One Night in Sixes

Children of the Drought #1

by Arianne "Tex" Thompson

The border town called Sixes is quiet in the heat of the day. Still, Appaloosa Elim has heard the stories about what wakes at sunset: gunslingers and shapeshifters and ancient earthly gods whose human faces never outlast the daylight.

If he ever wants to go home again, he’d better find his missing partner before they do. But if he’s caught out after dark, Elim risks succumbing to the old and sinister truth that lives in his own flesh – and discovering just how far he’ll go to survive the night.

Genres: Fantasy, Westerns, Weird West, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Historical

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2014

About the author

Arianne "Tex" Thompson is home-grown Texas success story. After earning a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in literature, she channeled her passion for exciting, innovative, and inclusive fiction into the Children of the Drought – an internationally-published epic fantasy Western series from Solaris.

Now a professional speaker and creative writing instructor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Tex is blazing a trail through writers conferences, workshops, and fan conventions around the country – as an endlessly energetic, relentlessly enthusiastic one-woman stampede. Find her online at www.TheTexFiles.com!

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In order to sell some horses, Elim and Sil cross the border to Sixes to try to sell the herd. However, things are never so easy in border towns...

I've been interested in this book for a while and was pretty stoked when it came up on Netgalley.

Weird Westerns are an easy sell for me and the world of One Night in Sixes was a very interesting one, one where some folk have magical talents. Elim is a mule, a halfbreed brave with mottled skin. Sil is a northman with cold-related powers.

While the world was interesting, I was pretty bored most of the time. It may be because of reduced reading time the past week but I felt like, aside from the initial setup, it took forever for anything of substance to happen. In some ways, the book is a weird western version of "The Night Of." Once Elim gets into his predicament, he fades into the background for the most part.

I don't have much else to say. I think the world building was excellent but a stage is only as good as the play performed on it. Two out of five stars. A shame since I really wanted to love this book.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

My reaction to this novel is that it was unnecessarily complicated. First, the cover art immediately made me notice it because I was reminded of those wonderful western novels by Max Brand and Louis L’Amour which I absolutely devoured and still have stacked on bookshelves. I was also intrigued by knowing this was a fantasy and I love to read fantasy. So how would that combination work? I was totally receptive to being entertained. The basic plot of this novel is that Appaloosa Elim and Sil Halfwick work on a ranch and have been sent to a town to sell a herd of horses and take the money back to their boss. Elim is a half-breed and Sil is a very young, immature white, except this world isn’t anywhere close to being that straightforward. Elim is the levelheaded one, but because he is a “half” he is a mule, as close to a slave as you can get. Simply because of his color Sil is highly regarded, plus he has magic talents based on his Northern heritage. When the horses don’t sell in the town the men have gone to Sil gets the bright idea of taking them into completely forbidden territory, on to the town of Sixes, to make a quick sale so he can turn over the money to Elim to take back to the ranch but then hightail it back to his own true home. It turns out there is a very good reason for not staying in Sixes after the sun goes down.

Now, doesn’t that all sound like a really good story? And it would have been for me if I hadn’t spent so much time confused and trying to figure out what all the strange words were. I think this book is based on Native American lore, superstitions, and words but because the author didn’t help me fully understand that with some kind of Author’s Note I’m still not actually sure. I just know that there are so many unusual words – with many of them having such similar spelling and appearance – that I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to keep all the deities, races, and names separate. There is a Glossary and a list of people and places in the back of the novel which desperately needs to be in the front of the novel. At least that way I would have been aware from the beginning that this was going to be a book where I would need to refer to those lists often. As it was, I didn’t find these lists until I had struggled my way through the entire book. And, by the way, this book has a cliffhanger ending so obviously there is going to be a second in the series.

Frankly, I liked the writing talent of this author when she didn’t let the proliferation of unusual words get in the way. I’m afraid this is one of those instances where she was so completely familiar with her material that she (and those advising her) lost sight of the fact that not everyone reading the book would have that same level of understanding. I liked the basic story, I just didn’t like spending so much time trying to remember what I thought were the meanings of words like Ardish, ei’Krah, atodak, mereau, eho, yuye, Afriti, a’Krah, marrouak, and on and on and on.

I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dark and intense fantasy western follows two men across a border and into a heap of trouble. The most sympathetic of the men is Elim Appaloosa, a thoughtful man with the mottled markings of a "half." As such, he's a lesser man in society, regarded as a source of disease and disgust and likely a slave as well. His partner is Sil Halfwick, a young overly-white northman who's on his first journey to sell horses and wants to prove himself—and damn Elim and anyone else who stands in his way.

This is one of those books where you have a bad feeling about everything that will befall the characters and it almost hurts to read onward. I loved Elim. He's a fantastic character—good-hearted, a bit slow-witted, with a special fondness for horses--caught in horrid circumstances. Sil is the sort you love to hate, but even he doesn't deserve the things he endures, though he's certainly at fault. Crossing the border to Sixes brings them into a whole mishmash of societal warfare. The viewpoints increase as the story continues, and the motivations of the residents vary wildly. I read it as an ebook ARC and at times I wishes I had a guide to help me keep the characters straight; it turned out there was a guide, but it was at the back, so I think the paper version would have helped to alleviate some confusion on my part.

Thompson ends the book on a note that definitely reminds you that this is a series. With Elim's fate still very much on the line, I can't help but be eager to read onward.

[Russ Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre mash-ups and twists are a favorite of mine. One Night in Sixes, as a Weird Western, fits that requirement perfectly. Overall it was an enjoyable read with one minor hitch which I want to get out of the way up front.

Arianne "Tex" Thompson writes in a porch-rocker conversational style that is as deceptively dense as the setting of her novel. It's another bit of prairie magic how well this style gives a voice to her fictional universe. That, and as a brand new author, her own "Tex" style is already instantly recognizable.

As one of the greatest strengths, this is also one of Sixes weaknesses.

At the start, I found the prose too stylized. There was an acclimation period precisely as though I were listening to a heavily accented local relate a story about their neighbors. I was an outsider - a position I'm fine with - but not used to as a reader.

My biggest concern is that most readers won't have the patience. But trust me, the payoff is worth the wait. About a quarter way in, the book unfolds from what originally felt like a buddy-Western a la Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid into a full fledged fantasy epic.

The universe of Sixes is dense. Dense as anything you'd grab off the shelf between say Jordan (Janderson?) and Tolkien. Races, cultures, languages, it's a surprising amount of stuff to unpack. It's the stuff of time-draining Wikis surely to be compiled by future fans as acts of love.

The characters are diverse and detailed in their motivations, each tying into a greater thread of this ornate saddle blanket. Hidden alliances, old wounds and devotions to ancient gods spur the story along a complex path which hints at the broader series to come.

You've just got to pay attention to keep up. Be prepared for a read that will exercise literary muscles you may not have used in a while.

This isn't to say placing the onus on the reader solves the problem mentioned earlier. And sure, that may mean Sixes isn't for everyone (what book is?) But to hear this story the right way, you have to accept and acknowledge the "voice" that carries it. Remove that and you've turned your back on the lady in the rocker on her very own front porch. Watching her tells, her expressions, the way she talks with her hands, is just as important to the story as the story itself.

Besides, how could that be anything but rude? Especially after she gave that delicious fresh-squeezed lemonade...

[Nicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t remember who picked this for the SF/F bookclub, but I’m definitely going to be interested to chat about this one and find out whether they’d read it first, or whether they recommended it because they wanted to read it and it sounded interesting. Because it’s not badly written as such, and the world is pretty interesting, but nonetheless I had problems.

For example, I don’t know what’s gotten into publishers putting glossaries and dramatis personae at the back of books — Tor did it with The Goblin Emperor, so I know it’s not just Solaris — but I read this with only half a clue who and what everyone was. The glossary didn’t actually help much after the fact, to be fair, and it wouldn’t have been easy to turn to in an ebook anyway, but perhaps it would’ve helped. The problem is that the book is basically set in an alternate North America (I think?), but it was absent the kind of clues needed to contextualise that.

I’m still not clear on whether this was alternate history or set in the future or what, and I don’t know enough about North American history to pick up on any clues there were for that sort of thing. It plunges straight into the byplay between the characters — which is actually pretty good, especially the tension between Elim and Sil — and doesn’t give much chance to grasp the broader details.

Which, to be fair, I don’t think you entirely need to know, at least not in the first 10% of the book, when you’re busy establishing character. But there were politics here I didn’t understand, words that were either made up or not English which I had to guess at, etc. While the actual writing was easy enough to follow, I just couldn’t connect the background stuff into anything coherent.

And, since I wasn’t fond of the characters for themselves, this actually ended up being just a stream of words which I didn’t really take on board. If people at the bookclub want to talk about plot and character, I’m rather afraid I’ll be stuck.

Originally posted here.

[Gavin Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Post apocalyptic fantasy western. There could well be a trend of this setting being used as a backdrop gathering a lot of steam at the moment and Solaris are right at the forefront of the movement.
‘One night in sixes’ is a top class example of this, mixing a very sharp take on racism, slavery, justice, love and loyalty, making a very deep and involved start to a trilogy. Arianne ‘Tex’ Thomas has brought to life a very broad cast of characters together, all with very significant roles to play in setting up a real old fashioned wild west setting, complete with it’s own badlands and a whole new twist on lifeforms. There is plenty of twists and turns in the narration, with a lot of early on events adding an impressive amount of weight to later happenings.
As a start to a series, one night in sixes ticks all of the right boxes and creates a lot of interest in whatever the follow up will have to offer.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

One Night in Sixes is an interesting but very difficult read. Ultimately unfulfilling.

The Good: Thompson can write. In Sixes she creates a fully realized weird wild west with impressive depth and color. Characters are well developed with good variety. Dialogue reads true. Reminiscent of China Meiville’s Bas Lag novels, particularly The Scar, which is high praise.

The Problematic: It’s damn hard to figure out what’s going on. Sixes features a variety of races/tribes, each with its own abilities, culture and language, none of which are remotely adequately explained.

Imagine being teleported into central Europe from another world having never heard of the place and utterly invisible such that you cannot interact with the natives nor ask questions. You can only observe. The natives unaware of your presence have no need to explain their actions/culture. They simply live as they are accustomed. All you can do is hope they do/say enough that you can infer what’s going on. Very doable in most novels. Less so in Sixes.

Thompson writes Sixes as if the reader is native and fully accustomed to the world she has created. You of course are not native. With no explanation of history, place, customs or language, and the actual natives (characters) providing little context, Sixes left me floundering and frustrated throughout. I almost stopped reading several times. Thompson's world building kept me going, but to a dissatisfied end.

Thompson does provide a glossary, but even it is decidedly unhelpful. For example:

Definition of an atodak - partnered with a marka.
Definition of a marka - partnered with an atodak

What??

As others have noted the story also has no real protagonist(s). Notionally they are Sil Halfwick and his companion Elim, but neither are sympathetic, smart nor heroic enough to carry the story. Sil is a prima-donna who’s not nearly as smart as he thinks he is—think young Donald Trump. Elim is a genuinely nice guy, but too profoundly stupid to be warrant much care. Also Elim doesn’t make things happen, they just happen to him; a perpetual victim, who never fights back.

For me, the strongest and most compelling character in Sixes is Two-Blood. I could have forgiven a lot of the previous faults for a solid story with her front and center. Alas she plays a minor role and her story is left undeveloped.

The Unforgivable: Sixes has no ending! One finds at the end of 464 pages, that everything is just preamble to the next book. Nothing is resolved. Nor is there a cliffhanger. The narrative simply closes like any other chapter in the book with the story incomplete.

Sixes would be an interesting group read. Because so little is explained or complete, it provides a lot of room for speculation and debate. As a stand-alone novel however it fails for these very attributes. A little explanation/exposition would improve Sixes immensely. Coupled with a decent ending, I could image it being a four star read. As is, I give it three stars for the world building, zero for frustrating me as a reader throughout, net two for keeping my interest.

[Eric Mesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I added this book to my To Read list back in 2014 after hearing Ms. Thompson interviewed on Sword and Laser. I had a slightly different impression of what the plot would be - I think the interview focused on the character of TwoBlood - but the story I got was still great. Since I really liked the world Ms. Thompson creates here so much, I want to start with what I didn't like about the book rather than ending with what I didn't like. In list notation:

-Although it's a neat bit of world-building that the plot takes place in a town full of different native tribes, it leads to a LOT of confusion. At least a handful of characters have two names - the equivalent of their native name and their Christian name. They all have different rituals and things going on and it's a lot more complicated when layered on top of the fact that apparently there's also magic in this world
-Lots of POV paragraphs where the characters are either confused about what's going on or lying to themselves, overly complicating an already complicated plot
-Basically - I read something close to 100 books a year, am a big reader of tvtropes, watch other narrative things like TV and movies. I'm rarely confused about what's going on except for in detective novels and there were huge chunks where I was like "huh?"

That might sound like a lot, but if you read my reviews, you know I'm not afraid to give 1 and 2 star reviews. I go my Goodreads' tooltips so a 4-star is "really liked it". And so let me jump back in to what I loved/enjoyed about this book. A teeny-tiny spoiler is that this book doesn't take place in the late 1800s America, but an alternate universe America-ish place; namely alt-universe Texas. A bunch of characters speak what is essentially Spanish, but called Marin in the book. Actually, I said this a few times during my status updates, but this is a pretty uniquely Texan novel:
-The main characters are a city-slicker know-it-all who resents being stuck in a podunk town and a farm-hand who he looks down on because he isn't book-smart. However, despite having a more simple world-view, the farm-hand is very street-smart and almost the only sane man in this story
-The characters in the world are essentially Native "American", white folk, and mulattoes
-Everyone speaks either English, Spanish, or French - and the ones who interact everyone speak a bit of each. Ms. Thompson spells the words phonetically so you can sound it out and there's a bit of a Bilingual-Bonus if you speak any of those languages of knowing more about what's going on than what the characters themselves know.

Despite all the different tribes living in Sixes causing me a lot of confusion, I thought it was pretty awesome how Ms. Thompson creates a world in which they all have to live together and observe each others' rites, superstitions, etc. This novel is essentially a tragedy in the Shakespearean sense - a lot of it is moved forward by cultural misunderstandings between everyone - tribesmen, people with ulterior motives, the moneyed guy and his farm hand. So the pattern she weaves of this place where everyone is living in uneasy truce is fascinating. She also makes great use of the language barriers in a bunch of scenes where there are both misunderstandings and other issues that happen due to language. It's quite a realistic world she paints in which no one is really ever in as much control over their situation as they believe they are - except the one person smart enough to realize he's in over his head.

This was a complex read for me. The front cover of the version I read compares Ms. Thompson favorably to Stephen King. I've never read any King, but if they meant stylistically, then maybe it's just a very different style for me in terms of the certain...elements (I don't want to spoil at all) and/or the writing style. However, I did end up adding the next book in the trilogy to my to read list so we'll see how things go. Because if there's one more potential knock on the book it's that this does not follow the pattern I've usually seen where book 1 of a trilogy finishes a story and then books 2 and 3 are inseparable. This was clearly written as a story that does not end until book 3.

Anyway, if you like westerns, but feel bored by all of them taking place in our real-life history, check this out. It has many of the tropes and subverts some and deconstructs others while making full use of the fact that it takes place in its own world.

[Sydney Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Lord of the Rings, Texas has our own cult classic. True to form, ours is bigger and better.

One Night in Sixes may already in fact be a cult classic, and if it isn't it deserves to be. This book takes two seemingly ordinary cowpokes, Sil and Elim, and sends them into the heart of Sixes, with all its apparitions and strangeness. Things are not as they seem to be, other than we have a world all its own and Elim is smart to be afraid to be there. As you traverse the territory of the strange city, you won't be exactly sure what is going on (at least your first pass through), but you'll be very curious to find out.

Arianne 'Tex' Thomspon made me feel I had entered a whole new world in her Sixes creation, but, as with the Lord of the Rings or Stephen King's Dark Tower series, its a world that is super inhabited and fleshed out, as if I was dropped right into it, so that I had this creepy feeling that I'd better look over my shoulder, because Fours or one of his acquaintances might be there about to grab hold. I just wish this series was already on audio-if it were, I know some folks who would have it memorized by now.

One Night in Sixes is for the brave at heart, the science nerds who love cowboys and superpowers, the ones on earth who search out super adventure with mind twists. Its for those of us who wish Bless Me Ultima would have taken on an even more magical bent. Now we no longer need to wish, because we can inhabit the world of the Children of Drought through these books.

Thank you Ms. Thompson for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I hope you get these books on audio, pronto!

[William Humble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most intricately done exercises in world building I've ever seen. The author carefully works in diverse magic and cultures from all across a fantasy version of the American old west. It's an immersive experience like no other.

Check it out!

[The Author Visits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note - I received a copy of this book from Netgalley as I still wait for my pre-ordered copy to arrive from Amazon. The opinions stated in this review of One Night in Sixes are solely my own.

A fantasy western, the debut novel, One Night in Sixes is the first in the Children of the Drought series by author Arianne “Tex” Thompson.

I’ve never come across a book quite as unique as this. The premise isn’t complicated; two ranch workers, Sil Halfwick, a white man from up north and a very determined horse salesman and his mixed-race, part human, part Sundowner mule (mixed race side-kick) Appaloosa Elim, set out to sell some horses. But the town where Sil and Elim are headed, the town of Sixes, isn’t like any other town.

Sixes is a place where by day, things appear to be normal on the surface, but as the sun sets, the true nature of this fantasy land comes alive and not necessarily in a good way.

War ravaged with danger lurking in the adobe buildings of this town on the wrong-side of the river, Elim is all too aware of not wanting to be caught in the cross-hairs of the mayhem that night brings out in Sixes.

But it’s too late and the loyal Elim follows the hard-headed Sil into a land ripe with mystery that is appealing as it unfolds on the pages and we learn about what drives Elim’s fear of this notorious town and the races that inhabit the sun-burned lands with a history that is bloody and not to be forgotten.

It is a complex piece of work. I am glad a glossary was included because it was necessary when trying to define the distinct terms of the languages of the land and people of Sixes.

There are a multitude of characters which adds to the robustness of the work where without, there would be a watering down of a story deserving of the many different view points that adds to the multi-dimension-ness of the book.

A distinct story, a fantastic setting, a plethora of characters of different races, creeds and religions and don’t forget the many languages and you have a makings of an epic with One Night in Sixes.

I do believe in the trite but true cliché, “nothing ventured nothing gained.” With One Night in Sixes, I stepped out of my reading comfort zone to take on a work that has a simple plot but is intricate in story telling.

Witty, brimming with charisma that is showcased in dialogue and description, elaborate despite the premise and overall, intricately woven and highly entertaining -- Thompson’s writing is a gift.
I found myself smiling as I imagined some of the exchanges between Elim and Sil or the other characters out loud, imagined the the drawl of the westerners arguing about this, talking about that which added another dimension to this unconventional fantasy.

This is a work not meant for the weary or close-minded. This is a work that stands above most because it travels down a path less taken. Written with a fresh voice, readers should expect to come to every page ready for more depth and complexity as the characters on a simple mission get embroiled in a mysterious fantasy unlike any other.

If you enjoy fantasy with a western twist or a western with a twist of fantasy, then One Night in Sixes is right up your alley.

My rating: it’s a must read all the way!

[Thomas Tyrrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is such a thing as too much world building, and this book worked best outside of the eponymous town of Sixes, when the narration is divided between Elim Appaloosa and his high-handed but inexperienced boss Sil. The conflict between them zings and the narration has a very Texan wit, while even the horses they're riding are well characterised and interesting.
Once we're in Sixes, the book is thrown open to a whole series of other narrators, each belonging to separate sets of tribes and allegiances which are barely explained. If not for the discovery of a Glossary and a People and Places index in the back pages, I'd have been confused enough to give up - as it was, I struggled on to the rather unsatisfactory ending where justice does not appear to have been done, nor any of the issues really resolved.
I'd have like to have seen the characters sketched so vividly in the first part of the novel (particularly the horses) given more of a chance to shine rather than left to fade into the background. The author's obviously spent a lot of time getting her world just so, but this comes at the expense of pace and character.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not normally a fan of westerns or fantasy novels, but this one might convert me to both. A tapestry of characters well-woven together with relatively normal conflicts in an extraordinary world. Unexpected twists and turns, and the true signal of a good story - when it was over I couldn't stop cooking-up story ideas with these characters and this world!

[Clifford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked this one, a most unusual weird western. It's not an easy read by any means but it is wonderfully written and the author has a true flair not just for great prose but for dialogue that crackles with realism. It's a very multi-layered world in Sixes and not everything is as it seems! 3.5 stars

[Ruthie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The overall plot in One Night in Sixes is often cloaked in the mistaken identity of a slow and meandering story. Don’t be fooled. The reader is accorded no restful moments as the story shifts and undulates without apology. Startling events methodically unfold and reveal the fleshy underbelly of racism, hatred, greed, prejudices, and multi-faced liars. Amidst this muck and mire lies beauty in unassuming characters and bold heroes alike.

Is the story complex? Yes. Is the story confusing? At times. But this complexity and confusion are layered in One Night in Sixes, and through thoughtful and mindful comprehension, the reader is rewarded with a story rife with deeply developed characters that show all sides of humanity: the good, the bad, and the indifferent.

For me, One Night in Sixes is a clearly muddled presentation of how humans can shape shift when it fits a purpose, good and evil. The overall story assigns labels to identify the Other and the privileged and identify people veiled as the high and mighty and those constantly underfoot or camouflaged to stay alive. Duality is a stark theme here: night and day, hot and cold, water and earth, dark and light, man and beast, human and inhuman, and opposite worlds on either side of the river.

Appaloosa Elim is both brown and white but neither brown nor white. He is a half, a speckled mule, an abomination with no sure foothold in any world. But it is through Elim that the reader sees and feels the frustration of this strange world saturated with prejudices and hierarchy. The reader becomes ensnared in Elim’s resentment of needing to chase after and protect Sil Halfwick, a hot-headed Northman hell bent on a fool’s errand. Elim both hates and loves Sil, ultimately forging an unwanted connection that can only have one ending.

Interested yet? You should be. One Night in Sixes is not meant to be read halfheartedly or with divided attention. The language is lyrical, beautiful, humorous, and showy. The plot is stratified and rich. The characters are bazaar and recognizable as caricatures of all walks of life. The ending is the beginning of the next adventure.

My favorite characters are Fours and Día. They are not whom they pretend to be. They are enigmas wrapped in seeming conformity and servitude. I would love to learn more of their stories.

A much-needed glossary is located at the end, but a quick reference to its existence before the start of this intriguing and highly complex story would be helpful.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I frequently was tempted to create a scorecard to keep everyone straight, and in retrospect I probably should have. This is a big book, an ambitious book, a fascinating book. I found it maddening, often confusing, but also compelling. I'd put it down, walk away, then I had to come back and see what happens next.

And I was really glad I'd bought the whole trilogy at once, because the moment I finished "One Night in Sixes," I turned right around and started "Medicine for the Dead."

Once you figure out who the different POV characters are and some things about their cultures (and realize that if you sound out the names of people, it's easier to tell who's being discussed--there are a lot of "cognate pronunciations" by characters of different language backgrounds), things gradually make more and more sense. Meanwhile, life-altering events (in some cases, life-ending events, although in this world that doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does) are happening to the characters, about whom I increasingly began to care.

This is not an "easy" book or a fast read. But the world it reveals (by immersion) is rich and fascinating. Word of advice: buy the whole trilogy at once. Then plan on spending months reading and enjoying it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As stated elsewhere, the glossary is in the back. I went hunting for it about a third of the way in, and it didn't really help. I prefer a book to not need one, to be honest. Ms. Thompson is an exceptionally talented writer, and I truly think she could have carried this off by giving more information directly (or indirectly) in the text. As it was, I glossed over more of the world-building tribal magic stuff than I would have preferred, and that's a disappointment. I wanted very much to grasp more of that piece of the book because what I did get sounded amazing.

Her voice is strong. The imagery is laser-sharp. The characters, except in the Faro scene, were distinct and fascinating. I would follow Elim through any number of books, and that carries a lot of weight in my mind - the ability to make a reader care so much about a fictional person that they hang on your every word. I didn't see any of the plot twists coming, but was satisfied with their rationality. Nicely done.

[M.E. Kinkade · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a glossary at the end of the book! If only I had known this from the start, I may have had an easier time of it.

Sixes throws the reader into a sorta-kinda familiar Western genre--except magic is real, and developed through a bond with your ancestors. Those who have immigrated from Europe are less in-touch with their ancestors--and therefore their magic--while the native people manifest their powers in potent, and sometimes dangerous, ways.

Sixes is nominally a story about Sil and Elim, two whites who cross over to the town of Sixes, which is populated by a variety of tribal peoples. Cultural misunderstandings are thick in the air, and everyone has different, often competing, motivations. That's where the glossary could have been a big help to me; as I read without it, I spent a good portion feeling like I was drowning in references, new words, and relationships I couldn't quite grasp. It ultimately gelled, but it wasn't the easiest road.

This story is more about understanding across cultures than anything else, and how even the slightest misunderstanding can ignite the powder keg. It's potent as an allegory, but I'll have to read more into the series before I can feel confident I really grok it all.

[Daniel Bensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unless you've read a lot more fantasy than I have, you haven't read a fantasy like this one. Some of the familiar elements are there: a pair of squabbling friends on a quest, sneaky shape-shifters, racial magic (not so different from the magical system of the Alvin Maker books), but it's all set in a world a lot less like a standard fantasy adventure than real history.

SIXES takes place in a desert trading outpost that was built by white settlers then overrun and rebuilt by indigenous peoples. I use the plural advisedly: the natives in this story are as fully realized, and as fully different from each other, as the whites. The town of Sixes is a polyglot mishmash, home to no-one, site of atrocity, and dangerous as hell. In other words, it's like something out of the real Wild West.

Plus the author has a very nice turn of phrase.

[Kathryn McClatchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Night in Sixes by Arianne ‘Tex’ Thompson, genre: Rural Fantasy
Stars: 4.5

I confess, I struggled through the first fifth of the book. This was my first time to read Rural Fantasy, and I’m not sure what I expected. Honestly, Fantasy in general is not my go-to genre. I’m more of a mystery, thriller, historical fiction aficionado. That being said, I’m going to accept the blame for not being hooked in the first few pages. I chose to push through, though, as this book had been highly recommended by people I respect. During the initial struggle I tried to explain the story to my husband, and his immediate response was, “Oh like Star Trek? When Worf and Data and the others get trapped in the Ancient West on the holodeck…” And then it clicked for me. No, that’s not what it’s like (maybe DS9?), however, this story, setting, and cast of characters is as diverse, complicated, and layered as the Star Trek tales. Once I made that connection I was able to suspend my disbelief and relax into the story. I am so glad because I was well rewarded for the effort.

Others have summarized the story, so I’m not going to take the time to do that. Here’s the top three things that impressed me about One Night in Sixes.

1. Thompson draws on a rich and diverse heritage of myth and history to create her characters. She based her various characters on the mer-people of mythology, the indigenous peoples of the American Southwest, slaves and bi-racial people from various cultures, and those were just the ones I recognized. I took the liberty of looking up the author’s bio, and was not surprised to find an undergrad degree in history and a master’s degree in literature.

2. The linguistics made me happy. I quickly realized that each of the cultures Thompson created spoke a variation of either French, Spanish, or a phonetically based variation on what the cowpokes spoke in the old western movies. It was creative and fun. Some other reviewers found the made up languages frustrating and confusing, and commented on the glossary being in the back and not mentioned ahead of time. I’d like to counter that point by saying that readers who don’t like wading through the characters’ native languages can just as easily skip every italicized word, as it’s all clarified in the context.

3. The various themes were both obvious and subtle, and I found them thought-provoking. For example, Thompson addresses loss of freedom/slavery from a number of causes and perspectives, as well as self-imposed or situational lack of freedom, and lack of employment options. On one hand, there is no slavery in the town of Sixes as the community leaders are quick to point out, yet at the same time there are many who have been born into servitude and see it as an honor, and others who have placed themselves in servitude as penitence, and some like the main character of Appaloosa Elim who was bought as a child but became one of the family. Slavery throughout world history has been very complex, and human-trafficking is an on-going problem today. Thompson opens the door to consider various points of view, especially from the enslaved.

Of course there are always things readers dislike, and in an effort to make this review objective, let me mention a few items that left me a bit cold.

1. The opening. I know I already mentioned that, but it really was difficult for me to get into this fictional world. I honestly don’t know if that’s a failing on my part of that of the author. Then again, I tend to read stand-alones rather than trilogies, so maybe this is expected for this long of a story arc.

2. The author assumes the reader is already familiar with this universe, and there is very little introduction up front of the characters, their history, or their special abilities. By the time I got to the end of the story I had it mostly figured out, and now can’t wait to read the next book. Unless you are committed to reading the entire trilogy, it may be a bit frustrating to wade through One Night in Sixes to figure it out, and then be done. That could be a problem with the storytelling, or part of the genius. I really want to start the next book.

3. Marketing/cover design would lead one to believe this is a shoot ‘em up western with some Gothic elements. On the back it says “Fantasy” for genre. I bought it due to a recommendation, but wonder if part of my struggle starting the story was the expectation created by the cover art—which is very cool, but not relevant to the story.

When I initially finished this book, I thought it was a 3.5 star, but as I’ve gone about my business in the week following, I realize I’m still thinking over the characters, setting, and themes. The English teacher in me would love to use it teaching a high school or college class. I can think of so many activities and discussions this book would generate. One of the things I do love about fantasy and SciFi is that you can address really difficult current issues a bit removed and objectively by putting them in this type of fiction. I’ve upgraded my impression of the book because Thompson succeeded in doing what very few authors do—she made me think and created characters that I can’t forget. I hope in the next installment I learn more of the back-story of Dia and Twoblood especially.

I would absolutely recommend this book without hesitation. Although there are some complex themes, this story is appropriate for YA through adult readers. I believe readers who are willing to think and work a bit more while reading will be rewarded. If you are looking for a simple escape to pass the time, you might want to pass on this story. If you want to be challenged and draw on all you know of world history and world mythology, this will do it. To simplify matters, if you are a passionate Trekkie because of all the layers and complexity of the Star Trek universe, this will work for you. If you are in the Star Wars camp because you simply like a fast hero’s journey with a lot of action, and the guy gets the girl in the end, you might find this more frustration than you bargained for.

[Robert]

You can find my full review of One Night in Sixes on my speculative fiction book blog

In summary: I found it arduous, confused and boring.

[Skjam! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Island Town used to be known as Sixes, when the Eadan Confederacy controlled this area. But a decade or so back, the indigenous peoples pushed the Confederacy across the river. Now Island Town is on the border, with only a handful of the old inhabitants providing continuity. Like many border towns, the former Sixes is a mix of various peoples with different customs and languages, who cooperate or clash in many ways.

Sil Halfwick knows nothing of conditions in Island Town–not even its new name. The sickly displaced Northerner was hoping to sell some horses at the County Fair to show his business acumen and earn enough money to move back East. That didn’t work out, so he gets the hare-brained idea to go across the border to Sixes, where horses are scarce. He drags along mixed-race ranch hand Appaloosa Elim, who Sil is nominally in charge of, but considers himself Sil’s babysitter.

Elim has good reason to worry. Across the border, “mules” such as himself are regarded with extreme suspicion due to the belief they carry disease. And if that wasn’t enough, certain people in Island Town have cause to be on the outlook for someone like Elim.

Sil is oblivious to all this. He samples the local nightlife and becomes involved in high-stakes gambling. He seems to win big, but a series of coincidences and petty cruelties result in a man being dead in the morning. Now the two outsiders are in deep, deep trouble. And it looks like neither Sil’s fast talking nor Elim’s steadfast endurance is going to get them out of it.

This Western-flavored fantasy is the first in the “Children of the Drought” series. Despite many similarities, this is not Earth as we know it. The various kinds of humans have supernatural talents, and some of the people in Sixes aren’t strictly speaking human. The “white” people speak Ardish, which is not quite English, while the trade language is the not-exactly Spanish tongue Marin. (There’s a glossary and list of characters in the back. The latter is mildly spoilery.)

One of the big differences is that it’s much harder for mixed-race people to “pass”, as instead of melding features, they wind up with vitiligo-like mottled skin. Elim has a very conspicuous eye-patch marking.

The story is told in tight third-person, with switches in viewpoint character revealing new information and making motivations clearer. We see that much of the tragedy in the story comes from people’s biases blinding them to the good intentions or full humanity of others.

In addition to Sil and Elim, we hear the thoughts of:

Twoblood, the other mixed-race person in town. She’s Second Man (effectively sheriff) and feels the need to be seen to enforce the law rigorously to offset the suspicion against her because of her ancestry.

Fours, the livery owner who is not what he seems and has conflicting loyalties. As a result, Fours has to work against his personal agenda from time to time.

Dia, the only Afriti (black person) in town. She’s a grave bride of the Penitent religion (roughly Catholic nun) and wants to give mercy where she can, but the wickedness in Island Town often thwarts her.

And Vuchak, a member of the a’Krah tribe (followers of Crow) who works in the local den of sin. He’s poor-tempered, even with his partner Weisei (who’s a trifle addlepated.) Vuchak takes his tribe’s honor very seriously, and doesn’t like compromises.

There’s quite a bit of world-building and examination of culture clash. The book ends as several characters leave Sixes/Island Town for a long journey that will presumably be the focus of the next book, but there are indications that those who died in this book will still have an effect.

There’s some rough language, and discussion of slavery. (Sil claims Elim is a slave at one point, but Elim’s situation is more complicated than that.) The fantastic racism may strike some readers as too close to real racism for comfort.

I found this book well-written and look forward to the next volume.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILERS

This past summer at the Willamette Writers’ Conference I heard Arianne “Tex” Thompson speak about injecting western elements into other genres. If you have never met Tex Thompson, she is a character that cannot be confined to the world of fiction. Someone so lively can only exist in the real world.

I was intrigued by the concept for her trilogy, which blended the western and fantasy genres. I call the idea “cowboys and shapeshifters.” I bought the first book in the series, One Night in Sixes, and only recently got around to reading it. In high school I read a lot of Louis L’Amour, and later in life I read many of Tony Hillerman’s novels. The former wrote true westerns, while the later wrote what I lovingly call the “cozy modern western.”

The western elements were what drew me to this more than the fantasy, and those were the elements I liked best in the book. The characters were strong western archetypes: individualistic, principled, driven. The setting met my expectations as well. An isolated border town bringing a mixture of cultures and mores together in a tiny, little boiling pot, but with one strong figure who prizes justice above all else. Tex really delivered on those counts.

I also felt she was strong on the fantasy elements. The different groups that gathered in Sixes were not just different cultures, but different species. I felt they were thought through properly, with gifts that we do not possess in our world, but most importantly, limitations to those gifts. The one scene that approached deus ex machina was near the middle when we learned that even those dudes from back East have powers of their own, and it was used to keep our hero Elim alive. But it too had its effects on the wielder of that power.

I think the biggest weaknesses came from Tex being a little slow to hit some of the plot points, and losing their effectiveness as she set up the next books. The buildup from getting Elim forcibly drunk to the point where he shot the boy who came to collect the horses seemed too long, and perhaps a little too late in the story. The midpoint gave us plenty of revelations, but perhaps too many. This, I imagine, was to help set up the later books. Some of those revelations had little point to the current story, and may have been more effective if they were peppered throughout the story, leaving one main revelation for the reader to consider.

The setup for the rest of the series also made the final section of the book suffer. Neither Sil nor Elim did much of anything. The big win, I suppose, was Elim having the strength to admit that he was not a slave, but he was still passive in that scene. Sil was missing for big stretches of the second half of the book, and did not play much of a role in things as they ultimately played out. Although he kicked and jerked when hanging from the noose, he too did little to actually move along the story.

I realize much of this was to set up the rest of the series, but I felt like too much attention was paid to that at the peril of giving the readers a little something more to hang their hat on. I did enjoy the book, but I have not decided whether I will read the rest of the series.

[Christena · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She was not a woman, not any earthly woman.”

First, let me state I stepped out of my comfort zone reading “One Night in Sixes.” It’s not a book that can be read half-heartedly or with quick passing interest. It needs your whole attention as a reader.

Yes – the story is confusing. Yes – often times I found myself getting lost as I was reading it. Admittedly, within the first two chapters, I was speculating where the initial slow-paced story was going. But, as the story progressed with the main characters of Appaloosa Elim and Sil Halfwick trying to sell horses, they get deeply immersed in the island town of Sixes. The plot then twists and turns around Elim who gets drunk and shoots a gun, all because he followed his friend Sil into Sixes. What was the result of him shooting that gun? Read the book discover that answer.

Arianne ‘Tex’ Thompson wrote a western fantasy mixed with paranormal influences. The cover alone of this book is a tantalizing representation of many Louis L’Amour covers, but Thompson takes this western to a whole new level. She took the path less taken with “One Night in Sixes” as she weaves varieties of characters, religion, and race, along with the supernatural. As with any good storyteller, she allowed me to draw my own conclusions. The best part of the book for me came in a later chapter, titled “Necktie Social” when the Fish-Queen stepped out of the water. That’s when the mystical undertones clearly made sense to me while reading this book.

Thankfully, the complex writing is accompanied by an end glossary which helps you understand what is what and who is who. Without the glossary, I would’ve been lost entirely.

If you’re a serious reader who wants to read writing that challenges your mind – then One Night in Sixes is a must-read for you.

[L.M. Hinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what I expected when I picked up this book. I don't know if I really knew what a speculative western would look like, feel like or taste like. But I tell you, this wasn't what I imagined. Tex Thompson has a way of spinning sentences so beautiful, I'm nearly distracted by their beauty.

Many books I can read straight through and never use my highlight function in Kindle. But with One Night in Sixes I stopped every few pages to highlight sentences worth savoring. Sentences that couldn't just be read, but sentences that had to be rolled about on the tongue like a good bourbon.

It is very easy for a writer to become complacent with lazy writing at the expectation of readers who might be in a hurry, who might not want to wallow in the beauty words create. Tex Thompson is no lazy writer. Even in the simplest of sentences, she paints images in your mind differently than what we are most typically familiar with.

"His future-self evaporated, banished to never-existence by the failure of the present."

"How tempting it could be to lighten the load of your inward miscontents by doling them out on everyone around you."

"Any free-thinking soul who lived too long amidst their squalid contentment was going to drown in it like a fish in stagnant water."

"You could forgive people the need to do their sinning sociably... you could hardly expect them to make any less of a congregation in dirtying their souls than they did in cleaning them afterwards."

Read this book. It really is that simple, folks.

[Ruth Fanshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is really good - it draws you right into this fascinating world and keeps you turning the pages. The characters and settings are vivid, the pacing and tension for the first half are great - but then it started to feel out of kilter. Things didn't seem to move forward in such a satisfying way.

And it eventually transpired that this is because it's one of those books that doesn't tell a complete story but only part of a story, and then ends on a cliff hanger - there was really no proper climax to the book, just build up and build up - and then an end. This is very disappointing after such a wonderful beginning.

So it's not a trilogy - it's one novel published in three volumes. Which used to be common practice and is fair enough - as long as it's made clear to the reader that that's what they're signing up for, which wasn't the case here.

I do intend on reading the other two books that will presumably make up a whole story. I'm involved with the characters, and want to know what happens to them and whether my theories are right. But I have to admit to feeling a little cheated about not getting a complete story - and therefore not a complete novel - in this book.

The writer really is very good, and the book really is worth reading - just be aware that you're only going to get a complete story through all three books.

(I would like to give it 3.5 stars if that could be done. The first half deserves 5 stars.)

[Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

At first, this book seemed to be an interesting concept. A Western mash-up that blended aspects of horror and magic set in an alternative reality. That sounds like a big idea - and it probably is - but, I fear, this book never realized it. It is overly difficult to read, necessarily complex and none of the characters are either memorable or likable. There is little background to help flesh out this alternate world the story takes place in leaving the reader to piece together what he can. There is a glossary of people, places, and words in the back of the book but I found it to be of little use. The dialog was also unrealistic being too literate and overly profound. The book was well written but it was not a light read and I found myself lost more than I did engaged.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the writing style. The concept of the book was fascinating as well. The real problem I had was confusion through most of the book. For instance, heathen gods are spoken of but not seen until near the end and I'm still not sure what they are or how they fit in. There were hints and a few clues that some of the humans there are not human, or at least, more than only human, but the only ones we get a clear idea of are the fishmen and that's not until the very end. It's like a bunch of hints and intriguing ideas are put forth, but never fully realized. I do have to say, I was thrilled by the accuracy of the horse terms and care and behavior. It's nice to see that accurately portrayed.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tex immerses the reader in a really interesting "Wild West" world. There are a multitude of races, some of them with abilities that give this story a nice fantasy vibe. One Night in Sixes is well written and has moments of brilliance and hilarity. Unfortunately, I found the story to get bogged down by all the different characters and races, and *spoiler alert* by the end it felt like one huge prelude to the next book. I was kind of bummed because I really wanted to love this series!

[Ultra-Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent story with an amazing amount of detail. I haven't read a book with so much detail since my endeavors into the world of Stephen King. One whole book dedicated to a 24 hour period in a supernatural town. It took me a while to get through just for the sheer amount of detail, but the over embellishment in book one helps make book to a lot easier to read.