BOOK REVIEW | BLESSED IS THE ROT | SHERI SINGERLING

BOOK REVIEW | BLESSED IS THE ROT | SHERI SINGERLING

Cover art by Jack Hillside.
Design by Geoffrey Bunting

ABOUT THE BOOK

Fenrir is a mask. Before his fall from grace, he was Ashtin, a lauded surveyor responsible for containing distortions, corrupted pockets of space-time that twist all they touch into horrid creatures. Five years prior, Ashtin defied the teachings of the Church he once served, costing him privilege, purpose, and his old name. Now, he is Fenrir, a shadow of his former self, reduced to ringing a bell for his livelihood.

When a distortion claims Fenrir’s bell tower, the Church sends Surveyor Sophie to assess and contain the threat. She is a painful reminder of all that Fenrir has lost, but as the weeks slip by, Fenrir falls for her. And her him, even after learning his true identity.

But Sophie harbors an even darker secret. Her only hope of salvation? Commit an unforgivable sin by descending into ancient ruins festering with distortions and their horrifying victims. Fenrir accompanies Sophie on the journey, but the truths they uncover are heinous in their own right. He must make a choice—abandon Sophie to fate or throw the world into chaos.

Blessed is the Rot is a dark science fantasy novel, the first in the Bit Trilogy and part of the Alfom Shared Universe.

SETUP

Once a hunter of distortions, Fenrir is now a broken man in exile. When corruption returns, he follows a secretive Church surveyor into ruins crawling with horrors—and must choose between saving her or letting the world burn.

REVIEW

Set in Sheri Singerling’s shared Alfom universe, Blessed is the Rot follows Fenrir, a former church surveyor now broken by the distortions he once hunted—anomalies that twist life into eldritch horrors. Alongside him is Sophie, burdened with secrets of her own, as the pair descend into ancient ruins in search of answers.

Ambitious and atmospheric, the novel leans heavily on mood, symbolism, and thematic intent, blurring the lines between horror, grief narrative, and ecological metaphor. At times, this works beautifully. Singerling’s descriptions of rot, dampness, and bodily decay are vivid and claustrophobic, creating a suffocating sense of dread that lingers long after the page is turned.

However, the same stylistic choices that build atmosphere also hinder the story. The intentionally repetitive prose often feels stalled rather than purposeful, sapping the narrative of momentum and making sections feel monotonous. Characters, while emotionally raw, read more as symbols than fully realized people, which creates distance and blunts the impact of their struggles. Their arcs—and particularly the central relationship—feel underdeveloped and unresolved.

The pacing suffers most, with a second half that feels tonally disconnected from the first, resulting in a conclusion that lands muted rather than haunting.

Still, Blessed is the Rot shows clear artistic vision and moments of lyrical power. Readers drawn to introspective, metaphor-heavy horror may find much to admire here. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a match for me, as its focus on mood and profundity came at the expense of momentum and emotional depth.

VERDICT

Lyrical and suffocatingly atmospheric, Blessed is the Rot excels at mood but falters in momentum, trading narrative drive and fully realized characters for symbolism and abstraction. Admirable in craft, but emotionally distant.