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The Pale Hunger
When four friends enter the forest to uncover what happened to Owen and Elenore Holloway, they expected grief, maybe even death, but the woods greet them with silence, and something worse.
Symbols carved in bark, bones arranged like rituals.
Creatures that watch but do not speak.
Each step draws them deeper into a fracture in reality, where memory fails and the soul begins to erode.
Something ancient is stalking the trees.
It remembers the cold, and it remembers the taste of flesh.
Set within the expanding Mortal Coil universe, The Pale Hunger is a descent into madness, grief, and a monstrous hunger that waits in the spaces between worlds.
The Pale Hunger doesn’t want to scare you.
It wants to unmake you.
It knows what you lost.
It knows exactly what to take next.
Let the hunger spread.
Symbols carved in bark, bones arranged like rituals.
Creatures that watch but do not speak.
Each step draws them deeper into a fracture in reality, where memory fails and the soul begins to erode.
Something ancient is stalking the trees.
It remembers the cold, and it remembers the taste of flesh.
Set within the expanding Mortal Coil universe, The Pale Hunger is a descent into madness, grief, and a monstrous hunger that waits in the spaces between worlds.
The Pale Hunger doesn’t want to scare you.
It wants to unmake you.
It knows what you lost.
It knows exactly what to take next.
Let the hunger spread.
- GenresHorror
255 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2025
7 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Angel R. Sánchez
6 books35 followersAngel R. Sánchez is a passionate storyteller who weaves mystery, adventure, and emotion into every page. Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, his love for ancient legends and stories of human resilience inspired him to dream of worlds where courage and hope defy the limits of the possible.
After publishing his first works in Spanish, Linajes (2014), the poetry collection Katharsis, and the anthology Coleccionando Cuentos, co-written with his best friend, Víctor L. Miranda, life took him on a long detour away from writing. For years, he stepped back from his passion, balancing work and family while carrying stories quietly within him.
In 2025, Angel returned to the page with renewed purpose, making his English-language debut with The Real Monster. This novel not only reignited his literary journey but also launched his shared horror universe, The Mortal Coil.
Through vivid storytelling and emotional depth, Ángel invites readers to cross invisible thresholds, confront the unknown, and discover pieces of themselves within each tale. His inspiration springs from everyday life, myths hidden in plain sight, and his firm belief that imagination knows no boundaries.
Above all, Angel is a husband and the proud father of an amazing autistic daughter. Beyond the books, he’s a regular guy who works as an industrial machine operator and, like so many others, does his best every day to keep his family strong and cared for.
Prepare to lose yourself in unforgettable adventures... and perhaps, to find yourself along the way.
After publishing his first works in Spanish, Linajes (2014), the poetry collection Katharsis, and the anthology Coleccionando Cuentos, co-written with his best friend, Víctor L. Miranda, life took him on a long detour away from writing. For years, he stepped back from his passion, balancing work and family while carrying stories quietly within him.
In 2025, Angel returned to the page with renewed purpose, making his English-language debut with The Real Monster. This novel not only reignited his literary journey but also launched his shared horror universe, The Mortal Coil.
Through vivid storytelling and emotional depth, Ángel invites readers to cross invisible thresholds, confront the unknown, and discover pieces of themselves within each tale. His inspiration springs from everyday life, myths hidden in plain sight, and his firm belief that imagination knows no boundaries.
Above all, Angel is a husband and the proud father of an amazing autistic daughter. Beyond the books, he’s a regular guy who works as an industrial machine operator and, like so many others, does his best every day to keep his family strong and cared for.
Prepare to lose yourself in unforgettable adventures... and perhaps, to find yourself along the way.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 2, 2025
I must warn you, this book might break you. The poetic nature of the book doesn't hold back in the dread department. The characters think they are taking a casual trip to the woods to 'fix' things, but that is far from what ends up happening.
To make it worse for the characters, but better for me, is that the horror here is not jump scares. It's a long, drawn-out, dreadful horror that will send chills down your spine. There's nothing worse than a hunger that can never be satisfied. Angel jumps right into the action, but maintains great character development. Poor Jasper and friends, they have no idea they're walking into something ancient in nature. The deaths in this book are BRUTAL. I needed to pause and feel grateful I wasn't eating anything heavy.
While The Real Monster was a great vampire/psychological horror read, this one amps up the psychological aspect up to ten. You will be asking questions after reading this one.
Thanks to Angel for providing me an ARC copy to read. Y'all need to read this when it comes out!
To make it worse for the characters, but better for me, is that the horror here is not jump scares. It's a long, drawn-out, dreadful horror that will send chills down your spine. There's nothing worse than a hunger that can never be satisfied. Angel jumps right into the action, but maintains great character development. Poor Jasper and friends, they have no idea they're walking into something ancient in nature. The deaths in this book are BRUTAL. I needed to pause and feel grateful I wasn't eating anything heavy.
While The Real Monster was a great vampire/psychological horror read, this one amps up the psychological aspect up to ten. You will be asking questions after reading this one.
Thanks to Angel for providing me an ARC copy to read. Y'all need to read this when it comes out!
December 29, 2025
Book Two in the Mortal Coil Universe and I was blown away! This series is heading in the right direction, leaving me wanting more!
Just like The Real Monster, it immediately grabbed my attention and kept it throughout. A little surprise at the end, made me smile and piqued my interest.
Where will book three take our beloved characters!?
Just like The Real Monster, it immediately grabbed my attention and kept it throughout. A little surprise at the end, made me smile and piqued my interest.
Where will book three take our beloved characters!?
November 12, 2025
I enjoyed this storyline and how it developed. What I enjoyed most of this story is written in an almost poetic form.
Short bursts of descriptions and flow of the story. I have not read another horror story written quite like this one. Well worth checking out.
Short bursts of descriptions and flow of the story. I have not read another horror story written quite like this one. Well worth checking out.
August 10, 2025
Good. Freaking. Lord.
As soon as I started this I quickly realized I was not going to put it down. I even sarcastically emailed the author blaming him if I was up late.
That being said the author wastes no time getting right to the story without compromising character development.
It's honestly beautifully written, borderline poetic. I found myself fully immersed in the characters, story and FEELING.
Beautifully dark, deeply compelling, emotionally raw and worth every second of reading.
As soon as I started this I quickly realized I was not going to put it down. I even sarcastically emailed the author blaming him if I was up late.
That being said the author wastes no time getting right to the story without compromising character development.
It's honestly beautifully written, borderline poetic. I found myself fully immersed in the characters, story and FEELING.
Beautifully dark, deeply compelling, emotionally raw and worth every second of reading.
November 3, 2025
A haunting collision of grief horror and cosmic horror, a killer combo...and also the kind of man versus monster in the woods story I love to read.
September 18, 2025
WOW. Just, wow. The Pale Hunger is one of the best reads of 2025!
The atmosphere was steeped in absolute dread and oozing with the most unsettling feelings. Beautifully written and emotionally charged. The characters are challenged in ways that will leave you with nightmares and a new fear of the wilderness. The hunger has been awoken and I can't wait to see what Angel R Sánchez comes up with next!
Easily rated at 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Do yourself a favor and pick this up now for only $0.99. Release date is 10/20.
https://a.co/d/45APVCz
The atmosphere was steeped in absolute dread and oozing with the most unsettling feelings. Beautifully written and emotionally charged. The characters are challenged in ways that will leave you with nightmares and a new fear of the wilderness. The hunger has been awoken and I can't wait to see what Angel R Sánchez comes up with next!
Easily rated at 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Do yourself a favor and pick this up now for only $0.99. Release date is 10/20.
https://a.co/d/45APVCz
October 24, 2025
The Pale Hunger is horror at its most intelligent and unsettling. The story grips you from the first page and refuses to let go. The forest feels alive, pulsing with something ancient and watching. Every sentence is drenched in dread and beauty. It’s a book that doesn’t just scare,it consumes. I finished it in one sitting and sat there, shaken, in silence. A masterpiece of cosmic terror and emotional depth.
November 26, 2025
This is the second novel set in Angel R. Sanchez’s "The Mortal Coil" universe. It is a fast-paced and engaging read. As someone who loves stories rooted in dark, foreboding forests and the mysteries that linger within them, this book definitely had my full attention. It also carries a strong fantastical element to it.
The only aspect that didn’t fully work for me was the character differentiation. All of the male characters felt too similar, and I often found myself mixing up their names. A bit more distinctiveness in their personalities would have strengthened the narrative.
I haven't read Sanchez's first novel in the series but I will probably be checking out more of his work.
The only aspect that didn’t fully work for me was the character differentiation. All of the male characters felt too similar, and I often found myself mixing up their names. A bit more distinctiveness in their personalities would have strengthened the narrative.
I haven't read Sanchez's first novel in the series but I will probably be checking out more of his work.
November 9, 2025
This is the 2nd book in The Mortal Coil Universe. Unless you're willing to stay up until the wee hours of the morning, you might not want to start reading this at night. It'll hit you in the feels and keep you entertained the whole way through.
I really look forward to more books being added to this Universe!!
Well done .
I really look forward to more books being added to this Universe!!
Well done .
September 17, 2025
I found Angel R. Sanchez recently and just finished this book and it was fantastic. I love the mix of spooky and paranormal elements to the story. The characters were well developed and their back story wasn’t confusing. There were twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and I had no idea what was going to happen and couldn’t have guessed the ending. I like Angel’s writing style and their way the scene was set and detail about elements of the woods and creatures. I’m looking forward to reading Angel’s other books.
July 29, 2025
The Pale Hunger
By Angel R. Sánchez
Publisher: BetterWay Stories
Published Date: October 20, 2025
Page Count: 255
Triggers: Grief, death, psychological horror, unreality, loss of identity
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
A casual walk in the woods? Absolutely not. This is grief-drenched nightmare fuel in the shape of a forest hike. Four friends head out to solve a tragic mystery and promptly step into what if trauma had teeth. The woods are too quiet. The bones are too arranged. And the air smells like something older than memory is hungry again.
The forest doesn’t just watch—you feel it breathing behind your eyes. And when reality starts to fold in on itself like a cursed origami, the real question isn’t what happened to Owen and Eleanor Holloway, it’s what is now happening to you.
Here’s What Slapped:
The atmosphere. It’s not just eerie—it’s hostile. Sánchez builds dread like he’s laying down barbed wire. You can feel the cold in your bones and the isolation sinking into your skin. The group dynamic between the friends starts off familiar… and fractures spectacularly as the forest starts eating away at their sense of self.
And the horror? It’s not jump-scare, it’s slow bleed. This is cosmic rot with a side of memory erosion. The pacing had me in a full “just one more chapter” spiral until I looked up and realized it was 3 a.m. and I was scared of my houseplants.
Also, that ending? Brutal. Beautiful. Unrelenting. Like watching someone you love disappear in the mist, waving goodbye with a hand you’re not sure was ever really theirs.
What Could’ve Been Better:
Look, if you're hoping for clean answers and neat resolutions, this book yeets that hope into the void and feeds it to the forest. The ambiguity is intentional—but damn if I didn’t wish for a cryptic glossary or at least a forest map labeled “Here Be Existential Horror.”
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
🌲 Liminal-space horror
🌲 Found-footage energy but make it literary
🌲 Trauma as a doorway to another world
🌲 Stories where the forest isn’t just alive—it’s aware
🌲 Grief that grows teeth and howls at the moon
Book Series:
The Real Monster (The Mortal Coil Universe)
Part of: The Mortal Coil Universe
The Pale Hunger (The Mortal Coil Universe)
Part of: The Mortal Coil Universe
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
By Angel R. Sánchez
Publisher: BetterWay Stories
Published Date: October 20, 2025
Page Count: 255
Triggers: Grief, death, psychological horror, unreality, loss of identity
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
A casual walk in the woods? Absolutely not. This is grief-drenched nightmare fuel in the shape of a forest hike. Four friends head out to solve a tragic mystery and promptly step into what if trauma had teeth. The woods are too quiet. The bones are too arranged. And the air smells like something older than memory is hungry again.
The forest doesn’t just watch—you feel it breathing behind your eyes. And when reality starts to fold in on itself like a cursed origami, the real question isn’t what happened to Owen and Eleanor Holloway, it’s what is now happening to you.
Here’s What Slapped:
The atmosphere. It’s not just eerie—it’s hostile. Sánchez builds dread like he’s laying down barbed wire. You can feel the cold in your bones and the isolation sinking into your skin. The group dynamic between the friends starts off familiar… and fractures spectacularly as the forest starts eating away at their sense of self.
And the horror? It’s not jump-scare, it’s slow bleed. This is cosmic rot with a side of memory erosion. The pacing had me in a full “just one more chapter” spiral until I looked up and realized it was 3 a.m. and I was scared of my houseplants.
Also, that ending? Brutal. Beautiful. Unrelenting. Like watching someone you love disappear in the mist, waving goodbye with a hand you’re not sure was ever really theirs.
What Could’ve Been Better:
Look, if you're hoping for clean answers and neat resolutions, this book yeets that hope into the void and feeds it to the forest. The ambiguity is intentional—but damn if I didn’t wish for a cryptic glossary or at least a forest map labeled “Here Be Existential Horror.”
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
🌲 Liminal-space horror
🌲 Found-footage energy but make it literary
🌲 Trauma as a doorway to another world
🌲 Stories where the forest isn’t just alive—it’s aware
🌲 Grief that grows teeth and howls at the moon
Book Series:
The Real Monster (The Mortal Coil Universe)
Part of: The Mortal Coil Universe
The Pale Hunger (The Mortal Coil Universe)
Part of: The Mortal Coil Universe
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
August 4, 2025
The Pale Hunger is a downright creepy trippy read that takes place in a forest where hungry things roam. Yeah, THOSE vibes!
A couple going through something traumatic decide to go camping alone to try and help their relationship. Then they go missing and, after weeks with no traces, their case becomes cold. But three friends, one being the sister of one of the missing and another being the brother of the other, decide to go looking for themselves. They know those woods and think the police aren't looking in the right places.
What they'll encounter out there defies natural explanation. It's not just the noises, the sense of being stalked, or the unrelenting eerieness of the atmosphere but reality itself seems to be...off.
There's something stalking them and it's hunger can never be satisfied. And as they try to figure out clues about what's going on, time is running out before they're confronted with something horrific and hellish. What happened to the couple will be revealed and it's a story of madness and insatiable hunger. And blood. Lots of blood.
This is a fast paced story that builds tension as events stsrt unfolding. Survival, sanity, and the forest are all integrated into the story and just has all those great creepy vibes we all like. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
A couple going through something traumatic decide to go camping alone to try and help their relationship. Then they go missing and, after weeks with no traces, their case becomes cold. But three friends, one being the sister of one of the missing and another being the brother of the other, decide to go looking for themselves. They know those woods and think the police aren't looking in the right places.
What they'll encounter out there defies natural explanation. It's not just the noises, the sense of being stalked, or the unrelenting eerieness of the atmosphere but reality itself seems to be...off.
There's something stalking them and it's hunger can never be satisfied. And as they try to figure out clues about what's going on, time is running out before they're confronted with something horrific and hellish. What happened to the couple will be revealed and it's a story of madness and insatiable hunger. And blood. Lots of blood.
This is a fast paced story that builds tension as events stsrt unfolding. Survival, sanity, and the forest are all integrated into the story and just has all those great creepy vibes we all like. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the author. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
August 12, 2025
A powerful telling of love and fear. The forest here is unrelenting and the horror is almost poetic in nature. The story takes you to deep places and you jump right into the heart of it. Angel was able to transcend the "mortal coil" with this story. Now I want to check out his other stories set in this universe.
October 20, 2025
The Pale Hunger written by Angel R. Sánchez is the second book in The Mortal Coil Series . This one has more of the liminal-space horror vibe with an insatiable hunger to rip you to pieces bit by bit, tree by tree as you step into the pages of this forest filled horror. What will be next in this terrifying series that will have you scared out of your skin, and left with bone chilling questions.
February 1, 2026
What a trip!
I really enjoyed the second volume of the mortal coil series. In fact I liked it so much that started #3 the same evening.
Once more the writing is splendid. This is atmospheric writing as its best. I am also impressed by the fact that volume 2 was so different from the first installment. While the writing and some key concepts are similar, the plotting and character building is way different. I loved the more character centered approach and the Blair-Witchy setting.
Obviously it makes sense to start with the first book of the series but this one also works by itself. In any case: Angel R. Sanchez is an author to follow!
I really enjoyed the second volume of the mortal coil series. In fact I liked it so much that started #3 the same evening.
Once more the writing is splendid. This is atmospheric writing as its best. I am also impressed by the fact that volume 2 was so different from the first installment. While the writing and some key concepts are similar, the plotting and character building is way different. I loved the more character centered approach and the Blair-Witchy setting.
Obviously it makes sense to start with the first book of the series but this one also works by itself. In any case: Angel R. Sanchez is an author to follow!
October 29, 2025
I’m not giving it five stars, not because I don’t love it (trust me, I do), but because, well… I wrote it. So yeah, I’m a little biased.
The Pale Hunger is a deeply personal continuation of a universe I started building with The Real Monster. It’s a story born from grief, fear, and the aching silence of the forest… but also from love. The kind of love that drives you to write, even when it hurts.
My hope is that readers find something here that resonates, a shadow, a memory, a pulse, and that the horror feels just human enough to be real.
Thank you for giving it a chance.
Thank you for reading.
– Angel R. Sánchez
The Pale Hunger is a deeply personal continuation of a universe I started building with The Real Monster. It’s a story born from grief, fear, and the aching silence of the forest… but also from love. The kind of love that drives you to write, even when it hurts.
My hope is that readers find something here that resonates, a shadow, a memory, a pulse, and that the horror feels just human enough to be real.
Thank you for giving it a chance.
Thank you for reading.
– Angel R. Sánchez
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews