Stara by Dani Brown
Cover Art by Dani Brown
Anything that represents and reveals the most painful and disgusting parts of We find out in this twisted tale as Stara, a modern midwife in Great Britain relays her thoughts and experiences over the years surrounding her all-consuming obsession: bathing in the blood of stillborn babies. Stara wakes up as one of her patients goes into labor. She can feel it. She’s been sharing a special connection with her patients since he came into her life and started to teach her. She won’t make it to the hospital in time to steal the baby for her very special bloodbaths, which she kees fresh in her refrigerator. He taught her how to prepare her medicinal bath, and which spells and charms to use to protect her precious supply. One night Stara gets too greedy with her robust red fountain of young and reverts into a twisted infancy. Will she be able to save herself, or will this greed lead to her execution?
Well, Stara, a carefully constructed character with a dark addiction. An incredibly well written story, which pulls you in to the depths of depravity. A witch with a need to please the unobtainable man, to prove her worth to him by being the best at what she does. In her case the art of collecting baby remains, but forcing horrific miscarriages and manipulating women into abortion. A skill that she has mastered really well it seems, as she brags constantly about her success rate.
Stara is a character that you love to hate, her insecurity just makes her detest pregnant women more. They are merely a commodity to help her gain power to win the man she serves and gain beauty to keep on his radar. She is very much a woman possessed, constantly competing with the followers in her baby draining covern. It seems Stara is constantly fighting to stay ahead of the game, trying to be the best and cruelest showing little to no compassion for her victims. If anything she seems to thrive on the pain they are in. Of course the tables turn, and she ends up being the victim of her own greed and arrogance. The man she worships looks upon her like dirt and she ends up a patient of the very 'hussies' she despises. One simple mistake and she is treated like trash, she ends up feeling like a commodity herself. Only needed for her midwife skills, but even that doesn't give her a free pass from punishment. Then just as she thinks her luck has run out the story takes an unexpected turn and shit gets bizarre. The ending a bonkers insane with a side of holy shit balls, and is so good. Tying up the entire story but still leaving a hint of mystery that leaves you wanting more. The classic shock horror vibes mixed with intense details that entrance you and bring you into a world where you will be terrified to get pregnant and won't look at the midwife the same way again.