Hive of Blood by Shantel Brunton

If you're looking for a unique dark fantasy read, look no further than Hive of Blood. Nathaniel, our protagonist, is kidnapped and tortured after he moves to the north to distance himself from the girl he loves. After a traitorous truth is revealed, Nathaniel turns to a desolate farm, hoping he'll find reprieve in the wilderness. Instead, he's taken and tormented for months—but all of it will stop if he agrees to join the ranks of his captors.

While the novel has a significant amount of torture (in varying degrees of detail), the story centers around Nathaniel's trauma and acceptance. Though there's also an aspect of found family, there's a great deal of soul searching and healing that goes along with it.

If you dig dark themes, body horror/torture, and light fantasy, I recommend giving Brunton's latest work a try.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.