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Trog
After Aisha is traumatized by a stalker, her parents decide to move to a property in the outback.
They say it's in her best interests.
But they don't know something dangerous is imprisoned in the subterranean caverns beneath the house.
Something that hungers for freedom. And blood.
When three masked thrill-killers assault the property, they open the wrong doors, and Trog emerges.
Only blood and chaos will be left in his wake, unless Aisha can fight off the intruders, save her family, and survive the night.
Trog - an intense home invasion creature feature from award-nominated Australian author, Zachary Ashford.
They say it's in her best interests.
But they don't know something dangerous is imprisoned in the subterranean caverns beneath the house.
Something that hungers for freedom. And blood.
When three masked thrill-killers assault the property, they open the wrong doors, and Trog emerges.
Only blood and chaos will be left in his wake, unless Aisha can fight off the intruders, save her family, and survive the night.
Trog - an intense home invasion creature feature from award-nominated Australian author, Zachary Ashford.
- GenresHorror
186 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2025
45 people want to read
About the author
Zachary Ashford
13 books90 followersZachary Ashford is the Aurealis Award-nominated author of When the Cicadas Stop Singing from Horrific Tales, Sole Survivor and Sole Survivor II from Unnerving - and Autotomy Cocktail and The Encampment by the Gorge & Blood Memory from Demain. His short fiction has been featured in Dark Moon Digest, the Elements of Horror: Earth anthology, Trickster's Treats 3 from Things in the Well, and Kyanite Press.
His new book, The Morass: Servant of the Fly God is available for pre-order now. (https://getbook.at/Morass)
Outside of that, he can be found listening to metal, hanging with his wife and kids, or watching as many schlocky horror films as he can.
His new book, The Morass: Servant of the Fly God is available for pre-order now. (https://getbook.at/Morass)
Outside of that, he can be found listening to metal, hanging with his wife and kids, or watching as many schlocky horror films as he can.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 1, 2025
I love that Zachary Ashford has incorporated an Australian Cryptid into his brutal horror story.
Aisha and her family unexpectedly get a visit from 3 brutal killers to their remote outback home. Soon they will ALL discover the nightmare beneath the house. Trog has been waiting to crack skulls and slurp brains for a LONG time!
I kept thinking things couldn’t get worse for Aisha, but it seemed every other page held more trauma and violence! My heart was in my throat at some points and I just had to hope the author would show some mercy by the end.
This was a fast paced, phenomenally monstrous story. It’s not too long, and full of extreme thrills and kills. Make sure to add it to your TBR list!
Aisha and her family unexpectedly get a visit from 3 brutal killers to their remote outback home. Soon they will ALL discover the nightmare beneath the house. Trog has been waiting to crack skulls and slurp brains for a LONG time!
I kept thinking things couldn’t get worse for Aisha, but it seemed every other page held more trauma and violence! My heart was in my throat at some points and I just had to hope the author would show some mercy by the end.
This was a fast paced, phenomenally monstrous story. It’s not too long, and full of extreme thrills and kills. Make sure to add it to your TBR list!
February 14, 2025
Note: This review was originally published at FanFiAddict.com
Sometimes you just want some fun, good, old-fashioned monster mayhem chockfull of gore and dismemberment. Enter Trog, by Zachary Ashford, a bit of Aussie B-movie schlock in print form from Unnerving Books, a release that would have been right at home in their now-defunct line of yesteryear-tribute Rewind-or-Die novellas.
Fifteen-year-old Aisha and her family have only just moved into their new and deeply secluded home in the outback when they find themselves under assault by a trio of masked maniacs. As if that weren’t enough, there’s all these strange noises coming from below the house, deep beneath a hidden hatchway that leads into an underground cavern. What else are a bunch of thrill killers to do but investigate and make whatever’s left of everybody’s now much-too-short lives an even bigger hell as they unwittingly let a captured beast loose?
Ashford wastes no time in laying waste to, well, everything. We get a brief set-up involving Trog’s capture and confinement to kick things off, and then it’s off to the races for roughly a hundred pages of gnarly violence and bloody slaughter. The premise is streamlined-simple: take The Strangers, mix in some family dynamics, add in a hungry, hungry cryptid, and presto-chango, Trog.
Viewers of The Strangers will recall the chilling reason for that flick’s psychos terrorizing a young couple as “Because you were home.” Ashford covers similar ground with his thrill killers here, who insist their motives boil down to little more than sheer enjoyment. It’s a way for them to cut loose and party hearty, with their de facto leader explaining to his captive audience, “I want to kill you because it’s fun. This isn’t a political statement. It’s entertainment.”
We eventually learn, of course, that this isn’t quite 100% true, but for the vast majority of Trog it’s easy enough to accept this as a mission statement for both the killers and the book itself. In fact, given recent political turmoils on- and offline, the lack of deep, in-your-face politicization in Trog makes for a welcome, and occasionally cathartic, just-in-time escape from the real-world and its multiplying crises. Still, Ashford subtly weaves in a commentary on naturalism versus capitalism and the war between the haves and have-nots, not to mention those caught in the middle. Trog himself is a monster transformed against his will by another’s pursuit of financial excess, and who finds himself torn by memories of a more natural and peaceful existence against his now-insatiable hunger for human flesh. In the end, money makes destructive, and self-destructive, monsters of us all, even moldy Aussie offshoots of Bigfoot.
Granted, for every moment of potential deep reflection, there’s about a dozen instances of splattery, gore-caked violence, brain slurping, and intestines spilling to keep any potential opining about Marxist philosophy far at bay, all of which is nicely wrapped around a young heroine’s story of trauma survival and unlocking her inner badass. This is, after all, entertainment!
Sometimes you just want some fun, good, old-fashioned monster mayhem chockfull of gore and dismemberment. Enter Trog, by Zachary Ashford, a bit of Aussie B-movie schlock in print form from Unnerving Books, a release that would have been right at home in their now-defunct line of yesteryear-tribute Rewind-or-Die novellas.
Fifteen-year-old Aisha and her family have only just moved into their new and deeply secluded home in the outback when they find themselves under assault by a trio of masked maniacs. As if that weren’t enough, there’s all these strange noises coming from below the house, deep beneath a hidden hatchway that leads into an underground cavern. What else are a bunch of thrill killers to do but investigate and make whatever’s left of everybody’s now much-too-short lives an even bigger hell as they unwittingly let a captured beast loose?
Ashford wastes no time in laying waste to, well, everything. We get a brief set-up involving Trog’s capture and confinement to kick things off, and then it’s off to the races for roughly a hundred pages of gnarly violence and bloody slaughter. The premise is streamlined-simple: take The Strangers, mix in some family dynamics, add in a hungry, hungry cryptid, and presto-chango, Trog.
Viewers of The Strangers will recall the chilling reason for that flick’s psychos terrorizing a young couple as “Because you were home.” Ashford covers similar ground with his thrill killers here, who insist their motives boil down to little more than sheer enjoyment. It’s a way for them to cut loose and party hearty, with their de facto leader explaining to his captive audience, “I want to kill you because it’s fun. This isn’t a political statement. It’s entertainment.”
We eventually learn, of course, that this isn’t quite 100% true, but for the vast majority of Trog it’s easy enough to accept this as a mission statement for both the killers and the book itself. In fact, given recent political turmoils on- and offline, the lack of deep, in-your-face politicization in Trog makes for a welcome, and occasionally cathartic, just-in-time escape from the real-world and its multiplying crises. Still, Ashford subtly weaves in a commentary on naturalism versus capitalism and the war between the haves and have-nots, not to mention those caught in the middle. Trog himself is a monster transformed against his will by another’s pursuit of financial excess, and who finds himself torn by memories of a more natural and peaceful existence against his now-insatiable hunger for human flesh. In the end, money makes destructive, and self-destructive, monsters of us all, even moldy Aussie offshoots of Bigfoot.
Granted, for every moment of potential deep reflection, there’s about a dozen instances of splattery, gore-caked violence, brain slurping, and intestines spilling to keep any potential opining about Marxist philosophy far at bay, all of which is nicely wrapped around a young heroine’s story of trauma survival and unlocking her inner badass. This is, after all, entertainment!
December 13, 2024
Firstly, I want to thank Zachary for sending me an ARC of his upcoming novella.
After a traumatic ordeal in the city, Aisha's parents decide to relocate to a property in the middle of nowhere to keep her out of danger. What they don't know is that something is imprisoned beneath their new house, and that danger isn't limited to the city...
Wow. This novella is an action-packed, chaotic creature feature full of interesting characters, terrifying situations, human monsters, and a Yowie with a taste for human meat.
I had a total blast reading this bloody tale about a teenage girl trying to get over a terrible incident that almost ruined her life. Sometimes a fresh start isn't the answer, but you'll have a great time finding out all the things that can go wrong in the sticks.
I know Trog is a wild, feral creature hellbent on destruction, but I did feel for the beast. Humans have a tendency to make everything worse.
Anyway, this is a great and very cool novella!
After a traumatic ordeal in the city, Aisha's parents decide to relocate to a property in the middle of nowhere to keep her out of danger. What they don't know is that something is imprisoned beneath their new house, and that danger isn't limited to the city...
Wow. This novella is an action-packed, chaotic creature feature full of interesting characters, terrifying situations, human monsters, and a Yowie with a taste for human meat.
I had a total blast reading this bloody tale about a teenage girl trying to get over a terrible incident that almost ruined her life. Sometimes a fresh start isn't the answer, but you'll have a great time finding out all the things that can go wrong in the sticks.
I know Trog is a wild, feral creature hellbent on destruction, but I did feel for the beast. Humans have a tendency to make everything worse.
Anyway, this is a great and very cool novella!
February 11, 2025
Stinging for a monster yarn? Pining for a beaut creature feature? Deadset yearning for the latest from one of Australia's finest purveyors of narky critters novels?
Trog's got you sorted.
Trog is a rip-snorting, hairy-knuckled throwback of a novel without an ounce of fat or a skerrick of mercy. A short, sharp, shock to the system that will almost certainly have you uttering "Strewth" at least once.
If you’re looking for the Antipodean answer to the late, great Guy N. Smith then Zachary Ashford is your man. Get into it, legends.
Trog's got you sorted.
Trog is a rip-snorting, hairy-knuckled throwback of a novel without an ounce of fat or a skerrick of mercy. A short, sharp, shock to the system that will almost certainly have you uttering "Strewth" at least once.
If you’re looking for the Antipodean answer to the late, great Guy N. Smith then Zachary Ashford is your man. Get into it, legends.
November 18, 2024
*Huge thanks to Zachary for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*
While completely unrelated to Eddie Generous’ ‘Terror at Back Woods Lodge,’ Ashford’s newest can be seen an a thematic companion to that novella, both through cover art styling, but also content. This could be an indication of things to come for ‘Unnerving,’ or, rather, if you know both of those authors, it could simply be that they both continue to release super fun, solid, and dark creature-feature releases, though on opposite sides of the world.
I was really intrigued to see what Ashford was going to deliver with this one. After his novellas ‘The Encampment by the Gorge & Blood Memory,’ ‘Sole Survivor’ (one and two!), ‘When the Cicadas Stop Singing,’ and ‘The Morass,’ he took a slight detour with ‘Polyphemus’ when it comes to releasing straight forward creature-features. Not taking anything away from the stunning Faustian novel that is ‘Polyphemus,’ but ‘Trog’ solidifies that when Ashford is describing crazy beasts causing carnage (say that fast three times!) he’s in his wheelhouse and ‘Trog’ certainly cements his place as the reigning Outback Creature-Feature leader (again, three times, say it, like super fast!).
What I liked: The story follows a mom, dad and teen daughter, Aisha, who’ve moved to the countryside to get away from the ‘dangers of the city,’ Classic set up. In this case, there was an incident where a man broke into their house and terrified the daughter. He then stalks her, traumatizing the family. Dad, decides to take them away from that and start anew.
But this is a horror story and as such, doesn’t realize what the history of the house is. A famed/mythical person, Shackleton, used to own the property many, many years ago. Deep in the bowels of a forgotten cave, he’s captured and trapped a Yowie, he’s named Trog. The plan had been to exhibit the beast and make millions.
The crux of the story takes place over one night, when Aisha’s parents go out for dinner, leaving her alone. Three masked robbers arrive, wanting to steal, torture and kill whoever is at home.
Ashford sets this up nicely and, as you can predict, along the way, Trog gets free. The story is really fun up until that moment, but as soon as Trog breaks free from his cage, the shit hits the fan, the heads start flying (even just look at the cover art!) and it becomes a matter of who’ll be standing when we see the words THE END.
I’ve always been a big fan of Ashford’s action-based terror. He seems to be writing at his best when the antagonist is eight feet tall (or taller/longer) and the humans within the book become their target. We also get a lot of layered emotions within this. A dad and mom feeling guilt over what’s happened to their daughter. A dad and mom feeling guilt over going out for dinner when the three scum bags arrive. And later on, we see how those who survive have to deal with life without those who don’t.
The ending and epilogue were great and it does leave the door open for a follow up, should Ashford decide to return us to a story involving Yowie’s.
What I didn’t like: The only thing that really stood out for me was that when the trio moved to the home, the mom and dad scoffed and ignored Aisha when she was telling them she was hearing something from below the house. After having just gone through an incident involving a horrible person and their daughter, and the fact that they moved to try and get away from everything involved, the idea that they wouldn’t listen to her was a bit suspect on my end.
Why you should buy this: As I mentioned earlier, Ashford is easily the current King of Aussie Outback Creature Features. Yes, Baxter and Chapman and Murray and Davis and etc. etc. etc. write creature features, but they also move fluidly through cult fiction and cosmic horror and grief horror and etc. etc. etc. None of them have put out release after release at such high regard as Ashford and having them focused around creature features. So, if you’re looking for a fun, insane big Yowie book, this is perfect. If you’re a bigfoot fan, cryptid fan, or simply love home invasion books gone wrong, look no further.
Ashford is a writer who always brings his best to the table and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a surge in Yowie books after this one arrives.
While completely unrelated to Eddie Generous’ ‘Terror at Back Woods Lodge,’ Ashford’s newest can be seen an a thematic companion to that novella, both through cover art styling, but also content. This could be an indication of things to come for ‘Unnerving,’ or, rather, if you know both of those authors, it could simply be that they both continue to release super fun, solid, and dark creature-feature releases, though on opposite sides of the world.
I was really intrigued to see what Ashford was going to deliver with this one. After his novellas ‘The Encampment by the Gorge & Blood Memory,’ ‘Sole Survivor’ (one and two!), ‘When the Cicadas Stop Singing,’ and ‘The Morass,’ he took a slight detour with ‘Polyphemus’ when it comes to releasing straight forward creature-features. Not taking anything away from the stunning Faustian novel that is ‘Polyphemus,’ but ‘Trog’ solidifies that when Ashford is describing crazy beasts causing carnage (say that fast three times!) he’s in his wheelhouse and ‘Trog’ certainly cements his place as the reigning Outback Creature-Feature leader (again, three times, say it, like super fast!).
What I liked: The story follows a mom, dad and teen daughter, Aisha, who’ve moved to the countryside to get away from the ‘dangers of the city,’ Classic set up. In this case, there was an incident where a man broke into their house and terrified the daughter. He then stalks her, traumatizing the family. Dad, decides to take them away from that and start anew.
But this is a horror story and as such, doesn’t realize what the history of the house is. A famed/mythical person, Shackleton, used to own the property many, many years ago. Deep in the bowels of a forgotten cave, he’s captured and trapped a Yowie, he’s named Trog. The plan had been to exhibit the beast and make millions.
The crux of the story takes place over one night, when Aisha’s parents go out for dinner, leaving her alone. Three masked robbers arrive, wanting to steal, torture and kill whoever is at home.
Ashford sets this up nicely and, as you can predict, along the way, Trog gets free. The story is really fun up until that moment, but as soon as Trog breaks free from his cage, the shit hits the fan, the heads start flying (even just look at the cover art!) and it becomes a matter of who’ll be standing when we see the words THE END.
I’ve always been a big fan of Ashford’s action-based terror. He seems to be writing at his best when the antagonist is eight feet tall (or taller/longer) and the humans within the book become their target. We also get a lot of layered emotions within this. A dad and mom feeling guilt over what’s happened to their daughter. A dad and mom feeling guilt over going out for dinner when the three scum bags arrive. And later on, we see how those who survive have to deal with life without those who don’t.
The ending and epilogue were great and it does leave the door open for a follow up, should Ashford decide to return us to a story involving Yowie’s.
What I didn’t like: The only thing that really stood out for me was that when the trio moved to the home, the mom and dad scoffed and ignored Aisha when she was telling them she was hearing something from below the house. After having just gone through an incident involving a horrible person and their daughter, and the fact that they moved to try and get away from everything involved, the idea that they wouldn’t listen to her was a bit suspect on my end.
Why you should buy this: As I mentioned earlier, Ashford is easily the current King of Aussie Outback Creature Features. Yes, Baxter and Chapman and Murray and Davis and etc. etc. etc. write creature features, but they also move fluidly through cult fiction and cosmic horror and grief horror and etc. etc. etc. None of them have put out release after release at such high regard as Ashford and having them focused around creature features. So, if you’re looking for a fun, insane big Yowie book, this is perfect. If you’re a bigfoot fan, cryptid fan, or simply love home invasion books gone wrong, look no further.
Ashford is a writer who always brings his best to the table and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a surge in Yowie books after this one arrives.
February 15, 2025
WOW! The best creature feature I've read in a long time.
This book is action packed and fast paced with no filler, and is an outstanding example of everything you want in a creature feature.
It has a creature that is awe inspiring in it's power and brutality, with some creative and gory kills, leaving you equally impress and nauseous. And finally some characters you look forward to getting killed, and others you hope survive.
But make no mistake Trog isn't just another mindless animal, he thinks and he is pissed and out for revenge, revenge that will only be satisfied with copious amounts of blood and carnage.
If you like Guy N Smith's Crabs series, or moves such as Dog Soldiers or Deep Blue Sea, that you will love this.
This book is action packed and fast paced with no filler, and is an outstanding example of everything you want in a creature feature.
It has a creature that is awe inspiring in it's power and brutality, with some creative and gory kills, leaving you equally impress and nauseous. And finally some characters you look forward to getting killed, and others you hope survive.
But make no mistake Trog isn't just another mindless animal, he thinks and he is pissed and out for revenge, revenge that will only be satisfied with copious amounts of blood and carnage.
If you like Guy N Smith's Crabs series, or moves such as Dog Soldiers or Deep Blue Sea, that you will love this.
November 4, 2024
Delivers exactly what the cover promises…
Zachary Ashford delivers a blood-soaked cryptid masterclass with this one. Buckle yourself in for a frenzied home invasion story with a twist…the twist being one bloody big Yowie (that’s Sasquatch/ Bigfoot to you and me) lurking in the tunnels under the house.
Bloody, brutal and batshit crazy, I loved it!
Zachary Ashford delivers a blood-soaked cryptid masterclass with this one. Buckle yourself in for a frenzied home invasion story with a twist…the twist being one bloody big Yowie (that’s Sasquatch/ Bigfoot to you and me) lurking in the tunnels under the house.
Bloody, brutal and batshit crazy, I loved it!
February 7, 2025
This book is soooo much fun. It has all the elements needed for a great creature feature. The bad guys get exactly what they deserve. I must admit I found myself rooting for Trog all the way through this book. Even when he was going absolutely postal. The way this author writes creature based books is bloody awesome and this book is just another example of that.
Read
April 7, 2025The antipodean sasquatch
Full review at MonsterBookClub
Full review at MonsterBookClub
September 24, 2025
My scoring system
⭐ Don't quit your day job
⭐⭐ It was tough to finish
⭐⭐⭐ A solid read
⭐⭐⭐⭐ That was fun!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I need more. If you don't give it, I'm going to kidnap you Misery-style, without shattering your ankles, of course.
You won't find a lot of horror novels on the Yowie. There's Luka T. Jacobs who features Bigfoot's Australian cousin in a few novels, but here we have another example.... Make that Bigfoot's somewhat deranged Australian cousin. 😉
Trog is a compact but thrilling read. There's plenty of gore, it's well written and the dialogue is fun (especially when reading it in your head in an Australian accent 😉).
It can be difficult coming up with something original in this subgenre, but it certainly is the case here. Apart from a few questionable elements in the more emotional side of the story and dialogue, this was a refreshing and fun experience.
⭐ Don't quit your day job
⭐⭐ It was tough to finish
⭐⭐⭐ A solid read
⭐⭐⭐⭐ That was fun!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I need more. If you don't give it, I'm going to kidnap you Misery-style, without shattering your ankles, of course.
You won't find a lot of horror novels on the Yowie. There's Luka T. Jacobs who features Bigfoot's Australian cousin in a few novels, but here we have another example.... Make that Bigfoot's somewhat deranged Australian cousin. 😉
Trog is a compact but thrilling read. There's plenty of gore, it's well written and the dialogue is fun (especially when reading it in your head in an Australian accent 😉).
It can be difficult coming up with something original in this subgenre, but it certainly is the case here. Apart from a few questionable elements in the more emotional side of the story and dialogue, this was a refreshing and fun experience.
March 4, 2025
Wow, poor Aisha! She really got the short end of the stick here. Her parents move her out to the sticks to try and help her recover from an invasion that she suffered, but unfortunately, they picked the single worst place they could have. A group of thrill invaders are going around small towns terrorizing families and leaving a trail of bodies. On top of that, there's something howling in the caves under the house that wants out.....
I love that whenever I read an Ashford book, I always learn more about Australian folklore and creatures. Having never been there myself, I really enjoy getting to know these stories through the eyes of gory horror! It adds another layer of enjoyment to the read for me and usually sends me down a rabbit hole trying to discover more about these creatures.
Trog was a very quick, very brutal read! I was really pulling for Aisha and her family throughout the book and somewhat impatiently waiting for certain people to get taken out. Aisha had so much good character growth over the book, and I was so happy to see a strong female fighting and doing whatever she had to do to get herself out of a really bad situation!
I love that whenever I read an Ashford book, I always learn more about Australian folklore and creatures. Having never been there myself, I really enjoy getting to know these stories through the eyes of gory horror! It adds another layer of enjoyment to the read for me and usually sends me down a rabbit hole trying to discover more about these creatures.
Trog was a very quick, very brutal read! I was really pulling for Aisha and her family throughout the book and somewhat impatiently waiting for certain people to get taken out. Aisha had so much good character growth over the book, and I was so happy to see a strong female fighting and doing whatever she had to do to get herself out of a really bad situation!
June 10, 2025
I'm, admittedly, a fan of all things Zachary Ashford, at least from what I've read so far, so of course I snatched this up as soon as I had the chance.
This book is so much fun. It's a subgenre mashup in the best way, turning a simple home invasion horror into a chaotic romp through the night. There's plenty of violence and gore spattered on the pages, with a couple of deaths being particularly memorable. (I'm going to have a few images imprinted on my brain for a long time!)
It's also a straightforward tale, what you see on the tin is exactly what you're going to get. Which, with the uncertainty going on in my neck of the woods, makes this a wonderful comfort read. (Is it weird that I find explicit gore and violence comforting? Oh well.) Girl home alone in a secluded house? Intruders coming to play in the style of The Strangers? Massive Australian Cryptid crashing the party? Check. Check. Check.
Mr. Ashford hasn't steered me wrong yet, and he isn't starting now, so don't sleep on this one! Keep this one on your radar and pick it up when it drops from Unnerving!
This book is so much fun. It's a subgenre mashup in the best way, turning a simple home invasion horror into a chaotic romp through the night. There's plenty of violence and gore spattered on the pages, with a couple of deaths being particularly memorable. (I'm going to have a few images imprinted on my brain for a long time!)
It's also a straightforward tale, what you see on the tin is exactly what you're going to get. Which, with the uncertainty going on in my neck of the woods, makes this a wonderful comfort read. (Is it weird that I find explicit gore and violence comforting? Oh well.) Girl home alone in a secluded house? Intruders coming to play in the style of The Strangers? Massive Australian Cryptid crashing the party? Check. Check. Check.
Mr. Ashford hasn't steered me wrong yet, and he isn't starting now, so don't sleep on this one! Keep this one on your radar and pick it up when it drops from Unnerving!
February 28, 2025
A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
Trog by Zachary Ashford
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com
With plans for a profitable traveling sideshow, Roger Shackleton keeps an imprisoned beast within the tunnels beneath his domicile. Years later…Aisha and her folks purchase a home literally in the middle of nowhere. They are moving away from the city for her father’s job, exploring long-abandoned caves in the area. Meanwhile, a group of demented home invaders seek their next random house. The country was suppose to be a safe place to live, wasn’t it?
Author Zachary Ashford creates a hulking shape that yearns for the taste of man’s flesh and blood. From his dark subterranean imagination, the novel Trog has been released from captivity.
Causing many a bloody crackle and crunch, this gigantic hairy cryptid creature better known as Sasquatch or Yowie, provides a blood-crazed stomping good time. Ashford’s aggressive no holds barred approach to writing is off-the-beaten-path. Primitive violence is one that will not only satisfy within these pages, but will leave you torn like taffy resulting in a pile of reader bones. Trog is a definite sadistic pleasure of the flesh to feast on.
Blending the mysterious Bigfoot folklore with unhinged evil, horrific violence and nightmare images is what Zachary Ashford excels at. What makes this a sweet fictional flavor of fear is the sense of isolation, terrifying characters and an unsettling portrayal of the creature itself. Trog has many shocking and disturbing depictions that is bound to leave horrific footprints upon the mind.
When your heart beats faster and the pleas become screams…to avoid fainting, keep repeating…it’s only a book…only a book…only a book…only a book. A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
Trog by Zachary Ashford
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com
With plans for a profitable traveling sideshow, Roger Shackleton keeps an imprisoned beast within the tunnels beneath his domicile. Years later…Aisha and her folks purchase a home literally in the middle of nowhere. They are moving away from the city for her father’s job, exploring long-abandoned caves in the area. Meanwhile, a group of demented home invaders seek their next random house. The country was suppose to be a safe place to live, wasn’t it?
Author Zachary Ashford creates a hulking shape that yearns for the taste of man’s flesh and blood. From his dark subterranean imagination, the novel Trog has been released from captivity.
Causing many a bloody crackle and crunch, this gigantic hairy cryptid creature better known as Sasquatch or Yowie, provides a blood-crazed stomping good time. Ashford’s aggressive no holds barred approach to writing is off-the-beaten-path. Primitive violence is one that will not only satisfy within these pages, but will leave you torn like taffy resulting in a pile of reader bones. Trog is a definite sadistic pleasure of the flesh to feast on.
Blending the mysterious Bigfoot folklore with unhinged evil, horrific violence and nightmare images is what Zachary Ashford excels at. What makes this a sweet fictional flavor of fear is the sense of isolation, terrifying characters and an unsettling portrayal of the creature itself. Trog has many shocking and disturbing depictions that is bound to leave horrific footprints upon the mind.
When your heart beats faster and the pleas become screams…to avoid fainting, keep repeating…it’s only a book…only a book…only a book…only a book. A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.
July 8, 2025
Trog is a beast of a novella. A gruesome, gory creature feature that comes at you like a freight train and doesn't let up until the end.
Decades ago, a Yowie was lured into an underground tunnel and caged. The man responsible tried to tame it but got too close to the cage one fateful day and was torn apart and eaten by the creature he'd named Trog. Now, Trog is trapped, living off any living thing venturing down there. But he now has a taste for human flesh, blood, and brains.
In the present, a mother, father, and teenage daughter move into an older home in the country. They hear noises at night, growling and thumping, but don't give it much thought. One night, a group of psycho thrill killers invade their home. Hearing these noises, they decide to see what's underneath the house before torturing and killing the family. When Trog escapes, all hell will break loose.
This novella is bloody, full of gory action, and a lot of gruesome deaths. We get to see things from the perspectives of the family, the psychos, and even Trog itself. Can any of them escape the carnage or will the house become a mass grave of body parts and blood? You'll have to read to find out and I highly recommend you do for a no holds barred viscious romp!
Thanks to the author for the copy of this book. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Decades ago, a Yowie was lured into an underground tunnel and caged. The man responsible tried to tame it but got too close to the cage one fateful day and was torn apart and eaten by the creature he'd named Trog. Now, Trog is trapped, living off any living thing venturing down there. But he now has a taste for human flesh, blood, and brains.
In the present, a mother, father, and teenage daughter move into an older home in the country. They hear noises at night, growling and thumping, but don't give it much thought. One night, a group of psycho thrill killers invade their home. Hearing these noises, they decide to see what's underneath the house before torturing and killing the family. When Trog escapes, all hell will break loose.
This novella is bloody, full of gory action, and a lot of gruesome deaths. We get to see things from the perspectives of the family, the psychos, and even Trog itself. Can any of them escape the carnage or will the house become a mass grave of body parts and blood? You'll have to read to find out and I highly recommend you do for a no holds barred viscious romp!
Thanks to the author for the copy of this book. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
February 25, 2025
I received an ARC copy of this book. That has not influenced my review.
Trog is a strong creature feature, with a unique Australian setting. The creature and how it came to be where it was, the family discovering it, all of that was well done, with the set up not being drawn out. But Trog is not the only bad guy - there are also the home invaders.
That was what I found to be the biggest issue - they felt stereotypical and almost cartoonishly bad. The family and the monster were well-painted characters in the story, but those three just felt a little too unreal.
However, the final third of the book, a fight for survival from too many sides, are so well written - and written visually - that even that was shunted to one side. It is hard to put the book down at the end as you just want to find out what happens. And I love the ending.
So, a strong book and perfect for those who like their cryptid horror gory. Recommended, for sure.
Trog is a strong creature feature, with a unique Australian setting. The creature and how it came to be where it was, the family discovering it, all of that was well done, with the set up not being drawn out. But Trog is not the only bad guy - there are also the home invaders.
That was what I found to be the biggest issue - they felt stereotypical and almost cartoonishly bad. The family and the monster were well-painted characters in the story, but those three just felt a little too unreal.
However, the final third of the book, a fight for survival from too many sides, are so well written - and written visually - that even that was shunted to one side. It is hard to put the book down at the end as you just want to find out what happens. And I love the ending.
So, a strong book and perfect for those who like their cryptid horror gory. Recommended, for sure.
March 4, 2025
An Aussie cryptid creature feature not to be missed, this is a brutal tale that brings to life a cryptid resembling the sasquatch but on steroids and far meaner.
The story follows a teenager Aisha and her parents who have just relocated from Brisbane, into a remote house in the wilderness for work related reasons. Little do they know that below them, a creature lays in wait trapped beneath in a cavern that had been build by an eccentric businessman, long since dead who had planned to create a travelling sideshow with the creature he dubbed as "Trog" as the star.
Surviving on the animals it can get its hands on in the cave, the creature waits for an opportunity to escape. That opportunity comes when a band of demented criminals arrive to have their twisted fun with the inhabitants of the house. Curious as to what the sounds they hear are beneath the house, they unwittingly unleash it upon the world and what follows is brutal, gruesome and uncompromising.
The writing is fantastic and while the book is short, it still captures emotional moments with the family while contrasting it with the sick and twisted nature of the criminals and the terror of Trog as unleashes his pent up anger and hate on the humans.
If you're a fan of creature features, then you'll love this one.
The story follows a teenager Aisha and her parents who have just relocated from Brisbane, into a remote house in the wilderness for work related reasons. Little do they know that below them, a creature lays in wait trapped beneath in a cavern that had been build by an eccentric businessman, long since dead who had planned to create a travelling sideshow with the creature he dubbed as "Trog" as the star.
Surviving on the animals it can get its hands on in the cave, the creature waits for an opportunity to escape. That opportunity comes when a band of demented criminals arrive to have their twisted fun with the inhabitants of the house. Curious as to what the sounds they hear are beneath the house, they unwittingly unleash it upon the world and what follows is brutal, gruesome and uncompromising.
The writing is fantastic and while the book is short, it still captures emotional moments with the family while contrasting it with the sick and twisted nature of the criminals and the terror of Trog as unleashes his pent up anger and hate on the humans.
If you're a fan of creature features, then you'll love this one.
July 24, 2025
4.5/5
I loved the Australian setting and I got really strong vibes if You’re Next, which was cool. I was tossing up between a 4 and 5 because there were a couple of things that bugged me about Aisha’s reaction to her mother’s death. I also felt it took a bit too long to get to the real juicy, gory action, but once it arrived, it didn’t slow down!!
An excellent, fun read, and am so happy to see some Yowie rep!
I loved the Australian setting and I got really strong vibes if You’re Next, which was cool. I was tossing up between a 4 and 5 because there were a couple of things that bugged me about Aisha’s reaction to her mother’s death. I also felt it took a bit too long to get to the real juicy, gory action, but once it arrived, it didn’t slow down!!
An excellent, fun read, and am so happy to see some Yowie rep!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2025
There’s a lot of primal rage in this pint-sized novel. Awesome rural setting with a creepy, cavernous basement. Kick ass nu metal references, too. I hope that Trog returns in the near future.
April 3, 2025
Review to come.
November 29, 2025
Fast and nasty monster thriller.
February 8, 2025
I am always really affected by home invasion horror. I also love Bigfoot and anything to do with the creature. I was hoping this novel would be a winner when I found it and I’m happy to report that it was. This novel is brutal. The creature takes no prisoners. Both. The victims and the villains are not spared. This was a great story that I highly enjoyed reading.
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