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Selah Gothic
Now I lay me down to sleep.
Impure thoughts sent me spiraling toward my fate. I was the holy daughter of Lady of Sorrows Church. The one meant to bring millions to faith in God.
I pray the lord my soul to keep.
But my own sins had my dad banishing me to a seaside church of terrors and the worst and most terrible horror of them all… the exorcist.
If I should die before I wake.
Father Dante Amorth was meant to exorcise me of my sins and send me back to my father pure and holy once more…
I pray the lord my soul to take.
And I’ll spoil it for you. Demons were found, even inside me, but none of it was what I expected. Thankfully… it was so much worse.
From bestselling author of occult sensation The Halloween Boys, comes a sinfully fictional religious & dystopian story of naughty exorcism and sinful desires steeped in gothic mystery and lore. Dark priests and an even darker romance.
This book is dystopian horror with very dark topics and themes. Please read content information before proceeding.
Impure thoughts sent me spiraling toward my fate. I was the holy daughter of Lady of Sorrows Church. The one meant to bring millions to faith in God.
I pray the lord my soul to keep.
But my own sins had my dad banishing me to a seaside church of terrors and the worst and most terrible horror of them all… the exorcist.
If I should die before I wake.
Father Dante Amorth was meant to exorcise me of my sins and send me back to my father pure and holy once more…
I pray the lord my soul to take.
And I’ll spoil it for you. Demons were found, even inside me, but none of it was what I expected. Thankfully… it was so much worse.
From bestselling author of occult sensation The Halloween Boys, comes a sinfully fictional religious & dystopian story of naughty exorcism and sinful desires steeped in gothic mystery and lore. Dark priests and an even darker romance.
This book is dystopian horror with very dark topics and themes. Please read content information before proceeding.
374 pages, Paperback
Published March 28, 2024
217 people are currently reading
2842 people want to read
About the author
Kat Blackthorne
34 books1,083 followersKat Blackthorne is a bestselling author of haunting romance. She writes passion, characters, and worlds that linger past the last page. Her tales embrace cozy darkness with magical and spooky twists. Catnip for her is banter, begging, challenging norms, and beings who worship their women.
Kat lives somewhere deep in the mountains in a witch's cottage with her talking feline. She has a collection of quotes and character names a mile long, her favorite holiday is Halloween, and her favorite book is whatever she read last.
Join her spooky reader coven on Facebook: Kat Blackthorne and The Black Hearts Coven
Follow her on Tiktok where The Halloween Boys hashtags have over six million views: @katblackthorne
Find her on Instagram: @katblackthorneauthor
Kat lives somewhere deep in the mountains in a witch's cottage with her talking feline. She has a collection of quotes and character names a mile long, her favorite holiday is Halloween, and her favorite book is whatever she read last.
Join her spooky reader coven on Facebook: Kat Blackthorne and The Black Hearts Coven
Follow her on Tiktok where The Halloween Boys hashtags have over six million views: @katblackthorne
Find her on Instagram: @katblackthorneauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
April 4, 2024
Absolutely loved this. As someone with deep religious trauma, this book healed things in me. A book that you will definitely say "Good for her" over and over. Female rage is so perfectly portrayed. UGH. Obsessed and the spice? SHEESH 🥵
March 31, 2024
3.5⭐️
Before I even give a review, please be warned. This has triggers listed below, and it is very religious truama=and stuff so if that's not your tea, please pass.
Selah, poor girl, she is to me nameless, nothing just a pure girl. And she's starting to have unpure thoughts when she does stuff she's not supposed to do. Which leads them to believe she's possessed and needs to be pured for her sins, so they send her to Father Dante to cure her. Little did they know that won't happen. Dante and his crew believe it's a setup, and they keep a close eye. But slowly find out Selah is way to shelter and pure for being a spy.
Slowly but surely, Dante comes obessed with her, loving the things he gets her to confess to they grow some attachments to one another. Selah lets her hair down she does normal things, acts like a normal person, and has a pet goat name, Luci lol. But that doesn't stop her old church from wanting her back.
And our man Dante isn't going down without a fight, and so isn't Selah she's going to fight for her right and all the women's rights.
The spice was yummy, and my inside curl heheh
No ow/tiny om, no cheating, slight secondary character, Drama, sexy times, virgin gal no manwhore
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Slowburn
Age gap
20h/idk
Religious truama
Religious abuse
Childhood neglect
Purity culture
SA on page
Masturbation
Attempted SA
Praise kink
Voyagerism
Suicide
Pyshical Punishments
Demonic possession
Horror/gore
Hea
Before I even give a review, please be warned. This has triggers listed below, and it is very religious truama=and stuff so if that's not your tea, please pass.
Selah, poor girl, she is to me nameless, nothing just a pure girl. And she's starting to have unpure thoughts when she does stuff she's not supposed to do. Which leads them to believe she's possessed and needs to be pured for her sins, so they send her to Father Dante to cure her. Little did they know that won't happen. Dante and his crew believe it's a setup, and they keep a close eye. But slowly find out Selah is way to shelter and pure for being a spy.
Slowly but surely, Dante comes obessed with her, loving the things he gets her to confess to they grow some attachments to one another. Selah lets her hair down she does normal things, acts like a normal person, and has a pet goat name, Luci lol. But that doesn't stop her old church from wanting her back.
And our man Dante isn't going down without a fight, and so isn't Selah she's going to fight for her right and all the women's rights.
The spice was yummy, and my inside curl heheh
No ow/tiny om, no cheating, slight secondary character, Drama, sexy times, virgin gal no manwhore
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Slowburn
Age gap
20h/idk
Religious truama
Religious abuse
Childhood neglect
Purity culture
SA on page
Masturbation
Attempted SA
Praise kink
Voyagerism
Suicide
Pyshical Punishments
Demonic possession
Horror/gore
Hea
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2024
[dnf @ 85%] cringy as hell. he’s also ugly and i don’t want that in my fictional men. i’ve already had enough of ugly men irl
January 31, 2025
Love. This. Book. How do you even begin to write a review for a book that you literally hung on every word for and have 147 Kindle highlights for??!!! But... as much as I loved it, there were a few issues that I'll tell you about.... but first......
Before you even proceed.... heed the author's warnings. "I implore you that if you hold religion sacred— don’t read this. If the desecration of religious artifacts and practices isn’t your thing. Please don’t continue..... It is sacrilegious and blasphemous." Now onto the good stuff.....
Selah (20, virgin, Holy Daughter) is kept secluded in the basement of the Lady of Sorrow Church, cloaked in robes and a veil, preserved and kept pure for her future husband. Oh, but Selah has something in her that can't be contained by the steel bars in which she sleeps. Her urges continue to manifest causing her bastard of a father, the leader of the church, to send her to the Isle of Grimm for an exorcism. Selah quickly realizes things aren't quite what they seem.
The mysterious Father Dante Amorth is unlike any other priest Selah has encountered. The shroud he wears concealing his face does nothing to lesson his overwhelming presence. Selah has no idea what to make of her exorcist, and we're seriously unprepared for our first confession.
Dante has always been clear in his mission. He knows his role and works alongside his brother, Father Silas Amorth, to run the school located on the Isle of Grimm. When he meets Selah for the first time, something changes.
Thankfully for us, he starts working on her exorcism right away.
Oh, to be owned by Dante.....
SO...... wow. Like just 100% wow. This book had me shooketh.
SEX: Well, there isn't much. Talk about the slowest burn in history. They don't actually have sex until the 78% mark, and even though it's close to one-pump-chump territory, the emotions the author puts out there for us really does balance things out. Would I like more sex - fuck yes. Especially because Dante has been promising to fuck her the entire book. Can I live without it??? Not really - but I'll take it because the book is so good.
POETRY: I absolutely LOVE the way this author writes. Such a poetic way of describing things. "Salt air questions whispered through the stray strands of my unveiled hair, and I wondered… what else was begging to be let out of hiding?" I was seriously swept away by the book. "Dante Amorth was the sea, the storm, the expanse of the night sky, and that’s all I needed to fall in love with a face I couldn’t see."
HEAVEN AND HELL: I can't say I understand fully all of the things happening in the book, there's definitely some devil worshipping involved. Although I don't worship the devil, the author's take on religion strongly mirrors my feelings on the matter.
PLOT HOLES: These will be spoilers, but I want to note them for my sake because Devil willing, the author will put out another book with answers to my questions. . There's still so much left unanswered.
5 STARS: The way I rate books is totally on how they make me feel, and can vary vastly from book to book. I know this lacked sex for me and that's always been one of my requirements for it to be a good book. Plus, there were so many freaking plot holes. That said - this book kept me up all night reading, had me highlighting half the book, had me WTF'ing and Gasping the entire time, hanging on every word, but it was the author's note at the end that sent me to a full 5 stars. If a book can stun me this much - it deserves a 5. Plus, it took me a full 2 hours to write this review because I wanted to do it justice.
I know I'm leaving something else out - but I def recommend this book, if you can handle the demons.
I will gladly give Dante all of my sins....
Before you even proceed.... heed the author's warnings. "I implore you that if you hold religion sacred— don’t read this. If the desecration of religious artifacts and practices isn’t your thing. Please don’t continue..... It is sacrilegious and blasphemous." Now onto the good stuff.....
"I would let all of Grimm burn for her. I would break my every vow for her. I would watch our mother die at my hand one thousand times for the undeserved peace of knowing that Selah lived."
Selah (20, virgin, Holy Daughter) is kept secluded in the basement of the Lady of Sorrow Church, cloaked in robes and a veil, preserved and kept pure for her future husband. Oh, but Selah has something in her that can't be contained by the steel bars in which she sleeps. Her urges continue to manifest causing her bastard of a father, the leader of the church, to send her to the Isle of Grimm for an exorcism. Selah quickly realizes things aren't quite what they seem.
I wanted more knowledge ...... of what this place was. Because it wasn’t normal or natural, it was wild, dark, and some sort of gothic abyss full of secrets.
The mysterious Father Dante Amorth is unlike any other priest Selah has encountered. The shroud he wears concealing his face does nothing to lesson his overwhelming presence. Selah has no idea what to make of her exorcist, and we're seriously unprepared for our first confession.
And when he asked to watch my sin… I’d wanted to show it to him. I wanted to show him more. I hoped he would ask for more.
Dante has always been clear in his mission. He knows his role and works alongside his brother, Father Silas Amorth, to run the school located on the Isle of Grimm. When he meets Selah for the first time, something changes.
"I’d never wanted until her...... She was untouchable, perfect porcelain, untampered glass… I imagined how lovely she’d look, broken, bleeding, crying on my cock…"
Thankfully for us, he starts working on her exorcism right away.
Confession was back on. The Priest was in. And I was ready to devour her sins.
Oh, to be owned by Dante.....
"You don’t belong to god anymore, Selah. After this, after today, you are mine. You belong to me."
SO...... wow. Like just 100% wow. This book had me shooketh.
SEX: Well, there isn't much. Talk about the slowest burn in history. They don't actually have sex until the 78% mark, and even though it's close to one-pump-chump territory, the emotions the author puts out there for us really does balance things out. Would I like more sex - fuck yes. Especially because Dante has been promising to fuck her the entire book. Can I live without it??? Not really - but I'll take it because the book is so good.
POETRY: I absolutely LOVE the way this author writes. Such a poetic way of describing things. "Salt air questions whispered through the stray strands of my unveiled hair, and I wondered… what else was begging to be let out of hiding?" I was seriously swept away by the book. "Dante Amorth was the sea, the storm, the expanse of the night sky, and that’s all I needed to fall in love with a face I couldn’t see."
HEAVEN AND HELL: I can't say I understand fully all of the things happening in the book, there's definitely some devil worshipping involved. Although I don't worship the devil, the author's take on religion strongly mirrors my feelings on the matter.
PLOT HOLES: These will be spoilers, but I want to note them for my sake because Devil willing, the author will put out another book with answers to my questions. . There's still so much left unanswered.
5 STARS: The way I rate books is totally on how they make me feel, and can vary vastly from book to book. I know this lacked sex for me and that's always been one of my requirements for it to be a good book. Plus, there were so many freaking plot holes. That said - this book kept me up all night reading, had me highlighting half the book, had me WTF'ing and Gasping the entire time, hanging on every word, but it was the author's note at the end that sent me to a full 5 stars. If a book can stun me this much - it deserves a 5. Plus, it took me a full 2 hours to write this review because I wanted to do it justice.
I know I'm leaving something else out - but I def recommend this book, if you can handle the demons.
I will gladly give Dante all of my sins....
"You have a new father now. He’s not your father anymore, I am. I’m your father, your daddy, your everything, and you belong to me."
April 14, 2024
fun but the writing could've been better... each time i think a quote's about to be good, it ends up being sexual. which would not be an issue if it weren't so constant
February 20, 2025
Will do a more thorough review later, these are just my immediate thoughts after finishing the book:
This book had a truly deep potential that was definitely achieved at points, particularly in relation to religious trauma, the rejection of purity culture, and female empowerment. But by the end of the book, I felt the book was utterly lacking in a cohesive thread of understanding AND it had lost most of its potential due to its seemingly rushed, uninformative, and confusing conclusion. In the last 15% of the book, EVERYTHING seemed to happen and yet NOTHING seemed to be explained. I truly feel if the ending is reworked to connect ALL the threads and dots and properly conclude things, I could easily bump this book up to a 4 star. That’s how much I WANT to love it. The prose was stunning in many areas, and the atmosphere that Kat manages to craft is wildly beautiful, tempestuous, and dark. We just need to see that same dedication applied to the ending AND with an explanation of who Selah really is, her role, and so on and so forth for every other plot hole. But what happened to Luci is most important right now — we never see him again 😭😩
If there was a sequel or spinoff to this book, I would understand the ambiguous and uninformative ending — we have to wait to get our answers, right?? But it seems this book is a standalone? Can anyone confirm or deny that for me?
Also, alas, once again I read an erotica/dark romance that promises such deliciously intense scenes and interactions and falls short. Dante hinted at all the irreligious and blasphemous things he wanted to do to Selah from very early on and yet we barely get any smut scenes; those we do receive, while incredibly done, are few and far between and do nothing to touch on the sheer intensity and darkness Dante promises her.
All in all, SO much potential but fell woefully short of its mark. This could have been the new Haunting Adeline sensation and still could if these issues end up addressed.
This book had a truly deep potential that was definitely achieved at points, particularly in relation to religious trauma, the rejection of purity culture, and female empowerment. But by the end of the book, I felt the book was utterly lacking in a cohesive thread of understanding AND it had lost most of its potential due to its seemingly rushed, uninformative, and confusing conclusion. In the last 15% of the book, EVERYTHING seemed to happen and yet NOTHING seemed to be explained. I truly feel if the ending is reworked to connect ALL the threads and dots and properly conclude things, I could easily bump this book up to a 4 star. That’s how much I WANT to love it. The prose was stunning in many areas, and the atmosphere that Kat manages to craft is wildly beautiful, tempestuous, and dark. We just need to see that same dedication applied to the ending AND with an explanation of who Selah really is, her role, and so on and so forth for every other plot hole. But what happened to Luci is most important right now — we never see him again 😭😩
If there was a sequel or spinoff to this book, I would understand the ambiguous and uninformative ending — we have to wait to get our answers, right?? But it seems this book is a standalone? Can anyone confirm or deny that for me?
Also, alas, once again I read an erotica/dark romance that promises such deliciously intense scenes and interactions and falls short. Dante hinted at all the irreligious and blasphemous things he wanted to do to Selah from very early on and yet we barely get any smut scenes; those we do receive, while incredibly done, are few and far between and do nothing to touch on the sheer intensity and darkness Dante promises her.
All in all, SO much potential but fell woefully short of its mark. This could have been the new Haunting Adeline sensation and still could if these issues end up addressed.
January 30, 2025
My Rating: 3.75 ⭐⭐⭐ *rounded up for GR*
We Have
✅ M/F Romance
✅ Dark Themes
✅ Paranormal/Occult
✅ Touch Her and Die (literally)
✅ Religious Elements/Cults
✅ Horror-esque Vibes
✅ Mystery & Thriller
✅ Slow Burn (painfully slow...)
HOLY SCHYT. This book had me saying “WTF” at least 15 times (nope more, definitely more), and I still don’t know how to process it. People Dead. Then not dead, then gruesome, then attacking folks, and then—BAM—somebody else is dead. And then we’ve got the MMC, just casually stabbing someone's eye out over some messed-up family secrets while I'm still trying to figure out WTF IS GOING ON????
That being said—this book is seriously frustrating at times. The FMC’s internal monologues were so repetitive, and I skimmed through a few sections where she just kept repeating the same things about being holy, needing assistance, or being slow to stay closer to God. WE GET IT. The author did not need to remind us every other page.
And then there’s the TOUCH HER AND DIE trope—except this time, it’s literal. People actually die for even thinking about messing with her. No complaints tho, because if he doesn't kill someone for touching you or even reaching like they are gonna touch you - does he really love you???
Now, here’s where my rating drops. Lack. Of. Smut. Painfully slow burn—like, I had to wait until 78% mark for the good good to happen, and even then, there were only two scenes?!? Unacceptable. With the amount of tension in this book, I expected more... a lot more. sigh... However.... let me go ahead and say this - the little that was there was definitely tasty...😏😏
Finally, the ending left me with so many questions. I wanted to give this a solid 4 stars because of how insane and addicting it was, but with unanswered questions and a lack of smut, I have to knock it down to 3.75. Still a fantastic read, but I need answers!! I'm hoping that this is the first in the series and maybe the brothers get their books so I can find some stuff out... Cause I think Nikolai is Bae😏😏😏
We Have
✅ M/F Romance
✅ Dark Themes
✅ Paranormal/Occult
✅ Touch Her and Die (literally)
✅ Religious Elements/Cults
✅ Horror-esque Vibes
✅ Mystery & Thriller
✅ Slow Burn (painfully slow...)
HOLY SCHYT. This book had me saying “WTF” at least 15 times (nope more, definitely more), and I still don’t know how to process it. People Dead. Then not dead, then gruesome, then attacking folks, and then—BAM—somebody else is dead. And then we’ve got the MMC, just casually stabbing someone's eye out over some messed-up family secrets while I'm still trying to figure out WTF IS GOING ON????
That being said—this book is seriously frustrating at times. The FMC’s internal monologues were so repetitive, and I skimmed through a few sections where she just kept repeating the same things about being holy, needing assistance, or being slow to stay closer to God. WE GET IT. The author did not need to remind us every other page.
And then there’s the TOUCH HER AND DIE trope—except this time, it’s literal. People actually die for even thinking about messing with her. No complaints tho, because if he doesn't kill someone for touching you or even reaching like they are gonna touch you - does he really love you???
Now, here’s where my rating drops. Lack. Of. Smut. Painfully slow burn—like, I had to wait until 78% mark for the good good to happen, and even then, there were only two scenes?!? Unacceptable. With the amount of tension in this book, I expected more... a lot more. sigh... However.... let me go ahead and say this - the little that was there was definitely tasty...😏😏
Finally, the ending left me with so many questions. I wanted to give this a solid 4 stars because of how insane and addicting it was, but with unanswered questions and a lack of smut, I have to knock it down to 3.75. Still a fantastic read, but I need answers!! I'm hoping that this is the first in the series and maybe the brothers get their books so I can find some stuff out... Cause I think Nikolai is Bae😏😏😏
January 8, 2025
First 5 star read of 2025 !!
February 2, 2025
Not what I usually read but still good.
Some passages felt like they didn't really fit in the universe to me though it was still enjoyable as a whole. Wasn't that disturbed since the TWs says more than what's really happening on page-
I suck at detailed reviews anyways 3⭐
Some passages felt like they didn't really fit in the universe to me though it was still enjoyable as a whole. Wasn't that disturbed since the TWs says more than what's really happening on page-
I suck at detailed reviews anyways 3⭐
May 11, 2024
Wow just wow! As someone who was raised heavily around the catholic religion books like these always heal something deep inside me🥰 This book was pitch black and absolutely delicious! Originally I read this on KU but I loved it so much I had to get myself a physical copy for my shelf🧡
December 14, 2024
For all the warnings in the book, nothing really happened lmao but its a short read if you wanna have spooktober 24/7. Some of the writing is cringe, ngl, but it was ok, nothing deranged or “spicy” about it (priest was spicier LMFAO)
January 23, 2025
I devoured this book in practically one sitting. I loved this blasphemous story. I loved the strength of women and deconstruction of purity culture that was represented in this book. And Father Dante was an absolutely delicious creature.
Read
March 13, 2025Rated: 2/5 stars
I’m probably just dumb but I could not explain to you a single thing that happened in this book with anything close to even 50% confidence. I was lost the whole time.
I’m probably just dumb but I could not explain to you a single thing that happened in this book with anything close to even 50% confidence. I was lost the whole time.
May 3, 2024
Super excited I received an ARC for this book and boy did it not disappoint. By far my favorite book from this author! I really liked the main character and the world of Grimm, I would love to see fan art of the cathedral. Had a fun little as h grove shout out at the end. I wouldn’t mind revisiting this world in the future
June 9, 2024
“Do you seek death, Selah?
Then you have him,”
It feels slow but it's short, and I'm also curious about where is this all going so I read it till the end. Thankfully, it was explained at the end. 70% into the story and I'm still clueless af. And the paragraphs 😩 too long for me.
But the suspense and mystery was what made me stay. I love it in the end. The baby goat??????? Didn't see that coming. He's the cutest. I want one.
Also, I still don't understand what exactly are the Amorth brothers?? How are they similar with Selah? The demon thing wasn't exactly clear for me. There's got to be a background story about their family, especially their father's ghost making a cameo lol. So the question remains...
Any sequel for the other brothers?
Then you have him,”
It feels slow but it's short, and I'm also curious about where is this all going so I read it till the end. Thankfully, it was explained at the end. 70% into the story and I'm still clueless af. And the paragraphs 😩 too long for me.
But the suspense and mystery was what made me stay. I love it in the end. The baby goat??????? Didn't see that coming. He's the cutest. I want one.
Also, I still don't understand what exactly are the Amorth brothers?? How are they similar with Selah? The demon thing wasn't exactly clear for me. There's got to be a background story about their family, especially their father's ghost making a cameo lol. So the question remains...
Any sequel for the other brothers?
April 22, 2024
“Rain and sea, he and I were both these dreadful things and together we were drowning in each other’s whirlpool.”
February 14, 2025
Lol I can't say Anti-christ is with any resemblence to my go to book boyfriend, I was hooked till that upside down cross on the FOREHEAD 😂
August 22, 2025
3.75
Clutching my pearls with a devilish grin
Clutching my pearls with a devilish grin
March 31, 2024
I need a baby goat and a demon daddy 🥵
September 11, 2024
This book was slow in every area. The unfolding plot was slow, the romance was slow and even getting to the sex was slow as hell. This book is 360 pages. The sex didn't happen until page 275. 78% into the book. I always say a book has to be either or. Meaning , either the plot can be slow and the romance fast, the romance is slow and the plot is fast or the plot and romance are fast but you can't have a slow ass story and a slow romance. It doesn't work. That's what this book was. Slow ass plot and slow ass romance. It was also confusing a bit. The storyline seemed to convoluted in my opinion. I get what the author was trying to do but it didn't really work for me. The book wasn't bad nor was it good. It was just ok.
July 21, 2024
The world building was atrocious.
December 5, 2024
🚨IMPORTANT NOTE: the trigger and content warnings list for this book should not be ignored or taken lightly. There is an exhaustive list on the author’s website. Please acquaint yourself with it before diving into this book. It’s definitely not going to be for everyone.🚨
If I could give this blasphemous, sacrilegious, absolutely fucking beautiful book a billion stars, it wouldn't be enough. Selah Gothic deserves all of the stars in the firmament... and considering what actually resides within the pages of this book, it feels a bit blasphemous to even say that, but it's how I feel in the immediate moments after finishing.
Selah Gothic was like a love letter to all of the shadowy corners of my soul that stay hidden away under lock and key - the religious trauma, the gothic romance, the hints of the divine nestled within the profane and monstrous, the beauty and the beast vibes... all of it had a chance to feel seen, acknowledged, and soothed. Despite how extreme Kat takes things in this book, it still managed to provide catharsis.
This story follows the journey of Selah, a young woman who has been bred and groomed to be a nameless vessel of purity, a symbol of perfect virtue for a cult masquerading as a god-loving mega church. Her entire existence has been defined by emotional and physical abuse, isolation, neglect, and endless seas of shame. But like any normal, red-blooded woman, she can't outrun her own sexual awakening. So when it's discovered that she's been tempted by lusts of the flesh, her father - the head of this megacult church - declares her to be possessed by demons and she is immediately sent to the secluded island of Grimm to be exorcised by the infamous priest, Father Dante Amorth.
What follows is a tale of delicious darkness, intrigue, intense desire, and unfathomable mystery.
The imagery is rich and lush, the parallels to popular Christian iconography and philosophy engaging and thought-provoking. All of my fellow survivors of religious trauma will see the hypocrisy in certain traditions and practices, and Kat certainly doesn't shy away from spotlighting the absolute hell out of them. But there's this underlying thread of spirituality and reverence that spoke to me - not so much the pagan or blatantly "demonic" aspects, but the more naturalistic, universal truths... the inherent good that hasn't managed to be "fucked up" by the egos and greed of men (as Dante would argue).
I absolutely adored that the setting for this gothic tale was an isolated island in the middle of the ocean. The surf and waves and tempestuous storms not only make for excellent atmosphere, but they provide such fertile ground for allegory, which only served to strengthen the emotional impact of the book.
Is this book violent and horrifying and even disturbing at times? Absolutely. But like Selah, I couldn't help but be enraptured by the beauty running just beneath the surface, and the serenity and sense of peace and self-actualization that came along with it.
It's just... this book is beautiful, you guys, I don't know how else to describe it. It's massively fucked up and definitely not for the faint of heart. And yet, I almost feel like those shocking and disturbing elements lend weight to the overall message of the story. It all serves a purpose... even if that purpose can be a little twisted at times. But that just adds to Selah Gothic's charm.
Now, some things to note:
Selah - adored her as a main character. Her entire arc from start to finish was poignant and exquisite. Zero notes.
Dante - he is one fucked up and disturbed exorcist/priest, but I'm honestly okay with that? Like... it works, especially for this story. He's OTT for sure, dark, depraved, possessive... but he's also the first person to ever actually see Selah, and the way he advocates for her is goddamned beautiful. I loved him. I should probably go back to therapy because of this - not sure I want to know what it says about me - but there you have it.
Dante's brothers - Silas and Nikolai: I'm very much intrigued by the pair of them. We see Silas more than Nikolai, and both have moments where I wanted to smack them upside the head hard... but there's also something very endearing about these two psychos. I know this book is intended to be a standalone, but I would definitely not complain if we got any sequels that allowed us to spend more time with those two.
The nuns on the island: I can't recall all of their names, but I absolutely adored each and every one of them. The way they treat Selah in particular warmed and broke my heart simultaneously - in large part because our girl has never had a single kind word spoken to her until she arrives on the island and meets these women. These sisters are wonderful and the twist about their true natures was fascinating.
TL;DR - I adored this book. I probably shouldn't and maybe this resonating so profoundly should disturb me on some level... but it doesn't. This book is dark and profane and beautiful and cathartic, and I will absolutely be coming back to it again.
If you're looking for a book that throws a big "F U" to purity culture while offering safety and reprieve from religious trauma, if you aren't faint of heart, Selah Gothic may just be the book you've been looking for.
... one more quote, and then I'm done, I swear. But seriously - read the book!
“Selah,” he spoke my name like a song, and I stopped at the threshold of confession. “Your body is yours. Not your future husband, not your father’s, not god’s, it is yours.” Tears pricked the corner of my eyes at hearing such a radical notion. “And,” he said gently as I turned my face so he wouldn’t see. “You are forgiven.”
If I could give this blasphemous, sacrilegious, absolutely fucking beautiful book a billion stars, it wouldn't be enough. Selah Gothic deserves all of the stars in the firmament... and considering what actually resides within the pages of this book, it feels a bit blasphemous to even say that, but it's how I feel in the immediate moments after finishing.
Selah Gothic was like a love letter to all of the shadowy corners of my soul that stay hidden away under lock and key - the religious trauma, the gothic romance, the hints of the divine nestled within the profane and monstrous, the beauty and the beast vibes... all of it had a chance to feel seen, acknowledged, and soothed. Despite how extreme Kat takes things in this book, it still managed to provide catharsis.
Father Dante didn’t treat me like a shell. He didn’t treat me like a Holy Daughter or a nun. While his instructions were undoubtedly obscene, I felt a sense of ease around him, like he saw me as a whole person. For the first time, did someone see me? Did someone see past the religious garb, my sheltered upbringing, even my engrained beliefs, and understand something about myself even I had scarcely explored? I could only hope and sorrow at the thought. It was outrageous and unrealistic.
This story follows the journey of Selah, a young woman who has been bred and groomed to be a nameless vessel of purity, a symbol of perfect virtue for a cult masquerading as a god-loving mega church. Her entire existence has been defined by emotional and physical abuse, isolation, neglect, and endless seas of shame. But like any normal, red-blooded woman, she can't outrun her own sexual awakening. So when it's discovered that she's been tempted by lusts of the flesh, her father - the head of this mega
What follows is a tale of delicious darkness, intrigue, intense desire, and unfathomable mystery.
The imagery is rich and lush, the parallels to popular Christian iconography and philosophy engaging and thought-provoking. All of my fellow survivors of religious trauma will see the hypocrisy in certain traditions and practices, and Kat certainly doesn't shy away from spotlighting the absolute hell out of them. But there's this underlying thread of spirituality and reverence that spoke to me - not so much the pagan or blatantly "demonic" aspects, but the more naturalistic, universal truths... the inherent good that hasn't managed to be "fucked up" by the egos and greed of men (as Dante would argue).
I absolutely adored that the setting for this gothic tale was an isolated island in the middle of the ocean. The surf and waves and tempestuous storms not only make for excellent atmosphere, but they provide such fertile ground for allegory, which only served to strengthen the emotional impact of the book.
The rain picked up, coming in sheets, and the thought of swimming back was half-baked when another wave caught me by surprise—pushing me under, deeper, deeper into a swirl of tiny bubbles of dark silence.
Blessed silence.
This was dying, wasn’t it? Officially dying. Because I was already dead, I realized. My life held no value, no more value than a breeding heifer.
Keep pure.
Keep sweet.
Stay silent.
Be obedient.
Commands you’d give a dog were my life’s decree and the most I could aspire to. Why would any man want me for anything else? I was here to be a vessel for god, for old men’s semen, for violent men’s babies, for their fists, for their sermons, for their dinners.
No, the most I could do would be to take that power away from them.
To say I’d rather greet the ocean of black eternity than live under their chains.
Finally, I’d had enough.
Finally, I no longer cared about being their nameless Proverbs 31 virtuous woman. She worked too hard and did too much. Did anyone ever ask her if she wanted to be the virtuous wife? The verses never even gave her name.
She had no name. The Virtuous Wife was her name and all we knew her by, much like me. The Holy Virgin Daughter. The nameless woman that was my mother. That bore me in silence and died like nothing more than a contract fulfilled. I wondered if she loved me or hated me. I wouldn’t blame her if she despised having me infiltrate her womb.
We were the same, the woman who birthed me, the virtuous women of the sacred texts, nameless.
The only one to use my name, to look beyond the thin pages of me that were written by men, was Father Amorth.
Is this book violent and horrifying and even disturbing at times? Absolutely. But like Selah, I couldn't help but be enraptured by the beauty running just beneath the surface, and the serenity and sense of peace and self-actualization that came along with it.
It's just... this book is beautiful, you guys, I don't know how else to describe it. It's massively fucked up and definitely not for the faint of heart. And yet, I almost feel like those shocking and disturbing elements lend weight to the overall message of the story. It all serves a purpose... even if that purpose can be a little twisted at times. But that just adds to Selah Gothic's charm.
Selah was perfection. She was holy and pure—but not in the fucked up patriarchal ways her upbringing had poised her to be.
Selah was an untamed wildflower forced into a row of carbon copy, dulled roses. Selah wasn’t mechanical and pruned.
Selah was rusty church bells singing a siren song after a hundred songless years. There was something enchanting in her tenderness, in the wildness lurking within, in the gentle violence of her challenging gaze as she sought to see me for who I was...
She was the church bells, wasn’t she? Come to life to bring beauty into my dried and fire-ready garden of nothing. Could I be so selfish as to accept that offering? Could I be so egotistical as to invite a world of sin and darkness into the life of The Holy Daughter?
Now, some things to note:
Selah - adored her as a main character. Her entire arc from start to finish was poignant and exquisite. Zero notes.
Dante - he is one fucked up and disturbed exorcist/priest, but I'm honestly okay with that? Like... it works, especially for this story. He's OTT for sure, dark, depraved, possessive... but he's also the first person to ever actually see Selah, and the way he advocates for her is goddamned beautiful. I loved him. I should probably go back to therapy because of this - not sure I want to know what it says about me - but there you have it.
Dante's brothers - Silas and Nikolai: I'm very much intrigued by the pair of them. We see Silas more than Nikolai, and both have moments where I wanted to smack them upside the head hard... but there's also something very endearing about these two psychos. I know this book is intended to be a standalone, but I would definitely not complain if we got any sequels that allowed us to spend more time with those two.
The nuns on the island: I can't recall all of their names, but I absolutely adored each and every one of them. The way they treat Selah in particular warmed and broke my heart simultaneously - in large part because our girl has never had a single kind word spoken to her until she arrives on the island and meets these women. These sisters are wonderful and the twist about their true natures was fascinating.
TL;DR - I adored this book. I probably shouldn't and maybe this resonating so profoundly should disturb me on some level... but it doesn't. This book is dark and profane and beautiful and cathartic, and I will absolutely be coming back to it again.
If you're looking for a book that throws a big "F U" to purity culture while offering safety and reprieve from religious trauma, if you aren't faint of heart, Selah Gothic may just be the book you've been looking for.
He kissed me with passion and fervor, and I closed my eyes, moaning into his embrace. His tongue parted my lips and danced with mine, flicking in and out of my mouth. His taste was more intoxicating than altar wine, the heat of our bodies like two prayer candle flames sparking upwards to eternity.
We were two instantly ignited prayer candles, him and I, and I would gladly burn beside him until the wick met glass, and we were nothing but forgotten smoke in an empty cathedral.
Maybe our pleas for some almighty god to acknowledge us would always go unanswered. Maybe there was nothing greater awaiting us beyond this one life, and what a liberating and terribly wonderful thought that was. Because right there, right then, I had my exorcist priest’s cock pressed against my stomach, his teeth scraping against my black cum-stained lips, and the only thing I wanted was to feel him inside me again.
This didn’t feel like sin. It didn’t feel like an obligation to a husband, didn’t feel like pain accepting my burden of opening my womb to potential blessings from god in the form of children.
When Dante’s bare skin, so warm and all-encompassing, pressed against my middle, my breasts, it felt like wholeness. If I could step back, even just a few feet, and stand in my nakedness like Lady Vanessa had, I would have undoubtedly felt shame in my body in the blasphemous act of fornication on the sacred floors of god’s church.
But then again, here our combined passion dripped to the floor, evidence of life and pleasure and bliss— while back at Lady of Sorrow church, red blood of pain, of sacrifice, of death stained the ground.
Which would a loving god prefer in his house?
Which offering was more pleasing to an all-knowing entity?
Sinners painting the altar with love, or saints marring it with hate? I didn’t know the answer. And though I’d been taught of god my entire life, I realized I knew nothing of the being that supposedly guided my every step and ordained my every purpose.
... one more quote, and then I'm done, I swear. But seriously - read the book!
“Is this holy water?” Selah asked in a small voice.
“It is. And next are holy anointing oils.”
“You shouldn’t waste these on me… I am now so incredibly far from holy.” I stopped with my hands on her knees and leveled her with my stare, getting close so she could for once see my horrible eyes and my wretched face. If any point needed to be shocked through her, it was this one.
“You are sacred, you are worthy, you are beautiful, you are whole. You are not changed because you’ve had a man inside you. Men’s cocks have no power over you. They do not change your virtue in the least. You don’t deserve pain. You were not born wicked. You are and always have been whole. Understood?”
...
“I do not believe love and my priesthood are so far removed from each other. There are things beyond the sacred texts, beyond the veil, that ring true. Men have fucked it up, muddied the waters, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some good in there. More importantly, there are people within these systems who have been forgotten. They are worth fighting for, worth staying for..."
March 29, 2024
The story was such an incredible showcasing of overcoming trauma, gaining strength and just amazing character growth. This book was so deep but also so freeing. I knew going into it that I was going to love it because it was written by Kat and I have not read anything by Kat that I did not immediately fall head over heels in love with. This book did catch me a bit by surprise because I was expecting a little bit different, but it surprised me in a great way I wasn’t expecting bad just different and I was definitely shocked and loved all the twist and turns that we got here along with the underlying story. The premise was so fun to explore.
I felt for Selah and everything that was going on with her. I could not imagine being treated like she was and following this book and seeing her get the realizations that she did, and become the person that she became with all the strength that she has was just incredible. I loved Dante. He was delicious. He had a filthy mouth, he was a troubled soul, but his darkness found her darkness, and they went together so well I loved seeing him be so kind and gentle but only for her.
I really don’t want to give away too many spoilers but obviously check the trigger warnings before going into this one. There are quite a few big ones in there but if this does seem like something that you would enjoy drop what you’re doing and read it right now, you will not regret it. I could not put this book down, it had me in such a chokehold.
Tropes:
🩸Religious Dystopian
🩸Dark academia
🩸“Yes, Father"
🩸Exorcist Priest x Holy V^rgin
🩸Haunted seaside church
🩸Cults + demon mystery
🩸Age Gap
‼️ This book contains extremely dark topics, themes, and imagery. TW's are inside the book & an exhaustive list on Kat's site.
“You are very much possessed, my dear, and I will never free the demons within you, for I am far too fond of them.”
I felt for Selah and everything that was going on with her. I could not imagine being treated like she was and following this book and seeing her get the realizations that she did, and become the person that she became with all the strength that she has was just incredible. I loved Dante. He was delicious. He had a filthy mouth, he was a troubled soul, but his darkness found her darkness, and they went together so well I loved seeing him be so kind and gentle but only for her.
I really don’t want to give away too many spoilers but obviously check the trigger warnings before going into this one. There are quite a few big ones in there but if this does seem like something that you would enjoy drop what you’re doing and read it right now, you will not regret it. I could not put this book down, it had me in such a chokehold.
Tropes:
🩸Religious Dystopian
🩸Dark academia
🩸“Yes, Father"
🩸Exorcist Priest x Holy V^rgin
🩸Haunted seaside church
🩸Cults + demon mystery
🩸Age Gap
‼️ This book contains extremely dark topics, themes, and imagery. TW's are inside the book & an exhaustive list on Kat's site.
“You are very much possessed, my dear, and I will never free the demons within you, for I am far too fond of them.”
July 23, 2025
Selah Gothic...a highly readable book, but in the end a book that doesn't have much to say.
I was sold on this romance due to the expectation of a dystopian world and a young woman with religious trauma finding herself with the help of a demon priest.
What I got was an evangelical world wrapped in pseudo-Catholic rituals and a main character that doesn't go anywhere or actually evolve. Buying new clothes and getting a pair of glasses and having hot sex with the demon priest doesn't equal character evolution. Despite the first person POV, Selah has no personality. There's nothing we learn about her, what she likes to do with her time, what she likes to eat, what she learns (how in the hell is she suddenly a professor at the end???). Likewise the demon priest Father Amorth is just sin wrapped in a hood. He's boring and even the demon backstory was left wanting.
The ending where they use dark powers to save a bunch of women from the evils of men was so anticlimactic that I almost DNF'd with only 50 pages left.
I feel like Selah Gothic could have been a hell of a story (pun intended) if Kat Blackthorne was interested in telling a story of a woman gaining agency. But she wanted shock value (hence the evil nuns, Selah's sudden powers, sex in the church, etc) and the story just didn't live up to its potential.
I was sold on this romance due to the expectation of a dystopian world and a young woman with religious trauma finding herself with the help of a demon priest.
What I got was an evangelical world wrapped in pseudo-Catholic rituals and a main character that doesn't go anywhere or actually evolve. Buying new clothes and getting a pair of glasses and having hot sex with the demon priest doesn't equal character evolution. Despite the first person POV, Selah has no personality. There's nothing we learn about her, what she likes to do with her time, what she likes to eat, what she learns (how in the hell is she suddenly a professor at the end???). Likewise the demon priest Father Amorth is just sin wrapped in a hood. He's boring and even the demon backstory was left wanting.
The ending where they use dark powers to save a bunch of women from the evils of men was so anticlimactic that I almost DNF'd with only 50 pages left.
I feel like Selah Gothic could have been a hell of a story (pun intended) if Kat Blackthorne was interested in telling a story of a woman gaining agency. But she wanted shock value (hence the evil nuns, Selah's sudden powers, sex in the church, etc) and the story just didn't live up to its potential.
March 30, 2024
THIS BOOK. 🫠
I don’t have enough words for how hauntingly amazing this book is. Kat just… Gah. I am in awe of your mind.
I adored Selah and Dante’s story so much. It was dark and twisty. He was extremely rough, but it was absolute perfection with his character. Their chemistry was absolutely wild and hotter than sin.
Above all else… Luci stole the show. 🐐
Make sure you check the trigger warnings but I promise it’s worth it!
I don’t have enough words for how hauntingly amazing this book is. Kat just… Gah. I am in awe of your mind.
I adored Selah and Dante’s story so much. It was dark and twisty. He was extremely rough, but it was absolute perfection with his character. Their chemistry was absolutely wild and hotter than sin.
Above all else… Luci stole the show. 🐐
Make sure you check the trigger warnings but I promise it’s worth it!
October 15, 2025
It started off promising and I’m not even sure where it lost me but it did 🥲
Selah has been abused by the church physically and mentally her whole life. Having a voice causes her A LOT of problems. It’s sad.
Her father ends up sending her to an exorcist which is actually like a dream come true for her.
She falls for her mysterious exorcist and finds out things about her mom which explains a lot.
Then GAG her ‘father ‘ wants to marry her because he actually isn’t her father and any of the clergy can be since they’d been raping her mother all along.
This was not my cup of tea 🥹
Selah has been abused by the church physically and mentally her whole life. Having a voice causes her A LOT of problems. It’s sad.
Her father ends up sending her to an exorcist which is actually like a dream come true for her.
She falls for her mysterious exorcist and finds out things about her mom which explains a lot.
Then GAG her ‘father ‘ wants to marry her because he actually isn’t her father and any of the clergy can be since they’d been raping her mother all along.
This was not my cup of tea 🥹
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2024
This book was DARKKKKKK
BUT SO FREAKING GOOD!
I swear dark romance is helping with religious trauma one reader at a time.
This book comes with a side of religious trauma therapy 😂 at least it did for me.
It’s an amazing book, please read the trigger warnings, and believe them, it’s one of the darkest books I’ve read, and I am obsessed with it.
BUT SO FREAKING GOOD!
I swear dark romance is helping with religious trauma one reader at a time.
This book comes with a side of religious trauma therapy 😂 at least it did for me.
It’s an amazing book, please read the trigger warnings, and believe them, it’s one of the darkest books I’ve read, and I am obsessed with it.
May 8, 2024
There's just something about religious trauma dark romances (especially involving nuns) that make me ovulate 🤣 I 100000% love this book!!! It was so beautifully written and went in a completely different direction than what I was expecting. There's so much I could say about this book, but I don't want to give anything away!
June 17, 2024
Unhealthy Catholic upbringing deconstructed with a lot of dark themes and triggers. I don’t have the religious trauma to understand all the twists and turns of the plot but I was still able to enjoy every bit of it. The spice was top tier 🥵 and I love Selah so much! 😮💨
Also Luci 😍 don’t fuck with the baby goat okay?
Also, LOL that I finished this book on Father’s Day… IYKYK 😅
Also Luci 😍 don’t fuck with the baby goat okay?
Also, LOL that I finished this book on Father’s Day… IYKYK 😅
March 29, 2024
Wow.... Just wow!
I absolutely loved this. A lot of people have felt they don't belong or that they are nothing but a body of sin because of what the church has said. A lot of churches change the words in the Bible. But this lets everyone know that we are equal. I love their story. I live now, and she found her strength. And welcomed her truth, and his. And was able to defend the actual evil in the world.
I absolutely loved this. A lot of people have felt they don't belong or that they are nothing but a body of sin because of what the church has said. A lot of churches change the words in the Bible. But this lets everyone know that we are equal. I love their story. I live now, and she found her strength. And welcomed her truth, and his. And was able to defend the actual evil in the world.
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