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Under a Blood Red Sky
Through the mire affecting his mind, Braxton was aware of something firm and slippery passing over his body, a brief glimpse of bulbous eyes glimmering ebony in the candlelight, and a rubbery countenance painted onto a neckless head.
The Rees’ party have been journeying west for weeks when they encounter Seymour Coleridge. The cowboy is stranded in the desert, his off-kilter wagon resting crestfallen on its broken wheel.
Little do the pioneers realise, but a single act of kindness is about to put all of their lives in jeopardy.
And the new arrival isn’t the only member of the party hiding dark secrets.
It was Braxton Rees’ decision to ignore the Mormon Trail, opting instead to make the journey west via a more unconventional route. Rees has his own reasons for following this particular track, and it is a choice that will have lasting repercussions for the rest of the party.
The team presses on through the weird, wild west, not realising that the wagon train is headed towards an ensemble of waiting nightmares.
Seymour Coleridge is a monster.
But he is not the worst fate awaiting the Braxton Rees’ party.
The Rees’ party have been journeying west for weeks when they encounter Seymour Coleridge. The cowboy is stranded in the desert, his off-kilter wagon resting crestfallen on its broken wheel.
Little do the pioneers realise, but a single act of kindness is about to put all of their lives in jeopardy.
And the new arrival isn’t the only member of the party hiding dark secrets.
It was Braxton Rees’ decision to ignore the Mormon Trail, opting instead to make the journey west via a more unconventional route. Rees has his own reasons for following this particular track, and it is a choice that will have lasting repercussions for the rest of the party.
The team presses on through the weird, wild west, not realising that the wagon train is headed towards an ensemble of waiting nightmares.
Seymour Coleridge is a monster.
But he is not the worst fate awaiting the Braxton Rees’ party.
247 pages, Paperback
Published March 8, 2023
6 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
David Brian
19 books382 followersOfficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-...
Once More with Feeling
"There are people in the house. They have the children. What should we do?"
Available October 17th, 2022. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDMCLZVQ
I was born into a world of horror... Well, not quite, but almost! To be more precise, my 'very sudden' arrival into this world came about via a broken cinema seat. It was a seat into which my heavily pregnant mother found herself wedged. Once it had collapsed beneath her bulk, the resulting chaos of attempting to free her - perhaps not surprisingly - induced a rather rapid labor.
Talk about a grand entrance.
I'm guessing it was something of a talking point among those present, and probably for many years after.
Oh, yeah, and the film that was showing? It was The Phantom Of The Opera!
I have had a fascination with all aspects of the horror genre since my childhood, and it is a major driving force in my desire to write entertaining stories.
Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria is my first novel; It's the story of Laura Bennett, who finds everything changes on the day a beautiful and mysterious stranger first enters her life...
A novel length re-imagining of J.S. Le Fanu's original novella, Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria draws on much of the original narrative, but also introduces an array of new Characters to bring a whole new level of horror, and tragedy, to the legend of Carmilla.
The novel is co-authored by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and David Brian.
Collections of my short stories can be found in the fantasy books Dark Albion, Kaleen Rae, and The Cthulhu Child.
Once More with Feeling
"There are people in the house. They have the children. What should we do?"
Available October 17th, 2022. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDMCLZVQ
I was born into a world of horror... Well, not quite, but almost! To be more precise, my 'very sudden' arrival into this world came about via a broken cinema seat. It was a seat into which my heavily pregnant mother found herself wedged. Once it had collapsed beneath her bulk, the resulting chaos of attempting to free her - perhaps not surprisingly - induced a rather rapid labor.
Talk about a grand entrance.
I'm guessing it was something of a talking point among those present, and probably for many years after.
Oh, yeah, and the film that was showing? It was The Phantom Of The Opera!
I have had a fascination with all aspects of the horror genre since my childhood, and it is a major driving force in my desire to write entertaining stories.
Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria is my first novel; It's the story of Laura Bennett, who finds everything changes on the day a beautiful and mysterious stranger first enters her life...
A novel length re-imagining of J.S. Le Fanu's original novella, Carmilla: The Wolves of Styria draws on much of the original narrative, but also introduces an array of new Characters to bring a whole new level of horror, and tragedy, to the legend of Carmilla.
The novel is co-authored by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and David Brian.
Collections of my short stories can be found in the fantasy books Dark Albion, Kaleen Rae, and The Cthulhu Child.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 3, 2023
This was a pleasant surprise for me. I've read many of David Brian's books, and so when he approached me about receiving an ARC of Under a Blood Red Sky I immediately said yes. Then I learned it was set in the old west, and my enthusiasm waned. I thought it was not really my thing. I was wrong.
It was nice to have a woman to press against when he settled beside the camp fire: even when that woman was cold and dead and maggots had eaten her eyes.
The novel follows the events that haunt a group of Mormon travellers heading west towards Utah. Unbeknown to the group there is a serial rapist and savage killer lurking in their numbers. The man is a monster. And there are other monsters circling the wagon train, too. And these have sharper teeth.
Miller gaped in stupefied disbelief as the water devil towered in front of him; its bulk seeming to blossom to even greater proportions as it fully straightened its back.
The book is divided in to four parts, and I'll admit that part two made me pause for a moment as it is written in the first person. It also primarily focuses on events/people who are not part of the main wagon group, and so I did think at first that I was reading a completely separate story. But it all made sense as things progressed. And the events in part two play a major part in the novel's progression.
The dawning realisation of his coming fate allowed the trapper to find a voice. It was a brief but gurgled cry that could be heard in the closest Shoshone village, almost a mile west from the lake.
Somewhat surprisingly (given the historical setting) I found myself thoroughly enjoying this latest (at times savage) offering from David Brian. Recommended for fans of Creature From the Black Lagoon, or Bone Tomahawk, or Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. If you enjoyed all three of those, then you'll love this.
The creature carried him out to where the others waited, and then as one the beasts circled his floating body, the clicks and whistles and pulsed sighs resonating as they swam faster and faster, expanding the current to form a whirlpool around him that thrashed and dizzied the dying man.
It was nice to have a woman to press against when he settled beside the camp fire: even when that woman was cold and dead and maggots had eaten her eyes.
The novel follows the events that haunt a group of Mormon travellers heading west towards Utah. Unbeknown to the group there is a serial rapist and savage killer lurking in their numbers. The man is a monster. And there are other monsters circling the wagon train, too. And these have sharper teeth.
Miller gaped in stupefied disbelief as the water devil towered in front of him; its bulk seeming to blossom to even greater proportions as it fully straightened its back.
The book is divided in to four parts, and I'll admit that part two made me pause for a moment as it is written in the first person. It also primarily focuses on events/people who are not part of the main wagon group, and so I did think at first that I was reading a completely separate story. But it all made sense as things progressed. And the events in part two play a major part in the novel's progression.
The dawning realisation of his coming fate allowed the trapper to find a voice. It was a brief but gurgled cry that could be heard in the closest Shoshone village, almost a mile west from the lake.
Somewhat surprisingly (given the historical setting) I found myself thoroughly enjoying this latest (at times savage) offering from David Brian. Recommended for fans of Creature From the Black Lagoon, or Bone Tomahawk, or Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. If you enjoyed all three of those, then you'll love this.
The creature carried him out to where the others waited, and then as one the beasts circled his floating body, the clicks and whistles and pulsed sighs resonating as they swam faster and faster, expanding the current to form a whirlpool around him that thrashed and dizzied the dying man.
March 28, 2023
This is an ARC review of Under a Blood Red Sky by David Brian.
This novel appears to be a departure from David's normal approach as it is set in the wild west - a weirdly bizarre version of the wild west - as opposed to his more English settings.
The book opens with an intriguing scene involving a humanoid-ish lake monster. The strong opening was more than enough to grab and hold my attention, and things pretty much hit the ground running straight after.
Chapter one opens with Seymour Coleridge, a man with dark secrets who finds himself stranded alone on the prairie.
The potentially doomed traveller is saved by an approaching wagon train. But for the Braxton Rees's party, doing the Christian thing and providing assistance is just one more bad decision on an ever growing list of bad decisions.
The story unfolds in to a traumatising journey across the western landscape. The characters are intriguing, the body count is high, and the numerous threats come in various hideous guises. Oh, and this book features one of the coolest creatures ever (one which is my new favourite monster!).
I approached the author about receiving an ARC, as I have enjoyed a number of his previous books. Thank you, David. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Under a Blood Red Sky.
This novel appears to be a departure from David's normal approach as it is set in the wild west - a weirdly bizarre version of the wild west - as opposed to his more English settings.
The book opens with an intriguing scene involving a humanoid-ish lake monster. The strong opening was more than enough to grab and hold my attention, and things pretty much hit the ground running straight after.
Chapter one opens with Seymour Coleridge, a man with dark secrets who finds himself stranded alone on the prairie.
The potentially doomed traveller is saved by an approaching wagon train. But for the Braxton Rees's party, doing the Christian thing and providing assistance is just one more bad decision on an ever growing list of bad decisions.
The story unfolds in to a traumatising journey across the western landscape. The characters are intriguing, the body count is high, and the numerous threats come in various hideous guises. Oh, and this book features one of the coolest creatures ever (one which is my new favourite monster!).
I approached the author about receiving an ARC, as I have enjoyed a number of his previous books. Thank you, David. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Under a Blood Red Sky.
April 14, 2023
Interesting western/horror/sci-fi hybrid about a wagon train faced with the hazards of crossing the old west. The story moves along at a good pace and crams in just about every type of horror to be imagined. And yet the author still manages to provide enough characterisation to make the various protagonists interesting and realistic.
April 27, 2023
I've read a lot of books by this author, and in fairness I've enjoyed most of them. It's fair to say that Under a Blood Red Sky is the strangest of them, and I mean that as a compliment. On the surface, this is promoted as a tale about the struggles of crossing the 1850s old west in search of a new life. Honestly, it offers far more than that simple premise.
The book touches on many different aspects of the horror genre, including serial killers, Native folklore, and Lovecraftian horror. It also introduces a type of amphibious monster that I absolutely need to know more about.
The novel is separated into four parts (four and a bit really), and could almost be read as four separate novelettes or novellas. Almost! Each of the four parts gives primary focus to different members of the ensemble cast of pioneers, and the (often gruesome) events they encounter. But there is a common thread running throughout the stories, and this leads to a highly satisfying (disturbing) conclusion. David Brian has a habit of hitting the reader with unexpected twists in his plots. And I have to say that I honestly didn't expect the ending we got.
This is a shortish book at around 240 pages. It is also a fast read because of the early pacing. The action starts almost right away, and it barely lets up throughout. A thoroughly enjoyable trail across the weird plains of the old west, where there is almost as much spilled blood as there is dust and sand.
The book touches on many different aspects of the horror genre, including serial killers, Native folklore, and Lovecraftian horror. It also introduces a type of amphibious monster that I absolutely need to know more about.
The novel is separated into four parts (four and a bit really), and could almost be read as four separate novelettes or novellas. Almost! Each of the four parts gives primary focus to different members of the ensemble cast of pioneers, and the (often gruesome) events they encounter. But there is a common thread running throughout the stories, and this leads to a highly satisfying (disturbing) conclusion. David Brian has a habit of hitting the reader with unexpected twists in his plots. And I have to say that I honestly didn't expect the ending we got.
This is a shortish book at around 240 pages. It is also a fast read because of the early pacing. The action starts almost right away, and it barely lets up throughout. A thoroughly enjoyable trail across the weird plains of the old west, where there is almost as much spilled blood as there is dust and sand.
May 19, 2023
I think this is the third book I've reviewed by David Brian, and his storytelling continues to impress me. In this instance we are dealing with a wagon train of pioneers looking to reach the western state of Utah. The travelers run into a lone cowboy named Seymour Coleridge stranded in the desert, and unbeknown to them he is a serial killer. A murderer and abuser of women.
But Seymour Coleridge is the least of their problems.
Divided into four and a bit different sections, the novel concentrates on a number of different protagonists. Each of them is in for a rough time as the party encounters an abundance of different evils. This was a really interesting trip through the wild west. But be warned, the body count is sizeable and most of the deaths occur in gruesome and bloody ways.
There are some great scenes depicted in this story, and it's easy to imagine why when you take in to account that the author seems to have thrown everything available into the plot. The murderous creatures the pioneers are forced to go up against include a serial killer, creatures from Native folklore, water monsters, and entities from space (or other dimensions). It's at times frenetic, and the pacing does vary a bit when you least expect it, but overall I'd say that it works. I think the author nailed it with this one.
But Seymour Coleridge is the least of their problems.
Divided into four and a bit different sections, the novel concentrates on a number of different protagonists. Each of them is in for a rough time as the party encounters an abundance of different evils. This was a really interesting trip through the wild west. But be warned, the body count is sizeable and most of the deaths occur in gruesome and bloody ways.
There are some great scenes depicted in this story, and it's easy to imagine why when you take in to account that the author seems to have thrown everything available into the plot. The murderous creatures the pioneers are forced to go up against include a serial killer, creatures from Native folklore, water monsters, and entities from space (or other dimensions). It's at times frenetic, and the pacing does vary a bit when you least expect it, but overall I'd say that it works. I think the author nailed it with this one.
October 13, 2023
I don't quite know what to say about this. It is easily the most twisted story (or is it a collection of stories? I'm not quite sure) that I've ever read. And I mean this in a good way!
A wagon train rolls across the old west, the pioneers looking for a fresh start in a new enviroment. Their first mistake is stopping to assist a lone traveller stranded on the prairie. He will prove to be just the first of many problems before them.
The book is split in to four self-contained sections (plus a couple of addition smaller sections), hence the feeling of this being a collection of stories rather than a novel. However, all of the stories overlap and feature many of the same characters from the preceding sections. It may sound a little convoluted, but it works really well.
This book is creepy as hell, and definitely doesn't qualify as quiet horror. Think like a more violent version of Bone Tomahawk, but with monsters, and then you'll be close to the mark. the story definitely took me to places and situations I hadn't read about before. There are creatures/characters from Native American folklore, entities from Lovecraftian horror, plus an intestesting breed of amphibian monters that I really want to read more about. Another book please, David Brian, and this time devoted entirely to the... you know who/what.
A well deserved five stars.
A wagon train rolls across the old west, the pioneers looking for a fresh start in a new enviroment. Their first mistake is stopping to assist a lone traveller stranded on the prairie. He will prove to be just the first of many problems before them.
The book is split in to four self-contained sections (plus a couple of addition smaller sections), hence the feeling of this being a collection of stories rather than a novel. However, all of the stories overlap and feature many of the same characters from the preceding sections. It may sound a little convoluted, but it works really well.
This book is creepy as hell, and definitely doesn't qualify as quiet horror. Think like a more violent version of Bone Tomahawk, but with monsters, and then you'll be close to the mark. the story definitely took me to places and situations I hadn't read about before. There are creatures/characters from Native American folklore, entities from Lovecraftian horror, plus an intestesting breed of amphibian monters that I really want to read more about. Another book please, David Brian, and this time devoted entirely to the... you know who/what.
A well deserved five stars.
April 26, 2023
It was nice to have a woman to press against when he settled beside the camp fire: even when that woman was cold and dead and maggots had eaten her eyes.
Wow. The first thing I have to say about author Brian David's "Under a Blood Red Sky" is that this story definitely puts the weird in weird western! Don't get me wrong: I thoroughly enjoyed myself but dang! I'm not sure whether "everything and the kitchen sink" would be - or I guess have been - appropriate for the vernacular of the time or the location but you can tick that off your literary checklist for sure. Maybe I should just say "this 'un had the whole kit and caboodle of strange-itudes!" and hope you'd understand. And then I could spit a wad of tobacco out on the dusty trail and stare into the fiery visage of the setting sun with a far-away and haunted glare to emphasize my point, no? Yeehaw, y'all.
The thought of those cherub faced children being mauled and eaten alive should have horrified me. Truthfully, all it succeeded in doing was stirring an insatiable hunger in my belly.
I will say that David (arrgh, two first names!) does more than a passable job piecing together this thoroughly wild and sometimes quite gory ride. We're presented with four parts - well, truth be told, there's really more like four and a half - that are tied together albeit somewhat loosely via various commonalities, not the least of which is that at least until we get to the end section, each one has their own unique kind of nightmarish monster to face. And that last section more than makes up for it with a definitive crescendo of tension and horror!
Its slit mouth opened to reveal an inexplicably wide maw, which it pressed into the open pit and fed on a soup of blood and pulped brain matter.
I also suspect that at least half of this "story" as it were was written outside of the original creative process of putting the whole of it all together, only because some of the pacing seemed to change somewhat subtly once we switched settings. Either way, it worked very well for the most part - you can follow the trail as long as you don't worry too much about logic or genres or your own sanity. I would warn future readers, however, not to get too attached to various characters as life is hard, short and more often than not very bloody in these parts!
