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Here Comes the Sun
There had been talk of monsters around the small, quiet town of Fort Whipple for some time before the evening of the brutal massacre. First it was the livestock. Dead, shriveled bodies lined the fields, drained of their blood. But when human bodies begin falling from the sky, a dark protector of sorts is dispatched to minimize the casualties.
142 pages, Paperback
Published February 13, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 20, 2024
Man, have you read Justin M. Woodward?
When I started out almost a decade ago, Justin and I connected and there’s very few folks who’ve been kinder to me in the writing world than he has been. Safe to say, after a few years away due to some family loss and mental health struggles, it filled my heart so much when this one was officially announced and officially released. It had been hinted at for some time, and in Justin’s afterword, we see that this one was finished almost three years ago.
Not only does Justin’s work hold a special place in my heart – go read ‘The Variant,’ ‘Rotten Little Things,’ or the classic masterpiece, ‘Tamer Animals’ – but to see that his new release was going to be a Splatter-Western had me chomping at the bit to get into this one and hooooooo boy, does this one snarl and bite.
What I liked: The story takes place in small town called Fort Whipple. We don’t have any confirmation, but based on the details, this one takes place sometime in the 1800’s or so, when cowboys and six-shooters ruled the land. There’s been a rumbling that a monster has arrived. We see livestock drained of blood and people get picked off one by one, a strange voice invading their minds before a leathery-winged beast rips them apart.
Woodward commands the words on each page like a veteran writer, getting us dirty and bloody within the first few pages, before pulling back and shading in the finer details. The characters are solid, centered around the town and what’s going on and it’s the little quips and back banter thrown in – looking at you Sheriff (‘now he wants to do his job!’) – really highlight the reality of how stressed and nervous the residents are.
The introduction of a wandering stranger, a black man now free, who is bound by strange rules from a strange thing called The Order, seems to escalate both the attacks, but also the rawness the community feels. This man becomes an easy target, but as we learn the truth and rush headfirst into a truly heartbreaking finale, Woodward has us on edge, not letting any of us know just what might happen.
The ending hits FUCKING hard. I had to re-read the final paragraph a few times, and I don’t know if Justin channeled some of his own grief within that moment, but JFC do those words stab you right in the soul.
What I didn’t like: For a Splatter-Western this one was a bit Splatter-Lite. I think it fit in well with how Justin tells the story, but if you’re looking for extreme carnage and brutal descriptions, this one tended to fade to black more often than bathed in blood.
Why you should buy this: Well, longtime fans of Woodward should’ve already snagged this and hopefully devoured it. If you’ve never read any of Justin’s phenomenal work, this is an excellent place to start and if you love the Splatter-Western-Horror releases, this one is one of the best that I’ve read yet, and that’s saying something when you consider the high quality of releases we’ve already seen.
Easy 5/5.
Welcome back, Justin. You’ve been missed buddy.
When I started out almost a decade ago, Justin and I connected and there’s very few folks who’ve been kinder to me in the writing world than he has been. Safe to say, after a few years away due to some family loss and mental health struggles, it filled my heart so much when this one was officially announced and officially released. It had been hinted at for some time, and in Justin’s afterword, we see that this one was finished almost three years ago.
Not only does Justin’s work hold a special place in my heart – go read ‘The Variant,’ ‘Rotten Little Things,’ or the classic masterpiece, ‘Tamer Animals’ – but to see that his new release was going to be a Splatter-Western had me chomping at the bit to get into this one and hooooooo boy, does this one snarl and bite.
What I liked: The story takes place in small town called Fort Whipple. We don’t have any confirmation, but based on the details, this one takes place sometime in the 1800’s or so, when cowboys and six-shooters ruled the land. There’s been a rumbling that a monster has arrived. We see livestock drained of blood and people get picked off one by one, a strange voice invading their minds before a leathery-winged beast rips them apart.
Woodward commands the words on each page like a veteran writer, getting us dirty and bloody within the first few pages, before pulling back and shading in the finer details. The characters are solid, centered around the town and what’s going on and it’s the little quips and back banter thrown in – looking at you Sheriff (‘now he wants to do his job!’) – really highlight the reality of how stressed and nervous the residents are.
The introduction of a wandering stranger, a black man now free, who is bound by strange rules from a strange thing called The Order, seems to escalate both the attacks, but also the rawness the community feels. This man becomes an easy target, but as we learn the truth and rush headfirst into a truly heartbreaking finale, Woodward has us on edge, not letting any of us know just what might happen.
The ending hits FUCKING hard. I had to re-read the final paragraph a few times, and I don’t know if Justin channeled some of his own grief within that moment, but JFC do those words stab you right in the soul.
What I didn’t like: For a Splatter-Western this one was a bit Splatter-Lite. I think it fit in well with how Justin tells the story, but if you’re looking for extreme carnage and brutal descriptions, this one tended to fade to black more often than bathed in blood.
Why you should buy this: Well, longtime fans of Woodward should’ve already snagged this and hopefully devoured it. If you’ve never read any of Justin’s phenomenal work, this is an excellent place to start and if you love the Splatter-Western-Horror releases, this one is one of the best that I’ve read yet, and that’s saying something when you consider the high quality of releases we’ve already seen.
Easy 5/5.
Welcome back, Justin. You’ve been missed buddy.
August 30, 2025
Fast paced action packed Vampire Neo-Western Novella!
Vampire hunts down another Vampire on a murderous rampage set in the old west small town. Enjoyed the authors take on one of the best monsters for a story the Vampire.
Vampire hunts down another Vampire on a murderous rampage set in the old west small town. Enjoyed the authors take on one of the best monsters for a story the Vampire.
December 15, 2023
A fast-paced, action-packed vampire story set in the Old West, Here Comes the Sun checks all the boxes for monster fans. The characters here are simplistic, but serve their purpose, and the imagery is vivid in this bloody tale. If Quentin Tarantino made a sequel to Blade, it might look something like this.
A thirsty thank you to Edelweiss and Death's Head Press for the ARC.
A thirsty thank you to Edelweiss and Death's Head Press for the ARC.
March 1, 2024
My biggest disappointment of the young year. I really didn't care for this, which sucks. It's more of a "me" problem though
March 17, 2024
A quick read, this novella can be summed up in a single sentence: a neo-western where a vampire hunts down another vampire who is on a murderous rampage through a small town in the west. If it sounds interesting to you, get it! At under 150 pages, this novella is a quick read. It is fast-paced and gritty the entire way through. It is a "splatter" horror book, which is why I am pleasantly surprised I am rating it so highly. I have found splatterpunk to typically have poor writing. While I am a sucker for a good gory death scene, the plot and writing has to be good quality, otherwise the whole book feels like it was written by a high schooler. Woodward's writing ability subverted my initial expectations. He writes to-the-point, yet with grace. His prose is like a smooth punch to the gut. This was a banger of a book, and a refreshing take on my favorite monster: vampires.
June 12, 2024
This is a great genre mash-up that gets right to the point and is a lot of fun to read! It relies on traditional, assumed western character tropes to instantly put us in this small town and give us an instant sense of the characters. Still there are nice flourishes here and there to give the characters some individuality, and simple but effective vampire lore/world building, but really the bloody action starts right from the beginning and doesn’t stop. Sometimes it felt like the story didn’t know quite what time-period it wanted to be in, there were tugs toward it being more modern than the setting really allowed, but not enough to pull away from the story. It gritty, graphic, had an ending that packed a punch, and I didn’t want to put it down.
(Rounded up from 3.5)
(Rounded up from 3.5)
February 13, 2024
Man, oh man, oh man. You want a Splatterwestern, by God, Mr. Woodward satisfies that want real quick.
Something has come to Sheriff Thomas Creighton’s town, and it is not welcome, that’s for sure. When poor Geraldine is found murdered in the middle of the town’s street, things go from bad to worse as the body counts racks up and time is almost up. A battle between young blood and old, no one is safe, and secrets will come to light that stayed in the dark.
Holy shit, friends. I have read almost all of the Splatterwesterns at this point and Mr. Woodward has pushed everyone else down a spot. This is the best one yet. The way Woodward drops the reader in the middle of the story and yet provides exposition without feeling like it’s obvious was impressive. From the depth of all the characters to the world building itself, DHP (Death’s Head Press) has a surprise winner on their hands.
I’m completely obsessed with this story and Mr. Woodward’s writing. I can’t wait to see what is next for him.
A DOUBLE HIGHLY RECOMMEND 10/5.
Something has come to Sheriff Thomas Creighton’s town, and it is not welcome, that’s for sure. When poor Geraldine is found murdered in the middle of the town’s street, things go from bad to worse as the body counts racks up and time is almost up. A battle between young blood and old, no one is safe, and secrets will come to light that stayed in the dark.
Holy shit, friends. I have read almost all of the Splatterwesterns at this point and Mr. Woodward has pushed everyone else down a spot. This is the best one yet. The way Woodward drops the reader in the middle of the story and yet provides exposition without feeling like it’s obvious was impressive. From the depth of all the characters to the world building itself, DHP (Death’s Head Press) has a surprise winner on their hands.
I’m completely obsessed with this story and Mr. Woodward’s writing. I can’t wait to see what is next for him.
A DOUBLE HIGHLY RECOMMEND 10/5.
November 20, 2024
Good boo
Excellent addition to.the splatter western genre. Not familiar with the author before this.but I loved t. Good old fashion vampire book.with plenty of gore excellent writing and a good plot twist at the end. I love these books in.general and this is one of the.better ones.
Excellent addition to.the splatter western genre. Not familiar with the author before this.but I loved t. Good old fashion vampire book.with plenty of gore excellent writing and a good plot twist at the end. I love these books in.general and this is one of the.better ones.
March 18, 2024
An enjoyable read for what it was. I think I would have liked a longer version that didn’t seemed so rushed. This was my first “splatter western” read and I didn’t really come across anything too different from other horrors. Ending was a good surprise.
December 27, 2023
4.5. The characters aren't super deep, but the gore and engrossing time more than makes up for it. thanks for the ARC Death's Head!
February 20, 2024
Damn Justin! This is my first exposure to this genre so I had no idea what to expect. I loved it! It moved quickly and kept me invested. I’m very angry about one death but I guess that’s a sign of good writing. Absolutely worth checking out.
November 20, 2024
A new favorite splatter western book that has a solid vampire story. I ate this thing up and absolutely loved it.
dnf
June 6, 2025Not feeling this
March 8, 2025
I don't usually go for Westerns. In fact, this is the first Western I've ever read. I thought it sounded really interesting though, and I don't regret trying it out! Cowboy vampires! How could you lose? Overall it was a really great read. There were some points where the characters felt a little under developed and flat, and the ending felt really rushed, so I wish that had been fleshed out more, but I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. I'd give this a 3.5/5 rounded up.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews