The Corpse-Eater: A Novella

by Patricia Correll

Teenage Rinko is devoted to her sick father and fiercely proud of her samurai heritage, even as the Meiji Restoration is destroying her world. Fleeing the emperor’s forces, she and her father are relieved to find a remote village that welcomes them. But this place is in thrall to a supernatural evil they don’t understand…and the inhabitants’ intentions toward Rinko and her father are not as benevolent as they seem. Can one girl, even a samurai, save herself and her father while freeing the villagers from their curse?

58 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2018

About the author

Patricia Correll believes that all humans are natural storytellers. She’s been telling tales since she could string words together, but in the last thirty years or so has graduated from My Little Pony stories to the unholy trinity of fantasy, SF, and horror.

She lives with her husband and sons in Alabama.

Reviews

[Bradley Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the mood for a novella that stays with you long after reading?
You've found your book.

Set in the mayhem that was the early Meiji Period, Rin and her samurai father flee from Edo, leaving everything behind. Stumbling across a small village during a rainstorm, what first appears to be a haven turns out to be something altogether frightening and tragic.

I loved this book from start to finish. Patricia's writing really draws you in, with attention showed to the Japanese setting, and with characters that are flawed and human, all the better when things get scary and...well, you'll have to read for yourself. Hold on tight, because the ending is something special.

Highly recommended!

[Carolyn Breckinridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Patricia Correll wields words with the same amazing deftness as her adolescent female samurai character wields swords in this novella, 'The Corpse-Eater.' Set in Japan during the Meiji Period, young Rinko and her terminally-ill father, both samurai, find themselves guests in a village with a terrible secret and among villagers whose ulterior motives will test all of Rinko's courage and skills. As in all of her writing, author Correll is a master at plot, characterization, pacing and placing words on a page in such a way that images pop. This is a spellbinding horror story set in feudal Japan, with an ending to leave one pondering Rinko's ultimate choices. I began this novella last night and could not put it down until I came to its final word, "End." She is an amazing author.

[Jacob Klop · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Corpse Eater is a novella set in Japan and tells the story of a female samurai, Rinko, who is trying to care for her ailing father. He has contracted a severe cough. There are hints that the two of them are fleeing or outcast from a recent conflict and they end up getting directed to a nearby village for shelter by an odd monk.

There were so many things that I loved about this story. The writing made me feel like I was a part of this world, from the odd behaviour of the villagers, to the menial tasks that Rinko must perform in order to receive shelter. Each of the characters is clearly defined and consistent. Rinko is completely dedicated to taking care of her father and although she seems a bit awkward around the young man she meets, when it comes to her commitment to her father she is hard as iron.

The plot is just perfect. I love how there’s an oddness about the characters and world that gradually unfolds until a horrifying secret in the village is revealed. How Rinko deals with this revelation is completely in character and exactly what I was hoping for. The ending is both satisfying and I would happily have continued reading more about Rinko.

I expect this will be one of my favourite reads of the year.

[Kim Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mounting tension builds to the very end

The story of Rinko and her father, samurai finding their way as the world is forgetting them, is a highly readable novella based in the Meiji era. As the pair travel to find safety, tension mounts without let up, making the book hard to put down till the very end.

The author’s well researched world building and powerful story-telling pull you in quickly. I found myself with a knot in my stomach knowing to expect something - and like Rin, not sure what that something was until - it was. The word horror crossed my mind several times...

A story of honour, loyalty, courage, and love - and facing the unimaginable, it’s a terrific read for a dark night.

[L.P. Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect novella for a stormy day. This was my first foray into Japanese-themed fiction and a wonderful introduction! The story begins with a pair of samurai, father and daughter, fleeing through the rain-drenched forest. The father is ill and his health is deteriorating. The outcast samurai find a collection of houses barely large enough to be considered a village and take refuge in a vacant home.

We get a sense that things are not quite what they seem, little details planted here and there. It comes together in the end in a satisfying way. Upon finishing this story the first action I took was rereading the first several pages. You may find yourself doing the same.

[M.H. Thaung]

I have no particular knowledge of Japanese mythology, but this was an eminently readable story. We meet the teenage Rin and her ailing father after they have departed Edo following samurai loss of political/military status. When the pair come across an isolated village, it allows them a place to recuperate. But it quickly becomes clear that their new home and its inhabitants have secrets.

I enjoyed how the story unfolded, and how Rin's actions and thoughts had a tension between appropriate samurai behaviour and occasional teenage frustration with life.

A nicely delivered, slightly spooky tale that doesn't take long to read.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Corpse-Eater" by prolific author Patricia Correll is a well-written tale of lost honor, a cursed village, and a teenage samurai girl who somehow has to save herself and her father during Emperor Meiji’s abolishment of the samurai. Also, she must protect herself and the villagers from a monster none of them has ever seen. It's a historical horror-fantasy with a female superhero set in a time and halfway around the world nearly eighty years before Wonder Woman came to save the world.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous writing that pours off the page; I felt very at home in the world of 19th century Japan due the simple but effective writing and description. Rin came alive on the pages, a strong girl full of determination, resourcefulness, and love. Throughout she shows her incredible strength and courage.

[Casey Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s got the warrior spirit of Mulan and the ominous pull of The Wolf Man. Loved it.

[Tanweer Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting novella combining the historical demise of the samurai and supernatural horror Patricia Correll excels at writing. Correll always delivers, and 'The Corpse-Eater' is no exception. Vivid descriptions, elegant writing and sympathetic characters in an exceptionally tight story provide a top-notch reading experience.

Thoroughly recommend to all who enjoy historical fiction and fantasy horror.

[shawn murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grand tale. Daughter of a Samurai during the time of the Meiji Oligarchy, finds herself and father in dire straits as they have been expelled. Daughter has to care for her ill father, find a safe are to hold up, and try not to let people know who they are.

[Kyle Dumas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic horror

Great short read for anyone who is a fan of horror or even just a Edo era esque setting. Definitely worth your time and money

[Ron Courter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m just saying, this is exactly why I don’t live in little remote mountain villages somewhere in Meiji era Japan.