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SNUFFSPORT
Four underclass individuals are forced into a brutal game of survival on an island populated with sadistic gangs, deadly tasks, and bloodthirsty viewers who dictate their fate.
With drones delivering both aid and chaos, every move is broadcast to an underground audience, blending horror, exploitation, and cruelty.
The main influences behind SNUFFPORT
Battle Royale (Koushun Takami)
Outer Dark (Cormac McCarthy)
The Running Man (Richard Bachman)
Books of Blood (Clive Barker)
28 Days Later(Danny Boyle, Alex Garland)
Kill List (Ben Wheatley)
Dead Man's Shoes (Shane Meadows, Paddy Considine, Paul Fraser)
Twitch (online streaming platform)
Manhunt (Alan Davidson, James Worall, Christian Cantamessa)
The Long Walk (Richard Bachman)
A gritty, visceral story exploring the psychological torment of the characters and how they use their wits in an attempt to survive against scouting murderers, live viewers, and an artist director.
Features gore, violence, cruelty, animal death, one instance of child abuse, mention of self-harm.
PAPERBACKS AVAILABLE ON 26th AUGUST, 2025.
With drones delivering both aid and chaos, every move is broadcast to an underground audience, blending horror, exploitation, and cruelty.
The main influences behind SNUFFPORT
Battle Royale (Koushun Takami)
Outer Dark (Cormac McCarthy)
The Running Man (Richard Bachman)
Books of Blood (Clive Barker)
28 Days Later(Danny Boyle, Alex Garland)
Kill List (Ben Wheatley)
Dead Man's Shoes (Shane Meadows, Paddy Considine, Paul Fraser)
Twitch (online streaming platform)
Manhunt (Alan Davidson, James Worall, Christian Cantamessa)
The Long Walk (Richard Bachman)
A gritty, visceral story exploring the psychological torment of the characters and how they use their wits in an attempt to survive against scouting murderers, live viewers, and an artist director.
Features gore, violence, cruelty, animal death, one instance of child abuse, mention of self-harm.
PAPERBACKS AVAILABLE ON 26th AUGUST, 2025.
- GenresHorror
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 27, 2025
Snuffsport is a brutal, thought-provoking novel that reads like a horror version of The Hunger Games. It takes the concept of entertainment through violence and pushes it to terrifying new extremes. Rhys has crafted a story that is both horrifying and impossible to ignore, a dystopian nightmare that forces readers to question how far society is willing to go for a spectacle. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those who can handle the intensity, Snuffsport is a must-read.
August 11, 2025
Dieses Buch hier war ein komplett spontaner Zwischenschub, nachdem ich auf Reddit einen Beitrag vom Autor gesehen hab. Als Arc Reader angefragt wurden, hab ich gleich mal hier geschrien.
Also erstmal das Cover: eigentlich gar nicht so meins, es hätte jetzt zumindestens nicht zu meiner Neugier beigetragen, aber wenn man ranzoomt und sich das genauer anguckt, ist es dann doch wieder cool. 😅
Die Story selbst war auch überraschend, denn ich hatte beim Titel, der Beschreibung und der Tatsache, dass der Post im Extrem-Horror Sub war, eigentlich schon damit gerechnet hier jetzt mit einem Metzelfest zu starten. Das war dann aber gar nicht der Fall, denn die Atmosphäre lebt hauptsächlich von der Tension, die die 'Spieler' die ganze Zeit fühlen, man folgt ihnen, irrt mit ihnen herum und hört ihren Gedanken zu. Und sowas liebe ich ja immer sehr. Blutig wird es aber natürlich trotzdem zwischendurch und gegen Ende gab es dann auch die Momente, in denen ich echt mitgefiebert habe. Der Schreibstil ist sehr ausschmückend, alles ist irgendwie bildhaft beschrieben, was super ist, aber mich deshalb auch etwas ausgebremst hat, grad weil es auf englisch ist. Ein paar häufige Wortwiederholungen sind mir aufgefallen, vor allem die Namen der Protagonisten.
