Transmuted

by Eve Harms

Her doctor is giving her the body of his dreams... and her nightmares. Isa is a micro-celebrity who rarely shows her face, and can’t wait to have it expertly ripped off and rearranged to look more feminine. When a successful fundraiser makes her gender affirming surgery possible, she’s overjoyed—until she has to give up all her money to save her dying father.

Crushed by gender dysphoria and the pressure of disappointing her fans who paid for a new face, she answers a sketchy ad seeking transgender women for a free, experimental feminization treatment. The grotesquely flawless Dr. Skurm has gruesome methods, but he gets unbelievable results, and Isa is finally feeling comfortable in her skin. She even gains the courage to ask out her crush: an alluring and disfigured alchemy-obsessed artist named Rayna.

But Isa’s body won’t stop changing, and she’s going from super model to super mutant. She has to discover the secret behind her metamorphosis—before the changes are irreversible, and she’s an unwanted freak forever.

Transmuted is an outrageous and unapologetically queer body horror tale that will leave you gasping, giggling, and gagging for more.

Book 30 in the Rewind-or-Die series: imagine your local movie rental store back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, remember all those fantastic covers. Remember taking those movies home and watching in awe as the stories unfolded in nasty rainbows of gore, remember the atmosphere and textures. Remember the blood.

Genres: Horror, Queer, Fiction, LGBT, Novella, Transgender, Splatterpunk

113 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2021

About the author

Eve Harms is a writer of horror and bizarro fiction. Her trans body horror novella TRANSMUTED was featured in Sadie Hartman’s award-winning book 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered, and her other work has appeared in publications such as Vastarien Literary Journal, under Rayna Waxhead, and Creepy Catalog, under Kendra Temples.

In addition to her love for storytelling, her belief in art and the power of self-expression feeds her passion for zines, the creative commons, and the work of independent creators. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her children's book illustrator spouse and two cats.


You can find her on the web at eveharms.com

Reviews

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fly, Dead Ringers, American Mary, The Skin I Live In, The Hellbound Heart by Barker, Skin by Koja, Geek Love by Katherine Dunn - these are some of my forever favorites in the body horror genre and Transmuted will be another added to my most memorable list. If you’re a fan of mad scientists and body horror I feel pretty safe saying you need this book in your life. Even if you’re not a fan of either, you likely need this book in your life if you’re a fan of horror fiction. It’s fast-paced and gruesome and kind of brutally fun in the vein of these Rewind or Die books. You also really get into the head of the main character so when the terrible things begin to happen it makes everything all the more cringe-inducing!

Isa is a popular game streamer who doesn’t show her face but now that she’s crowd-sourced enough cash to get the facial feminization surgery she’s desired for so long, she’s anxious to get it done and move on with her life. Unfortunately life throws a depressing obstacle in her way and she’s forced to spend the money elsewhere. Now, she’s in a desperate bind. How can she face her fans who funded the surgery she can no longer afford? How can she continue to face her own mirror when the person there isn’t a reflection of herself?

Ahhh, this book was so raw and grounded in such a great character. Isa has familial guilt even though they treat her like shit, she’s trapped in a body she despises and now her cash is gone. When she sees a sketchy ad on Instagram promising free experimental feminization treatments you’ll want to scream “DON’T DO IT” but you can completely understand why she does it. The treatment is strange and what eventually follows is even stranger and I don’t want to give it away by saying too much more. Well that’s a lie, I’d love to tell you about all of the imaginative and disgusting and shocking things that happen here and it’s kind of killing me to be so vague. I’ll only say there was just the right mix of romance, dark humor and what the hell?! It’s a book you’ll want to read in one sitting, if you’re fortunate enough to be able to do that.

The plot is incredibly sinister and absurd and mixes in some elements in the last act that were nightmarishly wild but painted so well I could picture it all vividly in my head. Told from Isa’s point of view, the first half of the story is an intimate look into her daily life. You learn her struggles, her desires, and you meet her best friend and support system before everything you could never imagine happens! I adored the twists and the wtf moments but I especially enjoyed Isa.

I hate these damn number ratings more every single day and I don’t know why I’m developing such a hatred for them but since I have to do it, I’ll rate the story a 4.5 because I was wishing it were a wee bit longer in sections and that’s a compliment coming from me so I’ll bump it up to a 5.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly weird, gruesome, horrifying, fucked up ride this was. 10/10, absolutely recommended.

Isa is a very complex and lovable main character, and I'll never get enough of seeing trans characters shine in horror stories. Isa goes through a lot of inner turmoil within these pages, but there's also quite a bit of dark humor and a lot of weirdness and gross descriptions. I love body horror like this, where shit just absolutely hits the fan and you never know what's going to happen next, and Eve Harms definitely delivered. I can't wait to read more from her!

✨ Representation: trans MC & side characters, multiple queer characters

✨ Content warnings for: transphobia, dead-name usage, internalized fat-shaming, violence, torture, mutilation, body horror, medical procedures, death

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[STEPH · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Disgusting. That nose in a soup is completely unhinged and crazy. Haha. Talk about total make-over.

It was OK. I was just a bit overwhelmed by the constant jump of the plot. From a surgery gone wrong to a medieval gladiator-isque battle between a freak and a beast. And wait, there's more! Red/black robe wearing cults with a knack of grading the malformed test subjects like an auction for the art. My hands are totally full!

Well, it was body horror and body horror I got. Too much of it by the way. Wet, slimy—oozing in every hole. I'm done with my review.

If you like to read about gender dysphoria and flying noses. Pick this up.

[Sidney · Rating 3 out of 5]

" You don't know what it's like, how hard it is to be in a body you want to crawl out of and leave behind. It feels like my blood is made of acid..."

currently sitting here with my mouth open, staring out the window because what did i just read?! hoooooly cow, this was a lot. so weird. absolutely wild & so entertaining.

i can honestly say i've never read anything like this before & i did not know where this story was going at any given point so kudos to Eve Harms for keeping me on my toes! it's funny, it's kind of gross & it's....different. i really enjoyed the authors take on body horror. Isa is nicer than me because girl...let that man rot! let him choke on his illnesses, he did not deserve that money!

despite how fun this was the ending was just too wacky with the gladiator fight scene x "freak show" stuff & the writing was just too basic so for those reasons i'm not rating it higher.

THIS WILL NOT BE FOR EVERYONE BUT if you like bizarro fiction, trans stories & body horror this might be for you!

3.5/5 ✨ rounded down for gr

[Brandon Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Wasn’t expecting all that 😂

[Sadie Hartmann]

Transmuted begins with the reader joining Isa in some personal struggles as a trans woman waiting to undergo facial feminization surgery. She has a complicated relationship with her family that becomes even more strained when Isa is asked to forfeit her medical procedure savings to save her estranged father's life.
Desperate to look and feel more feminine, Isa resorts to some radical, experimental testing in order to complete her transition. It's difficult to watch Isa make hasty, risky decisions but it's also understandable. Harms does an excellent job communicating the social pressures and emotional anxiety that force Isa into the dangerous circumstances she finds herself in.
Eventually, Transmuted rockets into a science-fiction, body-horror reminiscent of The Island of Dr. Moreau.
Eve Harms has a warm and welcoming, accessible storytelling voice effortlessly penetrating past the page to grab ahold of her audience. I enjoyed this story and would love to read more!

[Uptown Horror Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and interesting book that covers topics such as gender dysphoria and fetishism of trans people. This novella was on track to being something great, but it kind of went too off the rails towards the end and it got a bit too contrived and wacky for me.

You can watch my full review at:
https://youtu.be/Oo3-Cln_KRk

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Barbara Behring · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this one a 2.5 rounded up to a 3. It was an interesting take on body horror but I thought the writing was just okay.

[Hail Hydra! ~Dave Anderson~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great alchemists of antiquity held a contest to see who could transmute a human subject into the most fearsome monster. Adonis Mercurious, fabled to be a disciple of Hermes Trismegistus himself, showed unique dedication to the challenge. He locked himself in a cave with his equipment for forty days and forty nights, where he channeled powers and discovered formulas unmatched in their brilliance, even today. The result was The Beast, a superb celestial amalgamation of man, dragon, and fowl, representing every stage of the alchemical process.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a deformed trans person myself this hit so many feels! The feelings of dysphoria, of being fetishized, of being looked at like a freak, of feeling like a freak. The way people treat you. I loved Isa. I want to gush about this book but i'm at a loss for words. I read it on KU and will HAVE to buy myself a copy! Highly recommend!

[⠀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea, bad execution.

The concept is unique, fun, full of potential. But goodness, the writing was absolutely obnoxious. That ending? gladiator x cult x fashion show stuff was tacky.

[DA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking, horrific and amazing

I couldn't put this book down. The range of emotions I felt during this story wore me out. Eve Harms had me feeling like I was Isa and I am enamored of her writing style. A little bit of humor, a lot of body horror, an ancient monster and a woman determined to be the best version of herself.

[Lindsay Crook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

This was a fun read it did get kind of over the top near the end but I like wacky.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

nice concept but unfortunately the writing is abysmal

[keshi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25 ⭐️

A horror novella about a trans woman, Isa, who wants to undergo facial feminization surgery - which is a type of gender affirmative surgery - to pass as a woman, but when the money she fundraised for her surgery online goes to her dad's cancer treatment instead, she finds a cheaper way to get what she wants. She responds to a sketchy ad on Instagram that promises great results and motivated by a desperation to be rid of her gender and body dysphoria, she decides to answer the ad. She does NOT get the intended results and is turned into something terrible and grotesque instead. Reminded me of the movie 'The Substance' with its body horror.

This was... definitely a unique read, for me atleast. I looked up this novella after reading it and found that it belonged to a horror subgenre called 'splatterpunk' which Wikipedia defines as a "literary genre characterised by graphically described scenes of an extremely gory nature." I came across another great description of this genre on the r/horrorlit subreddit that said this subgenre was supposed to "make you feel uncomfortable and uneasy". And this book did just that. Some parts of the book were actually stomach turning and not easy to read.

Which is how I know now that this genre is not for me. I subscribe to the belief, "try everything once" when it comes to books and I'm glad I tried this genre. It was something new to me and... I'll probably avoid reading anything like this again.

I will say, however, the writing was pretty good. The book was fast paced and kept me on the edge the entire time... which I think makes for a good horror novella. Sadly, it just wasn't for me.

"Do they all know? Do they know who I am and what’s happened to me? They must. Everyone knows; everyone has heard the rumors of my monstrous form. What do they see when they think of me? And who will they see if they peer under this veil?"

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gender dysphoria body horror, human-animal hybrids, cults, and all the weirdness you want in a horror book.

[Sage Agee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for fans of trans horror

[Sarah Cavar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, okay, I see why everyone and their mom was recommending this to me. It's awesome, and it hits all the spots: biting, cynical social commentary that leaves ample cracks for hope. Erotic encounters that include but are not limited to the sexual –– that embrace an erotics of horror and violence in/and love. Bodies doing the hard work of horror, practicing modes of transformation whose pleasures always come at a steep price. The analysis of transmisogynistic beauty standards, social media stardom, and the real cost of pursuing bodily perfection, are pitch-perfect. Fast-paced story and impossible to put down.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for queer stories and good body horror, this story is both, needless to say I'm a fan!

The story remained engaging from beginning to end and at no point did it lose steam. I really liked the main character. I also enjoyed Harms' writing style and I will definitely read more of her work!

For my sex repulsed peeps: there's a tiny bit of spice which was short enough that I didn't need to skim.

[Lauren Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

SUPER on the nose. Not very creative. Amateurish writing. I'd pass.

[Amy Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was WILD

[clumsyplankton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting the majority of this book but I’m glad I wasn’t expecting it.

[india :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVEEE!!! body horror with a trans main character will always be so personal to me and hit deeper than any other trope, why would you even bother with cis characters. there's so much meaning behind this trope that I dont have the words to describe. Her body in the eyes of other people is the only thing that matters. Even the way that she sees herself is unimportant to other people; her sister guilting her to give up the money she raised for her facial feminization surgery to the transphobic dad bc his needs matter more. Before the procedure, after the procedure, people are solely judging her by her looks (literally forcing her into a mutation pageant); does she pass well enough, is she the perfect enough monster. I really love this quote from the end when she shows the world her inhuman body; "I can't control what they see and how'll they think about me. What's the point of hiding?" As a tranny with dysphoria, its such an important thing to remember and really hit me hard. I wish I could write down all of my feelings about this book but words feel hard.

[asmalldyke · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book, for sure. Certainly a thing for the list. Spoilers, and such.

I dunno, am I in the wrong for expecting (or hoping for) something like this to be a bit subtle? To put its themes forward in some other way than bashing my skull in with them, particularly with paragraph-ending sentences? "A perfect score for being the perfect freak." Or indeed: "I can't control what they see and how they'll think of me. What's the point of hiding?" So many paragraphs end this way.

I get it, honest; it's like the "tfw ywn be anime" posters on /mtfg/. The women who wanna file themselves down until they are living barbie dolls, the ones who go for multiple passes of FFS compulsively. Maybe not literally-specifically /mtfg/, but you can tell it's that sort of sentiment it's conjuring, because the book contains the sentence "I don't consider anime girls to be any kind of transition goals". Plus, one of the deformed creature people in the deranged cultic beauty competition is compared to "one of those plastic anime figurines, formed to be inhumanly over-sexualised with exaggerated curves", and do you see how this might be a little goofy and immersion breaking? I'm not left to draw the conclusion myself, instead the book is bonking me on the forehead and saying "Look! A person has been deformed like an anime figure! Observe this commentary on the horrors of beauty standards!" So Thanks, Transmuted, I figured it out.

The other thing that draws the /tttt/ comparison is the frontloading of the old classic internalised transphobia. I've already enshrined an early passage from this book on the internet, the one that contains "Cro-Magnon brow, receding hairline, square jaw, thin lips, beard shadow-I'm a travesty" in all its horrible glory. Is it bad that I don't want to have to put up with shit like this being spewed 24/7? Is that not okay for me? I get that the book in general, thematically, is a criticism of that sort of trans adherence to impossible beauty standards, but it doesn't mean I wanna read regurgitations of shit I was hearing a decade ago. I feel like a lot of that self hate from the first half was just left to hang, given that protagonist Isa becomes a noodle person and all.

Besides, criticism or not, the story sort of loses itself in the latter half, when Isa is fighting off a giant chicken-dragon-man-bird hybrid. There's a sort of hokey, B-movie, creature-feature vibe that doesn't really gel well with the slow, body-horror of the first half. There's not really enough runtime to dwell on either, but half the time I can't even tell how seriously Transmuted wants me to take it. "Wait. Where's my dick?" was probably not intended to be hilarious, but I cackled and it totally broke the atmosphere.

I did really want to like this one, because it's a fucking banger of an idea for a horror novella. Unfortunately it's just not that well done, which is a real shame.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Isa! somebody should have warned her that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. After giving away her plastic surgery fund to pay for an experimental treatment for her father who is in the end stages of cancer she is depressed and desperate. When she sees an ad for a free feminization treatment she decides to take the plunge. But this is no board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Skurm is more mad scientist than doctor, and his treatments are horrifying and traumatic.
Still, it appears to have worked. Isa begins to see dramatic results beyond her wildest dreams. The changes are not limited to her face or to ridding her of masculine features. She is downright beautiful! Unfortunately the changes don't stop, and Dr. Skurm has evil plans as mad scientists tend to do.

Transmuted is number 30 in the Rewind or Die series, and although it is a quick read with some bizarro body horror it may also be a clever and exaggerated look at the reality of what it may feel like for trans people who are stuck in the "wrong" body as Isa is transformed into something she does not recognize.

[Nicholas Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Amazing Body Horror tale!

This one is about Isa, a transgender woman who is currently transitioning to fix herself up to look more Femme. But after she has to pay for her father’s experimental cancer treatments, she is left with no way to pay for her reconstruction surgery. That’s when a doctor steps in with a solution to her problem.

If Hailey Piper’s ‘The Worm and His Kings’ and Cronenberg’s ‘The Fly’ had a baby, it would be this book!

I am a huge fan of body horror and of Cronenberg’s flicks, so this book was amazing! I loved every second of it!

In the end, ‘Transmuted’ easily gets Five Stars from me!

Wow! What a book!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short fun wild ride into the world of fantasy horror.

Not what I was quite anticipating, but a great story showcasing lots of brilliant imagery and creativity which eventually leads to a place so very unexpected.

All a bit crazy, but certainly an experience to remember.

Looking forward to reading more from this highly talented and imaginative young author in future.

Rating: 4.3 stars..

[Danger]

A bonkers bizarro body horror love story (of sorts) so needless to say, this is right up my alley.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eating Taco Bell while listening to this audiobook was a mistake.