The White Bishop

by Brandon Perras-Sanchez, Aron Beauregard

WHEN GOD HAS FORSAKEN YOU, WHO WILL YOU PRAY TO?

A skeleton crew of desperate men looks to capitalize on a handsome reward offered by an eerie outsider. But when they brave the harsh winter waters to transport an ominous crate, their food supply mysteriously spoils, forcing them to stray off course. After several weeks of dead winds, absent sunlight, and diminishing rations, the crew begins to question not only their faith, but each other.

As past lives of the crew are put on the chopping block, blood begins to spill. Has starvation driven them to delirium? Have they fallen out of the Lord’s good graces? Or is someone or something watching their plan unfold?

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Horror Thriller, Splatterpunk, Thriller, Adult, Nautical

158 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2024

About the author

Brandon Perras-Sanchez is a queer Cuban, writer, musician, filmmaker and actor who is inspired by 80s horror, folklore, mythology, metal and noise rock. He grew up in the woods of Vermont but now resides in Providence, RI. He is currently working on future horror projects such as the full length film Queen of the Rats and a fourth book timreH ehT which will be released next spring.

Brandon is part of the production company Monster Makeup who brought you the gory, campy, Drag Queen cult classic Death Drop Gorgeous, the nightmarish folk horror Saint Drogo.

Stay tuned for updates for these projects along with a few more surprises in the works.

Respect all animals and don't be an asshole.

Reviews

[Peter Topside]

I read a few Aron Beauregard books awhile back. Good writing, but I just couldn’t jive with the unnecessary plot twists that each of his books seemed to have. However, I am new to Brandon Perras-Sanchez, so I gave this a shot. To start off, I loved the intrigue of this mysterious, wealthy individual propositioning a low-level fish crew to haul unspecified cargo off-season. And, our lead, Antonio went around to assemble everyone, as we got to know each and every character, was well-done and a fun time. Then, the ship encountered many unexplained hardships that caused strife and fear amongst the crewmates. Strong and strategically placed elements of horror, used throughout, combined with a slow burn approach to the reveal of what the cargo contained was top notch. Also, it yielded a very solid finale that left the bloodthirsty part of me very satisfied. This was a very positive horror experience that I encourage all of my Topsiders to check out.

[Stitching Ghost]

1. I thought I had done a pretty good job of removing multiple books by the same author in my Goodreads recommendations experiment, but Goodreads managed to slip me a double dose of Aron Beauregard!

2. I think my expectations weren't in the right place for this book because of Beauregard's reputation (I've only read one short story by him before that and it was VILE). There are some gore moments but it's by no means a core aspect of the story and I was in the mood for something very violent.

This book gave me Event Horizon but on a ship kind of vibes and I was absolutely here for it, I love these inexorable ineffable tales of doom and damnation.

[Kyra Leigh]

Short and fast paced horror read that leaves more to be desired

[Corrina Morse]

So, I believe this was originally a screenplay written by Brandon, and then Aron helped to pack it out a bit and make it into a meaty story, the result being this beautiful collaborative book that is gripping, unputdownable, slightly claustrophobic and totally immersive!

The narrative flows quickly and seamlessly, building a vivid picture and a tense, chilling atmosphere. Nautical horror may be a new vibe for me, I loved it.

Antonio and Martim, sailors with little more than a game of chess to entertain themselves with, seek brighter pastures, and so, they decide to take on a dangerous job. One that will bring them untold riches, better lives, happiness….
However, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is, right? And there's no exception here when the men set sail, with their hand-picked crew, to deliver their life changing cargo.

Two weeks later and things start to take an ominous turn for the worse, their food spoiling, sickness, and sinful secrets, are just the beginning. Could their mission be cursed? Antonio has a burden to bear, weighing heavily on him, haunting him deep inside and a constant, emotional and horrifying reminder of his past.

As the journey pans out in front of them, dark discoveries are made and trusts are broken, causing real chaos and carnage aboard the de Chantal. Will they make their destination, and just what is in the cargo hold with them?

Lost at sea, suspicions, illness, desperation, insufferable guilt, horrific hallucinations and a slow descent into panic and insanity, brought on by lack of food, water and weather, gives this book an eerie, calm, unsettling and suffocating sense of dread and fear throughout.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading]

The first third of this book was rather dull- not much happens and there are just a bunch of characters on the ship to get to know.

Then, the plot gets a bit creepy, but is still predictable and boring. Just wasn’t what I was hoping for.

[Jesse Tidd]

This book was probably one of the best books that I’ve read in a while.

The slow and methodical decent into a nearly unreal sense of uncertainty and madness made this book hard to put down.

Overall, I feel that the entire story feels like I was trapped there with the crew trying to escape the waking nightmare that was the de Chantal.

I would gladly recommend this book to beginners and seasoned horror readers alike.

[Kiki Marie Bookish Wh0r3]

I waited forever and a day, withered away to nothing but dust and bones in my old age...... LOL Ok, so I am being a little dramatic. But, I was keeping an eye out for the release of this one several months. And when the release date was announced I put that on my calendar with a notification to remind me.

