Look no further for a tale wrapped in vengeance and trans adoration. This 1920’s Appalachian romantic horror will take you on a blood thirsty adventure of trans love and rage, wrapped in the comfort of the timeless mountain range.
Title: The Woods All Black
Author: Lee Mandelo
Date of Publication: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Torr
Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Romance
Trigger Warnings: Graphic details of death, gore, transphobia, sexism, religious bigotry. Mention of sexual assault off page
Synopsis:
The Woods All Black is equal parts historical horror, trans romance, and blood-soaked revenge, all set in 1920s Appalachia
Leslie Bruin is assigned to the backwoods township of Spar Creek by the Frontier Nursing Service, under its usual mandate: vaccinate the flock, birth babies, and weather the judgements of churchy locals who look at him and see a failed woman. Forged in the fires of the Western Front and reborn in the cafes of Paris, Leslie believes he can handle whatever is thrown at him—but Spar Creek holds a darkness beyond his nightmares.
Something ugly festers within the local congregation, and its malice has focused on a young person they insist is an unruly tomboy who must be brought to heel. Violence is bubbling when Leslie arrives, ready to spill over, and he’ll have to act fast if he intends to be of use. But the hills enfolding Spar Creek have a mind of their own, and the woods are haunted in ways Leslie does not understand.
The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo has been a completely unexpected and gorgeous experience. I was expecting Appalachian creature horror to haunt my nightmares. Instead I got a stunning story of revenge, trans resilience, and the ancient atmosphere of a person rooted in the mountain range. With a gory, chaotic, hauntingly beautiful romance to round it out, this should be on every queer horror enthusiasts TBR.
What stood out to me the most was the unexpected turn the scenery of the Appalachian mountains. When I think of the Appalachian mountains, I imagine creatures out of my worst nightmare, shutting the blinds tight before the sun goes down, and never answering the door once the sun sets. So to say that was y expectation walking into this would b an understatement. Instead, Lee Mandelo took a path of respect and adoration I could have never imagined. The setting was such a pivotal background point of the story that wasn’t fully acknowledged until half way through, but the beauty of it is apparent from the beginning.
The Appalachian mountain range is one of the oldest mountain ranges. The reputation it has gained as a haunting and dangerous place is reflected in it’s age. But this story paints it in a space of ethereal beauty. Not something to be toyed with, but something powerful and stepped in sacrifice.
That is exactly the image portrayed in both the setting and our love interest, Stevie. We spend the story following Leslie, a trans man who has been requested in a rural Appalachian town as a nurse. When he arrives he is scorned and basically exiled all while watching religious horrors prepare to be unfolded on another trans boy in town, Stevie.
While Leslie is desperately worried, and attracted, to Stevie, he is connecting with the land and causing chaos. Gotta love him for it.
Stevie quickly becomes the most mysterious and interesting character in the story, carrying rage and revenge on the wind whispering through the trees. He is dynamic, transforms both physically and mentally in just a short period of time, and he carries the story as a whole.
His relationships with himself, his family, the woods, and Leslie are difficult to understand at first, giving the story an air of mystery while working through the severe religious abuse throughout the town. Stevie pushes Leslie throughout the story to stand up for himself, breaking free and supporting the rage and revenge coursing through his veins.
It is a stunning dynamic of brutality and care that seems to be well preserved in trans horror as a genre.
Another crucial aspect of the story to acknowledge is that it is definitely 18+ with some gore forward sex scenes towards the end of the story. They are beautifully done, encapsulating the beauty and power behind trans sex. Lee Mandelo presents the trans body as a piece of art, embracing each aspect of it while still acknowledging the individual comfort of each character. As someone who often doesn’t like gore of any variety, the gore in this story felt like true art. Like a series of paintings I would hang in my house. Gore fueled by rage, revenge, love, and resilience is an intense and important image for the trans community and I loved every second of it.
If you are looking for a trans romantic horror filled to the brim with revenge and blanketed in the ancient air of the forest, this is for you. For lovers of All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes and Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White, this atmospheric tale will quench your thirst for vengeance and adoration.