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Made in Blood
On a routine supply run in post-apocalyptic North America, Julian Doyle and his son Callum get caught in a dust storm with another member of their group, Roy. They find shelter in an old military base that doesn't appear to be on any of their maps, despite being close to well-travelled routes. Everything seems safe despite Julian's initial misgivings, and they agree to stay the night.
Everything goes to plan until Julian wakes in a strange part of the base with even stranger plants, three days missing from his memory and food supply, and Callum acting erratic and feverish. Roy is convinced that there's something horrible happening, and that Callum somehow caused it.
Torn between loyalty to his friend and keeping his son safe at all costs, Julian has to figure out what's wrong with this place, why Callum is acting the way he is, and how he can keep the peace between all three of them.
But there's something hungry and wrong in this abandoned base, something that's changing the world around them, and changing them. They're running out of time to figure out what happened to those who came before, and escape this place with its weird, mutating plants that distort how he feels about his son. Just how far is he willing to go to save Callum?
Everything goes to plan until Julian wakes in a strange part of the base with even stranger plants, three days missing from his memory and food supply, and Callum acting erratic and feverish. Roy is convinced that there's something horrible happening, and that Callum somehow caused it.
Torn between loyalty to his friend and keeping his son safe at all costs, Julian has to figure out what's wrong with this place, why Callum is acting the way he is, and how he can keep the peace between all three of them.
But there's something hungry and wrong in this abandoned base, something that's changing the world around them, and changing them. They're running out of time to figure out what happened to those who came before, and escape this place with its weird, mutating plants that distort how he feels about his son. Just how far is he willing to go to save Callum?
- GenresHorror
129 pages, ebook
Published July 15, 2025
55 people want to read
About the author
Mars Adler
18 books177 followersmars 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.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 20, 2025
Well, I’m sure glad I don’t suffer from trypophobia. Holes were fingered, and not the ones you’re thinking about right now. 👀
Three men - Julian, his son Callum, and Roy - are on a supply run for their safe zone when a severe dust storm forces them to take shelter in an abandoned old army base. The building is slowly being reclaimed by nature, tree roots growing through the concrete, vines eating up the walls. Immediately, Julian feels uneasy, and he’s pretty sure he would rather brave the storm than be there. And, well, maybe he should have listened to his gut feeling.
A shiver runs through Julian as he stands, gun pointed into the pitch blackness and tries to make sense of what he’s hearing. It sounds less like a hum now that he’s down here and more like a groan. Endless, lungless, and so deep that it reverberates through his bones.
This is a trans horror/sci-fi novella set in a post-apocalyptic world, and I have to say, the ominous atmosphere goes from zero to a hundred right from the start. I was tense, gripped by the sense of urgency and desperation to get out of the horrifying situation the characters found themselves in. I had to constantly cover the rest of the text so my eyes wouldn’t skip ahead, and that’s the best kind of reading experience a horror can provide, for me.
The writing style is brilliant, full of vivid descriptions - be it beautifully alien plants and insects, or nausea-inducing body horror. I’m pretty sure Mars Adler is on their way to becoming a household name within this particular genre.
For more than half of the story, it’s straight-up horror. After that, though, shit gets decidedly more surreal, psychedelic... and queer 😳 Check out the CWs on the author’s page, but the most noteworthy to me was probably the father-son incest. But!!! Hear me out! That part of the book was weirdly... tender? Absolutely fucked up because of the circumstances that led to it happening, but... gentle and like it’s supposed to be this way?? Doesn’t make sense unless you read it (which you should do if the genre is your jam!)
Though I’m not sure it’s erotic enough to call it erotica, so don’t expect something horny.
I slept on it, and I’m still not sure what I think about the ending. I think I would’ve preferred to leave some questions unanswered, to keep the atmosphere going, because it unspooled entirely in the end, transporting me from horror to pure sci-fi, however interesting that was.
Three men - Julian, his son Callum, and Roy - are on a supply run for their safe zone when a severe dust storm forces them to take shelter in an abandoned old army base. The building is slowly being reclaimed by nature, tree roots growing through the concrete, vines eating up the walls. Immediately, Julian feels uneasy, and he’s pretty sure he would rather brave the storm than be there. And, well, maybe he should have listened to his gut feeling.
A shiver runs through Julian as he stands, gun pointed into the pitch blackness and tries to make sense of what he’s hearing. It sounds less like a hum now that he’s down here and more like a groan. Endless, lungless, and so deep that it reverberates through his bones.
This is a trans horror/sci-fi novella set in a post-apocalyptic world, and I have to say, the ominous atmosphere goes from zero to a hundred right from the start. I was tense, gripped by the sense of urgency and desperation to get out of the horrifying situation the characters found themselves in. I had to constantly cover the rest of the text so my eyes wouldn’t skip ahead, and that’s the best kind of reading experience a horror can provide, for me.
The writing style is brilliant, full of vivid descriptions - be it beautifully alien plants and insects, or nausea-inducing body horror. I’m pretty sure Mars Adler is on their way to becoming a household name within this particular genre.
For more than half of the story, it’s straight-up horror. After that, though, shit gets decidedly more surreal, psychedelic... and queer 😳 Check out the CWs on the author’s page, but the most noteworthy to me was probably the father-son incest. But!!! Hear me out! That part of the book was weirdly... tender? Absolutely fucked up because of the circumstances that led to it happening, but... gentle and like it’s supposed to be this way?? Doesn’t make sense unless you read it (which you should do if the genre is your jam!)
Though I’m not sure it’s erotic enough to call it erotica, so don’t expect something horny.
I slept on it, and I’m still not sure what I think about the ending. I think I would’ve preferred to leave some questions unanswered, to keep the atmosphere going, because it unspooled entirely in the end, transporting me from horror to pure sci-fi, however interesting that was.
July 29, 2025
He doesn’t notice his eyes drooping, or hear the vague, low hum of something deep in the earth. He doesn’t feel the mug of coffee slip out of his fingers, or splash against his boots. He doesn’t notice anything at all until it’s far too late.
Definitely creepy and intense. I am notoriously bad with horror/scary films, so every time I read a horror book I'm tense as fuck waiting for the inevitable.
The subtle world-building was great and I thought the buildup was the strongest part of the book. And because this is a horror novella, opposed to a genre romance, I found myself contemplating how it was going to turn out, which is a fun change. Did I want them to escape? Or did I want the power of the plants to win?
He sits up, struggling against the vines wrapped around his body. Julian bats at them, shoving their waxy, green leaves from his arms and legs.
As someone who has at some point had 400-500 houseplants in my house, I was (am?!?) fucking disturbed by the idea of losing time and plants vining around my body, restraining my limbs, growing back at alarming rates...this is creepy.
Julian wakes wrapped in vines, listening to the hum of a hundred thousand bees tending the flowers that give them sustenance. He doesn’t open his eyes.
So...sleeping with one eye open and all the lights on is the only solution for plant collectors. Got it.
And then...I read the detailed author's tags and CWs, I knew what the words meant.
wound-fucking and wound-fingering
This is not my first wound-fucking rodeo, but holy FUCK, I was not expecting the...level of wound-fingering-fucking (snapping and popping!) and cosmic atomic explosive body horror gore. Also, uh...it's very unique? Star-spangled Swiss cheese?
Some humor in this 2047 bleak dystopian world–
“Who the fuck is Dolly Parton?” Callum asks. Both Julian and Roy ignore him. 😲
Oh, and it's father/son incest, but way less erotic-fucky than the usual incest books. There's sex, but it's transformational (IYKYK 🤣) and gory, and not the focus of the story. Yay for bloody intercrural!
Can't say much else without spoiling, so if you like dystopian horror with mutating plants, with a side of family loving, and are braver than me, I highly recommend it! (I also highly recommend The Apples of New Eden for space opera dystopian halfsies bro-cest with cool world-building and cybernetic prosthetic wire stimuli!)
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Julian says.
142 pages and it's available author direct!
Don't read the tags below if you want to go in like a little lamb to the slaughter.
Tags: Post-apocalyptic horror novella, taboo, father/son incest, strong dubcon, blood play, biting, trans MC (Dad), trans author, religious overtones, cosmic horror, government propaganda & corruption, plant aphrodisiacs, mutating plants, forced proximity, trypophobia, abandoned military base, losing time, age-gap, intercrural, fuck or die, CWs for murder, blood & gore, alcohol consumption, gun mention & use, wound-fucking & wound-fingering, trans man using 'cock' & 'cunt' to describe his genitals during sex
MC Names: Julian & Callum
Definitely creepy and intense. I am notoriously bad with horror/scary films, so every time I read a horror book I'm tense as fuck waiting for the inevitable.
The subtle world-building was great and I thought the buildup was the strongest part of the book. And because this is a horror novella, opposed to a genre romance, I found myself contemplating how it was going to turn out, which is a fun change. Did I want them to escape? Or did I want the power of the plants to win?
He sits up, struggling against the vines wrapped around his body. Julian bats at them, shoving their waxy, green leaves from his arms and legs.
As someone who has at some point had 400-500 houseplants in my house, I was (am?!?) fucking disturbed by the idea of losing time and plants vining around my body, restraining my limbs, growing back at alarming rates...this is creepy.
Julian wakes wrapped in vines, listening to the hum of a hundred thousand bees tending the flowers that give them sustenance. He doesn’t open his eyes.
So...sleeping with one eye open and all the lights on is the only solution for plant collectors. Got it.
And then...I read the detailed author's tags and CWs, I knew what the words meant.
wound-fucking and wound-fingering
This is not my first wound-fucking rodeo, but holy FUCK, I was not expecting the...level of wound-fingering-fucking (snapping and popping!) and cosmic atomic explosive body horror gore. Also, uh...it's very unique? Star-spangled Swiss cheese?
Some humor in this 2047 bleak dystopian world–
“Who the fuck is Dolly Parton?” Callum asks. Both Julian and Roy ignore him. 😲
Oh, and it's father/son incest, but way less erotic-fucky than the usual incest books. There's sex, but it's transformational (IYKYK 🤣) and gory, and not the focus of the story. Yay for bloody intercrural!
Can't say much else without spoiling, so if you like dystopian horror with mutating plants, with a side of family loving, and are braver than me, I highly recommend it! (I also highly recommend The Apples of New Eden for space opera dystopian halfsies bro-cest with cool world-building and cybernetic prosthetic wire stimuli!)
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Julian says.
142 pages and it's available author direct!
Don't read the tags below if you want to go in like a little lamb to the slaughter.
Tags: Post-apocalyptic horror novella, taboo, father/son incest, strong dubcon, blood play, biting, trans MC (Dad), trans author, religious overtones, cosmic horror, government propaganda & corruption, plant aphrodisiacs, mutating plants, forced proximity, trypophobia, abandoned military base, losing time, age-gap, intercrural, fuck or die, CWs for murder, blood & gore, alcohol consumption, gun mention & use, wound-fucking & wound-fingering, trans man using 'cock' & 'cunt' to describe his genitals during sex
MC Names: Julian & Callum
July 18, 2025
obsessed. so many highlights. mars has knocked it out of the park with this one.
August 10, 2025
This is a fantastic story. Like I’m amazed at the brain that came up with this story.
Just be mindful of the trigger warnings. There were a few times I was like ‘whaaaaa!’
I love reading stories like this. I most definitely would read a registration to see what these two are up to in the future!
Just be mindful of the trigger warnings. There were a few times I was like ‘whaaaaa!’
I love reading stories like this. I most definitely would read a registration to see what these two are up to in the future!
July 22, 2025
Before reading, make sure to check your cw and decide if this book is right for you.
Another amazing read by Mars Adler. as I always say; there has never been a Mars Adler book that I haven't loved. I also am not spoiling anything. this was a wild right from start to finish that had me at the very beginning.
Another amazing read by Mars Adler. as I always say; there has never been a Mars Adler book that I haven't loved. I also am not spoiling anything. this was a wild right from start to finish that had me at the very beginning.
January 5, 2026
the ending went crazy style as fuck. at the beginning I read the trigger warnings that said there was going to be incest and I was kinda anticipating it the whole time and then when it happened oh boy was I in shock. Also such a tiny surprising detail that the dad was trans! like weird way to find out when he has sex with his son. it kinda felt a little dragged on for me, but im just hungry for the gory and fucked up parts. the holes in the body kinda mimicking a bee hive i could feel in my skin. when Julian was digging his fingers into those holes on Callum's body and it was like euphoric and turning him on, goated moment. the magic meteor kinda cracked me up. like it being lonely was so silly. but love that it wanted them to right the world by attacking the people who yearn to control.
August 18, 2025
A dark, deeply unsettling and atmospheric little horror. My anxiety rose to incredible heights with every page read, and I'm not sure I can look at my houseplants the same way again. The prose was compelling, and it was a novel take on the body horror genre. I can't remember the last time a horror novel left me feeling so uncomfortably unspooled, anxious, and squirming in disgust (and God, I found myself overthinking yesterday's splinter).
Definitely heed the trigger warnings first. Though it leans heavily into longstaning horror traditions, there are multiple layers to this novel that readers might struggle with.
Definitely heed the trigger warnings first. Though it leans heavily into longstaning horror traditions, there are multiple layers to this novel that readers might struggle with.
August 1, 2025
Ok, gonna go stare at the wall for a bit and contemplate my life choices… But per usual wtf in the best way, I love everything Mars writes even if it throws me for a loop.
November 17, 2025
4 ⭐️
A very intriguing read about three people who end up trapped in a strange place inside an abandoned facility. The setting feels very feverish dreamlike which was really cool and something I’d love to see more of in books.
The many many holes part did freak me out but I couldn’t stop reading and in horror books, being uncomfortable is expected so no complaints here. I adore strange things in books.
A very intriguing read about three people who end up trapped in a strange place inside an abandoned facility. The setting feels very feverish dreamlike which was really cool and something I’d love to see more of in books.
The many many holes part did freak me out but I couldn’t stop reading and in horror books, being uncomfortable is expected so no complaints here. I adore strange things in books.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews