Esbat Podcast: Book Review of “Transmuted” by Eve Harms
Transmuted by Eve Harms
Esbat Review for September 26th
Genre: Body Horror
This is one of those books where it’s hard to imagine so much happening in such a short space, but Harms really effectively pulls it off.
Isa, desperate to change her face, fundraises the money to make her face more feminine. But when her sister contacts her and explains their father needs experimental treatment, Isa gives up the money and the surgery. But she’s offered an opportunity she can’t ignore, not when it offers a possibility of easing her gender dysphoria and avoiding disappointing her fans. Dr. Skurm’s methods get the results, and Isa finally feels comfortable in her skin. But her body won’t stop changing, and changing, and changing…
Eve Harms takes gender dysphoria and uses it to propel her character forward, giving the underlying reason for her to take the risks she does. Isa is beautifully written, a woman who just wants to live her life and doesn’t want to disappoint people, whether it’s her “well-meaning” sister and unaccepting dad, or the beautiful, alluring Rayna, or the fans who donated to her fundraiser. She, like many women, feels responsible for those around her, often pushing away her own needs and desires to help them instead. Once the extent of these changes becomes apparent, Isa is drawn into something darker than she could have realised.
I’ve called this Body Horror above, but the fact is Eve blends together different subgenres, drawing on various aspects of horror to create this blend of Sci-Fi, Bizarro, Body Horror and more. There’s grotesque imagery on almost every page, drawing you deeper and deeper as Isa advances on her journey.
Yet again I find myself wishing I had read this earlier. It’s a really good book, with an engrossing storyline and a completely engaging main character. Don’t be like me and leave it any later to pick this up.
Esbat: A Bookish Podcast is a bi-weekly podcast discussing SFF & Horror books by diverse writers. Every two weeks, we bring you discussions with fantastic guests about the books they want to highlight. Our latest episode we talk about Transmuted with Diversity in Horror. You can find out more on our Esbat Podcast page.
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0943BXBG1/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Transmuted-Rewind-Die-Eve-Harms/dp/1989206778/
Author Website: https://eveharms.com/
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter & Instagram: @elleturpitt
I purchased this ebook.
