was fleshed out a bit more so I could better feel the weight/reality of these characters, and so that certain plot points didn't feel so rushed. I also wish this had gotten a couple more editing passes. I don't know if it's just my book, but from pages 74-78, a good 5 paragraphs of text are repeated in what appears to be a copy/paste error. Obviously typos can slip through the cracks on any book, self-published or not, but this was a first for me 😕

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. This fucked, literally. Ender and Echo are such interesting beings and this was such a fun and explicit introduction to their dynamic. The prose isn’t overly flowery, but somehow the story still feels divine in nature; there’s no doubt you’re dealing with gods, here. Definitely check the content warnings though if gore, sex, and gory sex isn’t your thing. Excited to see how things might continue in future installments of Genesis.

[emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Absolutely disgusted, horrified, obsessed, and in love at the same time.

[beep ☀︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

what the fuck even was that, I loved it

[Emery · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5~
That was deliciously exciting.

[Crimson Petals 🥀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for everything nature so this short story was right up my alley. I would love to read more about this flower covered world.

[Frances Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. Gory. Erotic. Alarming. Alluring. And kinda super fun.

[daniella · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is the real adam and eve they talked about in the bible

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dunno how to talk about this. I absolutely adored it. Echo and Ember are everything to me 🖤 even if they kinda terrified me.
Definitely made me feel a lil queasy in places 😂

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really f*cking weird. I loved it.

[brennon lane · Rating 1 out of 5]

i am literally the first 1-star review 😔 i’m so sorry to this author lmao it is a rating based on MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE and i do very much understand the appeal of this book and why so many queer people revere it. i know people that would love this book. i read it as i was recommended based on rafael nicolàs “angels before man”…. this was nowhere near that for me

i get the connected, i understand why someone would like both of those things, but the aspects of ABM that appeal to me were simply not present in this book. it’s a cool concept, i liked a lot of the imagery with the flora and moss and spores, i love the idea of queer beings in love and outside of time. i just felt nothing for these particular characters, the stakes, the plot, the twist, the ending. it didn’t come together for me.

just not what i was hoping for unfortunately!! i feel very mislead by the cover haha i should’ve probably read the description


*edit
actually i just read the description and it is misleading?? idk it just doesn’t mention some major fucking points that are a part of this book lmao. and the tragic accident? that moment is completely whiffed. also they do not “learn what they really are”, we don’t learn either, nothing in this book makes much sense and there are so many gaps and it feels like a little too aimless. it makes sense that this is a short story and it works as one, but the description just barelllyyyy fits with what actually happens. i just think there could’ve been some better work with the theme and goal here 😔 the time jumps in this book also seemed unnecessary haha okay sorry i don’t want to be mean i love small queer indie authors!! this just isn’t my style

[v0id_93 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo gives me Salad Finger vibes and I can’t elaborate on it except to say I love that.🪲🍃
.
.
Wolfe brought avant-garde, creative ideas alive with this book and I’m very much invested in the world they created along with the lore associated w/ these two! I would love to see in the future (if we get more bug ppl) additional insect related verbiage in regards to how they move to really amp up their bugginess and get the creepy, crawling feeling that’s associated w/ insects.

**Also my gross girl heart is hoping for more visceral descriptors w/ the body horror and woūnd ✨poking✨ bc smūt mixed with repulsion is my weakness🖤
.
.
anyway, if you love:
-codependency
-insect/plant anatomy
-touch him and ☠️
-body horror w/ some eco horror

Read the book!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best part about being in the bookish space is finding gems like this. I bought this book because a friend said I would get gore and erotica and those are two things I don’t think are combined enough. I started this book as part of the Trans Rights Readathon, and I was not disappointed. What I didn’t expect was to read the most epic love story I have ever experienced.

These two beings have loved each other for all of time, and they will continue to love each other forever. The devotion of these two for each other is beautiful. There were tears.

What I Loved:
This entire piece. No notes.

What I Didn’t Enjoy:
Simply that this author doesn’t have a gigantic backlist that I can binge immediately.

[Tyler Battaglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

With IN THE GARDEN OF ECHO, H.S. Wolfe doesn't juxtapose beauty and horror, but instead shows us that they might just be the same thing. The book will surprise you with its tenderness even while it shocks you with its darkness as we learn who Echo and Ender are and what they mean to each other. This novella is a fast-paced, horrifying delight that will leave your heart aching. Combining botanical ecohorror, romance that doesn't just verge on codependency but happily takes the plunge headfirst into it, and characters whose love makes them relatable despite their removal from human values, Wolfe has created a series that will take you on a wild ride—and I can't wait to see where the hell they're taking us.

[Lilith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I love the concept of retelling Genesis. It's refreshing, transfem and transmasc protagonists, their love and their roles. It breaks apart the patriarchy and heteronormative standard from the beginning. Echo and Ender, her and him, yet just them, just One.

"Ender's is a mere echo of mine."

The writing itself left me with hunger for me, lacking in depth to elevate the concepts and feelings it tried to convey. That's why the 3.5 rating but for a young writer, I've no doubts this is just a beginning. Seeing Mars Adler's influence in the author's note made it all make sense, and I love it.

[Trauermaerchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexy Plant Horror? Count me in.

This was so fun to read – It's got all the shit I love. It's weird, more than a little fucked up and just a fun time all around. Horrifying, codependant and queer as hell, how could I complain?

The writing style is pleasant and easy to read. I will say the author seemed to struggle a bit with the perspective – the first person pov and descriptions clashed at times because the descriptions didn't fit the perspective. Still, I thought it was enjoyable to read. It's very vivid and quite pretty with a touch of humor.

I am excited to see more from this author.

4.5/5⭐

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Disgusting, disturbing, and fucking horrifying. I loved it. Gorgeously written and brutally told I found this to be a wild ride from beginning to end. Echo and Ender’s love and devotion to one another while burning the world to the ground was absolutely fascinating. I like both characters a lot and I hope that Wolfe is going to be writing a book two but until then I will be reading all of the short stories in this series. I need more of these characters.