War aber trotzdem sehr spannend und ich würde sagen, jeder der so Squid Game oder Menschenjagd interessant fand könnte hier mal reinschauen. 🙂
Also erstmal das Cover: eigentlich gar nicht so meins, es hätte jetzt zumindestens nicht zu meiner Neugier beigetragen, aber wenn man ranzoomt und sich das genauer anguckt, ist es dann doch wieder cool. 😅
Die Story selbst war auch überraschend, denn ich hatte beim Titel, der Beschreibung und der Tatsache, dass der Post im Extrem-Horror Sub war, eigentlich schon damit gerechnet hier jetzt mit einem Metzelfest zu starten. Das war dann aber gar nicht der Fall, denn die Atmosphäre lebt hauptsächlich von der Tension, die die 'Spieler' die ganze Zeit fühlen, man folgt ihnen, irrt mit ihnen herum und hört ihren Gedanken zu. Und sowas liebe ich ja immer sehr. Blutig wird es aber natürlich trotzdem zwischendurch und gegen Ende gab es dann auch die Momente, in denen ich echt mitgefiebert habe. Der Schreibstil ist sehr ausschmückend, alles ist irgendwie bildhaft beschrieben, was super ist, aber mich deshalb auch etwas ausgebremst hat, grad weil es auf englisch ist. Ein paar häufige Wortwiederholungen sind mir aufgefallen, vor allem die Namen der Protagonisten.
War aber trotzdem sehr spannend und ich würde sagen, jeder der so Squid Game oder Menschenjagd interessant fand könnte hier mal reinschauen. 🙂
August 7, 2025
Snuffsport is really interesting take on the death games sub genre and it proudly wears its Battle Royale influence on its sleeve. Its strengths lie in its heavy, oppressive atmosphere and the different journeys its four main characters go through.
I would’ve liked to see more of the gangs on the island but I loved the ending and the way it hints at how deep this organisation goes.
I’d love a sequel, there’s definitely room to expand here and I’d love to delve deeper into the mysteries here.
I would’ve liked to see more of the gangs on the island but I loved the ending and the way it hints at how deep this organisation goes.
I’d love a sequel, there’s definitely room to expand here and I’d love to delve deeper into the mysteries here.
July 10, 2026
For a UK-based battle royale-style novel, this had a lot going for it.
The writing could have been a little tighter in places, but I quickly found myself overlooking that because I was invested in the characters and genuinely enjoyed the story from start to finish.
I always enjoy discovering a new author at the beginning of their journey, and this was a great find. As a nice bonus, the book even included a few references to my name, which made the experience feel that little bit more personal.
The writing could have been a little tighter in places, but I quickly found myself overlooking that because I was invested in the characters and genuinely enjoyed the story from start to finish.
I always enjoy discovering a new author at the beginning of their journey, and this was a great find. As a nice bonus, the book even included a few references to my name, which made the experience feel that little bit more personal.
April 14, 2026
This was an interesting book I found off a google ad after its cover caught my attention. It's an indie book, so I wanted to leave an honest review, as I know the process and the struggles associated.
I enjoyed the different perspectives switched between during the story, and I liked how each character woke up in their own unique place and situation. The concept of a snuff ring operating on an island, being viewed by the rich and powerful of the world certainly seems more probable now given current events. Some lines were quite poignant and thought-provoking in that regard. I also enjoyed Kristy's story in particular, as there were some dark and moving aspects to it.
If I were to give critique, I'd say this book suffers from a lack of clarity in a few different ways. There are a lot of run-on sentences and clumsy descriptions that felt oversaturated. I could recognize some things that I used to do when I was first starting out, like packing multiple actions or bits of description into one sentence when there should be space given to flesh things out. "He jumped over the gap in the roof held together by wooden planks that were rotting away and in danger of collapsing under his weight if he stepped on them." (Not a line from the book, but written to show what I mean.)
I can tell Rhys has an image of what's happening in his head, of course, but doesn't know how to efficiently relay it. In quite a few scenes, especially ones involving action or fighting, I was struggling to understand the sequence of events taking place, or who was doing what and when.
There is obviously huge inspiration from Manhunt, with the director giving instructions through an earpiece. Maybe this is just my personal taste, but I would have liked Chat (the director) to be more of an intimidating presence. He felt sort of "chummy" with the victims, instead of "fake friendly" in a sort of saccharine, manipulative type of way. That could just be my reading of it, but he came off as more of a young street guy sort of playing at being this intelligent showrunner.
The themes of the gangs were interesting, but didn't really develop into anything. There were cultish ones, guys with crossbows, and those sorts of things, but there wasn't much significance to those outfits or behaviors besides aesthetic. It would have been interesting if maybe these gangs lived full time on this island, completely removed from society, and had transformed their turfs respectively. Maybe the cultish ones sacrifice people, or the crossbow ones live in a medievalesque hierarchy of some sort.
As it is, it comes across as a bunch of victims running through generic abandoned urban areas, dodging people with machetes and crossbows ad infinitum. There were some fun moments throughout, like how the viewers of the stream could send gifts by drone. The drones would alert the gangs to the victim's location, which was a cool idea that wasn't utilized enough. It happens a few times, but it would have been cool if maybe one of the victims got targeted by some unknown viewer, and kept getting random useless (or even dangerous) shit sent to them to try and screw them up.
That is to say, I think there was a lack of substance to the characters in general. Maybe there were too many being followed to really develop or connect with any of them on more than a surface level. I found myself losing track of who was who and what they were doing. That's a result of multiple stories happening at once with very little variation in the overarching context of what's happening in them. You really have to make these characters incredibly unique, with them picking wildly different paths in this shared environment. Maybe I'm wanting more connection between the characters and the story itself. You could argue that something like Manhunt doesn't do much to develop its protagonist either, but that's a video game and this is a novel.
That's why during certain scenes where Kristy's traumatic backstory is revealed, it affected me more than anything else. But even still, I never had a strong enough connection with anyone to care whether they lived or died.
Hopefully I managed to communicate my thoughts in a helpful manner. And with all that being said, this book was alright for an early entry in a writer's career. I'd love to see Rhys expand on his ideas as he gains more experience, and I always love to see an indie author finding some success.
I enjoyed the different perspectives switched between during the story, and I liked how each character woke up in their own unique place and situation. The concept of a snuff ring operating on an island, being viewed by the rich and powerful of the world certainly seems more probable now given current events. Some lines were quite poignant and thought-provoking in that regard. I also enjoyed Kristy's story in particular, as there were some dark and moving aspects to it.
If I were to give critique, I'd say this book suffers from a lack of clarity in a few different ways. There are a lot of run-on sentences and clumsy descriptions that felt oversaturated. I could recognize some things that I used to do when I was first starting out, like packing multiple actions or bits of description into one sentence when there should be space given to flesh things out. "He jumped over the gap in the roof held together by wooden planks that were rotting away and in danger of collapsing under his weight if he stepped on them." (Not a line from the book, but written to show what I mean.)
I can tell Rhys has an image of what's happening in his head, of course, but doesn't know how to efficiently relay it. In quite a few scenes, especially ones involving action or fighting, I was struggling to understand the sequence of events taking place, or who was doing what and when.
There is obviously huge inspiration from Manhunt, with the director giving instructions through an earpiece. Maybe this is just my personal taste, but I would have liked Chat (the director) to be more of an intimidating presence. He felt sort of "chummy" with the victims, instead of "fake friendly" in a sort of saccharine, manipulative type of way. That could just be my reading of it, but he came off as more of a young street guy sort of playing at being this intelligent showrunner.
The themes of the gangs were interesting, but didn't really develop into anything. There were cultish ones, guys with crossbows, and those sorts of things, but there wasn't much significance to those outfits or behaviors besides aesthetic. It would have been interesting if maybe these gangs lived full time on this island, completely removed from society, and had transformed their turfs respectively. Maybe the cultish ones sacrifice people, or the crossbow ones live in a medievalesque hierarchy of some sort.
As it is, it comes across as a bunch of victims running through generic abandoned urban areas, dodging people with machetes and crossbows ad infinitum. There were some fun moments throughout, like how the viewers of the stream could send gifts by drone. The drones would alert the gangs to the victim's location, which was a cool idea that wasn't utilized enough. It happens a few times, but it would have been cool if maybe one of the victims got targeted by some unknown viewer, and kept getting random useless (or even dangerous) shit sent to them to try and screw them up.
That is to say, I think there was a lack of substance to the characters in general. Maybe there were too many being followed to really develop or connect with any of them on more than a surface level. I found myself losing track of who was who and what they were doing. That's a result of multiple stories happening at once with very little variation in the overarching context of what's happening in them. You really have to make these characters incredibly unique, with them picking wildly different paths in this shared environment. Maybe I'm wanting more connection between the characters and the story itself. You could argue that something like Manhunt doesn't do much to develop its protagonist either, but that's a video game and this is a novel.
That's why during certain scenes where Kristy's traumatic backstory is revealed, it affected me more than anything else. But even still, I never had a strong enough connection with anyone to care whether they lived or died.
Hopefully I managed to communicate my thoughts in a helpful manner. And with all that being said, this book was alright for an early entry in a writer's career. I'd love to see Rhys expand on his ideas as he gains more experience, and I always love to see an indie author finding some success.
August 27, 2025
I was provided an ARC graciously by author Rhys Ware
A bold and fascinating take on the 'Battle Royale' genre, that leans more
towards the Schwarzenegger starring 'The Running Man' 'Ready or Not' and Walter Hill's 'The Warriors'. Yes, others will say it's like Hunger Games, even the author points to those comparisons, but I believe it's underselling the absolute thrill this book provides. It's not young people out to kill each other to win, it's disaffected people trying to survive an onslaught of ghoulish mercenaries.
That is the main difference that makes this entry into the genre fresh. Four young individuals from varying, devastating backgrounds find themselves launched into utter chaos and given a goal, survive the night. Of course you've heard of this logline, but what sets this particular book apart is the disparate leads that traverse the harrowing evils of their blood drenched adventures … and most importantly it is unrelenting and engaging. Each 'lead' is given an abrupt but informative backstory, their presence given weight. For easily confused readers as myself … character names are on their respective chapters. I found that I knew who-was-who though, as well defined they were written. Ware has given everyone in this anonymous hell enough meat to make each character compellingly disparate.
There's no science fiction, but modern technology used to track and set psychotics loose upon them and every single action sequence is riveting. From rooftop escapes, to claustrophobic sewer misadventures, there are a good amount of set pieces to keep your guts roiling in terror for these doomed (?) protagonists. I found the writing to be smart, clear and believable. The close calls felt legit, the psychotic breaks earned, the unrelenting violence to be expected. The fact that we see a realistic depiction of a dark web production falling apart at the seams is darkly funny. You ALWAYS see competence in these types of stories so the see the opposite of the bad guys always knowing what to do is incredibly invigorating.
I found the gore in the book to be at the appropriate level, it was brutal in a realistic sense. The villains (who sometimes get their own chapters) are rightfully grotesque, the heroes absolutely justified in getting as monstrous as their captors. The story moves along at a brisk pace and with the unrelenting action becomes a pretty quick read and worthwhile experience. No bull, one of the more enjoyable reads as of late. A stellar entry into survival horror and utterly brutal.
A bold and fascinating take on the 'Battle Royale' genre, that leans more
towards the Schwarzenegger starring 'The Running Man' 'Ready or Not' and Walter Hill's 'The Warriors'. Yes, others will say it's like Hunger Games, even the author points to those comparisons, but I believe it's underselling the absolute thrill this book provides. It's not young people out to kill each other to win, it's disaffected people trying to survive an onslaught of ghoulish mercenaries.
That is the main difference that makes this entry into the genre fresh. Four young individuals from varying, devastating backgrounds find themselves launched into utter chaos and given a goal, survive the night. Of course you've heard of this logline, but what sets this particular book apart is the disparate leads that traverse the harrowing evils of their blood drenched adventures … and most importantly it is unrelenting and engaging. Each 'lead' is given an abrupt but informative backstory, their presence given weight. For easily confused readers as myself … character names are on their respective chapters. I found that I knew who-was-who though, as well defined they were written. Ware has given everyone in this anonymous hell enough meat to make each character compellingly disparate.
There's no science fiction, but modern technology used to track and set psychotics loose upon them and every single action sequence is riveting. From rooftop escapes, to claustrophobic sewer misadventures, there are a good amount of set pieces to keep your guts roiling in terror for these doomed (?) protagonists. I found the writing to be smart, clear and believable. The close calls felt legit, the psychotic breaks earned, the unrelenting violence to be expected. The fact that we see a realistic depiction of a dark web production falling apart at the seams is darkly funny. You ALWAYS see competence in these types of stories so the see the opposite of the bad guys always knowing what to do is incredibly invigorating.
I found the gore in the book to be at the appropriate level, it was brutal in a realistic sense. The villains (who sometimes get their own chapters) are rightfully grotesque, the heroes absolutely justified in getting as monstrous as their captors. The story moves along at a brisk pace and with the unrelenting action becomes a pretty quick read and worthwhile experience. No bull, one of the more enjoyable reads as of late. A stellar entry into survival horror and utterly brutal.
August 8, 2025
I approached Snuffsport with caution, having seen the highs and lows of the “Extreme Horror” movement, but Ware’s novel floored me. The writing is sharp, immersive, and unflinching, pulling me into a world where the characters feel so real it’s impossible not to root for them.
The premise may recall Battle Royale or The Hunger Games, but the heart of the story lies in its people and in the unbearable tension of willing them to survive.
As a new mother with precious little free time, I gave every spare moment to this book, and I still didn’t want it to end. I’ll be first in line for whatever Ware writes next - especially if it’s a sequel ;)
The premise may recall Battle Royale or The Hunger Games, but the heart of the story lies in its people and in the unbearable tension of willing them to survive.
As a new mother with precious little free time, I gave every spare moment to this book, and I still didn’t want it to end. I’ll be first in line for whatever Ware writes next - especially if it’s a sequel ;)
August 13, 2025
Rhys has knocked it out of the park.
You feel the dreariness of the landscape, the fear of the players, the frustration of the gangs. For a concept that already exists, this has a whole new life breathed into it. You don't know what to expect next and so many things surprise and engage you.
The players individual setups and challenges are very unique. Having them in different locations makes you wonder that if they come across each other will they see friend or foe. You end up rooting for these people and feeling invested in their struggle to get out alive.
Looking forward to seeing more from this author.
You feel the dreariness of the landscape, the fear of the players, the frustration of the gangs. For a concept that already exists, this has a whole new life breathed into it. You don't know what to expect next and so many things surprise and engage you.
The players individual setups and challenges are very unique. Having them in different locations makes you wonder that if they come across each other will they see friend or foe. You end up rooting for these people and feeling invested in their struggle to get out alive.
Looking forward to seeing more from this author.
August 28, 2025
Solid effort
A solid effort from (I think) a debut author? Some intense scenes and relatable characters, but the prose style was a bit flat for me, and some of the grammar took me out of it - see mixing past and present tense.
BUT - a cut above a lot of the slop you find in the extreme horror arena these days.
Better than one particular big name that I won’t bother mentioning.
3.5/5 - i will be interested where this writer goes next and what they bring to the table
A solid effort from (I think) a debut author? Some intense scenes and relatable characters, but the prose style was a bit flat for me, and some of the grammar took me out of it - see mixing past and present tense.
BUT - a cut above a lot of the slop you find in the extreme horror arena these days.
Better than one particular big name that I won’t bother mentioning.
3.5/5 - i will be interested where this writer goes next and what they bring to the table
September 7, 2025
If you love Death Games and Dystopias then Snuffsport is for you! Fall into the madness and get sucked into the well written vivid setting as well as the thrilling action! Snuffsport is an exciting story that follows morally grey protagonists as they're puppeteered by merciless and bloodthirsty villains through a dark game that nobody would want to take part in...willingly.
The perfect book for the spooky season, I highly recommend!
The perfect book for the spooky season, I highly recommend!
October 9, 2025
Cool battle royale style story, like if the hunger games was more terrifying and organized by internet trolls (that's how I picture "Chat"). It jumps between 4 main "contestants" with lots of action. I thought the pacing dragged a little in the middle despite a lot going on, but the book really found its stride around the time teamed up. I couldn't put the book down during the last 25% - that was my favorite segment by far.
Overall grade: B
Overall grade: B
April 21, 2026
Great concept
A great concept of a book, but after the first third things seem to take a strange turn. We focus a lot more on descriptions than action. The tone of voice seems to change quite a bit between the start middle and end but overall the idea and plot points were fun so I’m interested to see what’s next.
A great concept of a book, but after the first third things seem to take a strange turn. We focus a lot more on descriptions than action. The tone of voice seems to change quite a bit between the start middle and end but overall the idea and plot points were fun so I’m interested to see what’s next.
July 31, 2025
Gritty and tense, the bridge scene had my heart palpatating. Ben's scenes in particular were TERRIFYING and actually made me feel sick. Love the writing style, felt very real, witty and filled with body horror, tension and psychological torment. Ben's scenes. 😦😦. Wow!
September 28, 2025
SNUFFSPORT is about 4 individuals (Kristy Clemments, Benjamin James, Elliot Brant, and Tobin Mullins) that wake up on an abandoned island and find themselves forced to participate in a cruel game. Chat, the game director, talks to each player through an earpiece and orders them to complete fatal tasks. Alone and afraid, they each have to fight off killers who are hunting them…all for the viewers at home.
Great writing! I enjoyed how each character was introduced. The writing made me feel like I was there, watching it all unfold in front of me. Things really started to ramp up once I was rooting for them! I do wish there was more lore on the gangs on the island. Overall a fun read!
Thank you to Rhys Ware for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Great writing! I enjoyed how each character was introduced. The writing made me feel like I was there, watching it all unfold in front of me. Things really started to ramp up once I was rooting for them! I do wish there was more lore on the gangs on the island. Overall a fun read!
Thank you to Rhys Ware for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews