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A Sermon in Blood: A Grimdark Fantasy Novella of Siege Horror and Shattered Faith
- GenresDark Fantasy
109 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 10, 2026
11 people want to read
About the author
J.F. Allan
2 books5 followersI write grimdark fantasy about survival, power, and the cost of choice.
Whispers of Oblivion is my debut and the first book in Vengeance in the Void. It follows a man with no past, hunted by faith and haunted by something ancient inside him. I like slow-burn corruption arcs, a truly gray lead, and worlds where victories leave marks.
I publish under a pen name. Follow me here on Goodreads for release news. If you read the book, I’m grateful for an honest review.
Whispers of Oblivion is my debut and the first book in Vengeance in the Void. It follows a man with no past, hunted by faith and haunted by something ancient inside him. I like slow-burn corruption arcs, a truly gray lead, and worlds where victories leave marks.
I publish under a pen name. Follow me here on Goodreads for release news. If you read the book, I’m grateful for an honest review.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 31, 2026
Thank you to the author for the ARC copy, this was a thoroughly enjoyable grimdark fantasy short.
From the start it is a masterclass in building tension and suspense, and the scene setting I’m sedately puts you on the edge of your seat.
As with Whispers of Oblivion the world building and magic system is incredibly interesting and well done, and it was great being able to tie parts of the two stories together. The pacing was brilliantly set, the story moves along quickly without ever feeling rushed, instead it left you with a real horror movie-esque edge of your seat feeling.
The story is very character driven, and the author does a great job of building the emotion in the man character so you feel like you’ve walked every step and felt every loss alongside him.
I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick fantasy read that still feels like an epic.
From the start it is a masterclass in building tension and suspense, and the scene setting I’m sedately puts you on the edge of your seat.
As with Whispers of Oblivion the world building and magic system is incredibly interesting and well done, and it was great being able to tie parts of the two stories together. The pacing was brilliantly set, the story moves along quickly without ever feeling rushed, instead it left you with a real horror movie-esque edge of your seat feeling.
The story is very character driven, and the author does a great job of building the emotion in the man character so you feel like you’ve walked every step and felt every loss alongside him.
I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick fantasy read that still feels like an epic.
February 1, 2026
What a grim little treat this was!
I was lucky enough to catch an arc of this, and I finished it in an afternoon as I couldn’t put it down for long. This is a crowd pleaser, easy to read and dripping with comfortable, familiar tropes that satisfy as you go.
If you enjoy things like Netflix’s Love, Death and Robots you’ll enjoy this short stab of grimdark fantasy.
I was lucky enough to catch an arc of this, and I finished it in an afternoon as I couldn’t put it down for long. This is a crowd pleaser, easy to read and dripping with comfortable, familiar tropes that satisfy as you go.
If you enjoy things like Netflix’s Love, Death and Robots you’ll enjoy this short stab of grimdark fantasy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Read this review and more on my Medium page: Distorted Visions
Score: 3.25/5
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Sometimes I am in the mood for an epic saga, in a rich sprawling world, populated with diverse and deep characters, with elaborate plots and plenty of twists and turns, to be enjoyed across days, months, and even years.
Other times, I want to read about a dark magic laced siege. A bloody tale of faith against insurmountable odds.
This is grimdark. Lightning fast.
Set in the world of the full-length series Vengeance in the Void, A Sermon in Blood is a prequel novella. It follows characters and settings before the mainline first entry, Whispers of Oblivion. When the Bishop escorting a caravan containing mythical Church artifacts goes missing, the Sanction — a warrior-cleric group, are sent to investigate. Orwyn, devout servant of the god Velkor follows his Sanction into the depths of Mordain, the Kingdom of Chains.
Predictably (for us), it does not go well for them. It goes very, very badly.
A Sermon in Blood ramps up the mood from atmospheric tension to full-blown brutality, with hordes of enemies thrown against the physical, emotional, and faithful will of our clerics. Orwyn’s devotion to Velkor is tested against relentless evil, as he uncovers greater corruption and a larger plot. It serves as a solid tastemaker of the characters, and a great introduction to the world that Allan conjures for us setting us up for Whispers of Oblivion.
This novella is an action-packed single-session blood fest, with plenty of horror, violence, grit, and the good stuff! The Sanction is your standard troop of grizzled veterans, shy rookies, gruff healers, among whom Orwyn stands tall.
While I enjoyed the breakneck pace and the ramping sense of unease into dark fantasy violence, the narrative itself follows a very predictable arc. For many of us who are used to these horror-fantasy novellas, A Sermon in Blood is a story fully known to us even at the outset. The characters hit your usual archetypical traits, and the format of the story is formulaic. I would have liked to see this format turned on its head, with a twist here and a bloody turn there, keeping even us grizzled veterans of the grim arts on edge.
For those still pale of heart, A Sermon in Blood will be a bloody good time!
(I promise I will get to Whispers of Oblivion soon, I can see it staring at me from the TBR list)
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to BookSirens.
Score: 3.25/5
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Sometimes I am in the mood for an epic saga, in a rich sprawling world, populated with diverse and deep characters, with elaborate plots and plenty of twists and turns, to be enjoyed across days, months, and even years.
Other times, I want to read about a dark magic laced siege. A bloody tale of faith against insurmountable odds.
This is grimdark. Lightning fast.
Set in the world of the full-length series Vengeance in the Void, A Sermon in Blood is a prequel novella. It follows characters and settings before the mainline first entry, Whispers of Oblivion. When the Bishop escorting a caravan containing mythical Church artifacts goes missing, the Sanction — a warrior-cleric group, are sent to investigate. Orwyn, devout servant of the god Velkor follows his Sanction into the depths of Mordain, the Kingdom of Chains.
Predictably (for us), it does not go well for them. It goes very, very badly.
A Sermon in Blood ramps up the mood from atmospheric tension to full-blown brutality, with hordes of enemies thrown against the physical, emotional, and faithful will of our clerics. Orwyn’s devotion to Velkor is tested against relentless evil, as he uncovers greater corruption and a larger plot. It serves as a solid tastemaker of the characters, and a great introduction to the world that Allan conjures for us setting us up for Whispers of Oblivion.
This novella is an action-packed single-session blood fest, with plenty of horror, violence, grit, and the good stuff! The Sanction is your standard troop of grizzled veterans, shy rookies, gruff healers, among whom Orwyn stands tall.
While I enjoyed the breakneck pace and the ramping sense of unease into dark fantasy violence, the narrative itself follows a very predictable arc. For many of us who are used to these horror-fantasy novellas, A Sermon in Blood is a story fully known to us even at the outset. The characters hit your usual archetypical traits, and the format of the story is formulaic. I would have liked to see this format turned on its head, with a twist here and a bloody turn there, keeping even us grizzled veterans of the grim arts on edge.
For those still pale of heart, A Sermon in Blood will be a bloody good time!
(I promise I will get to Whispers of Oblivion soon, I can see it staring at me from the TBR list)
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to BookSirens.
Review of advance copy
I received this book and am writing a voluntary review.
A Sermon in Blood, by J.F Allen, is a dark fantasy novella about the price of faith, as well as the horrors of a feedback loop that keeps cycling between heresy, order, and revenge.
Orwyn is a cleric of the Church and a member of the Sanction. As part of his duties, he, as well as his companions, ensures the safety of the Church while keeping heretics at bay. When he receives word that a group of clerics, as well as a Bishop, had been taken while transporting a relic, the Sanction sets off to investigate the incident. Their journey takes them to a remote village in the middle of nowhere, where they are forced to reckon with a cruelty that matches the Church’s perceived hypocrisy.
This was a solid introduction to the Vengeance in the Void series. The characters and the world surrounding them have sufficiently piqued my interest. Although not long, Allen doesn’t need much to brutally impale the reader with the stakes at hand. From the hauntingly dark atmosphere that the forest and village nearly suffocate Orwyn and his companions under, to the demonic entity that lies dormant beneath, it reminded me of a medieval version of Warhammer, or at the very least a call back to games such as Demon Souls, Dark Souls, and Silk Song (without the cuteness).
I can see myself giving this book to folks who enjoy high fantasy and dark fantasy. Although I would’ve preferred a more tragic stance to an otherwise bittersweet ending, Allen definitely hits his mark. As such, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this book to fans of the aforementioned games.
A Sermon in Blood, by J.F Allen, is a dark fantasy novella about the price of faith, as well as the horrors of a feedback loop that keeps cycling between heresy, order, and revenge.
Orwyn is a cleric of the Church and a member of the Sanction. As part of his duties, he, as well as his companions, ensures the safety of the Church while keeping heretics at bay. When he receives word that a group of clerics, as well as a Bishop, had been taken while transporting a relic, the Sanction sets off to investigate the incident. Their journey takes them to a remote village in the middle of nowhere, where they are forced to reckon with a cruelty that matches the Church’s perceived hypocrisy.
This was a solid introduction to the Vengeance in the Void series. The characters and the world surrounding them have sufficiently piqued my interest. Although not long, Allen doesn’t need much to brutally impale the reader with the stakes at hand. From the hauntingly dark atmosphere that the forest and village nearly suffocate Orwyn and his companions under, to the demonic entity that lies dormant beneath, it reminded me of a medieval version of Warhammer, or at the very least a call back to games such as Demon Souls, Dark Souls, and Silk Song (without the cuteness).
I can see myself giving this book to folks who enjoy high fantasy and dark fantasy. Although I would’ve preferred a more tragic stance to an otherwise bittersweet ending, Allen definitely hits his mark. As such, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this book to fans of the aforementioned games.
February 10, 2026
I received this book as an ARC (Advance Review Copy), in exchange for an honest review.
This is a solidly-executed horror-fantasy novella. It follows a small group of warrior-clerics, sent to investigate the disappearance of a bishop travelling with a holy artefact.
The first half of the story builds up the suspense, and introduces a bit of the world. The worldbuilding felt solid but unremarkable, and the author introduced enough to contextualise the story, without info-dumping excessive details. The suspense is fairly well-built.
We also get to know the half-dozen characters during this time. The author does a good job of making each distinct, though – and this is partly due to the novella format's limitations – they do come across as a bit one-note.
The second half of the siege horror promised in the title, and this is pretty effective. Being grimdark, this section is of course not without some death and suffering, and the author pulls no punches. The novella format is an advantage here, as the author can and does credibly threaten the lives of every character, and the failure of the group.
Overall I enjoyed this read. It doesn't do much that's unusual, nor does it do anything to an exceptional standard, but it's a good solid read that delivers on the promises made by the title.
This is a solidly-executed horror-fantasy novella. It follows a small group of warrior-clerics, sent to investigate the disappearance of a bishop travelling with a holy artefact.
The first half of the story builds up the suspense, and introduces a bit of the world. The worldbuilding felt solid but unremarkable, and the author introduced enough to contextualise the story, without info-dumping excessive details. The suspense is fairly well-built.
We also get to know the half-dozen characters during this time. The author does a good job of making each distinct, though – and this is partly due to the novella format's limitations – they do come across as a bit one-note.
The second half of the siege horror promised in the title, and this is pretty effective. Being grimdark, this section is of course not without some death and suffering, and the author pulls no punches. The novella format is an advantage here, as the author can and does credibly threaten the lives of every character, and the failure of the group.
Overall I enjoyed this read. It doesn't do much that's unusual, nor does it do anything to an exceptional standard, but it's a good solid read that delivers on the promises made by the title.
Review of advance copy
After reading this, I’m left with a feeling better described by a song by Sisters of Mercy: “I want more!”
Though not reinventing the wheel, the author shows us he clearly understands grimdark and horror. The whole time I felt like I was reading the book version of a Robert Eggers movie and, having finished it, I wish the movie existed so I could experience this in a new way.
You know it won’t end well, but you can’t just put it down. The pacing was perfect, a slow burn beginning with quickly rising stakes and a constant feeling of tension, the sense of dread pilling up in one’s peripheral vision like a predator ready to strike. J.F. Allan has written an oustanding novella, even if some of the choices in the end by some characters (looking at you, Torven) felt a bit forced to accomodate the plot, it didn’t remove my sense of immersion as it led me by the bloodied hand ‘til the very end.
I’m left wanting to read more by this author, so Whispers of Oblivion has jumped straight to the top of my wishlist.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Though not reinventing the wheel, the author shows us he clearly understands grimdark and horror. The whole time I felt like I was reading the book version of a Robert Eggers movie and, having finished it, I wish the movie existed so I could experience this in a new way.
You know it won’t end well, but you can’t just put it down. The pacing was perfect, a slow burn beginning with quickly rising stakes and a constant feeling of tension, the sense of dread pilling up in one’s peripheral vision like a predator ready to strike. J.F. Allan has written an oustanding novella, even if some of the choices in the end by some characters (looking at you, Torven) felt a bit forced to accomodate the plot, it didn’t remove my sense of immersion as it led me by the bloodied hand ‘til the very end.
I’m left wanting to read more by this author, so Whispers of Oblivion has jumped straight to the top of my wishlist.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Flew through this in one sitting. Fun, fast-paced, and brutal.
The primary strength of this story is the presentation and the way the tension is built up, which makes for a very gripping read. As might be expected from the shorter length of the novella, the plot is on the lighter side and follows well-trodden tropes. However, the depictions are sharp, approachable, and well-executed.
From the way the events were progressing, I wondered for a while if this was an open-ended tale that would end without closure, as is frustratingly common in dark fiction. However, I was glad to see things getting tied up neatly.
Aspects like occult worship, ambiguity around religious crusades, and applications of blood-magic are quite close to my heart, and in this story the author has brought them together quite nicely.
The author’s blurb already gives you a good picture of what to expect. If the theme resonates with you, go for it. You won’t be disappointed.
Originally posted in my blog.
The primary strength of this story is the presentation and the way the tension is built up, which makes for a very gripping read. As might be expected from the shorter length of the novella, the plot is on the lighter side and follows well-trodden tropes. However, the depictions are sharp, approachable, and well-executed.
From the way the events were progressing, I wondered for a while if this was an open-ended tale that would end without closure, as is frustratingly common in dark fiction. However, I was glad to see things getting tied up neatly.
Aspects like occult worship, ambiguity around religious crusades, and applications of blood-magic are quite close to my heart, and in this story the author has brought them together quite nicely.
The author’s blurb already gives you a good picture of what to expect. If the theme resonates with you, go for it. You won’t be disappointed.
Originally posted in my blog.
Review of advance copy
I found the story interesting, set within the boundaries of fantasy in a medieval world controlled by religion. As an origin-style novel—presumably the beginning of a larger saga—it works well as an introduction, though it would benefit from deeper character development, especially for the protagonist.
What pulled me out of the immersion was the excessive repetition of the same word used to identify a group of characters.
Overall, it was a fast-paced and entertaining read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What pulled me out of the immersion was the excessive repetition of the same word used to identify a group of characters.
Overall, it was a fast-paced and entertaining read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
I genuinely have no idea what to say about this book.
It kept me gripped because I wanted to find out what happened, HOWEVER, I’m still as confused as I was when I started! I’ll admit that it isn’t my usual kind of book, which is why I wanted to read it. But I feel it was way too long for what it actually was.
The 3 stars is generous (from me) definitely not my thing, but others may enjoy it more
I receive this as an ARC from BookSirens
It kept me gripped because I wanted to find out what happened, HOWEVER, I’m still as confused as I was when I started! I’ll admit that it isn’t my usual kind of book, which is why I wanted to read it. But I feel it was way too long for what it actually was.
The 3 stars is generous (from me) definitely not my thing, but others may enjoy it more
I receive this as an ARC from BookSirens
February 12, 2026
A review copy was provided by the author for an honest review.
I've enjoyed it. Read the story in one sitting and was engaged throughout.
Fast-paced, gloomy, doesn't pretend to be something it's not... We have a very solid grimdark novella on our hands.
Having read the main entry, I can confirm that the craft gets better, J.F. is growing as an author—always a good sign. Looking forward to the next installment in Vengence in the Void.
I've enjoyed it. Read the story in one sitting and was engaged throughout.
Fast-paced, gloomy, doesn't pretend to be something it's not... We have a very solid grimdark novella on our hands.
Having read the main entry, I can confirm that the craft gets better, J.F. is growing as an author—always a good sign. Looking forward to the next installment in Vengence in the Void.
February 7, 2026
Love the flow of the story. Hard to put down once i started reading it. I do mentally scream why do you jump straight to the trap knowing that it is a trap. But hey that’s the story plot… Anyway the ending keeps me guessing is that it…
I received an e-advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an e-advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Review of advance copy received from Author
Received this as an ARC from the author. A fantastic quick and short read. Much more grim / horror and read from the side of the gods’ clerics. Pacing was great, the actual village scenes and build up were awesome.
February 6, 2026
ARC REVIEW
This genre is not something that I usually read. And I liked it.
Perfect amount of creepy, very gory, good plot. Tho I would have liked a bit more of suspense.
I give three stars just because it was too short for my liking.
This genre is not something that I usually read. And I liked it.
Perfect amount of creepy, very gory, good plot. Tho I would have liked a bit more of suspense.
I give three stars just because it was too short for my liking.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews