Flesh and Bone

by Arden Powell

One month ago, Everett did something unforgivable. Now, he and his partner Marshall are paying the price. As they drive their cattle west to a ranch in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, something stalks them under the light of the full moon.

Haunted by a lifetime of shame, Everett’s guilt over what he did with Marshall is coming to eat him alive. Equally dangerous is the monster following him, which will sink its teeth into anything and anyone. After it gores Everett, he begins to feel that same awful hunger for himself. If Everett wants to survive the night, it's not only the monster he needs to fight. It's his own bloodthirsty urges that want to tear him apart. Worse, they’ll tear Marshall apart just as easily.

Marshall would do anything for his best friend, and the man he has secretly loved for years. Now, he doesn’t just have to save Everett from the creature hunting them. He has to save Everett from himself, and that might mean putting a bullet through Everett’s skull before the man he loves becomes something unrecognizably monstrous.

Flesh and Bone is a short, standalone mm horror-romance novella of approximately 13,500 words, set in the Canadian Wild West of 1889.

Genres: Horror, LGBT, Romance, M M Romance, Novella

54 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2025

About the author

Arden Powell (they/them) is a Canadian author and illustrator with stories in Lightspeed Magazine, Baffling Magazine, and Haunt Publishing, and whose books include The Faerie Hounds of York, The Bayou, the Flos Magicae series, and their short story collection, The Carnelian King and Other Stories. A nebulous entity, they live with a senior rescue hound and an exorbitant number of houseplants, and enjoy the company of both.

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Reviews

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set during the 1890s Everett and Marshall are cattle ranchers driving their herd across the Prairies, when their cattle start to be slaughtered by a mysterious creature. It isn't long before Everett and Marshall realise that the creature has turned it's attention towards Everett and Marshall themselves and started hunting them.

At only 54 pages this was always going to struggle to meet it's potential and I definitely feel like that happened here...biting off a bit more than it could chew (iykyk).

I thought the horror element was pretty great, the gore and tension evoked a visceral reaction in me. However, the romance element was a bit undercooked; for a novella it was passable, but if you are looking for the depth and emotional connection you normally get from a full length novel this probably won't satisfy. Its a shame because you can see glimpses of how great the romance could have been, with the (kind-of) childhood friends to lovers elements and Everett processing and coming to terms with his feelings for Marshall, all that angst and longing could have been a tasty treat.

All that being said I did like how the ending came together and the vibes were pretty immaculate. I'm not entirely sure this is a 4 star read but I would be rounding it up anyway so it ultimately doesn't really matter here 😂 and I find myself still impressed at the world created in such a small project.

[Teru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh, this scratched all the itches. Don't know what that says about me, and don't really care. 😌

Flesh and Bone is a queer horror novella bordering on a short story, set in historical Canadian prairies, following two cowboy best friends Everett and Marshall (are they though?). There's also something else following them. Something insidious...and possibly internal.

The writing was, as always, beautiful—lyrical and gritty at the same time. I haven't read any genre by Arden Powell but horror, and I'm not inclined to—this seems to be their true strength, and it speaks to my soul.

But holy shit the story itself was INTENSE. Everett's all-consuming shame and self-loathing regarding his desires were a heavy blanket and a literal beast. I'm not fazed by much regarding body horror anymore (except for anything to do with eyes 👁️), but I admit I was grimacing at some parts - having breakfast while reading this was a choice 😅

The ending was...wow. Cleansing. And I would love more insight into Everett and Marshall's future (and by that I mean I'd love to read about them fucking, guilty as charged), but the conclusion was perfect as it is.

I'll be patiently waiting for more queer horror deliciousness by Arden Powell, that's for sure!

[Arden Powell]

My new book FLESH AND BONE is out today: a queer gothic horror-romance set in 1889 Western Canada, from a queer Canadian author.

This is a short, gory story taking place in the span of a single night as two cowboys—best friends, and something more complicated—are hunted across the Prairies by the physical manifestation of one man's shame and self-loathing. It's a tense, harrowing little story (still a romance though, I promise), and I can't wait until it finds its perfect readers who will love all its dread and viscera (and romance, I really do promise).

Please note: it is quite short at 14,000 words. This is a read-in-one-sitting horror story. Available from Amazon, Kobo and Kobo Plus, Barnes & Noble, Indigo, Smashwords, Apple Books, Itchio, and more.

Content warnings: graphic descriptions of gore and violence, loss of limb, self-harm and self-mutilation including cannibalism, suicide ideation, animal harm to livestock, homophobia including slurs.

[Kalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic. absolutely gut-wrenchingly fantastic

[Kara Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love some queer body horror. This story is short, but it's packed with longing, desire, repression, and gore, plenty of gore. The past has come to haunt Everett, and the only question is, can he and Marshall weather that storm?

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short, very gory gay western, that I wished was a BIT longer, because all of that drama and that horrid gore could have been even better with a bit more story, and to be a bit more invested in both chars.

But even without it, it is fast paced, scary, gory and also surprisingly it has quite more characterization as some other mm-booklength-story has.

Sad there aren't more horro gay western books, it's quite a niche :D

[Sen · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You think we got the devil after us because of what we did?”

★★★

Not Powell's most horrifying work (I'm looking at you, The Bayou), but still packs a punch. The two leads have a lot of history together which we never got to see and this took away a bit from being truly invested in their relationship/survival. Loved the ending and how the destruction of the monster also signified the beginnings of the conquering of queer shame.

— ♩♫♩ ~ The Burrowers

[Ashe Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have no idea what i just read

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

always love when the monster is a physical manifestation of the protagonist’s guilt and shame. THE EVIL CAME FROM WITHIN !!

[Sam Hirst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do enjoy a horror Western but am rarely that into werewolf type stories. This was the exception! I loved it. Gory, horrifying, visceral and strangely poignant. Highly recommended!

[kienn · Rating 5 out of 5]

far out in the canadian wild west. two cowboys. marshall and everett. frequently and secretly fond of each other. except everett is being eaten alive by the hunger inside him.

also a monster is chasing them. some hungry devil.

this novella is short but it sure is a ride.

if you're looking for queer horror, yearning, corruption, and monsters, this is it.
follow everett as he's consumed by the guilt of doing something he shouldn't have with marshall.

the prose and body horror is raw and grotesque. makes the words spin before you until you see red. stomach churning and mind numbing. you will feel just as feverish as everett is.

this is horror. they are cowboys fighting to survive. the romance isn't soft or fluffy, it's gritty, painful, gut wrenching. teeth clenched. guts and gore. queer horror and guilt and internalized homophobia. sickness, grief, terror. the only time they have to breathe is when they have blood in their lungs. they can't get close to each other, and that's the point. the moments they share are poignant. yearning. the softness hides under a layer of grime and guilt. it's built upon the subdued affection and tension of everett's slow corruption. marshall can only watch the horrifying tragedy as it unfolds. ease the pain a little. come to terms with it all.

the ending was shattering. it all melts away.

loved it.

excerpt, pg 14/58
"You think we got the devil after us because of what we did?"
Marshall shook his head and kept cleaning the wound. His hands were shaking; Everett could feel that much. They hadn't been shaking when he'd been working them down the front of Everett's jeans. "This thing's flesh and bone, same as any other animal. This one's just sick or something. It's got a fever in its blood hot enough to boil its brain and drive it crazy, that's all."
Everett swallowed. It tasted grimy, like copper and iron. He brought the flask to his mouth again, hoping to taste Marshall's lips on it. He didn't. "Whatever it's got, you think it's catching?"
"You're already crazy."


if you're not convinced:


watching the man you've fallen for, the man whose skin you're afraid to touch, gnaw off his own arm?

hearing him choke on his own blood, begging you to help him.

shooting the breeze when you know he's gonna meet a fate worse than death. that he might take you down with him, bones and flesh and all.

and the way he looks at you.

cannibalistic desire. queer yearning and the need to consume you. turning him into a monster.

the horror is in his corruption and the hand you have in it. because as he slips away into something animalistic you might have to put him down.

Content warnings: graphic descriptions of gore and violence, loss of limb, self-harm and self-mutilation including cannibalism, suicide ideation, animal harm to livestock, homophobia including slurs.

( Received an advanced reader copy for review. Flesh and Bone, Arden Powell, 3 26 2025. queer mm horror-romance novella, western, canadian wild west )

[Helen Whistberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compact read that packs a mighty punch. Think Brokeback Mountain crossed with Alien and you'll get just a hint of what's on offer here. Marshall and Everett are alone on the trail as they drive a herd west across the Canadian wilderness, but something evil is following them and tearing their cattle to shreds. Is it an animal? A monster? or the personification of one man's guilt and shame?

This story can be enjoyed as a straightforward horror tale but that would be doing an injustice to the layers of meaning and symbolism the author is exploring. The fraught yet tender relationship between the two men remains the focus even as (be warned) intense body horror and gore enter the scene. I would classify this more as a novelette or long short story than a novella, but don't be put off by its length. This is a poignant exploration of homophobia, grief, and ultimately acceptance that uses vivid and unforgettable imagery that will stick with you long after finishing. (Note: I received an advanced reading copy of this title from the author.)

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Story, Great Monster!

I’ll try to be spoiler free, but I really loved the description of the creature’s transformation, as well as the inner turmoil of the characters as it relates to their relationship with each other and within themselves pre and post creature-encounter. The novella is also aptly titled, as we get a generous helping of gore....and I just noticed the cover, dammit it was there the whole time....

[adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this. Absolute perfection, no notes. If you love queer yearning, cowboys, and hauntingly delicious imagery this is for you. The depth this accomplishes in such a short amount of pages is amazing. I was going to say this is one of my favorite reads of the year, but this is one of my favorite reads of all time! PERIOD!

[Georgia C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arden will always manage to amaze me 👏👏👏

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, intensely disturbing and yet somehow tender and hopeful at the same time. A fantastic read!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I missed “horror” in the title, so this one was a bit of a shock.

[Vendetta Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

GNAWING ON THIS BOOK LIKE EVERETT GNAWED ON HIS—[GUNSHOT]

P.S. kissing while covered in blood is peak romance 💖

[jasmin · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a weird little story… not particularly scary but horribly gruesome (especially that scene with Everett alone in the cabin bc wtf).

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

grotesque abd devilishly delightful

[caro_cactus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully gross and cathartic.

[may · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

friends having to face their feelings for eachother while they are being chased by a monster? DELICIOUS and GOD the yearning between them was so good