Tree Black

by Connor de Bruler

It’s hard being a trans woman. Harder still in North Carolina. Sandy Pogue knows this first-hand. Along with her Cherokee boyfriend Yona Bridger, Sandy manages to eke out a simple but happy life until inevitable circumstances force them to pack up and skip town. What starts as a journey towards a new life together takes a drop into the seedy underbelly of an isolated South, where some of the old ways die hard. As they carve out a new life, Sandy and Yona find themselves in the clutches of a bizarre cult of kidnapped women and demonic children. What is Yona’s connection to this mysterious group of backwoods zealots, and can he help Sandy avoid a fate worse than death? More than just their two lives hang in the balance as they hack a bloody swath through the ancient countryside, trying to reach the safety of the light through the TREE BLACK. In Tree Black, De Bruler introduces the most amazing new heroine to blast onto the horror scene in ages. Swinging her hatchet through the heads of demon-possessed hillbillies, Sandy is a cross between Hedwig and Evil Dead’s Ash Williams. A fully realized and dynamic character instead of a boring clichéd archetype, Sandy strikes blow after brutal blow for outsiders everywhere. Check out Sandy (@poguesandy) and Yona (@yonawelds) on twitter as well as get a glimpse into the larger world behind Tree Black with a blog written by an outsider to the story, Erick Montes (ericktalks.wordpress.com).

Genres: LGBT

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2012

About the author

Connor de Bruler lives in South Carolina. He has been published in Litbreak, Fleas on the Dog, The Horror Library volume 6, And Now the Nightmare Begins, Southern Gothic Shorts, FRESH and Pulp Metal Magazine. His short story The Accident was adapted into the film Astray which premiered at The New Hampshire Film Festival.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ Full disclosure: I work with Montag Press, and I did the layout for this book. That said, this review contains my actual feelings and thoughts about the book. ]

Connor de Bruler comes out swinging in his debut novel, telling a high-octane tale of love, hate and horror as experienced by a true outsider character. There may be other books whose protagonist is a pre-op male-to-female transsexual who fights backwoods demon-spawn with her Native American boyfriend, but if there is, I sure haven't read it...

There are a number of exploitation tropes on display in the story, but none of it feels exploitative to me, if that makes sense. de Bruler's writing is a cut above the pulpy luridness you might expect from the subject matter -- a couple of scenes involving sexual violence are certainly uncomfortable, but they are done with taste and some restraint, while the action is violent and bloody without being a gratuitous gore-fest.

"Tree Black" treads happily off the beaten path, plunging headlong into action-horror country while taking a couple of nicely-executed twists and turns. This was a fun book to read, and I'm happy to recommend it for any open-minded fans of the genre.

[Happy (Mara) Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tree Black has some of the richest, most unique characters I have read about in a long time. I love the way Sandy learns to harness her unusual powers and how she speaks to people who are either dead or not really with her at the time. Her life is amazing and fantastic, so much so that I was really disappointed when I learned that there would be no sequel.

[Katerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would guess that Native American mysticism, transgender politics, and zombies could come together to create such a great story? Connor de Bruler has a way with words that is swift and engaging. "Tree Black" is a thick black atmosphere that descends and takes over. The book is a thrill to read.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good writing and compelling characters made this an easy read. I liked that it featured a trans heroine, but the gratuitous horror-gore is not for me. Still, I'll give Montag Press books another look.