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Like Wolves: Como Lobos
Like Wolves is an episodic novel set in the nineteenth century, a tumultuous time when Texas fought for independence, war broke out between the United States and Mexico, and the Comanche Empire brought westward expansion to a grinding halt. Under pale blue skies; soldiers marched, rangers patrolled, and settlements burned. In the vast expanse beyond the Texas frontier, men lived and died for power, fealty, cultural hatred and revenge. In this maelstrom of conflict, Piamupitz the Owl, ancient and wicked, a destroyer, a devourer, a taker of children and eater of the lost—sees in the dark, her eyes fixed and focused on the movements of men and the beasts of the field. On a cold Spring night, with patches of snow still gleaming in the moonlight, Piamupitz hears the pain of a young man’s heart and visits the grieving warrior, making strong medicine, granting the man’s lust for destruction and spiritual power as she guides him on a course to raid across Texas and Mexico, forever changing the lives of all he encounters. Devastated by the loss of his wife and child, Storm Crow makes a pact with Piamupitz, who promises him power if he marks himself in white mud adorned with black symbols, and takes the war trail south. Lost in grief, consumed by rage, his mind and soul slipping into a new, grim reality, Storm Crow takes his vengeance out on the world around him. Fearless and blessed by dark powers, he amasses a following of young men eager to accompany him on raids and gain wealth and prestige in their exploits, forming a large war party that sweeps the Texas frontier, penetrating Mexico, burning a trail of destruction in their wake.
227 pages, Hardcover
Published March 28, 2023
1 person is currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
D.A. Vega
1 book9 followersD.A. Vega grew up in Mission, Texas and has a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso. D.A. Vega is an avid martial artist with black belts in traditional karate and aikido. He lives in South Texas with his family, and much of his writing explores the tumultuous history of the borderlands.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 17, 2023
Thank you to the author D.A. Vega for an advance physical and digital copy of LIKE WOLVES: COMO LOBOS. This excellent piece of fiction is now available on KU!
Thank you also to our mutual friend Colt, @offbeatbookreviews here on Goodreads, for recognizing that this was a great bookish fit! Thanks for a great rec Colt and for making this amazing read happen!
Part horror, part western, part magical realism, LIKE WOLVES: COMO LOBOS is a book that explores the myth, the wraith, the power of violence. It's set in the old west, where Mexico, Texas, and Comanche land meet, and Vega writes this book as an episodic novel, or a novel told in short stories. Here, the connection between the episodes is this ever prevalent theme: violence as a tool of power. The episodes also connect at the point of perspective. Story perspectives are widely arrayed: white lawmen and bandits, white homesteaders and their children, soldados or Mexican soldiers, tejanos or Mexican homesteaders in Texas, as well as Comanche tribespeople, but primarily from the perspective of Storm Crow, a brutal Comanche warrior. As the novel progresses, each of these stories connect to each other in one obvious way -- the characters experience and contribute to the same inescapable loop of violence. No one and nothing remains untouched.
The rifle banged out a plume of smoke and fire, sending a lead ball spinning down the bore and over the field. The sound cracked in the air. A thousand blackbirds exploded from the chaparral and flew toward the setting sun, turning the sky black with clouds of squawking things leaving the earth in a mass exodus. A woman screamed. Gonzalo looked at his brother and his former sergeant. The color ran from his face. p71
I find this an incredibly immersive read because of the form. It's like listening to a group of people tell about how they know each other, the links between speakers intimate and entrenched in visceral emotion -- fear, anger, the need to rise above environment and all it sets against them.
I love the extensive use of Spanish and Comanche languages throughout the narrative, and I made heavy use of the glossary at the back. For me, this helped me connect with the characters, who often could not understand each other's speech, but still needed to navigate the same shared system of violence for their individual survival.
Also, it's obvious how much research Vega put into this book. He is versatile with his language describing prairie vegetation, wildlife, geographic and man-made architecture. In general, his descriptions are lush and beautiful. This heightens the violence quite a lot, or did for this reader.
I love this book. It's very brutal, as a meditation on violence and the men who wield it to shape the world in their own images. The writing is gorgeous, the form is breathtaking. The content makes it a western, the brutality makes it a horror story, the nonlinear time makes it magical realism. It's really a gorgeous book.
Rating: 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺 / wild wolves
Recommend? Yes, you need this book!
Finished: May 13 2023
Format: Paperback, digital, KU
Read this if you like:
🏜 The Old West
🪓 Violent horror
🪶 Literary horror
👻 Magical realism
Big trigger warning for violence and cruelty to women, children, and animals, and much more.
Thank you also to our mutual friend Colt, @offbeatbookreviews here on Goodreads, for recognizing that this was a great bookish fit! Thanks for a great rec Colt and for making this amazing read happen!
Part horror, part western, part magical realism, LIKE WOLVES: COMO LOBOS is a book that explores the myth, the wraith, the power of violence. It's set in the old west, where Mexico, Texas, and Comanche land meet, and Vega writes this book as an episodic novel, or a novel told in short stories. Here, the connection between the episodes is this ever prevalent theme: violence as a tool of power. The episodes also connect at the point of perspective. Story perspectives are widely arrayed: white lawmen and bandits, white homesteaders and their children, soldados or Mexican soldiers, tejanos or Mexican homesteaders in Texas, as well as Comanche tribespeople, but primarily from the perspective of Storm Crow, a brutal Comanche warrior. As the novel progresses, each of these stories connect to each other in one obvious way -- the characters experience and contribute to the same inescapable loop of violence. No one and nothing remains untouched.
The rifle banged out a plume of smoke and fire, sending a lead ball spinning down the bore and over the field. The sound cracked in the air. A thousand blackbirds exploded from the chaparral and flew toward the setting sun, turning the sky black with clouds of squawking things leaving the earth in a mass exodus. A woman screamed. Gonzalo looked at his brother and his former sergeant. The color ran from his face. p71
I find this an incredibly immersive read because of the form. It's like listening to a group of people tell about how they know each other, the links between speakers intimate and entrenched in visceral emotion -- fear, anger, the need to rise above environment and all it sets against them.
I love the extensive use of Spanish and Comanche languages throughout the narrative, and I made heavy use of the glossary at the back. For me, this helped me connect with the characters, who often could not understand each other's speech, but still needed to navigate the same shared system of violence for their individual survival.
Also, it's obvious how much research Vega put into this book. He is versatile with his language describing prairie vegetation, wildlife, geographic and man-made architecture. In general, his descriptions are lush and beautiful. This heightens the violence quite a lot, or did for this reader.
I love this book. It's very brutal, as a meditation on violence and the men who wield it to shape the world in their own images. The writing is gorgeous, the form is breathtaking. The content makes it a western, the brutality makes it a horror story, the nonlinear time makes it magical realism. It's really a gorgeous book.
Rating: 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺 / wild wolves
Recommend? Yes, you need this book!
Finished: May 13 2023
Format: Paperback, digital, KU
Read this if you like:
🏜 The Old West
🪓 Violent horror
🪶 Literary horror
👻 Magical realism
Big trigger warning for violence and cruelty to women, children, and animals, and much more.
November 13, 2023
This is one of the books I recommended to read after Blood Meridian. Check out the video here: 9 Books To Read If You Like Blood Meridian
This is an utterly unique, head-hopping, intense western in the vein of Blood Meridian and The Son, with a dash of McMurtry in there for good measure. It focuses on a Comanche warrior and all manner of characters about him as they struggle to survive in the brutal American West.
Vega is a true writer. He paints pictures with his words and the level of authenticity to this novel makes history geeks brimming with happiness. The language, the culture, the almost alien mindset of the characters from this intriguing time period, it was perfect. Vega also does not shy away from the harsh realities of the period, and there is a lot of dark matter that is covered within Like Wolves.
There is so much to get your teeth (canines, fangs, etc.) into and enjoy. I found myself pausing to re-read passages over and over as I was blown away by the effective nature of Vega's writing.
As a lover of this time period, this felt like a book written for me. It has the brutal nature and philosophically challenging aura of Blood Meridian, it has the authentic mindset, cultures and history of The Son and it has this beautiful head-hopping, interweaving spider's web of characters such as written in Larry McMurtry's works, and it pulls everything together so well.
As this is so heavy on the brutal realism, it is hard to connect with characters on an emotional level. I rarely felt fear for someone's safety, but this novel is not that kind of book, it is not asking you to desperately love a character. It is grabbing you by the scruff of your neck and shoving you face first into the reality of what comes with writing a book set in this time. The dialogue is brilliant, poignant, individualistic and at times witty. The action is every bit as bloody and horrific and reading Empire of the Summer Moon suggests. The descriptions were a marvel and I can't wait to see what D.A. Vega writes next.
This is an utterly unique, head-hopping, intense western in the vein of Blood Meridian and The Son, with a dash of McMurtry in there for good measure. It focuses on a Comanche warrior and all manner of characters about him as they struggle to survive in the brutal American West.
Vega is a true writer. He paints pictures with his words and the level of authenticity to this novel makes history geeks brimming with happiness. The language, the culture, the almost alien mindset of the characters from this intriguing time period, it was perfect. Vega also does not shy away from the harsh realities of the period, and there is a lot of dark matter that is covered within Like Wolves.
There is so much to get your teeth (canines, fangs, etc.) into and enjoy. I found myself pausing to re-read passages over and over as I was blown away by the effective nature of Vega's writing.
As a lover of this time period, this felt like a book written for me. It has the brutal nature and philosophically challenging aura of Blood Meridian, it has the authentic mindset, cultures and history of The Son and it has this beautiful head-hopping, interweaving spider's web of characters such as written in Larry McMurtry's works, and it pulls everything together so well.
As this is so heavy on the brutal realism, it is hard to connect with characters on an emotional level. I rarely felt fear for someone's safety, but this novel is not that kind of book, it is not asking you to desperately love a character. It is grabbing you by the scruff of your neck and shoving you face first into the reality of what comes with writing a book set in this time. The dialogue is brilliant, poignant, individualistic and at times witty. The action is every bit as bloody and horrific and reading Empire of the Summer Moon suggests. The descriptions were a marvel and I can't wait to see what D.A. Vega writes next.
April 2, 2023
Imagine the Texas frontier sometime in the mid-nineteenth century. Revolution is brewing as the newly independent Mexico struggles to maintain control of her northern territory, an action that will result in bloody conflict and lay the cornerstones for the Mexican-American War. Twenty miles west of Austin, the furthest settlements surrender to the great, unknown expanses of the Southern Plains. Comanche and Kiowa raiding parties ride out from the hinterlands of the Llano Estacado, stabbing into the hearts of Texas and Mexico. This is the reality of the borderlands in the not-so-distant past. This is the world of Storm Crow, a warrior who makes a pact with an ancient animal spirit, seeking to drown out the pain of heartbreak in the deafening drumbeat of war. D.A. Vega’s Like Wolves: Como Lobos is a book unlike anything I’ve read before. Written in episodic form, Like Wolves follows the actions of Storm Crow, moving through different stages of the warrior’s life; beginning with his formative vision quest and culminating in the moments when he sings his death song. This work reads like brutal poetry, rich with historical accuracy that weaves into the mysticism of different cultures warring in Texas and Mexico. Whether this book his historical fiction, magical realism, or western horror, I really can’t say. What I can say is that Like Wolves: Como Lobos is a visual, visceral piece of storytelling that is well on its way to being one of my favorite books of 2023.
April 6, 2023
I couldn't contain my excitement when I finally got my hands on a copy of "Like Wolves" by D. A. Vega! Set in the Rio Grande borderlands of Texas, this Western story introduces us to Storm Crow, a formidable Comanche warrior, and his thrilling campaign across the wild frontier.
The moment I started reading, I was immediately drawn in by Vega's ability to create such a vivid and immersive world. The untamed landscape of the Texas borderlands is brought to life in stunning detail, making it feel like I was right there alongside Storm Crow on his journey.
I don't want to give too much away, but trust me, this borderlands Western tale is an absolute page-turner. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the genre or just looking for an exhilarating adventure, "Like Wolves" delivers on all fronts. I wholeheartedly recommend adding it to your reading list - you won't be disappointed!
The moment I started reading, I was immediately drawn in by Vega's ability to create such a vivid and immersive world. The untamed landscape of the Texas borderlands is brought to life in stunning detail, making it feel like I was right there alongside Storm Crow on his journey.
I don't want to give too much away, but trust me, this borderlands Western tale is an absolute page-turner. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the genre or just looking for an exhilarating adventure, "Like Wolves" delivers on all fronts. I wholeheartedly recommend adding it to your reading list - you won't be disappointed!
May 11, 2023
Historian Reads Epic Novel on Hillside where the Comanche Once Roamed.
Last week, the postman rode up the twisting wooded road to my home on the hill and dropped a box on the deck with a thud. The long-awaited package was quickly opened to reveal the forbidding cover of the newly published novel LIKE WOLVES, COMO LOBOS by D. A. VEGA. It was a very welcome book, but its content was not unknown to me. In 2021, a year fraught with plague and a terrible Texas ice storm, etc., a screenwriter referred a new novelist to me with a manuscript that was set on the post-revolutionary Texas and Mexican frontier, which was my era of expertise. Having advised Texas ranger author Mike Cox and others on historical nonfiction, I was not enthused to read what I thought would be another generic warrior on the warpath tale. On opening correspondence with the novelist, I discovered that I had a surprising kinship with the caballero on the border with our mutual love of Texas history and good writing. On receiving the manuscript, I was introduced to the defiant Nʉmʉnʉʉ or Comanche war chief Storm Crow, named for the harbinger of doom and tempests in North American lore. With the scorn of his Lear-like father, death, and the four winds, the protagonist stepped onto the familiar war trail, but with an uncommon and vengeful spirit guide, bound for Mexico and I followed in their wake.
As the pace of the haunting prose quickened, so did my heartbeat and I required fresh mountain air. I picked up the galloping manuscript and my talking stick- in case I encountered the rummy neighbors. I walked through the woods to the cedar capped cliff- overlooking Lost Valley and The Hill Country, where the Comanche once roamed like wolves. As I read aloud, the wind blew, the creek gurgled and I scratched my historical notes on this unique episodic narrative, which weaves in different directions that are often unexpected. Over the course of the day, with the occasional visits of goats and deer, I became utterly enthralled by this short, but strangely epic novel. I also found that it needed little assistance from a historian or the critical eye of an editor to improve it, although I later made some minor suggestions.
In my humble opinion Like Wolves is almost perfect in its sometimes dark and violent composition, character development, narrative flow, different points of view and exactness to history in hard times. I also became engaged in the troubled lives of many characters beyond Storm Crow, his brothers in war and enemies in defeat. I had sympathy for old patróns, socially oppressed women and long-suffering children. Based on the ominous back cover synopsis (which I suggested), I don't think that I'm giving too much away by saying that Pia Mupitz (big owl) is the real villain in this novel. She is a masterful creation but is an ancient evil that transcends the narrative in the Comanche's Uto-Aztecan language and has a Mexican parallel in the form of the owl witch La Lechuza. In my mind, Piamupitz struck me as an elemental puppeteer that manipulates the lives of the most vulnerable, cuts their strings, then in the bitter end destroys the untethered for her own amusement. I cannot recommend this wonderful work of literary art enough to those that love Texas, Native American and Mexican culture. It is impeccable Western fiction in the bloody vein of Cormac McCarthy and dare I say it- Shakespeare. ~ Sloan Rodgers
Last week, the postman rode up the twisting wooded road to my home on the hill and dropped a box on the deck with a thud. The long-awaited package was quickly opened to reveal the forbidding cover of the newly published novel LIKE WOLVES, COMO LOBOS by D. A. VEGA. It was a very welcome book, but its content was not unknown to me. In 2021, a year fraught with plague and a terrible Texas ice storm, etc., a screenwriter referred a new novelist to me with a manuscript that was set on the post-revolutionary Texas and Mexican frontier, which was my era of expertise. Having advised Texas ranger author Mike Cox and others on historical nonfiction, I was not enthused to read what I thought would be another generic warrior on the warpath tale. On opening correspondence with the novelist, I discovered that I had a surprising kinship with the caballero on the border with our mutual love of Texas history and good writing. On receiving the manuscript, I was introduced to the defiant Nʉmʉnʉʉ or Comanche war chief Storm Crow, named for the harbinger of doom and tempests in North American lore. With the scorn of his Lear-like father, death, and the four winds, the protagonist stepped onto the familiar war trail, but with an uncommon and vengeful spirit guide, bound for Mexico and I followed in their wake.
As the pace of the haunting prose quickened, so did my heartbeat and I required fresh mountain air. I picked up the galloping manuscript and my talking stick- in case I encountered the rummy neighbors. I walked through the woods to the cedar capped cliff- overlooking Lost Valley and The Hill Country, where the Comanche once roamed like wolves. As I read aloud, the wind blew, the creek gurgled and I scratched my historical notes on this unique episodic narrative, which weaves in different directions that are often unexpected. Over the course of the day, with the occasional visits of goats and deer, I became utterly enthralled by this short, but strangely epic novel. I also found that it needed little assistance from a historian or the critical eye of an editor to improve it, although I later made some minor suggestions.
In my humble opinion Like Wolves is almost perfect in its sometimes dark and violent composition, character development, narrative flow, different points of view and exactness to history in hard times. I also became engaged in the troubled lives of many characters beyond Storm Crow, his brothers in war and enemies in defeat. I had sympathy for old patróns, socially oppressed women and long-suffering children. Based on the ominous back cover synopsis (which I suggested), I don't think that I'm giving too much away by saying that Pia Mupitz (big owl) is the real villain in this novel. She is a masterful creation but is an ancient evil that transcends the narrative in the Comanche's Uto-Aztecan language and has a Mexican parallel in the form of the owl witch La Lechuza. In my mind, Piamupitz struck me as an elemental puppeteer that manipulates the lives of the most vulnerable, cuts their strings, then in the bitter end destroys the untethered for her own amusement. I cannot recommend this wonderful work of literary art enough to those that love Texas, Native American and Mexican culture. It is impeccable Western fiction in the bloody vein of Cormac McCarthy and dare I say it- Shakespeare. ~ Sloan Rodgers
January 24, 2024
“In the desert, hell is the path to heaven.”
July 18, 2023
QUICK TAKE
Like Wolves: Como Lobos by D.A. Vega is a brutal horror Western that is impeccably researched. I do not often give books five out of five stars, but this novel completely captivated me and left me in awe. It is perfect for horror fans who like their horror paired with Western themes and intense history. Please, go and pick up this book right now. You will not regret it! Whether you are a Western fan or not, this novel will take hold of you.
TELL ME MORE
The conflict between Texas and Mexico in the nineteenth century is an important piece of history that is bloody and vicious – making it a great topic for a horror novel. Like Wolves: Como Lobos by D.A. vega covers this piece of history with a heavy touch, and incorporates Spanish and indigenous languages to immerse the reader in the story.
I have been a fan of Western novels for a few years now, and this novel is the best that I have read to date. While it is cold-blooded and dark, it captures the time period and cultural elements beautifully. Like Wolves: Como Lobos is an episodic novel, or, in other words, a novel that is told in short stories, which makes it a quick read. But it is not a novel that digests easily.
Fans of historical horror and the brutality of the west will devour the novel, just as I have. While it is short, each chapter is intentional and filled with just enough details to disturb the reader and pull them into the story. I am still haunted by what I have read, but in the best way.
Like Wolves: Como Lobos by D.A. Vega is essential reading for those who enjoy Western/historical horror with heavy Spanish cultural elements. It does not compare to any other horror or Western novel I have read in quite some time, and I find myself unable to stop talking or thinking about it. Do yourself a favor and get lost in this novel. The escapism it provides might just be what you need!
Like Wolves: Como Lobos by D.A. Vega is a brutal horror Western that is impeccably researched. I do not often give books five out of five stars, but this novel completely captivated me and left me in awe. It is perfect for horror fans who like their horror paired with Western themes and intense history. Please, go and pick up this book right now. You will not regret it! Whether you are a Western fan or not, this novel will take hold of you.
TELL ME MORE
The conflict between Texas and Mexico in the nineteenth century is an important piece of history that is bloody and vicious – making it a great topic for a horror novel. Like Wolves: Como Lobos by D.A. vega covers this piece of history with a heavy touch, and incorporates Spanish and indigenous languages to immerse the reader in the story.
I have been a fan of Western novels for a few years now, and this novel is the best that I have read to date. While it is cold-blooded and dark, it captures the time period and cultural elements beautifully. Like Wolves: Como Lobos is an episodic novel, or, in other words, a novel that is told in short stories, which makes it a quick read. But it is not a novel that digests easily.
Fans of historical horror and the brutality of the west will devour the novel, just as I have. While it is short, each chapter is intentional and filled with just enough details to disturb the reader and pull them into the story. I am still haunted by what I have read, but in the best way.
Like Wolves: Como Lobos by D.A. Vega is essential reading for those who enjoy Western/historical horror with heavy Spanish cultural elements. It does not compare to any other horror or Western novel I have read in quite some time, and I find myself unable to stop talking or thinking about it. Do yourself a favor and get lost in this novel. The escapism it provides might just be what you need!
May 10, 2023
Unrelenting brutal. Lots, and I mean lots, of murder and rapine. I'm sure this book is historically accurate but a bit more story and/or character development would've been nice. I personally also found it a bit distracting having to use the glossary at the back to translate the Spanish and Native American words.
Don't let my review dissuade you though if you love really bleak and brutal books.
Don't let my review dissuade you though if you love really bleak and brutal books.
May 2, 2024
2/5. I went into this expecting a very different book. If the story would have been more linear, I think it could have been the perfect balance of super natural spook and epic action. However, it felt a bit janky at times, and I did not really connect with the characters. I really wanted more demon owl!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews