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A Barrel of Flesh and a Bottle of Blood

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The year is 1718, the Golden Age of Piracy. Dark times have befallen the West Indies — alongside the usual pilfered commodities of booze, spices, and furs, there is one oft not mentioned in civil conversation: humans. And at the forefront of this vile people pillaging business, two wicked and amorphous cads tower over the competition: Captain Bloodybeard and Blackburn Boonie, each hellbent on ousting the other by any means necessary.

When Eli Winthrop, a young man seeking retribution against Boonie for murdering his father, and a spunky stowaway named Anya unwittingly find themselves ensnared within the pirate rivalry, it’s carnage on the high seas! Barrels of blood are overturned as all strive to achieve their deepest ambitions… but who will ultimately survive?

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2026

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Lance Loot

9 books34 followers

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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Angela Occhino.
63 reviews1 follower
June 16, 2026
A Barrel of Flesh and A Bottle of Blood was an absolute blast! A pirate splatterpunk horror story was already enough to grab my attention. Throw in cannibalism (one of my favorite tropes), a revenge-driven storyline, and nonstop chaos, and you’ve got yourself a 5-star read. Lance absolutely delivered with this fast-paced, brutal, and wildly entertaining story that kept me hooked from start to finish.
Profile Image for Allison | crazypageturner.
333 reviews31 followers
May 19, 2026
ARC REVIEW

A budding rivalry between two awful cannibalistic pirate captains Bloodybeard and Blackburn Boonie. They are each prepping for an all out battle against each other hoping to exterminate the other and double up their treasures and plunders. Eli is hoping to infiltrate one of the crews for a personal revenge of his own.

~MY THOUGHTS~

Bloodybeard versus Blackburn Boonie. They are each different in their own right as far as how they run their ship and how they devour their victims. Two very different captains but with one big thing in common: they love the taste of human flesh.

Eli and Anya. Two people seeking revenge for different reasons who meet and team up unexpectedly. Bloodybeard and Boonie. Two pirate captains who despise each other and want the other dead.

An intense rivalry mixed with a revenge story mixed with a possible love story.

Loving the pirate dialogue already. I think if the whole book was written like this it would have been too much but this has the perfect balance.

I enjoy the pirate slang that I am learning thanks to the fun definitions mentioned throughout the book. Who knew there were soooo many terms for being an idiot 😂

YO HO HO and a bottle of blood!!! (not a bottle of rum)

I’m already a big splatter western fan as a subgenre of the splatterpunk/horror world. I gotta say this pirate splatter genre was entertaining as hell! The writing was good as we had a two main storylines going on and a satisfying ending! It was definitely savage, chaotic and bloody and another winner from my friend Lance Loot. Definitely pick up this book (or any of his work) if you’re looking for a creative read!


Profile Image for Kim Layman.
279 reviews14 followers
May 31, 2026
This story follows two infamous pirates, Bloodybeard, and Blackburn Boonie, who are headed to a face off with a score to settle, and a young man named Eli, who is out for revenge. Eli hitches himself to Bloodybeard’s crew, knowing it’s the best way to carry out his plan. What he didn’t bargain for was what he’d be required to do onboard-dine on human flesh. It happens to be the captain’s favorite meal-Boonie’s as well. The blood flows, the fire’s hot, and the torture’s aplenty.

Hooboy, this splatterpunk novella did not hold back. It was descriptive and gruesome. You are able to visualize what is happening, down to the bits of flesh dripping down the beard of Bloodybeard. Also, he’s revolting. No morals, no scruples, and no hygiene. He’s also terrifying.

Boonie, on the other hand, is more measured and put together, but still relishes the torture of his victims before he consumes. His temper simmers below the surface, coming out as a snake strikes-quick and vicious. He’s imposing and demands respect.

As the story progresses, and inches closer to the dual, Eli teeters closer to being exposed. Compounded on that is his discovery of another stowaway, Anya, a woman with a mission of her own. But together, they form a bond over personal tragedies, and their determination to see their goals through. But will they achieve what they set out to do?

This novella was a wild and extremely gross pirate tale with vengeance, lots of blood, and gore. It also had a lot of pirate lingo, which was fun to read-complete with definitions. And the ending leaves things open for a sequel. If you’re a fan of splatterpunk, this one’s for you. 4.25 stars

Thank you Lance for my e-copy of your book. My opinion is my own.
Profile Image for Aiden | bookrot.bby.
82 reviews1 follower
July 7, 2026
Wow! What a wild ride! This was my first pirate read. While it took me a little to get used to the pirate lingo by the end of it I was immersed in the story and thoroughly invested in Eli’s fate.

The pacing kept me hooked, constantly balancing adventure, dread and mounting tension. There was a point where I thought I had figured out where the story was heading - and I was desperately hoping it wouldn’t go in that direction. Thankfully, the story kept me guessing and managed to surprise me!

The atmosphere was wonderfully grimy and oppressive, which is JUST what you want from a splatterpunk read. As for fellow gorehounds and disgust-buccaneers, this one definitely delivers. The gore is great, the cannibalism is delectably grotesque and the body horror never feels shy about pushing things to uncomfortable extremes (I can only imagine the pure stench of it all 🤣🤢😷)

A bloody, brutal and highly entertaining read!

Thank you, Lance, for reaching out and allowing me the pleasure of being disgusted! 🥹🤣🙌🏼
Profile Image for Alexandra.
64 reviews
June 20, 2026
This was an amazing read thank you to Lance Loot for providing me with this fantastic book. Now I need a second book to see what happens to Anya and Eli because I need more pirate action.

This book was amazing it was full of action, it had pure fucking nasty gore and welp there is a scene in this book that almost made me fucking puke, it has a love story and it had two very strong characters that you can connect with. It was just the type of action that I love.
Now I will have to say this right BLACKBURN BOONIE sounds like a hottie yeah maybe he is a moral grey character but damn he sounds so hot, he reminded me that I love nasty pirates.
And Onyx man what a sweety, AND THAT ENDING TWIST I DID NOT SEE IT COMING I DID SUSPECT BUT OMG THE ENDING WAS AMAZING SO STRONG AND MAN IT WAS LIKE WATCHING A PIRATE MOVIE.

This book got me in the mood to go and act my crazy pirates fantasies man I loved it so much!!!!
Profile Image for K D Davies.
430 reviews15 followers
May 9, 2026
The tales of Captain Bloodybeard and Boone. Captain Bloodybeard has a self confessed affliction, for he likes to dine out on his peers.
Loot has an incredible talent for crafting his characters as well as making the world building rich and believable. The theme of the book never dipped. I felt like I was right there with them on this gnarly pirate adventure. I loved Eli and Anya’s story.
This one contains one of my most favourite tropes IYKYK! The splatter is awesome and the pacing is totally on point! The body horror is rich and in character of the famous pirate era! I truly loved this book! So much so I finished it in a day!
Profile Image for Jesy Joy.
159 reviews13 followers
July 19, 2026
Holy cow, what a wild experience this book was! As an frequent Lance Loot reader, I knew this was going to be fun, crazy and completely entertaining. But man, even that did not prepare me for this book. There were so many wow-what-the-fuck moments as I read this one. I even had to message him when I finished chapter 6 to make sure he was ok. 🤣 But I truly, truly can say this one is worth the read. It is a book you will not soon forget, that is for sure!!

Thank you so, so much for sending this to me, Lance!! 🖤
Profile Image for Michael Abbott.
37 reviews11 followers
July 27, 2026
Love to read extreme horror/Spatterpunk novels feel this novel was kinda in the area of Spatterpunk only due to pirates cannibal descriptions.

If you looking for adventure treasure hunt novel this is not it this is novel about revenge. The main character is on a mission to revenge the cannibal pirate who murder his father when the main character join the cannibal pirate crew of the pirate who killed his father he waits for his opportunity to take revenge also they was a small twist at the end that I kinda figured it out before reading it but still great.

Feel this novel be perfect for a person who wants to dip their feet into Spatterpunk .
Profile Image for Sammy.
11 reviews3 followers
June 17, 2026
Well this was alot of fun! We follow the rivalry between captains Bloodybeard and Boonie, along with the revenge-seeking Eli and Anya. This felt like such a fresh and unique addition to the splatterpunk genre (cannibalistic pirates?!) and the delivery did not disappoint. It was equal parts grotesque and hilarious, with all sorts of colorful pirate vocabulary and insults sprinkled throughout. An extremely entertaining read. 🏴‍☠️
Profile Image for Emily Fleming.
183 reviews42 followers
May 31, 2026
Lance does it again! An insane and unique story filled with cannibal pirates, debauchery and nonstop chaos. Raunchy, disgusting, brutal and extremely violent. But also still somehow absolutely hilarious too! I had a great time with this book from start to finish! If you haven’t checked out Lance Loot yet, you should! He writes some of my favorite stories!
Profile Image for Terry Peoples.
9 reviews
June 17, 2026
Wowza, this was a nasty book. Great characters and story, but.....super friggin nasty, man. Literally thought I was gona toss up my lunch a few times lol.

So naturally.....this gets five stars! 😜 Plus pirate splatterpunk is a new one to me, so mas kudos for that! Bit of a different take, which I loved.
Profile Image for Em (Morbid.Ish.
7 reviews3 followers
July 13, 2026
Pirates, cannibalism, and a hint of romance? It didn't take much to sell me on this book, and I absolutely loved it. Follow infamous cannibal pirates Bloodybeard and Blackburn Boonie in a sea tale for the ages. This was just as grotesque as it was fun. It has me yearning for more pirate horror.
Profile Image for GoryGlitchReads.
1 review
August 28, 2026
This book has everything you can hope for in a pirate / splatterpunk book! Cannibal pirates, deadly parrot, love story, revenge, gore and action. I could not put this book down! It’s a must read!!!
Profile Image for Horror Reads.
1,013 reviews361 followers
June 9, 2026
When the author first mentioned this book of a pirate themed splatterpunk, I was definitely interested. And I was pleasantly surprised at how it exceeded my expectations. Yeah, it's splatterpunk so there's a copious amount of detailed gore and blood. But it's also a lot of damn fun and very entertaining.

This book features two of the most feared, violent, and cannibalistic pirates that ever sailed the West Indies in the 1700s. Known for their grotesque violence and appetites they hate one another. A young man seeks his revenge on one of them making himself a crewmate on the ship because their paths are going to cross and both pirates will battle to the death to claim dominance. There's also a female stowaway who also has a score to settle.

What follows is a delightfully disgusting, putrid, and demented pirate horror that will simultaneously make you laugh and gag! It's a full steam ahead gore filled adventure on the high seas as the inevitable showdown is being readied. The dark humor, the language, and the promise of incredibly gratuitous scenes of savagery and cannibalism are all on full display. And that's a very good thing indeed. You don't want to be eating while you're reading!

Despite the laughs and bloodshed though it's just an exciting fun entertaining read and I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Damian Beach.
37 reviews3 followers
May 21, 2026
ARC Review

This blood-soaked swashbuckling nightmare delivers everything a splatterpunk pirate tale should.. brutal revenge, savage cannibalism, and enough gore to stain the ocean red.

The story follows Eli, a young man consumed by vengeance after the murder of his father, Commodore Thomas Winthrop. To hunt down the infamous Blackburn Boonie, Eli boards the grotesque Barrel of Flesh under the command of the terrifying Captain Bloodybeard, a hulking, monstrous pirate whose very presence radiates danger. Forced to conceal his true identity while surrounded by cutthroats and killers, Eli’s journey becomes even more complicated when he discovers Anya, a desperate stowaway simply trying to find her way home.

What unfolds is a chaotic voyage packed with brutal violence and grisly imageryBalancing over-the-top gore with a genuinely entertaining pirate adventure, creating a story that feels equal parts horror and high-seas mayhem. The atmosphere is filthy, violent, and wonderfully unhinged.

If you love pirate horror drenched in blood, guts, and revenge-fueled carnage, this is absolutely a book worth boarding ship for.
Profile Image for Cea | CharmedByChapters .
70 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
May 14, 2026
Per usual, Lance absolutely kills it with his characters. Every single person in this book feels like someone you would avoid at ALL costs in a dark alley… or on a cursed ship in the middle of the ocean. These are not “rum and treasure” pirates. These are feral, terrifying, chaotic pirates doused in cannibalism for extra flavor.

The gore was disgusting, graphic, excessive, and I had the time of my life!! Also… the description of gelatinous fluid coming out of a body triggered me in ways I didn’t even know were possible and I don’t HAVE triggers. Lance, respectfully… what the hell?! And not the mucousy folds, dude!!

Under all the blood, body horror, and insanity though, this was such a fun revenge story. Twisty, brutal, fast-paced chaos. And Anya is a bad-ass! Holding her own surrounded by these deranged men. I also enjoyed the love story and the spiceee!!

Thank you sooo much for the ARC, Lance!! Now excuse me while I go stare at the ocean suspiciously. Just kiddinggg… I live in Colorado.
Profile Image for Therese Thompson.
1,784 reviews21 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 18, 2026
Avast ye body horror fans! You’re going to want to pillage a copy of this most epic and excellent cannibal pirate adventure, the best on land or the high seas.

Bonus: there’s an stalwart hero on a revenge quest. Bonus Bonus: there’s a love story. Triple Bonus: my pirate insult vocabulary has increased exponentially since reading, e.g. ye bilge-sucking nick-ninny curs. (I’m not defaming you, just giving an example and this is a pretty mild one!)

A pirate’s tale that gives no quarter, matey! Get this booty for your shelf!!
Profile Image for His Ghoul Friday (Julia).
147 reviews10 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 11, 2026
Avast ye, matey and feast your eyes on a gory, twisty tale like no other, a story of cannibal pirates 

I devoured A Barrel of Blood and a Bottle of Flesh in nearly one sitting. I loved how immersive the story was, it almost felt like I was part of the crew. It had a fantastic cast of characters, most of which I wouldn’t want to cross paths with.

I highly recommend digging into this fast-paced  book when it comes out in May.

A big thank you to Lance Loot for the ARRRRC!
Profile Image for Morton Moon.
15 reviews
May 31, 2026
Brutal, unflinching, and at times deplorably repugnant— this historical, chaotic story is one of the most original takes on the splatterpunk genre I have yet read. Also my new favorite of Loot's works, I tore through it in a single sitting.

Read this if in search of a wholly different and unique splatterpunk/extreme horror book— you will not be disappointed.

Looking forward to what this author releases next.
Profile Image for R.P. Bigley.
12 reviews
July 27, 2026
I SAY GODDAM this was a sick fucking book!!!! ONCE AGAIN i upchucked my sacred mayo and horseradish-slathered big macs. AND FROM WAT?!?!?! Fucking cannibal ass-munching pirates!!!!! What in the unholy fuck will lunatic loot think of next!? Bc his stories keep getting sicker and sicker i can fucking tell you that!! Shit, maybe i need to stop eating while reading thse disgusting books.....but wheres the fun in that, you know?

Great book, def recommend. 👍👍
Profile Image for Michael.
50 reviews5 followers
August 31, 2026
Revenge, Gore, and lots of cannibalistic pirates. A Barrel of Flesh and a Bottle of Blood has it all, I absolutely loved every bit of this story. If you’re looking for a gory, disgusting, and very much brutal pirate story, then I would absolutely recommend this book for you. Lance Loot does an amazing job describing every moment so that the reader can try and visualize it. A very well written story, that’ll leave you wanting even more after it’s over
Profile Image for SJ.
233 reviews16 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
May 20, 2026
Arc review

A Barrel of Flesh and A Bottle of Blood by Lance Loot

Cannibal pirates and a dash of romance, what more could you want from a book?
From the very first page I was hooked, and it was nearly impossible to put down. The body horror is top-tier, twisted and grotesque in the best way.
This one is brutal and absolutely worth the read.
Profile Image for Lance Loot.
Author 9 books34 followers
June 7, 2026
Yarrr! Enjoy the heinous high-seas depravity, ye scurvy scallywags!!! 🏴‍☠️

And if'n anyone orders ye to swab the poop deck... oi, ye'd be better off jumpin' overboard an' takin' yur chances with the briney deep!! 🙀 🌊 Trust me word on that, me hearties!

Now shove off and grow yurself a pair 'o sea legs! ⚔️
1 review
August 21, 2026
This was one hell of a read. I normally don't fancy buccaneer stories, but this story took me onboard and entertained me throughout. Lance Loot didn't just write a splatterpunk novel surrounding pirate lore - he researched, acknowledged, and understood the language and tropes of a pirate's culture, creating an immersive setting and narrative for the reader.
Profile Image for Kazoo Mazoo.
7 reviews
August 23, 2026
⚓ A Shanty for the Bloody Sea

Heave ho, me hearties, the voyage begins,
With pirates and gore and unspeakable sins!
The seas run red and the dark humor flows—
Where this mad tale sails, nobody knows!

Yo ho ho, let the blood waters roll!
A wicked adventure for every dark soul!
Fast, filthy, and fun from the first page to last—
Climb aboard, me mateys, and hold on fast! 🏴‍☠️
Profile Image for St. Amadeus.
10 reviews
June 12, 2026
Jesus the fuckity fuck, that was one horrendously disgusting read. But...was I entertained? Goddamn right, I was! It's like Pirates of the Caribbean meets Cannibal Holocaust. Yes, I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

More books about deranged cannibal pirates pls!
Profile Image for Justin.
62 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
April 26, 2026
This is my favorite book of Lance's to date. It has everything you didn't know you wanted from a splatterpunk pirate cannibal book. Nom nom nom. Ate this up in one sitting. Easy 5⭐️. Arrrrrgh 🏴‍☠️
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews