Book Review: Body Art – Author Kristopher Triana

Body Art

By Kristopher Triana

Blood Bound Books

236 Pages

Toby and Jessica may not be everyone’s idea of the perfect couple. Yet their chemistry is Body Art

infectious and they seem inseparable. At times it seemed like nothing would come between them. Then Jessica’s insatiable appetite succumbed to the realm of XXX. A neighbouring porn producer named Rutger spots her scouring the grounds and coerces her into his set. Joined with Kandi, a veteran starlet, she soon makes splash in the horizontal hokey pokey business. It turns out Jessica’s gifts cross a depraved line and begins to conjure the very real evil that lurks in Rutger’s estate. They say life imitates art, but does evil imitate Body Art?

Body Art marks the first novel I’ve embarked upon with Blood Bound Books. No question a catchy name, for a press. It is evident this publication is making it loud and clear their niche market, and their intent on making a spatterpunk blood bath impact within the horror realm. Body Art makes an ideal canvas for readers looking for an appreciation for a press above and beyond the norm. BBB is here to stay.

One does not have to have a firm grip on familiarity or an affection for the XXX industry to enjoy Body Art. There is a little something for even the most discerning of readers. Reading audiences that dabble in the film industry as an aficionado or just a general fan of movies will get a kick out of this skin soiree.  Although often tawdry, lewd, obscene and graphic Triana not only pushes the envelope in terms of conventional horror we’ve become accustomed to, he ignites it, sending it blazing into ashes before it’s through.

The sex scenes are often titillating then at times raunchy forever altering the landscape of libidos as we currently know it. Jessica’s evolution is timed with nuance of a well-seasoned author. He knows his audience well, almost being privy to all of their dirty little secrets, fine tweaks them and unleashes them whether we’re ready or not. Triana broaches the controversial yet primal and fundamental of emotions and tears it wide open in vulnerable fashion. Readers are prompted to look deep within and may very well consider a sturdy regimen of therapy shortly thereafter.

The author drafts realistic characters, exploiting a dark side. More stereotypical characters breathe a refreshing air of purity and break the mold of how there are perceived. The tables are turned and a very humanistic perception is enhanced. Triana knows human nature well, arguably his market even better and finds common ground for the two to meet somewhere in the centre.

The relationship of Toby and Jessica is about as endearing as American Pie. The bond that forms between Toby and Kandi accentuates a virtual fantasy that just about any red blooded, blue collar American could relate to. An undeniable subtext if idol worship and celebrity alienation is highlighted. We get a sense that the grass most certainly is not always greener on the other side. Deviations are prevalent, creating a sense of authenticity that most readers will rejoice.

Rutger’s character is realistic and seems to emulate either a Ron Jeremy or Randy West sort. In ways he epitomizes the stereotype of what a porn producer would be. In another certain sort of sense, his involvement in shady endeavors grows even deeper and darker than any mortal could be capable of. Rutger keeps us guessing until the final pages, making him a solid character, crucial to the plot. Again a sense of plausibility is created for readers to invest in the story, making Body Art all the more horrific and punctuates the what if fable.

The climatic moments are equally traumatizing and mesmerizing. Jessica is like a grisly car wreck that we cannot look away from. Upon the final pages the plot escalation is executed with a ruthless aggression most readers will not see coming.

I sense a most dark and depraved yet prosperous future for Kristopher Triana. If this is the shape of things to come from Blood Bound Books, suffice to say their future can be forever cemented in the annals of horror history. I will gladly charter further reading odysseys, even if they are better suited during day light hours.