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Pagham-on-Sea #3
The Day We Ate Grandad
Three possible futures. Two versions of the apocalypse. One chance to save the world.
Wes Porter, a severely depressed insanity-inducing playboy, is detoxing from hallucinogens that have unlocked his ability to see versions of potential futures - and he's just foreseen two ways the world could end. Normally, Wes would leave the hero bullshit to somebody else, but he can't abdicate responsibility this time... not when both those apocalypses might be his fault.
With some prompting from a mythological bard-prophet who may or may not be real, and a lot of assistance from his monster-eating baby sister who desperately wants to move out of his apartment, and their soothsayer cousin who has his own demons to fight, Wes attempts to save [his] world... but have his poor decisions doomed them all?
THE DAY WE ATE GRANDAD is the third book in the Pagham-on-Sea series. It is a dysfunctional family cosmic horror novel for fans of WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES, and THE CALL OF CTHULHU, with themes of bereavement and grief, generational trauma, and a dash of Roman/Welsh mythology.
~
Cover design: Rebecca Kenney
Interior Illustrations: Tom Brown
Wes Porter, a severely depressed insanity-inducing playboy, is detoxing from hallucinogens that have unlocked his ability to see versions of potential futures - and he's just foreseen two ways the world could end. Normally, Wes would leave the hero bullshit to somebody else, but he can't abdicate responsibility this time... not when both those apocalypses might be his fault.
With some prompting from a mythological bard-prophet who may or may not be real, and a lot of assistance from his monster-eating baby sister who desperately wants to move out of his apartment, and their soothsayer cousin who has his own demons to fight, Wes attempts to save [his] world... but have his poor decisions doomed them all?
THE DAY WE ATE GRANDAD is the third book in the Pagham-on-Sea series. It is a dysfunctional family cosmic horror novel for fans of WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES, and THE CALL OF CTHULHU, with themes of bereavement and grief, generational trauma, and a dash of Roman/Welsh mythology.
~
Cover design: Rebecca Kenney
Interior Illustrations: Tom Brown
ebook
First published April 14, 2023
70 people want to read
About the author
C.M. Rosens
16 books106 followersC. M. Rosens is an author of dark, genre-bending speculative fiction, particularly Gothic horror with tentacles and eldritch family drama, with body horror as a recurring theme. She is mainly to be found travelling between the hills of Wales and the plains of England, but loves visiting friends and family all over the world when she can. She has a PhD in a niche area of Medieval British Studies, and these days mostly applies her research skills in fiction rather than academia, which she enjoyed but doesn't miss. Her work is heavily influenced by the histories, mythologies and folklore of places she grew up in and lived as an adult.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 18, 2023
I just can't get enough of the Pagham-On-Sea books! The third installment sees the return of Ricky, Katy, Wes, and Carrie, hopeful that they'll be able to prevent the end of the world. I just love these characters. Part of me wishes they were real, and most of me is really, really glad they aren't. But we could still hang out. I'm definitely hoping that this isn't the last book!
June 9, 2023
I loved it. Serial killers and family-eating cannibal monsters shouldn’t be this loveable. Often gruesome but also funny in a dark shroud sort of way.
This is a book for fans of weird fiction, gore-spattered horror, and heart-warming stories of cousins standing together against an apocalypse. Two apocalypses, maybe. That they might be causing just by hanging out.
And, as ever in the Pagham-on-Sea books, the complicated dynamics of an extended family of monstrous cannibals with eldritch super powers.
This is a book for fans of weird fiction, gore-spattered horror, and heart-warming stories of cousins standing together against an apocalypse. Two apocalypses, maybe. That they might be causing just by hanging out.
And, as ever in the Pagham-on-Sea books, the complicated dynamics of an extended family of monstrous cannibals with eldritch super powers.
April 19, 2023
Glorious.
I can't tell if C.M. Rosens keeps getting better or if my love for her characters allows the storylines to cut deeper every time, but either way, I'm not complaining xD funny how even with the emphasis on fate and the *chef's kiss* title, one chapter after the next just kept me reading. Speaking of kiss... no, I won't spoil it but wow.
Ricky and Katy and Carrie are still stars, and Wes...would never trust him with my drink, my wallet, or literally anyone I care about, but he's a rock star and please somebody make him eat and sleep properly so he can keep making incredibly bad decisions. Liked the glimpse of Layla, intrigued to see where her path goes. As for Theo... he's just a wet noodle of an eldritch horror, but I guess he might grow into it?
And now we settle in and wait for the next full-length novel...
I can't tell if C.M. Rosens keeps getting better or if my love for her characters allows the storylines to cut deeper every time, but either way, I'm not complaining xD funny how even with the emphasis on fate and the *chef's kiss* title, one chapter after the next just kept me reading. Speaking of kiss... no, I won't spoil it but wow.
Ricky and Katy and Carrie are still stars, and Wes...would never trust him with my drink, my wallet, or literally anyone I care about, but he's a rock star and please somebody make him eat and sleep properly so he can keep making incredibly bad decisions. Liked the glimpse of Layla, intrigued to see where her path goes. As for Theo... he's just a wet noodle of an eldritch horror, but I guess he might grow into it?
And now we settle in and wait for the next full-length novel...
June 7, 2023
CM Rosens’ world of eldritch horrors living among us in her Pagham-on-Sea universe is filled with fascinating, funny, completely addictive characters that you can’t stop reading about. This book develops characters and relationships from the first two novels The Crows and Thirteenth, and reading these first helps ground the reader in this world. I enjoyed getting to read about the wider family, but find myself with a bit of a Ricky Porter obsession after this book. Interesting characters, atmospheric and impossible to put down.
August 31, 2025
C.M. Rosens' Pagham-on-Sea books are tremendously good Gothic fun. What happens when the worst guy in your family accidentally starts a cult that might cause the end of the world? Bloody, cannibalistic shenanigans, that's what!
Highly recommended for enjoyers of decaying eldritch families, modern Arthuriana, and rejecting generational curses
Highly recommended for enjoyers of decaying eldritch families, modern Arthuriana, and rejecting generational curses
June 7, 2023
Great conclusion to the series! It was great seeing Wes, Ricky and Katy finally accept themselves and step into their roles. Plus meeting all the additional family characters. I love this book and cannot wait to reread it!
featured
April 3, 2025Ricky Porter from The Crows is asexual!
https://aspeccharactersoftheday.tumbl...
https://aspeccharactersoftheday.tumbl...
February 2, 2024
Book 1 (The Crows) is one of my all-time fav reads, so I've been waiting to get into this one (book 3).
TL;DR review:
Time to stand up to your elder and give him the finger. The road to actually getting to stand there and do that though? 😱 good lord I didn't want to stop reading--I needed answers!
Longer, more in-depth review:
On family/cults:
As if the eldritch family wasn't messed up enough, they started to form cults 💀 and nobody is safe. It's deliciously terrifying.
On LGBTQ+:
Same as with Thirteenth: Multiple queer characters 🏳🌈 Wes really gets to "shine" in this book though, wanting to get down with any gender (saying this for a reason...)
With that said...
On Wes:
Yes, that fckface gets his own subsection. Dear gods, how I love to hate his guts. How Rosens managed to write a character that has me so torn with feeling empathy, then not, then empathy again, to wanting to yeet him into a dark abyss and just be DONE with his ass 😤
...he made me laugh on multiple occasions too, oversexual as he is. I mean... If you know, you know 🕸
But, his sexual appetite aside: his face. One thing I really enjoyed was how this further explored his face and how it all works. As someone who is rather faceblind, it was nice to be reminded how Hugo is too and that's why he isn't as bothered/affected by Wes' power. (Having faceblind characters in books: yes please! 🙌 I felt seen 🥰)
On mental health and such:
This book has characters going through *a lot*. Depression in various shapes and forms, not to mention (not) coping mechanisms. Def wanted to hug multiple characters throughout (and maybe or maybe not shove Wes into a pit).
It was all very well written and just on how all characters are exactly that: their own character. They each deal with things their own (flawed) way and it's just so well written 😩👌
The grief bits though? Better keep hold of your heart!
I for one went straight into denial and refused to stop reading until I got forced into a different stage.
On the eldritch horrors:
This really feels like the climax of the 3 books, with everything coming to a head and all powers reaching their full potential. All I will say here to avoid spoilers: it is just GLORIOUS (iykyk lol)
On style:
The book is written in third person and switches between several POVs. To repeat my previous statement from The Crows: Rosens has a very engaging writing style that feels natural and pulls you into the world of Pagham on Sea and truly brings the characters to life.
And, as is expected, this book has amazing illustrations too! 🤩
Final notes:
If you've been around for books 1 and 2, there is just no way to skip book 3. Look at my face. Look. Get this book, read it, review it, tell your friends. Why yes, I highly recommend this book, why do you ask? Oh, you just had the idea to go and buy it? I fully support that!
TL;DR review:
Time to stand up to your elder and give him the finger. The road to actually getting to stand there and do that though? 😱 good lord I didn't want to stop reading--I needed answers!
Longer, more in-depth review:
On family/cults:
As if the eldritch family wasn't messed up enough, they started to form cults 💀 and nobody is safe. It's deliciously terrifying.
On LGBTQ+:
Same as with Thirteenth: Multiple queer characters 🏳🌈 Wes really gets to "shine" in this book though, wanting to get down with any gender (saying this for a reason...)
With that said...
On Wes:
Yes, that fckface gets his own subsection. Dear gods, how I love to hate his guts. How Rosens managed to write a character that has me so torn with feeling empathy, then not, then empathy again, to wanting to yeet him into a dark abyss and just be DONE with his ass 😤
...he made me laugh on multiple occasions too, oversexual as he is. I mean... If you know, you know 🕸
But, his sexual appetite aside: his face. One thing I really enjoyed was how this further explored his face and how it all works. As someone who is rather faceblind, it was nice to be reminded how Hugo is too and that's why he isn't as bothered/affected by Wes' power. (Having faceblind characters in books: yes please! 🙌 I felt seen 🥰)
On mental health and such:
This book has characters going through *a lot*. Depression in various shapes and forms, not to mention (not) coping mechanisms. Def wanted to hug multiple characters throughout (and maybe or maybe not shove Wes into a pit).
It was all very well written and just on how all characters are exactly that: their own character. They each deal with things their own (flawed) way and it's just so well written 😩👌
The grief bits though? Better keep hold of your heart!
I for one went straight into denial and refused to stop reading until I got forced into a different stage.
On the eldritch horrors:
This really feels like the climax of the 3 books, with everything coming to a head and all powers reaching their full potential. All I will say here to avoid spoilers: it is just GLORIOUS (iykyk lol)
On style:
The book is written in third person and switches between several POVs. To repeat my previous statement from The Crows: Rosens has a very engaging writing style that feels natural and pulls you into the world of Pagham on Sea and truly brings the characters to life.
And, as is expected, this book has amazing illustrations too! 🤩
Final notes:
If you've been around for books 1 and 2, there is just no way to skip book 3. Look at my face. Look. Get this book, read it, review it, tell your friends. Why yes, I highly recommend this book, why do you ask? Oh, you just had the idea to go and buy it? I fully support that!
October 28, 2025
I really need to write a review but to be honest, I need to write more of my own stories, understand life and writing better, go further with trauma therapy to even begin to explain how much this whole series meant and means to me...
...is what I wrote on social media. So I think I'll just copy paste that as rewiews for all books in the series. Only adding how gracious the author was when I wrote her an email to express how much the series, especially book 1, meant to me.
...is what I wrote on social media. So I think I'll just copy paste that as rewiews for all books in the series. Only adding how gracious the author was when I wrote her an email to express how much the series, especially book 1, meant to me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews