Epeolatry Book Review: Rabbit Face and Further Awful Encounters by Thomas C. Mavroudis
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Title: Rabbit Face and Further Awful Encounters
Author: Thomas C. Mavroudis
Genre: Occult & Supernatural Horror
Publisher: JournalStone
Release Date: April 25, 2025
Synopsis: Escaping the mounting issues with city life, a couple move into a suburban subdivision that utilizes a special form of security. An ex-con shares her experiences with an obscure cryptid on a late night talk show. Grigori Rasputin conducts a cult under observation by British Intelligence. The personification of Death, bored and lonely, wanders the streets of Denver seeking connection.
Every encounter is a confrontation. Doppelgängers, conglomerate spirits, and other awful things await your acquaintance in Rabbit Face and Further Awful Encounters, the debut collection from Thomas C. Mavroudis, of whom Bram Stoker award winner Christa Carmen says, “Employs crisp prose, heartbreakingly earnest characters, and a wicked gift for dark humor to absolutely brilliant effect.”
Rabbit Face and Further Awful Encounters by Thomas C. Mavroudis is a collection that burns slow—sometimes too slow. I found myself losing interest more than once. The stories are immensely detailed and incredibly atmospheric, so if you enjoy a slow, finger-walk through unsettling landscapes, this might be exactly your thing. Personally, I prefer a bit more urgency.
That being said, the writing is undeniably solid. Mavroudis has a real gift for language. The vocabulary is sophisticated but not pretentious—elevated but still grounded enough to avoid sounding archaic. The composition overall is pleasing to the eye and flows well. He’s also no one-trick pony. Every story introduces a totally different main character, and he handles each with a unique voice and perspective, which I found impressive.
There’s a surprising range in tone and theme across the collection. At one point, I found myself reading what turned out to be the most eloquently written sex scene I’ve ever come across. I genuinely had to read it twice just to be sure they were bumping uglies and not embarking on some cosmic journey. The stories shift from detective-style noir to slow descents into madness and even touch on themes of aging and isolation in a way that gave me serious George A. Romero’s The Amusement Park vibes.
Other moments reminded me of Stephen King’s Revival—the kind of slow burn eerie storytelling that follows a character closely, and the real horror is revealed in what quietly lingers and grows over time. But despite the often dark and tragic elements, the horror isn’t what defines the stories. It’s more of a vessel for exploring deeper themes—grief, identity, memory, decay.
If I had to compare this collection to anything, I’d say it echoes Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination—not just in content, but in spirit. It’s moody, introspective, and stylized. Not everything worked for me, but I can’t deny the talent and ambition behind it.
However, I must give it three ravens. That is not a reflection on the author’s ability, but simply my taste as a reader/reviewer. If you have read my other reviews, and we enjoy the same flavors, then you might not enjoy this book, though I do believe many will.
P.S. How cool is that cover?!?!
/5
Available from Amazon.
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Luc Dantes is a high school English teacher by day and aspiring author by night. Their writing style is shaped by their experience living with ADD, as well as their identity as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Luc finds comfort in the horror genre, seeing it as a place to explore darker themes in a safe environment. Their work has been featured in Ghostwatch Zine’s Winter’s Warning quarterly issue in 2025, and they are set to be published in “Twisted Horrors,” a queer anthology curated by River Gardner in 2025.
As an avid reader, Luc has consistently ranked among Goodreads’ top users, placing in the top 25% of readers in 2023 and advancing to the top 10% of readers and top 1% of reviewers in 2024. Their literary interests span a wide range of genres, with a particular passion for horror, fantasy, and autobiographies.
As a writer, Luc aims to bring an honest, relatable perspective to readers through their work. Their experience as both a prolific reader and reviewer informs their writing, allowing them to craft stories that resonate with diverse audiences. Above all, Luc’s greatest passions are their loving spouse and children, who continue to inspire and support their literary journey.
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