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Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a haunting exploration of grief, obsession, and transformation. Cynthia, a woman who once thrived in her autonomy, now finds herself ensnared by a relentless desire to reclaim what she has lost.
Living a double life, she meticulously plans a path that blurs the lines between love and madness. Armed with a mask that reflects her inner turmoil, Cynthia descends into a world where reality and fantasy intertwine, revealing the dark depths of her psyche.
Ross Jeffery weaves a chilling narrative that delves into the human mind, questioning the boundaries of sanity and the transformative power of grief. Metamorphosis is a poignant and gripping tale that will linger with you long after the last page is turned.
A note from the Author and Publisher of time and tenses in Metamorphosis
Any time that assumptions are made concerning a person's, or a character's, so-called sanity, said assumptions have to be made based on the observer's perspective; for one person's "sane" is another’s "insanity." And as you will soon discover, have discovered, or are discovering - it is this bastardization of perspective, of Cynthia’s, which makes up the fare of this novel…is she sane? Insane? Mad? Level-headed?
Let me put it like Has there ever been a moment you’ve wanted to escape from, return to, or experience afresh?
Good.
Then you might understand Cynthia's predicament in the coming pages. The dance necessitated as Cynthia attempts to do all three - to get away from, to return to, and to remain in the moment when her life was, is, will be again torn apart…
As such, you may notice some places where our presentation of "tenses" seems... damaged. These slips are intentional. Cynthia is intentional.
I wish you the best of luck as you embark on this Metamorphosis.
Living a double life, she meticulously plans a path that blurs the lines between love and madness. Armed with a mask that reflects her inner turmoil, Cynthia descends into a world where reality and fantasy intertwine, revealing the dark depths of her psyche.
Ross Jeffery weaves a chilling narrative that delves into the human mind, questioning the boundaries of sanity and the transformative power of grief. Metamorphosis is a poignant and gripping tale that will linger with you long after the last page is turned.
A note from the Author and Publisher of time and tenses in Metamorphosis
Any time that assumptions are made concerning a person's, or a character's, so-called sanity, said assumptions have to be made based on the observer's perspective; for one person's "sane" is another’s "insanity." And as you will soon discover, have discovered, or are discovering - it is this bastardization of perspective, of Cynthia’s, which makes up the fare of this novel…is she sane? Insane? Mad? Level-headed?
Let me put it like Has there ever been a moment you’ve wanted to escape from, return to, or experience afresh?
Good.
Then you might understand Cynthia's predicament in the coming pages. The dance necessitated as Cynthia attempts to do all three - to get away from, to return to, and to remain in the moment when her life was, is, will be again torn apart…
As such, you may notice some places where our presentation of "tenses" seems... damaged. These slips are intentional. Cynthia is intentional.
I wish you the best of luck as you embark on this Metamorphosis.
443 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2025
16 people are currently reading
633 people want to read
About the author
Ross Jeffery
28 books362 followersRoss Jeffery is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of 'Tome', 'Juniper', 'Scorched', 'Only The Stains Remain' and 'Tethered'.
His debut collection 'Beautiful Atrocities' was published in the summer of 2022 through Cemetery Gates Media.
His works to date have been self-published / indie-published and his stand-out, self-published and award-nominated series 'The Juniper Trilogy' is getting a well-deserved re-release in late 2022.
He is also a 3x Splatterpunk nominated author and has had his novellas 'Tethered' and 'Only The Stains Remain' translated into Czech.
'The Devil's Pocketbook', his latest and most anticipated novel to date, will be published by DarkLit press in 2023.
Ross lives in Bristol with his wife and two children.
His debut collection 'Beautiful Atrocities' was published in the summer of 2022 through Cemetery Gates Media.
His works to date have been self-published / indie-published and his stand-out, self-published and award-nominated series 'The Juniper Trilogy' is getting a well-deserved re-release in late 2022.
He is also a 3x Splatterpunk nominated author and has had his novellas 'Tethered' and 'Only The Stains Remain' translated into Czech.
'The Devil's Pocketbook', his latest and most anticipated novel to date, will be published by DarkLit press in 2023.
Ross lives in Bristol with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 4, 2025
An unflinching, proper heavy hitter from an author who consistently tries to outdo himself. No, scratch that. Who consistently outdoes himself. This one ticks all the boxes and is easily my favourite Ross Jeffery novel to date.
Don't let this one pass you by.
Seriously.
Don't let this one pass you by.
Seriously.
September 5, 2024
I just finished this & WOW! a full review will be coming later but for now, if you haven't read any Ross before (r u OK mate) grief horror at its goriest, creepiest and also kinda funniest, don't sleep on Jeffery he's a talented story teller/nightmare weaver xoxo
January 19, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
Metamorphosis is a visceral and creepy horror novel, written by Ross Jeffery, and published by Truborn Press. A story that is difficult to describe, which explores the transformation caused by grief and pain, in which the main character, Cynthia, will try to bring back her lover from dead, in a novel that could be pitched as Misery meets Frankestein.
A haunting story that puts us in the skin of Cynthia, a woman immersed into a double life, a woman that once incarnated autonomy, but now, consumed by grief, is descending into the darkest paths of her psyche, trying to recover her lover through a painful and horrible remodeling process, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, dragging the reader into a visceral journey.
Jeffery catches us with a beautiful prose that, however, describes some of the most horrible parts of human mind; despite Cynthia's pain is totally relatable, the author puts us in a really complicated situation where the main character and her actions are extremely dark. The antagonist, himself, is not really somebody we would cheer for, but it is very difficult to not feel compassion for him, making you think if Cynthia is just a twisted-mind villain.
If you are not afraid to explore grief and how it is related to horror, I can totally recommend you to read Metamorphosis; as a novel itself, is a marvelous book, but you should be aware of the content warnings before. Ross Jeffery has proven again that he's a master at writing those kinds of narratives.
Metamorphosis is a visceral and creepy horror novel, written by Ross Jeffery, and published by Truborn Press. A story that is difficult to describe, which explores the transformation caused by grief and pain, in which the main character, Cynthia, will try to bring back her lover from dead, in a novel that could be pitched as Misery meets Frankestein.
A haunting story that puts us in the skin of Cynthia, a woman immersed into a double life, a woman that once incarnated autonomy, but now, consumed by grief, is descending into the darkest paths of her psyche, trying to recover her lover through a painful and horrible remodeling process, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, dragging the reader into a visceral journey.
Jeffery catches us with a beautiful prose that, however, describes some of the most horrible parts of human mind; despite Cynthia's pain is totally relatable, the author puts us in a really complicated situation where the main character and her actions are extremely dark. The antagonist, himself, is not really somebody we would cheer for, but it is very difficult to not feel compassion for him, making you think if Cynthia is just a twisted-mind villain.
If you are not afraid to explore grief and how it is related to horror, I can totally recommend you to read Metamorphosis; as a novel itself, is a marvelous book, but you should be aware of the content warnings before. Ross Jeffery has proven again that he's a master at writing those kinds of narratives.
December 30, 2024
Ross Jeffery has crafted a career many authors can only dream of, and Metamorphosis is living proof that he’s earned every accolade—and likely deserves a few more.
"Have you ever wanted something so much that you’d do literally anything to have it?" This haunting question sets the stage for a story that delves deep into the psyche of Cynthia, a protagonist whose choices are as understandable as they are unsettling. As I followed her descent into darkness, I found myself questioning: would I make the same choices? Or, perhaps worse, would I go even further to hold the person I love most one more time?
This book is an intoxicating mix of brutality, love, unforgettable risotto, and just the right amount of Fleetwood Mac. With all due respect to Mr. Jeffery, I’ve never found myself rooting for, and against, a protagonist and antagonist in equal measure quite like this.
Every time the Great Horned Owls in the woods near my house coo, I’m transported back to my time reading Metamorphosis, and that is the greatest compliment I can give.
Thanks to the fine folks at Truborn Press for supplying this advanced reader copy!
"Have you ever wanted something so much that you’d do literally anything to have it?" This haunting question sets the stage for a story that delves deep into the psyche of Cynthia, a protagonist whose choices are as understandable as they are unsettling. As I followed her descent into darkness, I found myself questioning: would I make the same choices? Or, perhaps worse, would I go even further to hold the person I love most one more time?
This book is an intoxicating mix of brutality, love, unforgettable risotto, and just the right amount of Fleetwood Mac. With all due respect to Mr. Jeffery, I’ve never found myself rooting for, and against, a protagonist and antagonist in equal measure quite like this.
Every time the Great Horned Owls in the woods near my house coo, I’m transported back to my time reading Metamorphosis, and that is the greatest compliment I can give.
Thanks to the fine folks at Truborn Press for supplying this advanced reader copy!
Want to read
June 18, 2025Soft dnf. It's good but slow & I have a few other books I want to prioritize at the moment
Want to read
January 17, 2025"A haunting exploration of grief, obsession, and transformation about a woman who once thrived in her autonomy but finds herself ensnared by a relentless desire to reclaim what she has lost."
August 21, 2024
Metamorphosis is an expertly crafted descent into madness, scaffolded by some sickening body horror, food porn, and plenty of Fleetwood Mac-iness to satiate all the Rumors.
I know that description makes no sense, but Jeffery is a masterful storyteller and he puts his skills on full display in this damp, dirty basement.
Trust Ross. Embrace the crazy. Buckle up and don't look the owl in the eyes.
And, most of all, good luck. Because nobody escaped Cynthia's talons unchanged.
I know that description makes no sense, but Jeffery is a masterful storyteller and he puts his skills on full display in this damp, dirty basement.
Trust Ross. Embrace the crazy. Buckle up and don't look the owl in the eyes.
And, most of all, good luck. Because nobody escaped Cynthia's talons unchanged.
February 1, 2025
Risotto with mushrooms and rabbit.
Risotto with mushrooms and rabbit.
Three hundred sixty-five times.
What have I just uncovered? A haunting exploration of grief's grip on the human soul, and the lengths one will go to escape its suffocating embrace.
This tale is unsettling and bizarre, yet eerily relatable in its portrayal of desperation. Love and madness intertwine in ways that chill the bone, leaving you to ponder the fine line between devotion and obsession. The only element that stretches credulity is the risotto itself, a strange yet fitting motif in this disturbing book.
Risotto with mushrooms and rabbit.
Three hundred sixty-five times.
What have I just uncovered? A haunting exploration of grief's grip on the human soul, and the lengths one will go to escape its suffocating embrace.
This tale is unsettling and bizarre, yet eerily relatable in its portrayal of desperation. Love and madness intertwine in ways that chill the bone, leaving you to ponder the fine line between devotion and obsession. The only element that stretches credulity is the risotto itself, a strange yet fitting motif in this disturbing book.
January 23, 2025
I really enjoyed the theme and story, I felt it could’ve been shorter but other than that the story was great!
August 21, 2024
“Have you ever wanted something so much that you’d do literally anything to have it?”
For Cynthia, that meant going to the extreme to reclaim what she lost. A mix between Misery and Frankenstein, Metamorphosis explores the transformation that grief and turmoil will put someone through. Cynthia, driven by obsession and love, embarks on a journey to bring her lost love back from the dead. Through this, we discover just how dark and deceitful her mind is and just how blurred the lines are between illusion and reality.
This story will haunt me for the rest of my days. I was put on a roller coaster of emotions while following Cynthia as she leads different personas to deal with the grief of losing her partner. One minute I was choked up, wanting to bawl my eyes out and the next, I was wanting to gag from the gruesome description of Cynthia’s “remodeling” work going on in the basement. Jeffery uses his beautiful writing to drag us within the depths of grief and pulls us under its heaviness. I loved how vividly I pictured the darkness of this story and how RAW the emotions were. It was like I was Cynthia, feeling her grief, feeling her doubt, and questioning her sanity. From the “scratch thats,” to the Fleetwood Mac music, to the reference of ‘Incidents Around the House,’ Jeffery encapsulates how transformative and horrific loss can be. It goes to show that no matter how many masks you put on, you can never hide from your grief. By the end, I was bawling my eyes out in the middle of the night.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Don’t sleep on this author. I can’t wait for y’all to pick this up come January of 2025.
“Grief, the dark and unfathomable kind she felt at the prospect of losing Daniel again…was the heavy price she would pay for having loved someone so completely.”
For Cynthia, that meant going to the extreme to reclaim what she lost. A mix between Misery and Frankenstein, Metamorphosis explores the transformation that grief and turmoil will put someone through. Cynthia, driven by obsession and love, embarks on a journey to bring her lost love back from the dead. Through this, we discover just how dark and deceitful her mind is and just how blurred the lines are between illusion and reality.
This story will haunt me for the rest of my days. I was put on a roller coaster of emotions while following Cynthia as she leads different personas to deal with the grief of losing her partner. One minute I was choked up, wanting to bawl my eyes out and the next, I was wanting to gag from the gruesome description of Cynthia’s “remodeling” work going on in the basement. Jeffery uses his beautiful writing to drag us within the depths of grief and pulls us under its heaviness. I loved how vividly I pictured the darkness of this story and how RAW the emotions were. It was like I was Cynthia, feeling her grief, feeling her doubt, and questioning her sanity. From the “scratch thats,” to the Fleetwood Mac music, to the reference of ‘Incidents Around the House,’ Jeffery encapsulates how transformative and horrific loss can be. It goes to show that no matter how many masks you put on, you can never hide from your grief. By the end, I was bawling my eyes out in the middle of the night.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Don’t sleep on this author. I can’t wait for y’all to pick this up come January of 2025.
“Grief, the dark and unfathomable kind she felt at the prospect of losing Daniel again…was the heavy price she would pay for having loved someone so completely.”
September 7, 2024
A claustrophobic, sinister deep dive into the fractured heart of one woman’s attempt to resurrect her past. This is Ross Jeffery at his most intimate, channelling Stephen King’s Misery to the soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac, and reworking Shelly’s Frankenstein through the eyes of an owl. What extremes would you go to for love? Whatever it is, think again. Jeffery has it beat.
November 15, 2024
Jeffery expertly weaves grief, poetic weirdness, and gut-wrenching horror into a Frankensteinian tale that’s smartly satirical and darkly unhinged. Think Misery meets Audition.
January 19, 2025
Ross is the master of grief horror and this time he’s yet again put a new spin on it. Grief can make us crazy, but not quite a crazy as our main character Cynthia. She’s taken her grief and created a tale of revenge. This is story of devastation, anger and a descent into madness unlike anything else Jeffrey has written. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by him and this one is the most insane one yet! If you love some feminine rage gone all out bonkers this one is for you!!
January 5, 2025
Grief, then obsession overtake Cynthia after the death of her boyfriend. She will do ANYTHING to live out her perfect life.
I support women’s rights AND wrongs 🤭
My favorite quotes from the book:
“All her grief, everything; she’d hit him like a sledgehammer.”
“Have you ever wanted something so much you’d do literally…anything to have…it?”
I support women’s rights AND wrongs 🤭
My favorite quotes from the book:
“All her grief, everything; she’d hit him like a sledgehammer.”
“Have you ever wanted something so much you’d do literally…anything to have…it?”
December 27, 2024
A huge thank you to Truborn Press and Ross Jeffery for the ARC.
Pub Date: Jan 14, 2025
Ross Jeffery is a master at grief horror, and Metamorphosis cements his position on this list. At no one point while reading Metamorphosis could I predict what was going to happen next; Jeffery transfixes you on Cynthia's story and the result is a story that is heartbreaking and horrific, taking the reader into the mind altering power of grief.
Pub Date: Jan 14, 2025
Ross Jeffery is a master at grief horror, and Metamorphosis cements his position on this list. At no one point while reading Metamorphosis could I predict what was going to happen next; Jeffery transfixes you on Cynthia's story and the result is a story that is heartbreaking and horrific, taking the reader into the mind altering power of grief.
November 14, 2024
I will forever say this, but Ross Jeffery is phenomenal when it comes to grief horror!
While I will always say his favorite of mine is, I Died Too, But They Haven’t Buried Me Yet... Metamorphosis gave it a run for its money!
Metamorphosis is a book that sends you into the depths of madness with the soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac playing in the background. It’s a great mix of Misery meets Frankenstein and shows just how much people change and transform when going through grief.
In the story we follow Cynthia and let me tell you, no one escapes her untouched. Because Cynthia is willing to do just about anything. Cynthia is going to go to the extremes to reclaim what she has lost because, she is driven by her obsession to bring her love back from the dead. In Cynthia’s head the lines are blurred between what’s real and not.
As always Ross sends you on an emotional rollercoaster and has you the reader looking at grief in a different light but, you must trust Ross and just embrace the ride! I cried and I mean I cried a lot reading this because, I just went through a tragic loss, and I am still grieving. And you never realize how much grief can change you or what crazy path it will send you down. But I can say that I highly recommend this and any other Ross book, because man is a genius!
While I will always say his favorite of mine is, I Died Too, But They Haven’t Buried Me Yet... Metamorphosis gave it a run for its money!
Metamorphosis is a book that sends you into the depths of madness with the soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac playing in the background. It’s a great mix of Misery meets Frankenstein and shows just how much people change and transform when going through grief.
In the story we follow Cynthia and let me tell you, no one escapes her untouched. Because Cynthia is willing to do just about anything. Cynthia is going to go to the extremes to reclaim what she has lost because, she is driven by her obsession to bring her love back from the dead. In Cynthia’s head the lines are blurred between what’s real and not.
As always Ross sends you on an emotional rollercoaster and has you the reader looking at grief in a different light but, you must trust Ross and just embrace the ride! I cried and I mean I cried a lot reading this because, I just went through a tragic loss, and I am still grieving. And you never realize how much grief can change you or what crazy path it will send you down. But I can say that I highly recommend this and any other Ross book, because man is a genius!
September 9, 2024
A harrowing descent into madness and grief that gets under your skin from the outset and doesn’t let go until the landslide brings it down.
February 2, 2025
Ross tipped the scales into the twisted and tore the veil off of the boundaries of the genre with this one!!!
Cynthia is broken in grief after the passing of Daniel. Grief can break you into a million little pieces of utter mental incapacitation. It can take you to a whole new mental state of dysfunction, where nothing is as it seems, and nothing can ever be made right again.
Hauntingly strange with a grief filled brain, this monsterous woman will get under your skin all the while as your sympathetic side calls out to her in the midst of dread and despair!
The humor scattered within will ease the reader out of the dire at times. Just when you think your brain can't fathom the torment and tormentor.
So grab your "bunny slippers" and cozy up because Ross Jeffery outdid himself with this one! Brilliant and engrossing from start to end!
Cynthia is broken in grief after the passing of Daniel. Grief can break you into a million little pieces of utter mental incapacitation. It can take you to a whole new mental state of dysfunction, where nothing is as it seems, and nothing can ever be made right again.
Hauntingly strange with a grief filled brain, this monsterous woman will get under your skin all the while as your sympathetic side calls out to her in the midst of dread and despair!
The humor scattered within will ease the reader out of the dire at times. Just when you think your brain can't fathom the torment and tormentor.
So grab your "bunny slippers" and cozy up because Ross Jeffery outdid himself with this one! Brilliant and engrossing from start to end!
December 28, 2024
I was provided a soft cover ARC of this book, courtesy of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are mine, and given free of charge.
-
Even Trapdoor Spiders need affection, attention and the occasional treat.
-
Existing in the here and now (2024-2025, depending on when you are reading this) means existing in and navigating within a society that is perpetually online, branded, monetized and commodified.
What facets of ourselves we, what masks we wear change from place to place, day to day. It is an atmosphere infused with anxiety and paranoia. In Metamorphosis , Cynthia presents herself as someone shaped by this world. Cynthia has embraced the isolation and anxieties birthed from the emergence of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown. Her selves, her faces, each hermetically separated from each other. Yet, even as she seemingly thrives, Cynthia is forced to reckon with the realities of sudden loss, of grief, pain and rage. When the world around you makes it difficult, nay even impossible to show sadness, loss, deep ugly emotions, what outlet is there?
Fueled by desperation and immense grief, Cynthia descends into a primordial darkness, seeking reconciliation, transformation and to regain something taken from her.
There is magick in this story, Cynthia's time in the dark is akin to time spent descending to the cusp of the netherworld. With blood and tears, thought and and word, Cynthia's Grief Rituals bring about changes in herself, as well as others.
I went into this read blind, perhaps nearly as blind as Cynthia as she makes her way through the darkness. With a every shift in the story, author Ross Jeffery's story becomes stranger, the darkness that more suffocating. By the end Cynthia's world seems almost claustrophobic. Jeffery's imagery dares you to look away, knowing you will not. The owl looks on, the owl will not help you.
-
Even Trapdoor Spiders need affection, attention and the occasional treat.
-
Existing in the here and now (2024-2025, depending on when you are reading this) means existing in and navigating within a society that is perpetually online, branded, monetized and commodified.
What facets of ourselves we, what masks we wear change from place to place, day to day. It is an atmosphere infused with anxiety and paranoia. In Metamorphosis , Cynthia presents herself as someone shaped by this world. Cynthia has embraced the isolation and anxieties birthed from the emergence of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown. Her selves, her faces, each hermetically separated from each other. Yet, even as she seemingly thrives, Cynthia is forced to reckon with the realities of sudden loss, of grief, pain and rage. When the world around you makes it difficult, nay even impossible to show sadness, loss, deep ugly emotions, what outlet is there?
Fueled by desperation and immense grief, Cynthia descends into a primordial darkness, seeking reconciliation, transformation and to regain something taken from her.
There is magick in this story, Cynthia's time in the dark is akin to time spent descending to the cusp of the netherworld. With blood and tears, thought and and word, Cynthia's Grief Rituals bring about changes in herself, as well as others.
I went into this read blind, perhaps nearly as blind as Cynthia as she makes her way through the darkness. With a every shift in the story, author Ross Jeffery's story becomes stranger, the darkness that more suffocating. By the end Cynthia's world seems almost claustrophobic. Jeffery's imagery dares you to look away, knowing you will not. The owl looks on, the owl will not help you.
March 15, 2025
This was a hoot!
Disturbing and tragic, yes, but fun, too.
Disturbing and tragic, yes, but fun, too.
March 23, 2025
Very good
December 8, 2024
Like the walls of a dark, damp basement, Metamorphosis will seep through each layer of your integumentary system and chill you to the very bone.
—-
Cynthia is a woman who desperately wants to get back what she lost. Her grief is a searing reminder of the hole left in her heart and she goes to rampageous extremes to fill it. As her obsession spirals out of control, her poor creation becomes a gelatinous landscape of horror.
—-
I love a great unhinged female character, and Cynthia blows this out of the water 🤯. She is truly her own work of art 🙌.
With a plethora of body horror, drowning grief and vivid descriptive writing, this one hits where it hurts. A particular scene from the movie 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 popped into my head early on in the book, so I was pleasantly, but disturbingly, surprised when it was mentioned later one. Which deadly sin did it remind me of? You will have to read it to find out I guess….
There was also a bit of a personal connection within these pages, and it just made the experience all the more impactful. And with so many Fleetwood Mac references, a book has never so assuredly had its own soundtrack.
This one comes out January 14th from Truborn Press, and I highly recommend checking it out! Want to see the cover reveal? Head over to Truborns page to see it for yourself . As the kids these days would say… it slaps 😃.
I give this one 4.5/5 ⭐️’s
—-
Cynthia is a woman who desperately wants to get back what she lost. Her grief is a searing reminder of the hole left in her heart and she goes to rampageous extremes to fill it. As her obsession spirals out of control, her poor creation becomes a gelatinous landscape of horror.
—-
I love a great unhinged female character, and Cynthia blows this out of the water 🤯. She is truly her own work of art 🙌.
With a plethora of body horror, drowning grief and vivid descriptive writing, this one hits where it hurts. A particular scene from the movie 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 popped into my head early on in the book, so I was pleasantly, but disturbingly, surprised when it was mentioned later one. Which deadly sin did it remind me of? You will have to read it to find out I guess….
There was also a bit of a personal connection within these pages, and it just made the experience all the more impactful. And with so many Fleetwood Mac references, a book has never so assuredly had its own soundtrack.
This one comes out January 14th from Truborn Press, and I highly recommend checking it out! Want to see the cover reveal? Head over to Truborns page to see it for yourself . As the kids these days would say… it slaps 😃.
I give this one 4.5/5 ⭐️’s
January 6, 2025
A true and genuine thank you to Truborn Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am very sorry for what I'm about to say.
Since the other reviewers are being coy, and I never would have requested this ARC if I had known, here is the plot synopsis: Cynthia, a cam girl in her 40's, is bereft after the death of her long-time partner, Daniel. By night, she makes money livestreaming on OnlyFans. By day, she abuses the man she has locked in her basement in an attempt at "remolding" him through mental and physical torture into Daniel-reborn.
I have no interest in reading a book written by a man where the protagonist is a female sex worker, especially in a horror novel. At one point Cynthia says that getting sent unsolicited dick pics from her clients is one of the only drawbacks of her job, which rung so hollow. We are shown several scenes of her livestreaming for her subscribers, but not a peep about the rest of the work (advertising, video editing, etc.) It kind of feels like Cynthia is a sex worker because it's believed that being a cam girl is easy, big money, and can explain why she can afford all sorts of expensive things.
Cynthia herself is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I can tell that Ross Jeffery is a competent writer on a sentence level, but Cynthia's tee hee I'm so silly! attitude was grating. Even in third person I couldn't stand her and her thought process, with its constant italics and scratching things out to restate them. She also frequently thinks of something, and then goes over it again and again in great detail. She was exhausting and annoying to be in the head of. Here's a section where I had to physically walk away from the book because I couldn't take it anymore:
What is up with all the weird capital letters? None of those words are proper nouns?! Who thinks like that! (Speaking of which, the text of this book is littered with TMs and copyright symbols to the point where I was wondering is consumerism was going to be a theme, but it isn't?)
As you might have noticed, there's a strange relationship to sex in this book. Cynthia is out here derisively calling herself a "miserable excuse for a vagina" and other misogynistic self-talk. There's a two-and-a-half page scene where it sounds like Cynthia is giving a man a blowjob, but she's actually blowing up a kiddie pool. There's also a scene where Cynthia mocks a dick pic she received from a subscriber, then starts thinking about her deceased Daniel's perfect dick in detail as she gets hot and bothered and it felt like it belonged in a Colleen Hoover book. Am I supposed to be shocked? (That's also not what Rule 34 means.)
Oh right, this is a horror novel about grief. I guess it is, in the sense that Cynthia commits many atrocities as a result of her grief, but... there's a section where Cynthia says the last book she read was Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, and all I could think about is how much I wish I was rereading that book instead. Once you get past the shock value of torturing a guy into believing he's someone else, it's just not scary. Chapter 4 is the only one with a good use of tension and dread. But once you understood the twisted game Cynthia was playing... it stopped being shocking very quickly and left me with nothing else. I really didn't care about Cynthia or anything that happened to her.
In short, maybe put on a Fleetwood Mac album instead.
Since the other reviewers are being coy, and I never would have requested this ARC if I had known, here is the plot synopsis: Cynthia, a cam girl in her 40's, is bereft after the death of her long-time partner, Daniel. By night, she makes money livestreaming on OnlyFans. By day, she abuses the man she has locked in her basement in an attempt at "remolding" him through mental and physical torture into Daniel-reborn.
I have no interest in reading a book written by a man where the protagonist is a female sex worker, especially in a horror novel. At one point Cynthia says that getting sent unsolicited dick pics from her clients is one of the only drawbacks of her job, which rung so hollow. We are shown several scenes of her livestreaming for her subscribers, but not a peep about the rest of the work (advertising, video editing, etc.) It kind of feels like Cynthia is a sex worker because it's believed that being a cam girl is easy, big money, and can explain why she can afford all sorts of expensive things.
Cynthia herself is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I can tell that Ross Jeffery is a competent writer on a sentence level, but Cynthia's tee hee I'm so silly! attitude was grating. Even in third person I couldn't stand her and her thought process, with its constant italics and scratching things out to restate them. She also frequently thinks of something, and then goes over it again and again in great detail. She was exhausting and annoying to be in the head of. Here's a section where I had to physically walk away from the book because I couldn't take it anymore:
If the Devil had sperm, I bet it would resemble Baked Beans.
Shuddering as she scoops the persistently clingy, gelatinous filth from the cans into the glass bowl - more frogspawn than edible treat that's for sure - and she has to swallow hard to stop her coffee rising from deep down.
Job done, she doesn't even wash the cans before throwing them out the window and into the recycling bin in the garden. She doesn't want to get its filth-juice on her fingers. Filth-juice on her feet is one thing, a thing she's paid handsomely to endure, but on her fingers? That icky tackiness on her hands? No, no, no, she won't abide that.
Tonight though, she'll be cashing in on the lesser-known Podophilia, which is not, repeat not, to be confused with Pedophilia. Switching out that first E with an O is really important, especially if one wants to keep the thing in her basement concealed and hidden from prying eyes; she doesn't need the police raiding her house because she made a faux pas with her vowels in a search engine.
What is up with all the weird capital letters? None of those words are proper nouns?! Who thinks like that! (Speaking of which, the text of this book is littered with TMs and copyright symbols to the point where I was wondering is consumerism was going to be a theme, but it isn't?)
As you might have noticed, there's a strange relationship to sex in this book. Cynthia is out here derisively calling herself a "miserable excuse for a vagina" and other misogynistic self-talk. There's a two-and-a-half page scene where it sounds like Cynthia is giving a man a blowjob, but she's actually blowing up a kiddie pool. There's also a scene where Cynthia mocks a dick pic she received from a subscriber, then starts thinking about her deceased Daniel's perfect dick in detail as she gets hot and bothered and it felt like it belonged in a Colleen Hoover book. Am I supposed to be shocked? (That's also not what Rule 34 means.)
Oh right, this is a horror novel about grief. I guess it is, in the sense that Cynthia commits many atrocities as a result of her grief, but... there's a section where Cynthia says the last book she read was Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, and all I could think about is how much I wish I was rereading that book instead. Once you get past the shock value of torturing a guy into believing he's someone else, it's just not scary. Chapter 4 is the only one with a good use of tension and dread. But once you understood the twisted game Cynthia was playing... it stopped being shocking very quickly and left me with nothing else. I really didn't care about Cynthia or anything that happened to her.
In short, maybe put on a Fleetwood Mac album instead.
April 17, 2025
Metamorphosis: a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means
Always cool to come across a little known novel that completely takes you by surprise. You've read books and you've seen films about obsession and grief but I can almost assuredly say, not quite like this one. Though Jeffery's story is different than Fatal Attraction, take its theme of obsession and grief and dial it up to 10. What Cynthia, the main character, does to reclaim what she has lost was completely unexpected and unimaginable. The story shines when focused on her disturbed psyche and driven desire to do whatever it takes to get back what she feels is owed to her. You can relate to her grief (to a degree) but her chosen path to healing and redemption is truly unfathomable. Outside of a couple of lacklustre chapters, most provide a steady and gripping climb towards Cynthia's planned outcome.
I understand that this book was published through a lesser known publisher, but it doesn't really excuse missing a number of spelling and grammatical errors. While it didn't detract me from enjoying the story, I did find it somewhat annoying.
Side bonus: if you're a fan of Fleetwood Mac, you're in for a treat as the group's songs and lyrics are often interspersed throughout the book. Consequently, a few of their songs to give you a bit of a taste / hint about the story that is Metamorphosis:
1. "As Long as You Follow"
2. "Behind the Mask"
3. "Can't Go Back"
4. "Love is Dangerous"
5. "Need Your Love So Bad"
6. "Say You Love Me"
7. "Walk a Thin Line"
Oh, that last song...truly fits Cynthia's psyche.
A real surprise and I hope Ross finds a bigger audience with this solid effort.
Always cool to come across a little known novel that completely takes you by surprise. You've read books and you've seen films about obsession and grief but I can almost assuredly say, not quite like this one. Though Jeffery's story is different than Fatal Attraction, take its theme of obsession and grief and dial it up to 10. What Cynthia, the main character, does to reclaim what she has lost was completely unexpected and unimaginable. The story shines when focused on her disturbed psyche and driven desire to do whatever it takes to get back what she feels is owed to her. You can relate to her grief (to a degree) but her chosen path to healing and redemption is truly unfathomable. Outside of a couple of lacklustre chapters, most provide a steady and gripping climb towards Cynthia's planned outcome.
I understand that this book was published through a lesser known publisher, but it doesn't really excuse missing a number of spelling and grammatical errors. While it didn't detract me from enjoying the story, I did find it somewhat annoying.
Side bonus: if you're a fan of Fleetwood Mac, you're in for a treat as the group's songs and lyrics are often interspersed throughout the book. Consequently, a few of their songs to give you a bit of a taste / hint about the story that is Metamorphosis:
1. "As Long as You Follow"
2. "Behind the Mask"
3. "Can't Go Back"
4. "Love is Dangerous"
5. "Need Your Love So Bad"
6. "Say You Love Me"
7. "Walk a Thin Line"
Oh, that last song...truly fits Cynthia's psyche.
A real surprise and I hope Ross finds a bigger audience with this solid effort.
September 9, 2024
This book spoke to me in a way that none other has before.
If you’ve been lucky enough to find a great love with another person in your time on this Earth, Ross Jeffery’s Metamorphosis will make you cling to them as if the sky were to fall tomorrow.
For grieving Cynthia, the sky has already fallen. She has a plan to raise it all back to where it belongs, and it soon becomes clear the depths she will go to, to make that happen.
Metamorphosis is a tale of how love can warp and twist the human soul as it becomes something all-consuming and ugly. But at its darkest moments, we are reminded that love is still love.
Jeffery draws forth your tears even as he punches you in the heart.
If you’ve been lucky enough to find a great love with another person in your time on this Earth, Ross Jeffery’s Metamorphosis will make you cling to them as if the sky were to fall tomorrow.
For grieving Cynthia, the sky has already fallen. She has a plan to raise it all back to where it belongs, and it soon becomes clear the depths she will go to, to make that happen.
Metamorphosis is a tale of how love can warp and twist the human soul as it becomes something all-consuming and ugly. But at its darkest moments, we are reminded that love is still love.
Jeffery draws forth your tears even as he punches you in the heart.
January 14, 2025
A gut wrenching deep dive into a loss so profound, it shatters the mind and soul.
Have you ever read a book that is written so well, you can feel the heartache and sense of loss long after you finished?
This was my reaction to Metamorphosis by Ross Jeffery.
Like the headlights of a freight train barreling toward you, I could see the ending so clearly and I couldn't look away. With each turn of the page, I continued to hope it wouldn't be so. The ending, while not a surprise, was jarring and memorable.
All in all, this story was an excellent read. It's one that will stay with you for a while after.
Have you ever read a book that is written so well, you can feel the heartache and sense of loss long after you finished?
This was my reaction to Metamorphosis by Ross Jeffery.
Like the headlights of a freight train barreling toward you, I could see the ending so clearly and I couldn't look away. With each turn of the page, I continued to hope it wouldn't be so. The ending, while not a surprise, was jarring and memorable.
All in all, this story was an excellent read. It's one that will stay with you for a while after.
August 21, 2024
Review to come
August 21, 2024
Review to follow…
August 21, 2024
Jeffery's best work yet! METAMORPHOSIS will chill your spine and fry your mind simultaneously. This is one you do not want to miss!
September 14, 2025
Ross Jeffery reaches new levels of writing prowess with this novel.
It's a lush descent into grief-driven madness, with prose that can only be described as decadent and descriptive. The ending pulls no punches, with the insanity reaching its logical, but gut-wrenching, conclusion. Along the way, Ross Jeffery drags us deep into the mind of a...unique woman...with the drive and discipline to reshape reality as she sees fit.
Read this book. You'll enjoy the journey.
It's a lush descent into grief-driven madness, with prose that can only be described as decadent and descriptive. The ending pulls no punches, with the insanity reaching its logical, but gut-wrenching, conclusion. Along the way, Ross Jeffery drags us deep into the mind of a...unique woman...with the drive and discipline to reshape reality as she sees fit.
Read this book. You'll enjoy the journey.
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