Out For Blood: The Second Book of the Aphotic

Aphotic #2

by Tobin Elliott

Everyone has their demons. But Stinky Pete released his into the school, and now it's out for blood.

It's 1981, and in the town they call No Hope, Theo knows Pete is going through a tough time. God knows Theo's been there himself. He offers a hand in friendship, an offer to get a few guys together for some poker, but something holds Pete back. He's just acquired a Book, and this is the day Pete's gonna make his father pay for all the shit Stinky Pete's had to deal with...

With the help of the Book, Pete unleashes an monstrous, vile demon within the halls of Clarington High. In a matter of minutes, most of the students are dead or dying, the school has been moved to a sickening elsewhere, and Theo and his friends are thrown into the fight of—and for—their lives.

They have one chance to defeat the demon. One chance to get back home. One chance to save themselves. And it's the biggest gamble of Theo's life, but the deck is stacked against them.

The demon they call Swlabr is trying to find and break them for its own needs...

Their inner demons are fighting against them...

And the Book? Yeah, that damned Book has plans of Its own.

"I know bad things are supposed to happen, and we've got a ways to go, but f*ck! I've never hated a book so! This. Is. Terrifying." – Jennifer Dinsmore, editor of The Aphotic series

Genres: Horror, Fiction

422 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2022

About the author

Tobin was destined for horror. This became obvious when, in the span of two weeks, he built a working model of a guillotine out of popsicle sticks and a razor blade — which his Grade Five teacher didn't seem to appreciate as much as he did — and he also learned to tie a noose and proudly hung one from their apartment balcony — which his mother and the superintendent didn't seem to appreciate as much as he did.

Eventually, he learned to focus the horror into stories. His friends and neighbours likely appreciated the lesser PDH (Public Displays of Horror).

Besides writing ugly stories about bad people doing horrible things, Tobin also

- taught Creative Writing at both Durham College and Trent University (Oshawa Campus) for two decades
- was a founding board member of the Writers' Community of Simcoe County (WCSC)
- was a member of the Writers' Community of Durham Region (WCDR)
- for five crazy years, took part in the annual Muskoka Novel Marathon, a three-day writing marathon to raise money for adult literacy programs in the Simcoe/Muskoka region.

Tobin has been lucky enough to see quite a few works published in the past decade or so...

- his first published work, a horror novella called Vanishing Hope, was through Burning Effigy Press
- Stealing Corey was a semi-finalist in the Whispered Words contest and was published in the subsequent Whispered Words anthology, published by Piquant Press
- the third novella-length installment of the Sam Truman Mysteries, Soft Kiss Hard Death, was published by Abattoir Press
- this, along with the first two novellas, were later collected into the The Sam Truman Mysteries Omnibus Volume 1
- his novella, The Wrong was the final book published by Burning Effigy before they went into extended hibernation (Tobin tends to have that effect on people and publishers)
- Prison Break was published in the Nancy Kilpatrick-edited anthology, Expiration Date, published by Edge SF & Fantasy Publishing, and was singled out by Ellen Datlow in The Best Horror of the Year Volume Eight as one of the standout stories
- Fight or Flight was published in Purgatorium: The Element of Horror anthology, by ID Press
- Nightingale was published in Allucinor: The Element of Romance anthology, by ID Press
- The Riff was published in Nefariam: The Element of Crime anthology, by ID Press
- Horse Guts Horse Guts was published in Released: A Horror Anthology, by No Bad Books Press
- Giving Up The Ghost was published in Doors of Darkness, by Terrorcore Publishing
- possibly his weirdest bit of writing, "EGR 181: Cyclopean Architecture" was published in Nafallen University 2022-2023 Course Catalog, by Madness Heart Press

Since COVID-19 pressed the great pause button, Tobin managed to complete his six-book APHOTIC horror series (which he's delighted to be able to call a "hexalogy") and are being released at two-month intervals.
The Six Books of the Aphotic
- Bad Blood
- Out For Blood
- Blood Loss
- Blood Pact
- Blood Relations
- Flesh and Blood

Tobin has been married for 33 years, and has one son and one daughter, and one relatively brainless dog. He's retired from a large Canadian telecom company where he was a Communications Specialist.

Tobin counts embarrassing his wife and kids, pointing out the stupidities of others, being dumb to kind animals and killing plants among his hobbies.

Finally, Tobin loves feedback, either positive or negative, on his writing. You can find all his links here

Reviews

[J.E. Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading book 1, I think I was prepared for something a little different that what I got. This book is BRUTAL, and you'd be lucky to catch your breath once the action starts -- and it starts early. It reminds me of Stranger Things, only without a family friendly filter.

I'm incredibly impressed by how effectively this is written. The action starts early, and it simply does not stop until the very end -- nearly 400 pages of gripping, piss-your-pants terror. How Elliott maintains that without falling into melodrama is remarkable and has so much to do with his characters. Each of them is given an arc and personal stakes while they're struggling to escape the meat grinder their school becomes. The prose is solid, the plotting is wonderful, and the myriad similes building much of the imagery makes me jealous, as a writer.

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by this. It gave me violence, gore -- beautiful, beautiful gore -- characters I cared about (and some I didn't), and an interesting take on cosmic horror that'll grab you by the throat and dragged you through hell. Highly recommended.

[Brandy Brusseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as well written as the first book and just as horrific. A bit hard to follow in the beginning but everything ties together in the end. Another excellent read.

[Penin · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!!!

After reading Vanishing Hope years ago, I picked up Out For Blood. So glad I did!

Before beginning this book, I re-read Vanishing Hope. I have to admit that I was a little harsh in my judgement (although I still stand at 3 stars). I really didn't like Talia, but the story was creepy - and that's why I picked it up in the first place.

Out For Blood continues the story with the book changing hands to Stinky Pete. Unlike Vanishing Hope, Out For Blood had a quick pace and kept my attention throughout. There really wasn't a lot of 'down time', considering the detailed back story of each teenager. Transitioning from the present to the past was done seamlessly, and I truly had no idea how the story would end.

Without giving away anything, the ending to all the action in the high school was spectacular! And the ending to the book itself was satisfying. Nicely done.

I have Blood Loss sitting on my shelf and am very much looking forward to reading that soon.

Thanks for the ride!

[Jonny Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, wow.

So, this is definitely more of a slow burn than Bad Blood, but the wick leads to a TON of dynamite.

I was advised that I may need to push through this one, but overall it was great.

Relatable characters, growing pains, fucked up demons and gore a plenty. Everything I want in a novel (despite the strong desire, I restrained myself from knocking off a star to mourn my favorite character).

If you're expecting Bad Blood, you're not getting that. This is his first novel and every first novel is someone learning there craft.

I personally think that Bad Blood is a little glance at the world that's being painted if you just stick through it.

I enjoyed the journey. I've read better, but I've DEFINITELY read worse.

Hopping into the second one as soon as I hit the little check mark.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thrill continues with Out For Blood. What I'm loving about this series is how the novels are connected but not in a long drawn-out storyline type way. This one had me feeling all the feelings; laughing, shocked, and even some tears - did NOT expect the tears! Another job well done! 👏

[Nikki Kossaris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series has gotten even darker. Pete is now in possession of the book. Pete’s abused at home and bullied at school. Talia might not have the book, but she’s still keeping teeth. Fellow students Theo, Crouch, Toad and Stash have a weekly poker game that Theo invites Pete to. The book pursuades Pete to decline the invitation and to summon a demon in the bathroom of the high school. Enter a sperm demon. Theo and friends end up having to fight their way through the school. What follows is intense, gory, graphic, horrific, all the adjectives. Did I have to stop and read something else at 58%? Yes. Did I finish it? Also, yes. Did I eat spaghettios w/ meatballs while watching Terrifier 2? Maybe. I was a little lost in the beginning, the ending ties everything together.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holeeeee moleeeey.

After The First Book of the Aphotic I was a bit hesitant (the animal stuff from the last offset me a little) but this was incredible! I really felt the characters in this one despite them being teenagers (which are seemingly rarely relatable.) They're fully developed in such subtle but raw and real ways. I caught myself reading ahead or trying to guess what will happen-being wrong almost every time because I'm a shitty detective; but still, it didn't even touch the edge of what I was thinking. It was always a surprise where this story went.
Sometimes emotional (I'm looking at you Stash.) but always exciting and dark...and claustrophobic. Tip toe-ing into cosmic horror without it being too far gone (sorry Lovecraft, love ya but sometimes you go too far) this is honestly such an amazingly done horror novel with just a touch of trippy other worldly-ness which wraps up in a bittersweet way (which btw is fantastic.)

This would make a fantastic horror video game, with Silent Hill meets Stranger Things vibes. I'm absolutely blown away and so excited to read the third book soon. I adore the after notes from the author, such a genuine personality bleeds through the pages and storytelling, both in authors notes and in the characters you become attached to.

[V.M. Sawh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book in the Aphotic series by Tobin Elliott is a very different beast than the first. The best way I can describe it is, if Book 1 was more like the movie Orphan, then Book 2 is more like Tales From the Crypt’s Demon Knight. 


Personally, I preferred the more elegant story and execution of Book 1, but Book 2 has its own pulpy merits, even if I did have some problems with it. 


All opinions are my own and what worked for me might not for you, and vice versa.


What Worked:


The book’s biggest strength is Elliott’s voice. It comes through clear as a bell and is both rich and funny. I was impressed with his ability to effortlessly blend metaphor and character and scene all together to create tableaus that really stick in my mind. 


There are some standout setpieces here that linger including the Swlabr’s initial summoning (worth the price of admission alone), Marcia’s thrilling escape from the caf, its subsequent torching, what happens to the Swlabr’s victims, and the finale. It’s action packed.


Gore hounds will find plenty to love here, as the demon dogs and the Swlabr are depicted in crunchy detail. Lovecraft’s critters and old gods are appropriately name-checked and given more than their due. Any fan of the old terrors will come away impressed.


I really liked Theo, Marcia, Laura, and Stash. Theo comes off as level-headed and I liked the tenderness of his budding (if inappropriate) relationship with Laura. Marcia’s interiority and vulnerability were also highlights as they really rounded out her character. I felt bad for her, which I suppose was the point.  All of them felt like real people. In the end, I really ended up feeling for Stash most of all and wished there had been more of him. Theo’s character evolved perhaps the most and I found his endpoint to be interesting in a kind of bleak way, which was appropriate for the genre.


Overall atmosphere of fear and dread was done well. Pacing was also on point. I always felt like there was something happening, so the momentum was strong and kept me coming back to see what was going to happen next.



What Didn’t Work:


Okay, so the big one was the scene depicting childhood sexual abuse in detail that I felt added nothing to the story. It’s so out of place and jarring that I stopped reading and wanted to throw the book across the room. I signed up for Lovecraftian nasties (of which there are plenty), not trauma-inducing scenes that require therapy to unpack. It honestly made me mad, but it might not bother you.


While author Elliott’s voice was a strength, I found the interactions and dialogue between the teenage boys to be grating, especially while they’re laughing at each other. Their mannerisms, nicknames, and speech patterns when they were together irritated me. It was a marked change, and relief, when Theo spends more time with Laura.


To me, the story didn’t really start until we’re at the high school. There’s multiple framing devices including characters in a bar, and news reports, that kind of obfuscate what the story is. The news reports were interesting, but I found the bar scenes disorienting in a way that took me out of the main plot.


There was too much puking. Literally every character puked. Yes, I get why but it was distracting how much it happened.


So yeah, very different from Book 1 of the Aphotic series. More diner food than filet mignon. Thankfully, I like diner food! As long as you know what you’re getting into, then you can squeeze that ketchup bottle and enjoy your meal. 

Lick your fingers though, cuz things get real messy in Out For Blood.

[Jessica Hartling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a wild ride, incredibly fast paced, and kept you intrigued at every point along the way. I enjoyed the point the characters were developed to, finding there to be enough detail to connect with their situation, while not being bogged down when there is so much going on in the plot.

I was super annoyed with how the male characters spoke to each other in the beginning of the book....but quickly realized that yup...this is how teen boys talk, which ended up being a great asset to their development! I found myself picturing my old high school in Oshawa through the entirety of the book which made the reading experience highly personalized, enjoyable and maybe even a little nostalgic.

The gore and disturbing bits in this book were truly shocking....but the way they were handled was perfect in my opinion, and added to the story rather them making the entire story revolve around the gore. I picked up my copy of Apothic3 this past weekend and I can't wait to start it!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fully immersive and nostalgic read for me. It felt like I was watching a film as I read it, which I loved. Loved the banter and jokes between the teen characters friendships, it was dip back in time reminding me of growing up.

It gives a lot of gore, descriptive bodily functions and dread. A lot of horror in every sense of the word and that’s what I hoped for; what I went in for.

A lot of this read was dark and heavy. It featured other dimension Hells and horror. It’s definitely what terrifying nightmares are made of. Some descriptions are so real it makes you pause.

Like I said, immersive.

The characters are full; I knew them, I felt for them, I was them in some parts. What a raw feel.

All together without giving spoilers, it’s a solid horror. This book needs discussion after, too because it’s not just a horror but multi layers of story and character building.

[Danielle (Danni) Vinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out For Blood is the second book in the Aphotic Series. It's a multi-layered story that flows beautifully due to the excellent writing. The characters are very well-fleshed out, and the dialogue is a riot. Misguided rage and an ancient book produce a terrifying entity that...well, read the book to find out. It's about friendships, evil, and questionable choices. Redemption is bittersweet. I absolutely loved this book. A lot.

[Lars · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first one. This one not really, sorry. Unfortunately the book plays only a minor role, how it affects the current owner was boring. Part One was so much better in this.
The story is not really evolving, the protagonists walk through the school for basically forever without much development. The book needs a proper editing, about 15% to 20% should be deleted. Would increase readability and excitement in my opinion. Needed roughly 4 weeks to finish it, wanted to stop inbetween but worked through.

Let's hope part 3 of the series will be better.

[Gary VandeBroek · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wild ride. Loved every moment

[Martha van Zyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tobin Elliott's "Out For Blood" is a thrilling and intense horror adventure that plunges readers into a nightmarish scenario set in the early 1980s. This second instalment of the Aphotic series delivers a gripping tale of friendship, survival, and the battle against external and internal demons.
Set in the ominously named town of No Hope, the story follows Theo, a teenager who reaches out to his troubled friend, Pete (Stinky Pete), who's dealing with personal demons and a troubled past. Pete has come into possession of a mysterious and dangerous book. Fueled by anger and a desire for revenge against his abusive father, he unleashes a monstrous demon within the halls of Clarington High, transforming a typical school day into a horrifying bloodbath.
Elliott's writing is vivid and chilling, capturing the terror and chaos that ensues as the demon wreaks havoc.
I struggled with the first part of the book, probably because I found it hard to relate to teenage boys' constant toilet humour. However, the character development is exceptional. The pacing of the novel is relentless, with each chapter escalating the tension and horror. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Damaris Quinones · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a horrific and sad book and I loved it. This is a great follow up of book 1 (Bad Blood).

This book has the right amount of gore without it being over the top. The characters in my opinion are very well developed and the story line is awesome.

I absolutely love that the backstories of the characters was included. It gives you an idea what they have been through and it helps you to connect with the characters and feel their pain.

This series, in my humble opinion, is proving to be
something else in a very good way. On to book 3.

[Madison Downey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out for Blood is the perfect follow-up to Bad Blood, giving the reader a deeper dive at just how much The Book can do. The protagonists journeys are filled with twists and turns, keeping the tension high and the stakes even higher. Elliott’s sharp writing and vivid world-building create an engaging experience for fans of paranormal suspense.

[Jamie's BookNook · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to get through at first but once I got into it, I couldn't stop. I really am digging this series and I cannot wait to see what happens next. This series has some serious potential ;)

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I'm not going to comment too much on the book that I wrote, but I definitely want to talk about the audiobook narration on this one.

Jenn Johnson is once again the narrator of this novel—she did the first one, BAD BLOOD as well, and will be doing the rest of the four—and, as good a job as she did on the first book, she absolutely rocked this one.

Let me explain:

First off, and I don't think I've made any secret of this, but of all the six books in this series, while I still love this one, it's likely my least favourite of the six. Maybe because it does the most work at setting the stage for what happens at the end in the sixth and final novel in the series. So, it does a lot of work that way.

And second, I was worried bacause this one has, quite frankly, some really challenging pronounciations in it.

This is where the magic of a great narrator—and make no mistake, Jenn Johnson is a great narrator—can make or break a novel in audio form. I've listened to a couple of authors, who I will not name, though one is known for a career of legal thrillers, who should not be allowed anywhere near a microphone, because their delivery is awful. Then again, there's some authors, such as Stephen King who are great at it. And of course, there's some phenomenal narrators who just come in an smoke it. Jenn's one.

Throughout the experience of listening to this book, I was supposed to be listening for any errors and, instead, I found myself sucked into the story by the sound of Jenn's voice. I found myself laughing at stuff that I'd actually written precisely to be laughed at, I found myself tensing up at critical parts...and I found myself actually tearing up as one character said goodbye to another for the last time. I truly didn't expect that. Hell, I wrote that. But she got me.

So, for the narration, I'm giving this novel five full stars. Not because of my writing, because of Jenn's narration.

[Debra Every · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tobin Elliott’s novel, OUT FOR BLOOD, is the second in a six-book series called the APHOTIC SERIES. In this novel, Elliott has taken us deep into the world of high school angst, the gross humor of teenaged boys, the pain of abusive families, and the catastrophic mistake one boy makes in his effort to deliver vengeance on his violent father.

OUT FOR BLOOD, is set in 1981 New Hope…No Hope to its residents. We meet Stinky Pete, one of those kids who lives on the sidelines, the brunt of mean-spirited jokes…that is, when he’s noticed at all. He finds himself in the possession of a book capable of terrible things. It whispers to Pete, offering a way to rid himself of his abusive father. All he has to do is summon the monster. And that is precisely what Pete does, sitting in a boy’s bathroom at Clarington High. Only problem is, the book lied…and Pete is screwed. Along with everybody else in the building.

Tobin Elliott is an exceptional writer. He has a clear sense of cadence and dialogue. There isn’t a single sentence out of place. He also knows how to write kids. His characters’ voices are authentic, funny, and irreverent as only teenaged boys can be. Think STAND BY ME by Stephen King. And he doesn’t shy away from the horror. Bloody, visceral, no-holds-barred, nasty horror. This book is not for the faint of heart. Wrap all that up in a coming-of-age story and the fallout of dysfunctional families, and OUT FOR BLOOD, pays off in spades.

If I had any issue, it was during the last part of the book. When I needed to stay focused on the accelerating action, Elliott was still giving backstory. I have to admit, I skimmed ahead.

The author may disagree but I found OUT FOR BLOOD, just fine as a stand-alone. Having said that, I’m looking forward to book three and what new horror THE BOOK has in store.

[Alana K. Drex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elliott's book one, BAD BLOOD, saw "the book" in the hands of eight year old Talia, a child already made bitter through domestic strife, finding answers through a book only she could read. Now, fast forward around a decade later, early 80s and we begin with a group of high school boys on their poker night. This builds the camaraderie well for the grisly scenes to come. During this fun scene I was left wondering "When will that evil book make an appearance?"

Back at school, enter loner, Stinky Pete, not a part of the group...the book begins stalking him, yup, stalking him! Making sure it's wherever he is. And most importantly making sure to tell him what it can do to make his life better. Then Pete does what the book wants one evening after school (in the boys' room) when the drama and art students are working on sets for a school play. What happens next is an absolute no-holds barred gore fest. (Yet, you get back stories of characters at the same time which I think is important.)

The main group of friends gave me The Goonies or Stranger Things vibes. AND-- if only Theo had tried harder to get Pete to join his group....😣

This is H◇££◇£ and that's with a capital H! There are some disturbing scenes in here, visualizing them made me feel dirty. It got pretty sick! Things you definitely wouldn't see even on Stranger Things.
All in all I enjoyed this. I'm interested to see what book 3 brings!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's what I know - Tobin Elliott's mind is a scary place. The book was fun and entertaining, horrific and twisted.
I liked most of the characters and kind of liked that some of them didn't have the ending I would have hoped for. I think sometimes it can be easy for an author to create happy endings for everybody, but it can be harder to say goodbye to one of the people you've created for your story. In the end, I appreciate stories where it's not all sunshine and roses at the end - life doesn't always work out that way.
This story picks up where the first one ended - with the book being handed off to its next victim(?). What happens to Peter is predictable from a "this is what happens when you screw with things you don't understand" standpoint. It's the equivalent of a theater audience yelling at the screen telling the young ingénue not to go into the basement. Anyway, chaos ensues, everything goes sideways and one of the most twisted events takes place (which I will not spoil here).
Overall, I enjoyed the book even if I did have a couple "What the f___?" moments, or maybe because of those. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I look forward to the rest of the series.

[Kilgallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series and I am very excited to see where it it going. a very unique approach to a series with an unconventional unifying character. I got some serious "Stranger Things" vibes from this book, but in all the right ways.

I was laughing out loud in the first bit of the story. Tobin Elliott is able to write not only disturbingly good horror, but has a knack for the comedic element as well. The laughter soon stopped as the blood, demons, chaos and horror took hold.

A fun and quick read that definitely makes me happy that I am long past my own personal high school hellscape .

Recommended read!!

[Devin Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

More information on that mysterious book from the first entry (Bad Blood) with a much different tone (this one is gorier & more violent) and larger in scope. Again the author shreds it with standout characterizations such as Theo, Laura, Stash, The Toad, and Marcia, bringing them to life and searing them into memory. Many Lovecraft elements throughout which elevate the story without overwhelming it. This entry does have a slow start with many characters introduced right off the bat, but once past the intros, and the plot develops a bit more, the author doesn’t just hit the gas, he stomps on it with a sledgehammer. Gotta admit, I like this entry more than the first.

[Tamel Wino · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exhilarating journey into a world where darkness and mystery collide in a symphony of suspense.
The pacing is relentless and the characters are richly developed, each with their own complexities and hidden depths, adding layers to the narrative. "Out For Blood" is a captivating addition to the Aphotic series, showcasing Tobin's talent for crafting dark and immersive tales.