THE RISE by Alan Baxter – Review

The Rise by Alan Baxter
Series: Tales From the Gulp #3
Published by 13th Dragon Books on February 13 2026
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 321
Format: Finished paperback
Source: Purchased
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The nitty-gritty: Creeping horror and sinister townsfolk await in Alan Baxter’s latest Tales From the Gulp, a wildly entertaining and delightfully gruesome series.

“I killed Emil and incapacitated Icelynn. Sleeson is some kind of weird monster. I’ve got a pass card and I’m leaving.” She grinned. “That’s the fucking plan, Olaf.”

There’s really nothing better than a new collection of Tales from the Gulp, and once again Alan Baxter has outdone himself. This is one of my favorite weird horror series, and I need to push it extra hard since Baxter is an Australian author and isn’t as well known here in the U.S. Horror fans, if you aren’t reading these books, please add them to your TBR, and you can thank me later! In this third book, Baxter answers some burning questions about the origins of the small coastal town of Gulpepper (or “the Gulp,” as the locals call it) and all its weirdness, but not all of them. I found The Rise to be just as gritty, nasty and weird as the first two books, and I love all the connections among the characters and events throughout the entire series. For this reason, I recommend you begin with The Gulp and read the books in order. Below are my thoughts on each of the five stories in The Rise, and I’ll try to avoid spoilers.

STRANGE LEAVES

The collection kicks off with a story brimming with black humor. Adam and Neil have a side gig dealing weed for a guy named Ramsey, but after an altercation, Ramsey winds up dead. Now they have to figure out how to dispose of the body without Ramsey’s boss finding out—the terrifying Chrissy Carter, who everyone in town is afraid of. Let’s just say things do not go well for these two, and they find themselves in a heap of trouble.

This was a great way to open the collection, and it sets the stage for the rest of the stories. Adam and Neil are perfect examples of the Gulp working class: they’re on the rough side and neither one has enough brain cells to come up with a good plan. Baxter includes a few characters who appear in other stories, such as the town “witch,” an old woman who can always be found standing on the sea wall, gazing out into the ocean. Also, the “strange leaves” of the title are very important later on, so keep that in mind as you’re reading!

SUNLIGHT ON CLEAR WATER

Will is absolutely infatuated with his new girlfriend Beverly, until the day she surprises him by taking him to a remote part of Gulpepper so they can skinny dip. Everything is fun at first, but when Will starts hearing a strange voice, and then Beverly disappears, Will soon realizes he’s stumbled into a situation he has no way of controlling.

This was such a fun story, and fans of body horror will love it. The “ick” factor is strong here, and I’ll admit some scenes even made me squirm! We’re introduced to an important recurring element as well, a strange symbol that keeps appearing everywhere. Baxter uses this symbol as story breaks in the book, so it feels even more menacing, since the reader isn’t yet aware of its meaning.

VITULINUM

Connor and his brother and sister Brendan and Serena live with their abusive and racist father, just trying to get through each day. Connor will do anything to protect his little sister, and one day he gets the chance to help her, although it’s not quite what he expected to happen.

Just a short recap for this one, since I don’t want to give too much away. Baxter leads off this story with a couple of trigger warnings due to the extremely nasty character of the father (the mother isn’t any better, she doesn’t do anything to stop her husband). Despite the dark tone, Vitulinum is important in that it reveals the sinister motivations of the series antagonist, setting the stage for the final story. We also meet a character named Lauren, who is Connor’s one and only friend in Gulpepper, ad Lauren plays a big part in the final story as well. This particular story was both heartwarming—because of the way the siblings look out for each other, and the way that Lauren looks out for Connor—and heartbreaking, because of one character’s willingness to sacrifice themselves to save the others. I loved it!

THE GULPEPPER INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Mega star Eevie Chill finds herself checked into the Gulpepper Institute after her manager suggests she might need a break from her busy career to get her head straight. Eevie goes along with it, but once she’s there, she realizes the Institute isn’t much more than a prison—no cell phones or internet, locked doors, and mandatory therapy sessions where she’s drugged for some nefarious purpose. Eevie hatches a plan to escape, and she’s going to take the other “inmates” with her.

This was probably my favorite story of the bunch. Eevie is a great character, a Japanese-Australian woman who is both a huge music star and a famous actor. She’s also got tons of moxie and isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to get out. The plot itself is fairly simple, but we meet a couple of characters who play important roles in the final story, including Eevie and a man named Winterbourne. Baxter reveals more details about Gulpepper’s weirdness too. Lots of fun!

THE RISE

Chrissy Carter knows something bad is coming to the Gulp, and her family legacy demands that she find a way to stop it. Calling on some old friends, including famous rock band Blind Eye Moon, she comes up with a crazy plan that might just work. But if she can’t stop the evil, the town of Gulpepper might be lost forever.

I loved this story too, and it was the perfect way to wrap up the series (at least until the author decides to write more Gulp stories!). This story has Big Music Energy, as the band Blind Eye Moon and Eevie Chill join forces to put on the biggest concert Gulpepper has ever seen. Baxter pulls out all the stops as things literally go to hell—creatures straight out of a Lovecraftian tale start falling out of the sky—and Chrissy and her friends try to save the day. And while it seems things are resolved at the end, Baxter leaves a door open for possibly more chaos and horror in the future.

There’s not much more to say. I love the hell out of all three Tales From the Gulp books, and I can’t wait to see what Alan Baxter writes next.

Read my reviews of the previous books:

The Gulp

The Fall