West of Damnation: The Book of Malcolm

by Jalen Tellis

For fans of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and readers of The Book of Eli , Markus Redmond’s Blood Slaves , Stephen King’s The Dark Tower , and Dracula .
West of Damnation is a haunting, blood-soaked journey through faith, damnation, and the last breath of the American frontier.

In 1911, the American frontier is dying—and so is Malcolm Carter’s soul.
Once a soldier, now an outlaw bound by sin, Malcolm lives with the ghosts of the men he’s killed and the brother he couldn’t save. When a cruel land baron offers him a pardon for one last job—deliver a sealed box to a forgotten town called Hollow Hill—Malcolm sees his final chance at redemption.

But Hollow Hill isn’t what it seems. The sun barely rises. The townsfolk don’t bleed. And the preacher who tends the church speaks in prophecies older than the cross. Beneath its soil festers an ancient covenant—one that binds vampires and men in a war for their very souls.

As the day bleeds into endless night, Malcolm must confront the truth of what he carries—and what he’s become. To escape, he’ll have to face not only the monsters that hunt him, but the God he’s spent his life running from.

A biblical horror Western about guilt, faith, and the cost of salvation—where freedom is never free, and blood is the only currency.

Genres: Horror

ebook

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

Jalen Tellis is an Amazon Bestselling and three-time award-nominated novelist whose work blends horror, speculative fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and psychological suspense into unforgettable stories driven by compelling characters and high-stakes conflict. Tellis writes stories that explore resilience, morality, fear, and the unknown. His work combines cinematic pacing with emotionally resonant storytelling, creating immersive worlds that stay with readers long after the final page.

Reviews

[Bianca Newby]

This is a hard one for me to review because the story idea was really good, but unfortunately the execution fell short for me. The writing and editing felt like it needed a few more rounds of review to produce a better product. There was a lot of showing and telling causing phrases to be repeated multiple times and actions seem overly obvious. Some of the subplots in the story felt a bit rushed and not fully fleshed out. I also was not a fan of the ending. So for me I needed more of somethings and a lot less of other things.

HOWEVER, normally writing like this would take me out of the story and I'd DNF, but because of the the story idea and some of the discussions, I was still fully engaged until the end. Some portions of the book had really good discussions regarding morality, racism, and faith to where I could see this being heavily inspired by the Bible. And even though there was a lot of showing and telling, it was quite cinematic during the action sequences. This book had me sit and think for a bit because I'm used to reading a lot of stories with heavy rage and revenge and this story wasn't exactly that. (Which is fine! That's on me not the author.)

I'm not sure who to recommend this too. But I will say that this author....I'm going to keep an eye out on his future projects. Although I didn't fully enjoy the book, I think he has a gift for story ideas. I'm going to look forward to see what he has coming in the future.

Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

[Fer B]

This is my honest review of the ARC

3.75 stars.

Honestly, I would absolutely love a book series in this world, with all of this lore. West of Damnation feels like the prologue or start of a bigger story, and while it also works very well as a stand-alone novella, I wish to see more, I need more.
I was surprised by the ammount of feelings I felt with the dialogue and the internal narration of the protagonist, Malcolm Carter. He is a fantastic protagonist. The religious lore, the fights and how these elements complemented and supported the themes of guilt and forgiveness was also fantastic. I cried a little in multiple scenes for different reasons. The pacing, in general, was fast and direct, which I appreciate. The dark fantasy was felt especially in the second half of the story, and I truly enjoyed that, almost as much as I enjoyed the internal struggle and slower first half (which, by the way, was my favorite half of the book).

I do think the plot/reationships/interactions could have been more developed with some more pages, because at some point it did feel rushed in the second half, but in general I enjoyed West of Damnation.

As always, I am grateful for the opportunity of reading an ARC! I also want to read more stories by Jalen Tellis

[Jen Bean]

What worked for me: West of Damnation hooked me instantly! At first I was unsure if I would be able to connect with the Western theme/setting because I don’t have a lot of experience with that genre, but as the book progressed, I felt that the setting fit the plot perfectly—the emphasis on living outside the law/what’s “right,” the morally gray characters, and a hard life with the dream of freedom. As someone who has a deep religious background, I felt that the inclusion of biblical principles was well done and made me feel more connected with the characters. And to put the cherry on top…vampires!

What might not work for you: A reader who doesn’t have a basic understanding of Christianity/biblical principles might struggle to put some of West of Damnation into an appropriate context, but please do not let that dissuade you from giving this book a spot on your TBR! There are graphic depictions of violence, and readers who need to skip those scenes would find connecting with the book almost impossible.

[Shawberry Likes To Read]

Thank you to Jalen Tellis for the ARC access.

I was not sure how this book would play out. It started a little slow as it built up to the plot twist, which I did not anticipate. I suspected more emphasis on "the devil" so it caught me by suprise when Silas' plan became a full reality. Malcolm was weighed down by guilt, anger and grief which were recurring themes. There are lots of religious lore, which I did feel played a vital role in the storyline. There definitely could have been a little stronger development for a few characters however, it ultimately came together. I think we saw a Morally grey MMC who eventually has a unsuspecting redemption Arc.


This has the potential to grow into a multi-book series if the author desires to do so. I think West Of Damnation could be the set up for a prequel that gives takes us back in time to tell the story of The Watchers and a follow up that tells the story of the new generation of Watchers.

[GetLitWithRae]

The story started off a bit slow for me, but once it hit the second half, it really found its stride and kept me engaged.

The action scenes were exciting and packed with intensity, though they occasionally felt a little rushed. My favorite part, however, was Malcolm’s redemption arc. His rage, guilt, struggle to forgive himself, and doubt that God could forgive him made him a compelling protagonist and easy to root for.

While I enjoyed the overall story, I think it would have benefited from being a bit longer and more fully developed. Even so, once the plot picked up, I was invested and eager to see how Malcolm’s journey would unfold.

Thanks to Jalen Tellis and Plots & Petals for the advanced reader copy! This is my honest review.

[Charlie Helton]

This one is a bold genre mashup: a gritty Great Western infused with horror, paranormal elements, and a not so subtle biblical undercurrent.
Set in 1911, the story follows Malcolm, an outlaw and former soldier weighed down by the sins of his past, the ghosts of those he’s killed, and the brother he couldn’t save. Promised a full pardon and his freedom, he agrees to one last job… but nothing comes without a price. What follows drops him straight into the middle of a brutal war between vampires and men.
Fast-paced and action-heavy, this book delivers more than monsters, it also brings heart. I loved seeing how much the author’s writing has evolved, blending Wild West grit with gothic horror. Think classic vibes like John Carpenter’s Vampires and Curse of the Undead, with a modern edge reminiscent of Sinners.
If you love eerie genre mashups, blood-soaked westerns, and morally broken heroes, this one should absolutely be on your radar.

[M.K. Ramadan]

"I've done things that made me accept that I'm in no position to be considered God's child."

"You seek freedom, but haven't yet realized that the only reason you were never free is that you can't forgive yourself."

One of the best quotes I've read in the book so far. The book is clearly not a put-down. Page after page, I become more invested in Malcolm's character and constantly wanted to see his way of thinking in different situations. As an ARC reader I am looking forward to see what's in store for Malcolm and the geometry of his character arc.

[C. Hodges]

Received ARC copy. (SPOILERS)
Honestly, i had high hopes for this story. The first few chapters were great.
But after Malcolm got to hollow hill, the story went downhill for me.
Repetitive thoughts and conversations, a rushed ending with a random love interest/plot thrown in.
And where was the horror?
I considered DNF-ing it but i pushed through hoping it would get better. The story did have potential. But, a good developmental edit would do this story good.

[Matthew]

**I received an ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.**

Solid story that both kept me going page after page and drew me deeper into it every chance I was able to sit down and read. There were a few instances where the fight / action scenes seemed a little too play-by-play, and some overuse of certain words, but over all I really enjoyed this novel.

[Makayla Senecaut]

3.5 rounding up to a 4!

Loved the story! It was complex and had plenty of action. It’s a good short read but there were times I wished it slowed down and let a few moments breath a bit longer. I enjoyed the complexity of the character!

[Jalen Tellis]

"For the first time in my life, my heart had this warmth, a sense of humanity. The energy was pure, like watching the sunrise in the peace of the outside sounds. I felt at peace, knowing I was going to die, which made me happy. I was glad to see that I was finally going to know what it felt like to be…free." [West of Damnation: The Book of Malcolm] - by Jalen Tellis