The witches are gathering, the pumpkins are glowing, and the veil is thinning… it’s the perfect time of year to dive into some truly dark and delicious horror. For this week’s Witchy Wednesday, I’m reviewing a blood-soaked treat that is not for the faint-hearted.

Enter the world of Nick Stead’s Hybrid: A Blood and Guts Werewolf Horror Series, Book 1.

My Review of Hybrid by Nick Stead

This book is not for the squeamish—seriously, if gore makes you queasy, turn back now!

I first met Nick Stead at a convention, and curiosity got the better of me. I downloaded the free edition of Hybrid, and after finally sinking my teeth into it, I can say this: it’s raw, brutal, and dripping with horror.

The main character is a teenage boy from a Northern UK town, which hit close to home for me. On one hand, it felt a bit too familiar—I read books to escape the mundane, not relive it—but on the other hand, that familiarity gave me a personal connection to the story. I could see this lad, hear him in the voices of people I grew up with, and that made the horror bite a little deeper.

The werewolf element is where this novel truly shines. Forget romanticised shapeshifters—Nick’s wolf is primal, vicious, and unapologetically savage. The wolf exists for the kill, the food, and the raw physicality of its needs. There’s no sugar-coating here, just a chilling exploration of instinct and appetite. In fact, I found myself preferring the wolf to the human. The blood and guts are splattered across every page, and they’ll leave claw marks on your mind long after you’ve finished reading.

As for the vampires? Personally, I found them a little flimsy and generic compared to the wolf, but that’s just me. What did stick with me was the sheer ferocity of the violence. Nick doesn’t hold back, and if you dare to enter his world, you’d better be ready for it.

About the Book

A full moon rises, and a once average teenage boy begins to change. Blood will flow tonight.

Nick Stead’s first transformation is horrific, but it’s just the beginning. From that moment on, he seeks only to satisfy the insatiable hunger burning within, leaving a trail of death and carnage in his wake. Battling new instincts, he tries to hide his lycanthropy from those he loves, but the call is strong, pulling him towards his darker desires and the constant urge to feed.

But his actions have not gone unnoticed, and the hunter becomes the hunted. The Demon Slayers are closing in—an ancient order with a sacred oath to wipe out his kind, once and for all. Can he balance the lupine urges raging within and find inner peace, or will he be destroyed as an abomination by those with the tools and knowledge to finish him?

Hybrid is the first book in the Hybrid series of werewolf horror novels by British author Nick Stead.

📚Buy the Book: Amazon; Waterstones.

This Halloween season, if you’re craving something dark, brutal, and very, very bloody, Hybrid will be your perfect horror fix. 🩸🐺

Happy Witchy Wednesday, my spooky friends!
✨🔮 Stay witchy, stay weird, and don’t forget to howl at the moon this October…

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