The Sweet Scent of Liver

by Eli Wilde

The Sweet Scent of Liver is an anthology of eight short stories that span 100 years. Each story is linked by infected humans called the sharded. Synthetic replicants, clones, and humans are all touched by the actions of the sharded, but it is the darkness of the soul that determines the path each character takes.

Genres: Horror

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

About the author

Eli Wilde started writing when he was very young and stopped writing while he was still young. He didn’t pick up a pen again until many years later. Now that he is telling stories once more, everything feels as it should.

Reviews

[Gareth Is Haunted · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reasonably entertaining collection of short horror stories.
“Don’t you realise everyone is dying? From the very first moment you are conceived, Fergus, you are dying."

These stories are set over a time span of one hundred years. All the stories were well written and explored multiple themes but all had one major thing in common, these strange twisted creatures called the Sharded. You will have to read this to find out about these wicked beasts. Some of these stories were fairly graphic and bloody, which is no bad thing for me.
The only reason for me awarding so few stars was this book's inability truly draw me into its world. I just didn't connect on any level. It simply comes down to a matter of taste.
'Watch how rapidly his flesh transforms into so much more, a sharded thing of beauty.'

So, in all this was quite a fun read and may well be worth you checking out. Especially if you're a fan of short horror stories and odd creatures.

[greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

this book is an anthology of 8 short stories that span 100 years. each of them are linked by infected humans called the sharded. basically the bad guys. and synthetic replicants, clones, and humans are all affected by them.

𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨… i didn’t really connect with any of these characters, although i did feel sad for Gleb… bless him, he didn’t deserve any of it. those stories were short glimpses into their lives, so i felt like i didn’t have enough time to actually start caring for them.

𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚… it was often matter-of-fact type and there was no emotion in it whatsoever. but it still was written in a way that kept me interested to keep going. i also really loved the pictures, they were sooo fucking creepy. 👀

𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩… i liked how this book wasn’t at all serious, but entertaining. this world really fascinated me and i wanted to know more about the whole situation between the sharded, synthetics and humans. most of it didn’t really make too much sense but somehow still gripped me in. i won’t deny that one story did drag and i was starting to get bored, but most of these stories were quite fascinating. also this ending, didn’t really expect that. 😂😂 one more thing i found interesting was that all of these stories were connected with each other through different characters. i feel like this book isn’t for everyone and i can see why some people wouldn’t like it, but it worked for me!

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eli Wilde writes a collection of intertwined, surreal yet vivid, and deeply disturbing stories in “The Sweet Scent of Liver”.

Accompanied by graphic imagery, the reader discovers the origins and apocalyptic spread of “The Sharded”. In hints and subtlety several characters’ origins, purpose, and future are explored.

“The only thing you got wrong was which part of a human you needed to eat to get the most satisfaction.
The heart and the brain may seem like obvious choices, in fact, it is the liver that provides the only sustenance you will ever require.
It is not only the largest gland in the human body, but also the seat of the human soul. That is what makes it so special.”

I found the whole book interesting, despairing, and beautifully horrifying. Zaire’s section especially affected me. This was a darkly poetic take on a futuristic/dystopian world.

“Whatever humanity can imagine, humanity can create.”

[Amanda Ruzsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sharded will haunt you for the rest of your days. And just to ensure they vividly lock into your brain, this author spells out a particularly gruesome visual when describing them. Visualization through words is a skill Eli Wilde possesses. And the images included with this story are beautifully broken depictions of what a deep-seeded desire can turn into. This book will keep you at attention for its entirety, and I’m not going to go any further into detail because you have to go in blind as possible, as I did. Grab this book!

[Michael F Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Sweet Scent of Liver' feels like something genuinely new and fresh for both anthologies, and for zombie fiction.

For anthologies because of its unique episodic structure, the interconnected stories building up a greater narrative over time such that each tale becomes exponentially more engaging.

For zombies, through the way Eli Wilde subverts the tropes of that creature, with the gore and horrific body horror taking place primarily on the undead creatures themselves rather than their prey, and with their plague spreading not through biting their victims, but asking the living to eat from their flesh.

These 'sharded' creatures are brought vividly into the reader's mind through a combination of simple but evocative prose and an original style of illustration that means all of the diverse selection of sharded exists permanently in your subconscious.

Diversity can be found through the narrative as well as its antagonists, since each of the eight stories draws from a different subgenre, while weaving in its core body horror, with my personal favourite, as well as the most frightening, story, Iz, involving elements of surreal horror, and the most tragic story, Gleb, incorporating a heavier science fiction angle.

Every individual story here, not to mention the overarching narrative, is fascinating, compelling, and the subversive originality made this a must read short story collection. I can't wait for a potential second edition with full colour illustrations, and recommend this one to anybody interested in gory body horror, or simply looking for something new from the genre.

[Advanced Reader Copy provided by the author]

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish dream sequencing was real so I could peek into Eli Wilde's mind.
Usually, short stories are not my thing, especially ones that interconnect as I feel like we could've just gotten one story and that's that. But in 'the sweet scent of liver' it makes sense! Each story gives us a different perspective of what the world had become, and it all comes full circle in the end.
Honestly, I NEED more of this! I want to know how things progress as time goes by and things get worse.
The writing was superb, graphic, bloody, horrifying. And those illustrations will haunt me for a while.
I'm officially part of the Eli Wilde fan club.

*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC*

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Eli Wilde. I was expecting a fantastic anthology of horror and it delivered! I am blown away with what I read. There are eight short stories in this little anthology covering 100 years. And that cover is amazing!!

Normally I would break down each story and share with you a short synopsis and my views on the story. This anthology would be difficult to do, and give way too many spoilers if I were to do that.

From the year 2099 to 2199, an apocalyptic event happens across the world. An infected population, called the sharded, deem to change the world by saving the humans who are deemed worthy of their souls, and eliminate those that are not. The sharded are guided by a higher power who has selected a few humans who will be important to the evolution of cleansing the earth. This higher power is not forgiving and is hungry for control.

First of all, your soul isn’t where you think it is, and it is quite tasty. Second, we all smell exceptionally good or horribly bad, whatever your smell is, will save you or you will meet your demise. Third, there are clones and you might be one of them throughout this entire history.

The first two short stories are the history of how the sharded came to be and where they come from. The next five stories follow an individual that has a major part to play in this apocalyptic event. The final story is unbelievably superb.

There are many potential side stories and continuations of the future that can accompany this anthology. This is a story of a different kind of apocalypse that is both magnificent and brutal. I would love to read more of this world Wilde has created. I hope that there will be more stories to read expanding on this sci-fi historical horror anthology. Excellent writing, fantastic world building, outstanding use of descriptions for horror. I need more!

[Kirsty Carson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Sweet Scent of Liver is an anthology of eight short stories that span 100 years. Each story is linked by infected humans called the sharded. Synthetic replicants, clones, and humans are all touched by the actions of the sharded, but it is the darkness of the soul that determines the path each of us takes.

For me, Wilde can be hit or miss, his writing is the true definition of Marmite, you either love it or hate it and for me this time, unfortunately I didn’t enjoy.

I understood and grasped the general concept of the book’s six short stories, the ‘sharded’ being a race of beings that infect humans; but for me I think I would have just liked one narrative to follow. Wilde has a poetical and oftentimes figurative way of writing which can be beautiful in itself but to read six short stories in this style made it hard to follow and for me it just felt like I was bombarded with too much and it left me feeling drained and overwhelmed after reading.

[Romy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for sending me the ARC of The Sweet Scent of Liver in exchange for an honest review!

This was weird! But a good kind of weird! In The Sweet Scent of Liver we follow different kinds of people during a new kind of apocalypse, from the start of this event to the climax when shit's about to go down.