The spears’ poisoned tips prevented his making any movements, but the toxin didn’t quell the pain as they fell upon him and with sharp teeth stripped flesh from his bones.
What's also interesting is that the author (ha!) didn't hesitate to expand our, well, exposure to the hazards of making our way across the still-young USofA. And by that I mean, if you're looking for ONLY urban fantasy elements, well, hold on to your silver spears and protect any bits you don't want probed. Needless to say, the visit to that strangest of all desert oases (oasi?) is out there (literally and figuratively) and leaves more unanswered questions behind than answers! After all, once you see the conclusion of this adventure, you may remind yourself that there's still another "one" out there! Beware the Egg!!! Or the Gods! Maybe both, I'm not sure!
I was overtaken by an unaccountable feeling of calm: the only thing which quickened my pulse was thoughts of more killing.
In conclusion, I found the story read more than smoothly and, like I said, though it varied somewhat, the pacing remained very good throughout. The short length of the book is belied by the wild changes we see and what winds up being a pretty wild cast of characters that each serve their own purpose, no matter how despicably or admirably so. Oh and in reference to the general mortality of all: by my count, there's only one character that I can confirm made it from page one to almost the end, though I suspect another - though not initially named - was with us from the start. The nods towards good old-fashioned western writing styles - including longing looks at the untamed lands that stretch before our riders - are just dandy. And if it weren't for an unfortunately larger than expected number of punctuation and other editing errors, I would have really been willin' to fire off my six-shooters in celebration of me finishin' today. Still, well worth a gander and I'm glad I got the chance to ride along. Happy trails pard'ner!
Wow. The first thing I have to say about author Brian David's "Under a Blood Red Sky" is that this story definitely puts the weird in weird western! Don't get me wrong: I thoroughly enjoyed myself but dang! I'm not sure whether "everything and the kitchen sink" would be - or I guess have been - appropriate for the vernacular of the time or the location but you can tick that off your literary checklist for sure. Maybe I should just say "this 'un had the whole kit and caboodle of strange-itudes!" and hope you'd understand. And then I could spit a wad of tobacco out on the dusty trail and stare into the fiery visage of the setting sun with a far-away and haunted glare to emphasize my point, no? Yeehaw, y'all.
The thought of those cherub faced children being mauled and eaten alive should have horrified me. Truthfully, all it succeeded in doing was stirring an insatiable hunger in my belly.
I will say that David (arrgh, two first names!) does more than a passable job piecing together this thoroughly wild and sometimes quite gory ride. We're presented with four parts - well, truth be told, there's really more like four and a half - that are tied together albeit somewhat loosely via various commonalities, not the least of which is that at least until we get to the end section, each one has their own unique kind of nightmarish monster to face. And that last section more than makes up for it with a definitive crescendo of tension and horror!
Its slit mouth opened to reveal an inexplicably wide maw, which it pressed into the open pit and fed on a soup of blood and pulped brain matter.
I also suspect that at least half of this "story" as it were was written outside of the original creative process of putting the whole of it all together, only because some of the pacing seemed to change somewhat subtly once we switched settings. Either way, it worked very well for the most part - you can follow the trail as long as you don't worry too much about logic or genres or your own sanity. I would warn future readers, however, not to get too attached to various characters as life is hard, short and more often than not very bloody in these parts!
The spears’ poisoned tips prevented his making any movements, but the toxin didn’t quell the pain as they fell upon him and with sharp teeth stripped flesh from his bones.
What's also interesting is that the author (ha!) didn't hesitate to expand our, well, exposure to the hazards of making our way across the still-young USofA. And by that I mean, if you're looking for ONLY urban fantasy elements, well, hold on to your silver spears and protect any bits you don't want probed. Needless to say, the visit to that strangest of all desert oases (oasi?) is out there (literally and figuratively) and leaves more unanswered questions behind than answers! After all, once you see the conclusion of this adventure, you may remind yourself that there's still another "one" out there! Beware the Egg!!! Or the Gods! Maybe both, I'm not sure!
I was overtaken by an unaccountable feeling of calm: the only thing which quickened my pulse was thoughts of more killing.
In conclusion, I found the story read more than smoothly and, like I said, though it varied somewhat, the pacing remained very good throughout. The short length of the book is belied by the wild changes we see and what winds up being a pretty wild cast of characters that each serve their own purpose, no matter how despicably or admirably so. Oh and in reference to the general mortality of all: by my count, there's only one character that I can confirm made it from page one to almost the end, though I suspect another - though not initially named - was with us from the start. The nods towards good old-fashioned western writing styles - including longing looks at the untamed lands that stretch before our riders - are just dandy. And if it weren't for an unfortunately larger than expected number of punctuation and other editing errors, I would have really been willin' to fire off my six-shooters in celebration of me finishin' today. Still, well worth a gander and I'm glad I got the chance to ride along. Happy trails pard'ner!
March 18, 2023
It was nice to have a woman to press
against when he settled beside the camp fire: even when that woman was cold and dead and maggots had eaten her eyes.
I'm a big fan of this author, and I requested an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm glad I did so. It's a fast-paced, wild and bloody ride through the American west.
Imagine if the Donner Party had travelled through Bone Tomahawk territory, and while there they realised they were at the Mountains of Madness, and then bumped in to the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
You get the idea.
It's definitely a page turner.
Terror ripped at Constance’s heart as she spotted more movement away to her right. Two dozen or more of the creatures racing through the undergrowth. They were headed in the direction of the camp, and as the little man-thing raised its spear towards her, she screamed and hoisted her drawers.
I haven't read a lot of westerns as it's not a period I'm particularly drawn to, but this was great. This being said, David Brian's Under a Blood Red sky is undoubtedly different to most westerns.
The pale creature settled beside him, its body seeming to collapse to the ground like spilled water, but the thing’s arm was solid, and when it draped the limb across his body it felt as cold as a landed fish.
The novel focusses on a wagon train making the dangerous journey west during 1860s America. I'd term this an ensemble novel, as the story is divided into four self-contained sections with each section covering odd events that affect the various characters.
It could almost be read as four separate novellas, although I wouldn't recommend this as there is a central theme running throughout the book that leads to a gruesome but satisfying conclusion.
Seymour squatted down beside the dolly, holding his breath against the unpleasant stink. He stripped open the buttons lining the front of the dolly’s dress and freed the modest breasts. Even in the wash of lashing rain, the paralysed woman smelled none too good, but she managed to emit a shallow gasp when he exposed her chest.
against when he settled beside the camp fire: even when that woman was cold and dead and maggots had eaten her eyes.
I'm a big fan of this author, and I requested an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm glad I did so. It's a fast-paced, wild and bloody ride through the American west.
Imagine if the Donner Party had travelled through Bone Tomahawk territory, and while there they realised they were at the Mountains of Madness, and then bumped in to the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
You get the idea.
It's definitely a page turner.
Terror ripped at Constance’s heart as she spotted more movement away to her right. Two dozen or more of the creatures racing through the undergrowth. They were headed in the direction of the camp, and as the little man-thing raised its spear towards her, she screamed and hoisted her drawers.
I haven't read a lot of westerns as it's not a period I'm particularly drawn to, but this was great. This being said, David Brian's Under a Blood Red sky is undoubtedly different to most westerns.
The pale creature settled beside him, its body seeming to collapse to the ground like spilled water, but the thing’s arm was solid, and when it draped the limb across his body it felt as cold as a landed fish.
The novel focusses on a wagon train making the dangerous journey west during 1860s America. I'd term this an ensemble novel, as the story is divided into four self-contained sections with each section covering odd events that affect the various characters.
It could almost be read as four separate novellas, although I wouldn't recommend this as there is a central theme running throughout the book that leads to a gruesome but satisfying conclusion.
Seymour squatted down beside the dolly, holding his breath against the unpleasant stink. He stripped open the buttons lining the front of the dolly’s dress and freed the modest breasts. Even in the wash of lashing rain, the paralysed woman smelled none too good, but she managed to emit a shallow gasp when he exposed her chest.
July 15, 2023
For a fairly short novel (246 pages) there is a lot going on here. And I mean a lot! The book is set in the 1860s Old West, and is divided into four separate parts, each of which focuses on members of the Braxton Rees party, a gathering of pioneers attempting to complete the hazardous journey west.
The different sections are titled Dollies, The Witch, Gods and Monsters, and Where the Heart Is.
Each section was thoroughly entertaining, often featuring high body counts and gruesomely unique endings for a number of the main players. No one is safe in this book!
Without giving away any spoilers I'd say that I enjoyed the whole story, and thought the ending was very unexpected. My favourite parts were Gods and Monsters and Dollies, followed by Where the Heart Is. The Witch was good too, but is was told in the first person and was also the only part of the book that felt like a regular horror story. I felt the remaining sections were far more original in tone.
To sum up, this is a fast paced frenzy of bloody danger and unexpected twists, but underlying all of that is a nicely crafted story that manages to bring together aspects of folklore, Lovecraftian terror, Donner Party(esque) hardships, and also a breed of supernatural cryptid that will appeal to fans of the Creature from the Black lagoon. This book was a bag load of fun delivered in a small sized package!
The different sections are titled Dollies, The Witch, Gods and Monsters, and Where the Heart Is.
Each section was thoroughly entertaining, often featuring high body counts and gruesomely unique endings for a number of the main players. No one is safe in this book!
Without giving away any spoilers I'd say that I enjoyed the whole story, and thought the ending was very unexpected. My favourite parts were Gods and Monsters and Dollies, followed by Where the Heart Is. The Witch was good too, but is was told in the first person and was also the only part of the book that felt like a regular horror story. I felt the remaining sections were far more original in tone.
To sum up, this is a fast paced frenzy of bloody danger and unexpected twists, but underlying all of that is a nicely crafted story that manages to bring together aspects of folklore, Lovecraftian terror, Donner Party(esque) hardships, and also a breed of supernatural cryptid that will appeal to fans of the Creature from the Black lagoon. This book was a bag load of fun delivered in a small sized package!
March 30, 2023
I've read a lot of David's books and was intrigued to view his take on the wild west. I wasn't disappointed. This is a story that starts strong and maintains the pace throughout, eventually reaching a conclusion that almost had me heaving.
It would make a great movie or limited mini-series.
The book follows the trials and tribulations of a wagon party looking to cross the plains of 1850s America. Along the way...
Well, let me sum it up more briefly. It's like this. So, it turns out there is a Black Lagoon At the Mountains of Madness. And, as if this wasn't problematic enough, the mountain and the lagoon are situated within Bone Tomahawk territory. You get the idea? Parts of this made for really uncomfortable reading, but it was a book I couldn't put down.
It would make a great movie or limited mini-series.
The book follows the trials and tribulations of a wagon party looking to cross the plains of 1850s America. Along the way...
Well, let me sum it up more briefly. It's like this. So, it turns out there is a Black Lagoon At the Mountains of Madness. And, as if this wasn't problematic enough, the mountain and the lagoon are situated within Bone Tomahawk territory. You get the idea? Parts of this made for really uncomfortable reading, but it was a book I couldn't put down.
October 11, 2023
I loved this Western set dose of unsettling weirdness. It's a fairly short read that is split into four separate sections, each of which tells a different story revolving around the doomed members of a wagon party attempting to cross the Old West.
It turns out that life is tough out west, and the body count goes through the roof on this one. The author throws everything into the pot here, but kudos because he actually makes it work. I'd recommend this book for anyone who enjoys stories featuring Donner Party type treks through barren lands, or Native based folklore, or the Cthulhu Mythos and interdimensional entities, and Black Lagoon type creatures. As I said, everything went into the pot with this book and the result is a lot of fun packed into a relatively short number of pages.
It turns out that life is tough out west, and the body count goes through the roof on this one. The author throws everything into the pot here, but kudos because he actually makes it work. I'd recommend this book for anyone who enjoys stories featuring Donner Party type treks through barren lands, or Native based folklore, or the Cthulhu Mythos and interdimensional entities, and Black Lagoon type creatures. As I said, everything went into the pot with this book and the result is a lot of fun packed into a relatively short number of pages.
January 12, 2024
This is a fast read that comes with lashings of gore and an extremely high body count, plus the author throws in just about everything from Universal style movie monsters to Native American folklore and Lovecraftian terror. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly given the frenetic pace and Old West setting, but it all comes together rather well. A quick but fun read.
June 18, 2024
There's almost too much thrown into the pot here, but it works. Savagely entertaining!
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