This story is a nautical paranormal horror that had me reading the entire book in one sitting and left so many questions and conspiracy theories. LOL

Now, this was a soft slow burn. The first chapter definitely grabs your attention and then it starts to introduce the skeleton crew that would taking this voyage to deliver a mysterious package for a stranger that was willing to pay very handsomely. They just had to get it to its destination during winter, and without opening the package at all. Simple right? No... of course not... this two horror/splatterpunk writers so of course it wouldn't be simple. You don't get that in this genre and if you did would you really want to read it LOL

First issue is that they live in a town where supplies are already running low, then, they have to navigate the unpredictable winter sea's, and to that, they are a skeleton crew made up of 8 people who have cliques and have grudges against each other AND they took a drug addicted priest with a questionable past. This just couldn't get any better right?!?!

Now when I say soft slow burn, I find the writing style similar to Kristopher Triana's Gone to See the River Man. Obviously completely different stories, but, it is written to be disturbing without you really noticing its as disturbing as it is. It just kinda crawls into your brain and burrows a little home there and sticks around to consume your thoughts. I am already terrified of the ocean and the anxiety, the claustrophobia, hopelessness, and fear were very real in this story. Like, what do you do when there is no wind to propel your boat to its destination? When all of your food starts to rot and your water supply is dwindling? When no fish will bite your lines? And most of all... once you are all starving and dehydrated and lost hope...what do you do when crew members start to mysteriously turn up dead or end up sick beyond help?

And the ending..... oh the ending..... I won't spoil it but man was it good. I finished this book around 11pm right before going to bed and I had dreams about this story. I applaud Brandon and Aron on a great story!! 10/10 recommend to any horror lover.

[Jon Huff]

I enjoyed this so much. It's right up my alley. I love when you take a group of fallible humans and isolate them and then watch everything fall apart. It's a quick read, but I felt like Perras-Sanchez and Beauregard did a great job of balancing the character work (establishing characters quickly) while keeping the plot moving. The short chapters create a sort of vignette feel as time passes on the ship and conditions get worse, which is really effective. Plenty of well-described horror and gore, too!

Full Video Review

[Silva]

I absolutely loved this but I will say I have mad beef with Father Iggy (Ignacio)!!

[Kelsey Noah]

If you want an atmospheric slow burn, here it is! You know the creepy North Sea “Yoooo Hoooo” song?? Thats the anthem for this book.

I think the ocean is absolutely horrifying as is, now imagine running out of supplies without any sense of direction. I would probably die from a heart attack before anything paranormal could slaughter me.

This book was not too gory so this could be read by beginners for sure

Thanks so much to Brandon for sending me a copy (that came with a tooth which is so rad) 🦷

Rating: 3.75/5 🖤

[Bo Poske]

Where Recessive Nature goes for claws and chaos, this one slides into something colder, more dreamlike. It’s drenched in atmosphere, weaving dread into every line, with horror that creeps rather than lunges. The imagery is haunting and strange, almost poetic, and the story carries a sense of inevitability that lingers. Less about what’s lurking outside and more about the monsters we carry inside. Dark, stylish, and deeply unsettling.

[LavB]

Such a page-turner! I truly felt like I was caught up in the chaos with the crew. The details and word choices the author uses to paint a gruesome image are stellar. Chills all around.

[Jacob B]

Jesus

[Rebecca]

LOVED THIS BOOK. I was spooked during the entire book which made it that much better. I loved the descriptions in the book it really painted a picture of everything happening in the book.

[John Lynch]

I just finished this book, and I absolutely loved it. The book is well written, and the sense of dread you feel within the pages, following the crew is something special. Also a testament to how well the book is written, aside from maybe a few sentences, I couldn't tell what is written by Aron, and what was written by Brandon. Typically, co written books either have one author writing one half, and another writing the other half, or both collaborating on the entire piece. This particular colab is the one story variety, and there were no obvious, jarring parts where I could tell the author swapped. I highly encourage everyone to check this out, especially if you like dread filled, claustrophobic horror. Brand Perras-Sanchez is an author to keep an eye on.

[Emily]

A very short read but filled with.. just many cases of bizarre mystery that just leaves you wondering what even happened. Was the crew just extremely unlucky with or were they flat out cursed? Who was the man that gave them the job? What even was the sarcophagus they were hauling? Where did they even need to send it to and who was buying? So many questions but no answers, leaving the reader to come up with their own conclusions. I do love books that leave everything up to interpretation and this book did an incredible job of that. Not to mention the pure bleakness and dread you feel when reading, like you’re trapped alongside these god forsaken men. I do say it’s an excellent book to read for beginner horror readers!

[Fadomon]

What can I say, It was engrossing from start to finish, very well written foray into depravity, damnation and darkness.