When I first started reading, I almost immediately realized that I shouldn't have read the blurb before going in. It's a story that you need to experience, rather than know the plot beforehand. The writing style was something I struggled with, but as time went on, I seemed to get used to it and it felt true to the story. Almost like Wilde introduced a new way of storytelling. Another feature I really liked was the references to religion, specifically God and Satan, which weren't necessarily overt but you really had to work for to get. Coupled with imagery of the sharded, this story was very unique!

I wouldn't recommend picking this book up if you're not already familiar with graphic horror stories. But if you are, I very much recommend you read this book!

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sweet Scent of Liver really lives up to the promises of its premises (and of its awesome cover), it's bleak, dark, violent, often gross, and occasionally poignantly sweet.

I loved the religious aspect, it added to the overall Event Horizon vibe I got from the novel (the story doesn't have too much in common with the movie I'm really talking vibe here). If you like a story that packs a lot of action in a small package without feeling rushed at all that's exactly what Wilde delivers here.

For my sex repulsed peeps; there is one graphic "sharded" procreation scene which is really repulsive and intended as such (I assume) but otherwise there really isn't really any spice.

I received an eARC of this book from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up. I blasted through this. Very original concept, great writing, & I loved how each short story in the anthology worked together to form a larger plot. Plus, the artwork is amazing.

[Dee Dee (Dee Reads for Food) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I liked about this collection:
- The images that were included were disturbing, beautifully done and were placed at exactly the right moments to help build the tension.
- Each story connected with each other in a way that, even though they followed different characters, the overall thread of impending doom could be followed no matter which story you moved into.

Why I gave it 3 stars:
- The use of the r slur and casual ableism in Gleb was unfortunate
- The ending felt very anticlimactic after all of that buildup

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I found out this is written by Eli Wilde, I immediately pick up the book. I'm that type of reader who doesn't read the blurb before getting into it. At first I was like, what was I reading and what actually was going on? I was confused. Good thing is, Eli Wilde's writing didn't disappoint me. There was a chapter that reminded me of the song It's Called: Freefall by Rainbow Kitten Surprise. The storyline was unpredictable up until the end with horror body (with some weird but twisted stuff), terrifying, frightening and horrifying scenes. The artwork within this book was amazing and helped me a lot in visualizing what I was reading. All in all, I see some potential for The Sweet Scent of Liver to be a full-length novel instead of an anthology.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Sweet Scent of Liver by Eli Wilde was my first book from this author. Thank you to Netgalley for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This anthology of eight stories, follows humans, synthetics, and the sharded ones (people infected and transformed) over a period of 100 years. Readers learn how the infection began and get glimpses of the lives of those infected, the ones fighting against to not be infected, and those living lives in between.

I found the stories uneven and difficult to really care about or even remember most of the characters. At a brief 108 pages, I understand that the author was trying to establish a place, time, and character quickly but the speed of transition from one story to the next left a vacuum when it came to character development. So the reader is more observer than participant in the drama of the story.
I found the early stories slow going and confusing. Maybe it was more me than the book but I felt characters were introduced and discarded only to return in later stories. But the disjointed narrative left me waiting for something more than the repeated reference to the 'Sharded' to connect the dots. Only two of the eight left an impression once I finished reading and neither was strong enough to make me want to spend any future time scouting out Eli Wilde's next endeavor.

[⚔️Emily⚔️ ~iemthereader~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely the strangest piece of fiction that I’ve read in recent months (and don’t get me wrong, I love strange)…but it absolutely didn’t work for me.

I loathe to be the cynic, especially in the face of so many glowing reviews, but my foremost and main gripe with this anthology is the quality of the writing. I can deal with simplicity, and I don’t even mind a straight to the point approach with minimal flourishing, but I cannot abide by wooden, monotone dialogue between characters. A lot of the stories included large sequences of dialogue, with characters often explaining the world and the plot to one another, rather than the author setting the scene and atmosphere. I think that a little ambiguity would have gone a long way here, as too often something with the potential to be terrifying when left to the imagination was over-explained and used as a “Ha! Look at this incredibly scary thing,” moment.

Those who enjoy the splatterpunk/extreme genre overall will likely find a familiar friend in this anthology; in recent years, however, I’ve found that I need some solid substance to offset the shock and the gore. The often random, extremely confronting violence portrayed in The Sweet Scent of Liver was lacking in that same balance. There was wasn’t enough “fleshing out,” between one scene and the next, and it all rolled into one big, bloody mess that didn’t make me feel anything in particular for the characters or the underlying themes. In fact, I’m not even sure what the overall message was here; there seemed to be some kind of statement around faith and God as a whole, but it was buried a little too deeply under layers of severed limbs and rotting flesh.

On a positive note, the monochrome illustrations included in each story were gorgeous, and I can’t fault the originality and overall weirdness of the stories (particularly the first in the anthology). If inducing horrified disgust is what the author set out to achieve, then they’ve certainly done so here.



Thankyou to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Grace Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ e-book provided by NetGalley after publication

The Sweet Scent of Liver weaves horror and gore with a foundation of divinity in a rich religious tone. This entire read felt like a fever dream, shifting through different periods in time with characters that are more that what we first see. What began as the 'hot place' in a renounced priests dreams developed into a living hellscape with sharded horrors roaming the streets. There is no way of predicting where these short stories will go, and this is what makes it so alluring - I finished within a day. The images within these pages only add to the dense atmosphere of Eli Wildes' imagination. I would love to read more one day.

[Mary Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sweet Scent of Liver is a collection of short stories featuring a refreshingly unique take on the zombie trope. There are 8 stories, spanning a 100 year time period where we follow a race of zombie called "sharded" from their inception to a revolting culmination. There are elements of multiple horror subgenres present throughout the stories. My personal favorite, body horror, is the most common with touches of fantasy, sci-fi, cosmic, and dystopian horror.

Intriguing stories coupled with Eli Wilde's ultra clean style of prose made this an easy 5 star read.

[Madison Grimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sweet Scent of Liver is a collection of short stories that are intertwined in a horrifying apocalyptic universe. While reading this I felt I was emerged into a world relatable to Hellraiser and Alice in Wonderland. It was a terrifying fever dream read, unsure of what nightmares were next to come, and I could not stop reading it. I wanted to learn more, see where the story would take me. You follow a few main characters form human to sharded from the very beginning of the end, what their experiences are which is mostly painful journeys of violence, transformations, confusion.

[Kris A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow wow wow. what a trip. im so in awe with this book. all the little details and foreshadowing. i just finished and am already going back and clawing through all my highlights and piecing things together. full body chills.

this rejuvenated my love for horror.

(i will say, i cried laughing during the last story. WHY IS IT SO BIG??? 😂💀)

[Catty · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review: The Sweet Scent of Liver by Eli Wilde - thanks to the author for providing me a copy for an honest review.

This collection of short stories in (roughly) chronological order was pretty original, although rather Barker-esque in tone (which isn't a bad thing!). I enjoyed how the majority of the stories all came together in the end and (mostly) made sense and I appreciated the scale of the narrative too.

The gore was plentiful, but wasn't out of context, (and it definitely wasn't vile as some other readers have labelled it!), the story was reasonably coherent. I do feel that some of the parts of the narrative (i.e., the technology at the start and the concept of the Synthetics) could have been expanded more, while the main characters doing their - well - 'main character' thing could have been shortened somewhat as it got a little bit repetitive for mine.

All in all, the collection was ok - I can definitely see these stories and this world being expanded into longer tales - but it's probably not for the faint of heart. But if dystopian body horror is your jam, and if you can handle one particular story that uses a particular aspect of religious lore in a kinda different but wholly original way - I certainly could! - I think you'll enjoy it! Oh - and I really liked the illustrations too! 3.5 stars
(TW: strong violence, body horror, child death, anti? -religious themes and a gory sex scene or two!)

[Amanda Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very original

This is my first book by Eli Wilde. A collection of stories that are all connected. I enjoyed the black and white pictures that showed what the characters looked like. I will definitely be looking into the author's other work!

[Richard Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sweet Scent of Liver - Eli Wilde
One of my reading habits, good or bad, is that more often than not I do not read the descriptions on the back sort of going into the book blind. On this occasion I am glad I did not read anything about “The Sweet Scent of Liver” I basically read the book in one sitting such was the strength of the “grab me gotcha” factor. I actually thought the book was moving across a vast timeline and I felt it actually worked as one story. It was only after finishing the book I found out that it is in fact an anthology of 8 short stories spanning a 100 year period.
The book was thoughtful in its character building and plots and progressed at a good pace. I for one really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from Eli Wilde

[Kira Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked how all the stories fit together and the descriptions of the gore was great! I found it to be easy to read but could definitely see it being difficult for people if you aren't used to horror.

[Niko Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sweet Scent of Liver is just as gruesome and visceral as it sounds. As I turned the pages, I marveled at the happenings of the characters and the interwoven stories of the main characters in this book. Not all stories are happy, and Eli Wlide delivered. Eli's writing is detailed and raw. He would be one I would want next to me on a camping trip, sharing a scary story or having a conversation at a pub. He has a way of making darkness slowly pull you into the shadows until it is pitch black and you are hooked. Overall, I liked most of the stories. Two were not as gory, which was okay, but it went from high octane to horror, then went right back to his high level. It was a small slump for me, but I would absolutely recommend this book if you're up for eating organs without remorse.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

original!

This was my first read by Eli Wilde and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the black and white artwork. The change in the sharded over the course of the 100 years was intriguing to me and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m a sucker for a good apocalypse story and this one felt original.

[Lexie McDonough · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sweet Scent of Liver by Eli Wilde was a wild take on a zombie-esque story. 8 short stories that all take place in different timelines but intertwine. It was a very unique story about an infection taking over the world. I truly have no idea how anyone gave this a one-star rating (which is, of course, the reason I read this). It was a really fun, unique story. Definitely recommend if you want to read something different even if typical zombies aren't your thing. I think you'll enjoy it more than the typical stories in the same genre.

[Bandit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ah, I don’t like being the naysayer here. Especially given the book’s thus far perfect rack record of all-star reviews, but…it just didn’t really work for me.
It had an interesting concept, a strong visual through line, it was as dark as dark gets which genre fans are sure to appreciate, and it was even decently written. But overall, the stories didn’t engage me or particularly interested me, often coming across as too repetitive or over the top. Ultimately, this collection failed to entertain. In fact, the only success attributable here is in disgusting with that doozy grotesques of an ending.
Maybe it’s an acquired taste sort of thing, and if so, user mileage will certainly vary, but this user didn’t get very far and did not enjoy the drive. Thanks Netgalley.

[Janelle Halstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting stories. All the stories are related talking about the shard creatures.

[Heather Schreiber · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley.

Ewww. That’s all I can say. This book is gross. I have no idea how someone can come up with all this messed up stuff but 🤮. I’m one for reading a gross horror book. But this was out of this world. I was really hoping it was going to be some zombie apocalypse style but this was just confusing. The sharded sound (and look) horrifying. The stories themselves intertwine together but I cannot get over the first nightmare. So disgusting. And the ending when they made “Snake”… come on seriously?

Positive note: my favorite part was the first story because I found the dreamscape idea very interesting. I would read a book based on the neuroscience.

Just not my cup of tea. 👍

[Dom Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different type of apocalyptic story. Short, but not without detail. Enough to understand the uniqueness of the liver-hungry entities taking over, throw in AI domination, and wrap it up in an ending to these short stories that is all tied nicely with a bow.