Content Warning

This book is a dark carnival. A haunted stage. A story that dances on broken glass.

Carnival of the Damned contains intense themes and imagery that may be triggering or disturbing to some readers. Please proceed with care and compassion for yourself.

Content includes but is not limited to:

Graphic violence and gore

Psychological trauma

Discussions and depictions of death and suicide

Drug use and addiction (including overdose)

Grief, loss, and complicated mourning

Self-harm and emotional dissociation

Power imbalances and manipulation

Haunting illusions and distorted reality

Dark, obsessive romance and toxic attachment

Knifeplay, bloodplay, and sensual violence (Act II onward – consensual but intense)

Body horror and surreal transformation

Confrontations with guilt, shame, and redemption

Brief references to childhood neglect and institutional abuse

Claustrophobia, drowning imagery, and gaslighting

Themes of punishment, justice, and morality without mercy

This is not a safe story, but it is an honest one.

Read at your own pace. Skip what you need to. You owe this story nothing.

If you’re still here… welcome to the Carnival. We’ve been waiting for you.

Content Warnings

The Gift That Bleeds contains graphic, emotionally disturbing, and potentially triggering content, including but not limited to:

• Drug addiction and relapse (heroin/liquid morphine)
  Overdose (graphic, including vomiting, convulsions, gasping)
• Withdrawal symptoms (physical agony, hallucinations, self-soothing behaviors)
• Needle use and injection drug scenes
• Craving and euphoric highs described in sensory-rich detail
• Self-harm and self-inflicted injury (non-romanticized, including knife play and skin cutting)
• Death of a romantic partner (M/M)
• Graphic M/M intimacy laced with guilt and grief
• Suicidal ideation (emotional collapse, planning, acceptance)
• Blood, gore, and mutilation (including eye trauma, skin tearing, and blood-soaked performance)
• Body horror (shaking limbs, broken fingers, dislocated joints, distorted perception)
• Psychological deterioration and hallucinations
• Disordered eating/body neglect due to addiction
• Emotional manipulation by authority figures (Visha, The Carnival)
• Toxic loyalty and coercion into performance
• Forced public execution as spectacle
• Crowd cheering at suffering and death
• Isolation and abandonment (including betrayal by fellow performers)
• Carnival cult-like control and ritualistic punishment
• Emotional abuse and cold, calculated punishment
• Paranoia and distrust
• Flashbacks to abuse/addiction history
• Disenfranchised grief (grieving someone while being punished for it)
• Loss of bodily autonomy
• Cognitive decline and unreliable narration
• Suffocation/drowning imagery (metaphoric and physical)
• Religious and holiday symbolism twisted for horror (e.g., blood-soaked candy canes, crucifixion metaphors, corrupted cheer)
• No happy ending / tragic resolution
• Themes of helplessness, shame, and emotional collapse
• This is a pitch-black holiday horror novel.

It is not a redemption arc.

It is not a romance.

It is a descent. A stage. A sacrifice.

Please read with care.

Your mental health matters more than any story.

If You Need Help:

This story contains themes of addiction, mental health struggles, self-harm, and loss. If you or someone you love is facing similar challenges, please know that you are not alone. There is hope, and there are people ready to listen and support you.

Help is available — please reach out:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Dial 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline
Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741

International Support
Visit befrienders.org for worldwide crisis resources

Remember, seeking help is a sign of courage. Your story is not over. You matter.

With strength and solidarity,
Visha Graves

The Link to Apply for ARC