[Thomas Hobbs]

Waited many many months for this book to come out and book didn't disappoint. Book had you guessing almost throughout on who the possible killer is. Very good book.

[Jessica Mays]

Been waiting to read this for a bit, finally got around to reading it and it's so damn good. The creepy atmosphere...the crew embarking on a 5 week journey with a crate in the cargo that they're not allowed to look in. Food starts rotting, the crew starts getting sick. Shit hits the fan. I loved how dark and twisted this story was.

[Shaun Filion]

I love the atmosphere and feeling of dread that this story provided. Once I started reading that it was very hard to put down.

[Xtina Reads]

Went in blind, came out loving this story!! It was grossssss but I like that I wasn’t sure what I was even getting into. I had a hard time putting it down tbh. The chapters are short too….ADHD friendly, so that’s a plus if you’re like me lol

I love a descent into madness type situation

[Cardigan Chapters]

I finished this book this morning and I am still trying to process what was actually read, the story moved very quickly due to the short chapters, but I am still trying to mentally process what the actual storyline was. I always said to my reading partner ( since this was our little book club read for the month ) that I was gonna be so pissed if I didn't know what was in the box on the ship. I don't know why authors do that because I just feel like I don't get the closure I want from the book itself. Like I totally get it's 'up to the reader and interpretation' and I think sometimes they WANT to create that frustration after finishing the book but I hate it because I will always be left wondering - either way the book was OKAY I don't think it was BAD by any means but I was just expecting so much more from it? Like I love nautical horror stories and really want more of them in the future but I don't know I guess I had a expectation of this book from the reviews I had seen and it just didn't live up to that

[Spencer]

The White Bishop follows a group of desperate sailors who've been given the opportunity to transport cargo for a lot of money. They aren't told what they're transporting, and they need to do it at a risky time with little in the way of provisions and a boat that has seen better days.
The story starts off simple enough, but as they travel, they encounter a variety of problems and misfortune. The atmosphere becomes tense and claustrophobic, tensions are strained, and paranoia settles upon the crew.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are fascinating, the plot is engaging and kept me hooked, and the building of stress and anxiety is effectively done. The writing is just fantastic, I'm familiar with Aaron's work but not Brandon's, and this has definitely inspired me to learn more about the author.
This is a book that's easy to recommend to horror fans, especially those who want a tight, oppressive, quick but memorable experience.

[Michelle {Book Hangovers}]

If it’s a story of the Sea,
then it’s a story that I NEED!!!

Nautical Stories are my ultimate favorite.
Fiction or non, I can never get enough.
Especially when it comes to Nautical Horror.

THE WHITE BISHOP was abSEAlutely SINsational!
It has all the things I love about Nautical Horror.

A jumbled mess of a crew hired to deliver a mysterious cargo and reap a bountiful reward…
But this maritime adventure turns into a “who done it” mystery at Sea, quickly turning sinister with dwindling & rotting supplies, deteriorating conditions and moments of pure madness, leaving us with a brutally gruesome conclusion.

This story had me feeling sea sick, claustrophobic and anxious….thrown overboard with only a raft of utter despair and a “Not so Happily ever after” on the horizon. But it’s okay, because All I see are STARS ✨

[DA]

If you enjoy nautical horror, you'll want to read this one! A small crew, a mysterious cargo, food going bad and drinking water turning foul. Starvation, dehydration and scurvy. Each man with their own sins hoping that God will save them. Then the carnage begins.
The descriptions of the deterioration of the crew from lack of food, water and the onset of scurvy was phenomenal. Distrust, fear and accusations take a toll on the men's mental well-being.
I can't recommend this book enough. Spine-chilling story telling will keep you on the edge of your seat. The gore isn't overwhelming so I would feel confident in saying that readers who don't enjoy lots of gore would enjoy this book.

[Karlen HK]

This book has a couple things going for it: the cover is really creepy. The description of scurvy is gory and upsetting. It is short.

Otherwise, not much to recommend. Unless I missed something, the chess reference at the very end was the only time the game was mentioned, so I didn't really get it. Also, I know it's probably my own fault for knowing more than a regular person should about 19th century maritime travel but the inaccuracies kept taking me out of the action. (Sidenote, do the authors think the poop deck is...actually where the sailors go to...poop???)

[Nevermore_Reviews]

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!




This book to me was just a watered down version of The Last Voyage of the Demeter. It never actually says what the “evil” is on board but the crew all die one by one, except for the first one to fall ill who starts acting super weird while literally becoming a walking decomposing corpse.
I waited for the big twist, it never came and honestly if the book wasn’t so short I would’ve just DNF.

Just not my favorite.

[Jupiter]

This was so disappointing to me. The horror and dread was really good and then the plot just disappeared? I felt like there was zero resolution for what was going on....

[Mikey Manschot]

A creepy tale for those of us that love period pieces. Looking forward to BPS next book

[Hannah]

3.5/5
A nice quick, eery read with plenty of body horror and a building feeling of dread. Confirms the belief that I’d never want to be a sailor lol