Out on a Limb by Luis Paredes

Private Occult Investigators Rebecca Suarez and Peyton Marx solve New York City’s strangest paranormal cases, but when a tree in Queens sprouts dozens of human legs, the PIs are stumped by the horrific sight.

The dangling gams become the least of their concerns when nearby trees start consuming more victims. Now Rebecca and Peyton must use their powers and the NYPD’s magical tech to find the mage responsible for this heinous crime and stop a bloody disaster from creeping across the Empire State.

Goodreads Synopsis

Overall Rating

3/5

Spooky Rating

2/5

Quick Take

Out on a Limb by Luis Paredes is an incredibly unique dark fantasy with elements of the occult and body horror. While the book is very short, it is packed with mythology and complex characters. I just wish that the book had been longer to allow for more time for worldbuilding, as the story felt a bit rushed and predictable.

Tell Me More

I am a big fan of dark fantasy, and I love when it is intertwined with horror. Out on a Limb is an ingenious mix of body horror and the occult with elements of crime and dark fantasy. I absolutely loved how Peyton, one of the occult investigators, was a rabbit that had magical abilities and was able to talk. Peyton’s character was spicy and hilarious, while also being incredibly adorable. She is quite possibly one of my new favorite characters in horror literature.

The world Paredes created was extremely unique, and I enjoyed reading about the mythology that inspired his story. However, it was hard to follow at times, because it felt like there wasn’t enough worldbuilding. The book itself was under one hundred pages, and for such a complex story, it should have been longer to fully develop the world and the characters. Unfortunately, there were also quite a few grammatical errors that detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

However, with that being said, I was utterly transfixed by the story. If the book were expanded on and revised, it would be a five-star read for sure. The story was grotesque and intense, while being utterly original and captivating. This is the first book in a series, and I am excited to see where the series goes.

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