Blood Orange

by Mars Adler

Art student Graham Ellis is focused on making it through the semester and paying his bills when old enemy Eva Haddon returns to the neighborhood he grew up in. Graham has had a bone to pick with the Haddons ever since they tore down the affordable housing units and undeveloped land behind it that he grew up in. He becomes obsessed with trying to stop her from finishing what her father started ten years ago.

What he doesn’t expect is help from a mysterious figure who calls themself the Caretaker. They claim that they can drive Eva and her family away once and for all, but they need Graham’s help. Despite his reservations, Graham follows their nonsensical instructions and waits for something to happen, but as time passes, all he notices is the strange way the plants are growing around Eva’s house and that the mysterious Caretaker is nowhere to be found to finish the plan.

But there’s something darker lurking, in Graham’s own memory and what he recalls from the years before he left the suburbs and moved to the city. As he struggles to piece together everything that doesn’t make sense, he will have to choose between two worlds: his, and the Caretaker’s.

This 26,000 word novella is a dark paranormal romance with horror elements that isn't suitable for anyone under the age of 18. Please read the content warnings before purchasing.

Genres: Horror, Romance

106 pages, ebook

Published May 31, 2025

About the author

mars adler is a queer and trans author in their mid-twenties. they currently reside on the side of a mountain in Colorado with their dog, and unfortunately hold a corporeal form. they write speculative fiction with a focus on things that terrify them (absolutely everything), and morally grey queer characters. when not writing, they can be found painting, making tea, and trying to become part of the forest on hikes.

Reviews

[Teru · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐

When in need of some cleansing, I often go for a queer spicy horror (doesn’t that sound ironic?). Mars Adler proved themselves reliable in that category, so I didn’t even read the blurb of Blood Orange properly. I expected some body horror, delightfully atmospheric writing, and an unhinged plot.

What I got on top of all that was a beautiful love story that smacked me with emotions, and some hot, sensual, tender sex as a bonus! Just...woah 👀

I wouldn’t put this in a horror category exactly, more like a dark queer novella with some urban legend vibes (Fae!) and horrific botanical imagery.

And the sex, guys 😳 Think our trans MMC with a nonbinary Fae who has a ridged cock that slides out of their slit. Hot, I’m telling you! But also emotionally satisfying. Which, for a novella I thought would be pure horror mindfuckery, is impressive.

”Edan thrusts into him and Graham keens, high-pitched and punched out. They do it again, and again, until there’s a rhythm building, until Graham’s eyes roll back in his head. He could get addicted to this. He could stay seated on Edan’s cock for the rest of his goddamn life and still leave unsated."

I won’t spoil the plot because it’s best to go in fairly blind, but I’ll say this - there is something incredibly satisfying about a pent-up rage finally bubbling over - be it human or nature in origin. And where Fair Folk are involved, you know it won’t end in anything but blood. Yet another story that makes me nervously side-eye my plants.

I would’ve appreciated a bit more - of everything, I guess, but that’s what you get in a novella format. Now I crave some proper Fae story.

[Smutty Sully]

On sale for $1.50 through 31 July.

mars adler is one of many queer authors and artists that itch.io fucked over by removing their work. Queer indie artists have lost their income from itch, their books have gotten yanked, books people have purchased have been deleted from the purchaser's dashboard (means you can't download what you bought), all because an Australian anti-porn extremist group (Collective Shout) got MasterCard and Visa to cater to their moral panic.

Now is a great time to support indie authors by buying from them directly and to give your middle finger to censorship.






Tags and CWs may contain spoilers, don't read below this line if you want to avoid that.




Tags: Dark PNR romance w/horror elements, urban fairytale novella, MX, T4T, friends-to-lovers, eco horror, body horror, trans sculptor/NBi changeling pairing, butterflies, cock pocket, repressed memories, evil people get what they deserve (just deserts), mars-typical weird wanking scenes, HEA


Author's CWs (graphic & spoilery): on-page and off-page murder, violence, harm to a child that leads to death (off page, past), graphic blood and gore (including impalement), graphic body horror, destruction of natural landscape, misuse of a comatose body (non-sexual), graphic description of animal harm (bugs and mammals), past transphobia and misgendering, poverty, past child neglect, past off-page bullying, depictions of grief and loss, consent issues due to a character having temporary amnesia, pica
MC Names: Graham & Edan

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! Why get bitter with revenge when you can make it taste sweet instead?

Humming with the kind of drive-you-insane fae magic I hunger for, and funnily enough so does Graham Ellis. Bloody and sweet and sad and very angry, this is for forest-dwelling whimsy children who grew up and decided they wanted the forest to eat them (out) instead. With a dash of corporate and industrial revenge on the side.

[Leigh Gaskill · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my top Mars reads. Love it. Who doesn’t love REVENGEEEEEE!

[Megan Burhop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily my favorite Mars Adler so far. I have adored all of their work but this one was something special, eco horror, fey, body horror what more could I want! It was gorgeous and haunting.

[the.aquarius.booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED IT. Mars Adler is one of my favorite authors. I've read and loved every book. I don't know if I could even pick a favorite; that's how exquisite the writing is to me.
I swooned HARD during Blood Orange; it was perfectttt. Im spoiling nothing for you. read it and discover the magic of Mars Adler's writing for yourself.
* Before reading, make sure to check your cw to decide if this book is right for you.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

fae and body horror what more could i want

[india :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a good mix of creepy and sexyyyyyy yessss. i love the reveal that the caretaker was actually Edan who Graham had such important ties too in childhood. I love that once those memories were recovered, that gnawing part of Graham that made him feel empty, was filled. Remembering his found family and rediscovering Edan filled that emptiness and it was so beautiful. Giving Graham the gift of sculpture that helped him forward his life and then using it to meld Eva into the tree which in turn released Edan from the grounds was so full circle. Also Edan sounds gorgeoussss. Thank god they fucked at the end, I would have been do disappointed. and their connection was just so awesome and even though Edan is not human, they still got nervous being naked and admitting feelings it was just so sweet. I'm really picking up that all of Mars' books have some connection to the environment. The whole plan of stopping the gentrification and deforestation of this neighborhood was awesome and the way the plants took over the house and the bloodsucking butterflies. I thought it was so cute that during the kisses along the way, Edan had also been saving Graham from the harm of the orange and oranges seed by licking off the juices. Perfect ending that the fuckass dad gets sent an orange and also dies.

Quotes:
- ' "I've wanted you," Edan says, gripping tight onto Graham's hips and guiding him deeper, into a faster rhythm. "From the moment I knew what wanting you meant." '

[Natalie Sypeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautiful story by this author, very quickly falling in love with their writing style. This book did a great job of exploring the pain caused by destruction of nature for human greed, but also how human greed hurts people, especially those of lower incomes. When this company came in to make the suburbs, they didn't only chase out the animals, they also chased away those living in the low income housing that was previously there. I think this story really gives a good view of how selfish and destructive a lot of wealthy and powerful people can be, but it also shows the power of nature and its ability to reclaim what has been taken.

I would consider this a slower paced story, the plot was simple but effect. I enjoyed our MC and those final moments they had with their woodland creature of a boo had me feeling giddy :) This book did have a fae element to it, which I usually don't do well with, but I think the author was able to write the fae creatures in a way I enjoyed!

Rep: Trans (male), non-binary, queer

The author lists all trigger warnings at the start of the book, but a few big ones; death of both humans and animals, depictions of poverty, explicit sex scenes

[Cheeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[DaniPhantom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A T4T romance mixed with an urban fantasy?!? I’m in heaven. Somehow this was such a good & fleshed-out (ha get it) in less than 150 pages!!

[Ris · Rating 3 out of 5]

freaky horny botanical lgbtq+ horror is always a good time