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Hallowed Be Thy Gore
No one at Oakwood Baptist finds it strange when the new Reverend opens a doorway to heaven in the basement supply closet. They rejoice as thick clouds of fog wrap around their bodies, escorting them to the pearly gates.
Only Mike smells the rot brewing downstairs. Only he sees the vacant, glassy eyes of the congregation. Only he knows that whatever waits beyond that door isn’t paradise.
And the Reverend won’t stop until Mike steps through next.
Nicholas Gordon's debut novella is an unrelenting assault of blasphemous depravity.
Only Mike smells the rot brewing downstairs. Only he sees the vacant, glassy eyes of the congregation. Only he knows that whatever waits beyond that door isn’t paradise.
And the Reverend won’t stop until Mike steps through next.
Nicholas Gordon's debut novella is an unrelenting assault of blasphemous depravity.
- GenresHorrorSplatterpunk
Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2025
15 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Gordon
3 books12 followersNicholas Gordon is a horror author who has been trapped in the Nightmare Realm since 1954. Known for his outlandish concepts, he often visits the dreams of others to find inspiration for his stories. When he’s not writing, he enjoys listening to opera and motivational speakers. He has somehow acquired a cellphone, and you can find updates on his latest projects on Instagram @nicholasgordonwrites
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 8, 2025
I was pleasantly surprised by this one, I went in not expecting much, I knew it was recommended based on other books by authors who hang out in r/ExtremeHorrorLit so I gave it a go. It's gruesome in a way that's not goofy (well except for one scene in particular that was kind of goofy but in a way that felt intentional) and I surprised myself by getting really invested in the main character's journey and really feeling for him. It was a solid if incredibly bleak story.
March 2, 2025
If you read one extreme horror this year, make it this one. It made me absolutely convinced being an atheist is the right choice. Organised religion is nothing more than a cult.
February 25, 2025
If you’re looking for religious horror portraying how corrupt the church and its cult leaders can be then this is the book for you! This book was 100% action all the way through. From the vile events that took place, an evil reverend hellbent on brain-washing his followers and stealing their money to a supernatural demon of sorts with a giant peen👀 but this isn’t the fun kind. No siree. Once you get sent to “heaven” you’re fucked.
Loads of Gore and bodily fluids in this one guysss😅
I laughed my ass off quite a bit during this one too😂
Nicholas did a phenomenal job crafting this one! He really delivered a top notch powerful, horrific and disgusting story. Extreme Horror fans need to add this one to their TBR ASAP.
Also, can we have a moment for Mike? Poor guy.
Hallowed Be Thy Gore releases on February 28th, 2025.
Loads of Gore and bodily fluids in this one guysss😅
I laughed my ass off quite a bit during this one too😂
Nicholas did a phenomenal job crafting this one! He really delivered a top notch powerful, horrific and disgusting story. Extreme Horror fans need to add this one to their TBR ASAP.
Also, can we have a moment for Mike? Poor guy.
Hallowed Be Thy Gore releases on February 28th, 2025.
March 1, 2025
A gore-filled religious horror with the conservative Oakwood Baptist church begging to be put in the closet!
A two sitting read for me. Some tough content, but some cool underlying symbolism. Haven’t been this uncomfortable with a story world for some time. You know something is wrong, you think you know what is wrong, and you think “surely it’s not going to go there” - but it does and it’s wonderful.
I was given an ARC of this book by its lovely author, but am writing this review willingly after enjoying it so much.
A two sitting read for me. Some tough content, but some cool underlying symbolism. Haven’t been this uncomfortable with a story world for some time. You know something is wrong, you think you know what is wrong, and you think “surely it’s not going to go there” - but it does and it’s wonderful.
I was given an ARC of this book by its lovely author, but am writing this review willingly after enjoying it so much.
April 16, 2025
(4.5 stars rounded up) I had the absolute pleasure of reading this novel after being sent it by the author. (Thank you Mr. Gordon! And shoutout r/extremehorrorlit 🫡) This novel had a wonderful blend of dread, gore and blasphemy. I loved the way the creature is described and the subtle digs at the republican and conservative party by making it an elephant-like man. The cult undertones are wonderfully written, and I really appreciated how fully human everything was. No mass hypnosis or anything, just pure human hysteria and cult following. The ending was beautifully written and the more I think on it the more I love it. At first I was against the idea of christians agreeing to crucify someone who they perceived as evil; but the more I thought about the idea of Mike, our misunderstood savior, being crucified the irony and parallels suddenly hit me. Beautifully written extreme religious horror, and I would definitely recommend it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2025
It's been awhile since a story has left me feeling nihilistic and upset for all the right reasons, I loved the use of blind faith and religious fanaticism. This book is filled with blood, anger and other gory goodness
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2025
if you're looking for a quick gruesome read that will leave you thinking after you're finished. Hallowed Be Thy Gore is the book for you. There are several trigger warnings here but if you're searching for this title I'm sure you're already aware of them.
The story starts off with a small church full of believers, a church goer that has his doubts, and a new pastor that has taken over after a peepee toucher scandal.
The new pastor is not exactly what he claims to be, he has a gift to "send people to heaven". Not metaphorically, but literally. He has the entire congregation believing that he is spoken to by god to send someone to heaven, not just once or twice, but every frigging week!!!!
This story is batshit crazy and I loved every minute of it, the monster is horrifying, and once it is revealed what exactly the wet substance felt in the closet is, haha I'll leave it at that. It's great.
This is the first book I have read by this Author and I was given an eARC to read and I'm glad I did, definitely going to be following Nicholas Gordon from here on out.
The story starts off with a small church full of believers, a church goer that has his doubts, and a new pastor that has taken over after a peepee toucher scandal.
The new pastor is not exactly what he claims to be, he has a gift to "send people to heaven". Not metaphorically, but literally. He has the entire congregation believing that he is spoken to by god to send someone to heaven, not just once or twice, but every frigging week!!!!
This story is batshit crazy and I loved every minute of it, the monster is horrifying, and once it is revealed what exactly the wet substance felt in the closet is, haha I'll leave it at that. It's great.
This is the first book I have read by this Author and I was given an eARC to read and I'm glad I did, definitely going to be following Nicholas Gordon from here on out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2025
A solid read. very original concept and well written once when things took off i really couldnt put it down i just had to know what the hell is going on ! in my personal opinion the gore aspect was not to much i was expecting a lot more but enjoyed what i got nonetheless!! Thanks to the author for letting me be a ARC reader :) Did a great job writing and hope to see more of your works in the future!
March 18, 2025
Some kids get into a wardrobe to get to Narnia but these people get into a closet to get to Heaven.
Hallowed be thy gore takes us to a small town that was blessed by a Reverend with the power to send people to heaven.
Anyone can be selected and they only have to step into a closet and up they go. But Mike finds all this odd and decides to check what’s so special about this piece of furniture.
What he finds it’s not for the faint of heart.
These people are like sheep on their way to the slaughter and Mike is the only one that can see it.
So if you’re after a thought provoking book, filled with gore… this is the one to read.
Less than 200 pages that will fly by, and a very unhinged ending.
… and I will never forget Beth in the yellow dress ready for the best time of her life.
This review and more here:
Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube
Hallowed be thy gore takes us to a small town that was blessed by a Reverend with the power to send people to heaven.
Anyone can be selected and they only have to step into a closet and up they go. But Mike finds all this odd and decides to check what’s so special about this piece of furniture.
What he finds it’s not for the faint of heart.
These people are like sheep on their way to the slaughter and Mike is the only one that can see it.
So if you’re after a thought provoking book, filled with gore… this is the one to read.
Less than 200 pages that will fly by, and a very unhinged ending.
… and I will never forget Beth in the yellow dress ready for the best time of her life.
This review and more here:
Instagram | Tiktok | Youtube
July 31, 2025
Lives up to the genre, Fiction. The church members are hypnotized by the Reverend. Neither the Reverend nor the church members seem to have morality and ethics according to their own humanity, for they only follow what is deemed right or wrong by a higher power. Of course, this higher power is the Reverend. This part especially seems to represent Christians who base their morals on the Bible. They’re willing to kill anyone as long as it is considered righteous according to their leader.
It is also unrealistic how the monster took its time devouring one person when Mike and Ted were forced into the closet, but devoured every one of the church members in minutes. I could be wrong, though, and I probably am.
Now, let’s look at what this book is trying to tell. The antagonist is a religious leader who indoctrinated everyone into committing mass suicide and got away with it. Perhaps it’s trying to bring light to the frequency of these situations and how much of it we’re unaware of.
I must say that these sorts of things do happen. That is because people are stupid and are of a hive mind. They’ll follow anyone as long as they do the thinking for them. Earlier in the day, I watched a video on how cult leaders indoctrinate members simply by talking for hours on end. That is rather convenient for the Reverend, as he quite literally does sermons for a living.
In the end, I’m giving this book 3/5 stars. Although the method our guy uses to kill his victims intrigued me, there is no climax to the story. The plot twist was that the guy got away with it all, at least for me. The ending could have been different, but I’d say it is realistic considering how most cult members have the same ending to them. The scene where the monster fucks Ted’s eyesocket also felt like some sort of kink thingy the author simply included in the story for the sole purpose of wanking it every time he flips to that page. Am I contradicting myself, saying that the ending was a plot twist, but realistic at the same time??
It’s just funny how Reverend does it all, for the sake of sleeping with men’s wives. What does he get out of making that deal with the monster?? It doesn’t bring him the wives or anything. I get it if Reverend took pleasure in indirectly killing people and having the monster clean up the bodies, but no. He’s not even interested in killing people, only sleeping with women. That is the illogical inconsistency I can’t quite fathom.
It is also unrealistic how the monster took its time devouring one person when Mike and Ted were forced into the closet, but devoured every one of the church members in minutes. I could be wrong, though, and I probably am.
Now, let’s look at what this book is trying to tell. The antagonist is a religious leader who indoctrinated everyone into committing mass suicide and got away with it. Perhaps it’s trying to bring light to the frequency of these situations and how much of it we’re unaware of.
I must say that these sorts of things do happen. That is because people are stupid and are of a hive mind. They’ll follow anyone as long as they do the thinking for them. Earlier in the day, I watched a video on how cult leaders indoctrinate members simply by talking for hours on end. That is rather convenient for the Reverend, as he quite literally does sermons for a living.
In the end, I’m giving this book 3/5 stars. Although the method our guy uses to kill his victims intrigued me, there is no climax to the story. The plot twist was that the guy got away with it all, at least for me. The ending could have been different, but I’d say it is realistic considering how most cult members have the same ending to them. The scene where the monster fucks Ted’s eyesocket also felt like some sort of kink thingy the author simply included in the story for the sole purpose of wanking it every time he flips to that page. Am I contradicting myself, saying that the ending was a plot twist, but realistic at the same time??
It’s just funny how Reverend does it all, for the sake of sleeping with men’s wives. What does he get out of making that deal with the monster?? It doesn’t bring him the wives or anything. I get it if Reverend took pleasure in indirectly killing people and having the monster clean up the bodies, but no. He’s not even interested in killing people, only sleeping with women. That is the illogical inconsistency I can’t quite fathom.
March 1, 2025
Well, shit. This was absolutely insane in the best way.
The first thing to note is that this is extreme horror so, just...expect all the horrors to be cranked up to 11. Lots of gore. Lots of...fluids. Not recommended for those with a weak stomach.
A solid religious horror story that creatively addresses the corruption of the church and how fine the line can be between religious leaders and cult leaders. Reverend Victor constantly reminded me of Jim Jones. The congregation was blindly devoted to Reverend Victor and couldn't see anything suspicious about his "miracle".
Hallowed Be Thy Gore has great pace, great tension, a splash of mystery, a dollop of humour, and a big ol' helping of weird-ass-creature doing unspeakable things.
The first thing to note is that this is extreme horror so, just...expect all the horrors to be cranked up to 11. Lots of gore. Lots of...fluids. Not recommended for those with a weak stomach.
A solid religious horror story that creatively addresses the corruption of the church and how fine the line can be between religious leaders and cult leaders. Reverend Victor constantly reminded me of Jim Jones. The congregation was blindly devoted to Reverend Victor and couldn't see anything suspicious about his "miracle".
Hallowed Be Thy Gore has great pace, great tension, a splash of mystery, a dollop of humour, and a big ol' helping of weird-ass-creature doing unspeakable things.
February 26, 2025
A quick fun read of religious horror that does have one cackling in the context of today’s hellscape. A bunch of conservative Christian’s begging to be placed into a closet? Perfection. Fitting. Describes the blindness (and often arrogant, audacious, and hypocritical) nature of religion when it is followed blindly or weaponized to further wholly un-holy agendas. Bonus, the gore was depraved but not over the top.
However, my one frustration was with the protagonist. He is the character in every horror movie/novel/idea that makes you sit at the edge of your seat going - DON’T DO IT. And yet, he does it. Again. And then again. At some point, you lose your patience with him as it feels like he’s begging to be sent off. I wish his actions were more logical. I know, I know, it’s an extreme horror novel - not expecting it to have perfect prose or plot. BUT the repetitiveness of the protagonist’s poor decision making was… difficult to sympathize with.
However, my one frustration was with the protagonist. He is the character in every horror movie/novel/idea that makes you sit at the edge of your seat going - DON’T DO IT. And yet, he does it. Again. And then again. At some point, you lose your patience with him as it feels like he’s begging to be sent off. I wish his actions were more logical. I know, I know, it’s an extreme horror novel - not expecting it to have perfect prose or plot. BUT the repetitiveness of the protagonist’s poor decision making was… difficult to sympathize with.
April 28, 2025
liked the overall message of the evil hidden within organized religion, the execution was a little iffy at times and pretty predictable.
April 16, 2025
Finished reading:
Hallowed be thy gore by Nicholas Gordon
__________
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Pages: 154
Genre: Horror
Trigger Warnings: R*pe, murder, gore, death of child, torture,... please check all trigger warnings before diving into this!
__________
I'll have to be honest, at the beginning of the novella, when I noticed it had a heavy religious tone and it was all set in church, I didn't think I was going to like it.
I don't like to read anything religious or books with religion in them. But, after giving it a shot anyway and continue reading it, it was a really great story.
The Reverend is believed to do a devoted reverend, blessed with the ability to send people straight to heaven! His congregation loves him and will take no negativity about him. Every Sunday, someone gets chosen, to ascend to heaven. They get guided to a closet in the basement of the church, a ritual begins and when it ends, the Reverend opens the door and the person is gone.
However, there is one person that starts to have doubts about what really happens to the people that get sent to heaven, but when he confronts the Reverend or anyone else, it backfires and he soon learns he is alone in his scepticism.
It was a wiiiiild ride and I loved it. Thank you @nicholasgordonwrites for sending me the ARC of this one to read!!
Hallowed be thy gore by Nicholas Gordon
__________
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Pages: 154
Genre: Horror
Trigger Warnings: R*pe, murder, gore, death of child, torture,... please check all trigger warnings before diving into this!
__________
I'll have to be honest, at the beginning of the novella, when I noticed it had a heavy religious tone and it was all set in church, I didn't think I was going to like it.
I don't like to read anything religious or books with religion in them. But, after giving it a shot anyway and continue reading it, it was a really great story.
The Reverend is believed to do a devoted reverend, blessed with the ability to send people straight to heaven! His congregation loves him and will take no negativity about him. Every Sunday, someone gets chosen, to ascend to heaven. They get guided to a closet in the basement of the church, a ritual begins and when it ends, the Reverend opens the door and the person is gone.
However, there is one person that starts to have doubts about what really happens to the people that get sent to heaven, but when he confronts the Reverend or anyone else, it backfires and he soon learns he is alone in his scepticism.
It was a wiiiiild ride and I loved it. Thank you @nicholasgordonwrites for sending me the ARC of this one to read!!
June 14, 2025
Looking for a book that thinks outside of the box? look no further. This one is for you.
A preacher that has not only the ability to send people straight to heaven, he can also make them happy about it and they volunteer to do it willingly..
Yeah, that's the story.
But not everything is as it seems, and one man is on a quest to get the truth.
Oh yeah, and there's gore. Which is always a good thing.
A preacher that has not only the ability to send people straight to heaven, he can also make them happy about it and they volunteer to do it willingly..
Yeah, that's the story.
But not everything is as it seems, and one man is on a quest to get the truth.
Oh yeah, and there's gore. Which is always a good thing.
October 9, 2025
I like horror with a message as much as anyone else, but the way this guy does it is just so over the top and tasteless. Its clear that this dude has an axe to grind with Christianity as a whole and has an obvious political agenda (i.e. the whole Republican/Democrat joke which I guess was supposed to be funny?) Also what is the weird fascination with some of these people having a fetish for lopping off genitals? Pretty telling if you ask me. As someone who himself has a somewhat negative view of organized religion in certain aspects, this guy was about as subtle as a train car in a library. His whole message in this book was simply this, Christianity=Icky Bad. Who hurt you bro? Pretentious, preachy, caricature laden, outdated dribble.
September 13, 2025
I loved this book. It was dark and creative, and it managed to blend atmosphere and tension wonderfully.
Nicholas Gordon wrote a bold story that felt both new and timeless, while still crafting moments that shocked the reader. Hallowed Be Thy Gore was well-paced and chocked full of eerie scenes and imagery. Horror and extreme horror fans should absolutely give this indie author a chance, especially with spooky season right around the corner. :)
Huge thanks to the author for the ARC, and apologies for only now getting the chance to read and review. I hadn’t read any horror this year until this one, and it was a great reminder of why I love this genre.
Nicholas Gordon wrote a bold story that felt both new and timeless, while still crafting moments that shocked the reader. Hallowed Be Thy Gore was well-paced and chocked full of eerie scenes and imagery. Horror and extreme horror fans should absolutely give this indie author a chance, especially with spooky season right around the corner. :)
Huge thanks to the author for the ARC, and apologies for only now getting the chance to read and review. I hadn’t read any horror this year until this one, and it was a great reminder of why I love this genre.
February 26, 2025
a novella that encapsulates the dangers of blind devotion and spiritual psychosis, as well as being a massive metaphor for corruption of the church. mike was extremely relatable; religious doubt, yet still praying to god whilst experiencing incomprehensible trauma. quite literally the christ of the story, attempting to help others see the truth.
bonus points for one well written evil pastor. and big sexy evil monster (WOULD.) (call me) (please) (put me in the closet)
also bonus points for absurd olfactory imagery; i could imagine the smell of everyone and everything throughout the entire story. could basically taste it. man… lovely
bonus points for one well written evil pastor. and big sexy evil monster (WOULD.) (call me) (please) (put me in the closet)
also bonus points for absurd olfactory imagery; i could imagine the smell of everyone and everything throughout the entire story. could basically taste it. man… lovely
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2025
Gore and mysterious. A great splatterpunk.
I enjoyed the ride. I wanted to know what was happening in this Baptist church acting like a sect, ignoring everything that the protagonist sees. And smells. Yep, there is also horror with the smells of... many things.
The title is perfect, gore with sectarian/religious themes.
And the book is easy to read, even for a non English native like me. The writing is fluid (like the fluids. Sorry I had to.) I will definitely read others Nicholas Gordon's books.
I enjoyed the ride. I wanted to know what was happening in this Baptist church acting like a sect, ignoring everything that the protagonist sees. And smells. Yep, there is also horror with the smells of... many things.
The title is perfect, gore with sectarian/religious themes.
And the book is easy to read, even for a non English native like me. The writing is fluid (like the fluids. Sorry I had to.) I will definitely read others Nicholas Gordon's books.
June 14, 2025
If I was to give someone an example of really good splatter punk this would be it. The violence is excessive and its used to illustrate the point (charismatic criminals using religion to brainwash normal people) perfectly. Very relevant in today's world. If you read one splatterpunk book let this be it. I also appreciated how the author didn't make the main character a stoic, grizzled badass. He's just a normal person reacting realistically to a completely messed up and hopeless situation.
July 25, 2025
Wow - this book was such a unique concept to me, and it kept me sucked in, desperate to know what was going to happen next.
Something isn’t right at Oakwood Baptist Church, and you can’t quite put your finger on it. If you think you know what’s happening, you don’t.
Each twist and turn had me gripping the book for dear life as I refused to put it down.
This was a brilliant example of religious extreme horror, and one I think should be on every list of extreme horror must reads!
Something isn’t right at Oakwood Baptist Church, and you can’t quite put your finger on it. If you think you know what’s happening, you don’t.
Each twist and turn had me gripping the book for dear life as I refused to put it down.
This was a brilliant example of religious extreme horror, and one I think should be on every list of extreme horror must reads!
February 26, 2025
Absolutely amazing book! I felt like I was truly inside the book itself and could not put it down. The way the author describes things is truly beautiful. I felt like I was part of the main character. I didn’t want this book to end! The ending was amazing and left me wanting to read more by this author. I highly recommend this if you also like horror books!
January 2, 2026
not scary at all. tries too hard to be "gory" and "horrifying" with the descriptions that it end up being feeling like a poor attempt of a child describing a monster, especially with the repeated mention of the devil's penis and it's repeated movement or how big it is. uninteresting plot and characters. why did i even read this - never trust a random reel recommendation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2025
Awesome piece of religious horror that was right up my alley.
Plenty of grotesque content without going over the top into edgy/fetish territory.
Got vibes of the movies red state/the sacrament with some extra stuff thrown in.
Enjoyed every bit of this and couldn’t stop reading
Plenty of grotesque content without going over the top into edgy/fetish territory.
Got vibes of the movies red state/the sacrament with some extra stuff thrown in.
Enjoyed every bit of this and couldn’t stop reading
August 11, 2025
Insane. 4.5
A disgusting and gore-y book. Check triggers! A crazy religious cult sending people to heaven in a broom closet lolol This was unique and unsettling. I love a well written extreme horror/splat book. I can't wait to see what else u put out, Mr Gordon.
A disgusting and gore-y book. Check triggers! A crazy religious cult sending people to heaven in a broom closet lolol This was unique and unsettling. I love a well written extreme horror/splat book. I can't wait to see what else u put out, Mr Gordon.
September 12, 2025
Very shallow and surface level commentary. It’s way over the top, yet not trying to be played for comedy. Just weird and shallow. It’s the authors first book, so maybe it comes down to that. The ending really jumps the shark.
February 28, 2025
This book had me laugh, raise an eyebrow, and a couple wtf. Loved the religious aspect. Would love to get a prequel on a certain main character.
April 1, 2025
Fun read. You have religion, torture, dead baby and a monster. What more could you ask for in a book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2025
them republicans fantasized that this would happen to them when they told people they weren’t getting a covid vaccine (alternative review: ew???????)
May 24, 2025
I really enjoyed this short story. It definitely gets gory.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews