Disclaimer: This novella has been read as part of the SFINCS. This review/rating only represents my personal opinion and it might differ with what the team decides.

Parasitic Omens is a gaslamp horror fantasy novella that marks the first entry in the Gods of Dallamar universe, a new proposal by Jessica A. McMinn (Gardens of War & Wasteland). A dark and gruesome story that presents us a gritty world, with a tightly written plot that makes the best use of the short page count to deliver a big punch, using some eldritch touches as the horror touches.

Lawrence Reed works as an investigator in Copperton, having dealt with almost anything: vampires, warlocks and witches. He's running low on coin, so he accepts a task for Briar, the local alchemist: just retrieving the liver from a corpse; however, what started as a simple organ harvesting task ends with Reed having to avoid a strange creature. Despite Briar telling him to stay away from it, he can't let it go, especially with a family seeking answers.

Through the eyes of Reed, we get introduced to such a dark and gritty place as the city of Copperton, early establishing how we are into a grimdark setting; but it's as the plot advances that readers have to face the supernatural elements of this book. McMinn packs an incredible amount of worldbuilding for such a short length, even hinting at mysteries that Reed is not aware of their existence; an investigation that has some twists under its sleeve, always with the grim in mind.

The writing suits well the dark atmosphere of this world, not being shy of describing the gruesome and gory details; the prose is tight and precise, contributing to create an atmosphere that at moments remembers Yharnam. 

Parasitic Omens is a promising novella, perfect if you are looking for a dark proposal that can scratch your itch of Bloodborne and with hints of a bigger world that I hope we continue exploring in successive stories.