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Where Blood Runs Gold
Sheriff Errol Thorpe’s life is chaotic, brutal, and above all, solitary. After an unimaginable loss years ago, all he feels is the compulsion to seek vengeance. But when a vulnerable family arrives in town, facing an ugly future, he is pulled headfirst into a web of violence, secrets, and things he never imagined. In search of truth and answers, Thorpe finds himself battling deadly flesh-eating Dust, acidic golden blood, and the political designs of powerful people – all the while learning how to be a person again. When Dust rises in San Dios, people hide indoors. When Sheriff Thorpe arrives, people run.
424 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 11, 2022
4 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 12, 2022
I was telling my mare, a chestnut, about this book and specifically how A.C. Cross called a Chestnut horse a sweetheart, and the other horse a Cee-U-Next-Tuesday! We had a good laugh over this as we all know how Chestnut mares are the true evils of the horse world
Joking aside, mostly, think of Where Blood Runs Gold as the Wild West meets The Walking Dead. I'm a bit at a loss of how to describe or categorize the book because I've never read a fantasy/western before!
The author spins the legend of Sherriff Errol Thorpe, aka The Judge, as he fights gangs, robbers, sin, corruption, his own demons, and a greater evil too.
The sheriff is a good example of a morally gray character. He 100% does what he thinks is right and sometimes gets carried away while bringing the pain. Watching him wrestle with his strict code and trying not to be soft made him memorable too. The young girl he rescues and a lady that sort of becomes his partner seem realistic and create some good banter, although my favorite side character was an easily exasperated captain named Josie
Language wise, the slang and dialect are consistent, smart, and to quote the author - "gloriously profane" at times. I say smart because Cross consistently writes language and dialect that is realistic to the old West, without breaking character at all, and I found that consistency impressive. One Note on the editing too - I read this as a Kindle Unlimited and was very happily surprised to find only one typo in the entire novel. This is an extremely well presented indie work
Where westerns don't tend to world build a lot, he makes up for that in atmosphere, setting and tone. I wanted a little more from the Macro side of things like how the entire world fit together. It seemed to be civil war era (brief mentions of Union and Confederate) that never really played into the plot. There also wasn't really a history of the big bad evil given, it just kind of appeared and then the book ended. This author has a new fan in me though
The horror elements aren't too bad but I am solidly recommending this book for 18+ readers.
DON'T MISS THE SUNDAY BRUNCH REBOOT ON 4/17, FEATURING A.C. CROSS!!
Joking aside, mostly, think of Where Blood Runs Gold as the Wild West meets The Walking Dead. I'm a bit at a loss of how to describe or categorize the book because I've never read a fantasy/western before!
The author spins the legend of Sherriff Errol Thorpe, aka The Judge, as he fights gangs, robbers, sin, corruption, his own demons, and a greater evil too.
The sheriff is a good example of a morally gray character. He 100% does what he thinks is right and sometimes gets carried away while bringing the pain. Watching him wrestle with his strict code and trying not to be soft made him memorable too. The young girl he rescues and a lady that sort of becomes his partner seem realistic and create some good banter, although my favorite side character was an easily exasperated captain named Josie
Language wise, the slang and dialect are consistent, smart, and to quote the author - "gloriously profane" at times. I say smart because Cross consistently writes language and dialect that is realistic to the old West, without breaking character at all, and I found that consistency impressive. One Note on the editing too - I read this as a Kindle Unlimited and was very happily surprised to find only one typo in the entire novel. This is an extremely well presented indie work
Where westerns don't tend to world build a lot, he makes up for that in atmosphere, setting and tone. I wanted a little more from the Macro side of things like how the entire world fit together. It seemed to be civil war era (brief mentions of Union and Confederate) that never really played into the plot. There also wasn't really a history of the big bad evil given, it just kind of appeared and then the book ended. This author has a new fan in me though
The horror elements aren't too bad but I am solidly recommending this book for 18+ readers.
DON'T MISS THE SUNDAY BRUNCH REBOOT ON 4/17, FEATURING A.C. CROSS!!
March 2, 2024
Badass western
The dust rolls throughout. Death has arrived. Vile beasts prowl. The worst of men linger.
This evil has its nemesis.
And it will be judged.
Yeehaw! A badass weird western/horror featuring one tough Sheriff!Don’t fret. Just pray he’s out there. Fun read!
The dust rolls throughout. Death has arrived. Vile beasts prowl. The worst of men linger.
This evil has its nemesis.
And it will be judged.
Yeehaw! A badass weird western/horror featuring one tough Sheriff!Don’t fret. Just pray he’s out there. Fun read!
April 21, 2022
https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/202...
I recieved a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review. Today is my stop on the Escapist Tour and we move into the genre of Weird Westerns. All the typical troupes of those Western moves we have grown to love over the years preside in this book. Desert town, rustic saloon, rugged shieriff, and good old fashion guns fights. The kicker is this story comes with a twist as the desert is surrounded by this flesh eating Dust which can be a gift of protection from the outside and a curse for trapping the people in isolation from the outside world. Can you traverse the dust?
Sheriff Errol Thorpe is the noise that comes knocking in the night when he feels heads need to role. He maintains law and order in his town but when outsiders arrive, his world will never be the same. When a gang of crew members known as the Elder Boys arrive in San Dios with three “passengers”, Errol has some questions to ask. Turns out Errol will find himself in a web of violence, politics, and secrets involving a mother and two children. Errol will need to discover once again what it is like to be a person again at all costs. All the while, we get flash backs to Errol past involving his wife and daughter who are no longer with him. These flashbacks will tear on your heartstrings but that is just icing on the cake.
This is a slowburn type of story as we wait for all the layers to be peeled back, with plenty of action along the way. Like the wild west and the Gold Rush of the 1800’s, this is a story of discovery especially when it comes to the poltical power and the one pulling the strings. Don’t expect everything to click into place right away as it took me a good five chapters to be fully invested in the story. So bare that in mind should you decide to jump in.
Where Blood Runs Gold is a great addiction to the Wierd Western genre. Although not the most groundbreaking story on the market, this will bring many emotions every step of the way. A big thank you the A.C. Cross and Escaptist Tours for having me on the book tour.
Cheers!
I recieved a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review. Today is my stop on the Escapist Tour and we move into the genre of Weird Westerns. All the typical troupes of those Western moves we have grown to love over the years preside in this book. Desert town, rustic saloon, rugged shieriff, and good old fashion guns fights. The kicker is this story comes with a twist as the desert is surrounded by this flesh eating Dust which can be a gift of protection from the outside and a curse for trapping the people in isolation from the outside world. Can you traverse the dust?
Sheriff Errol Thorpe is the noise that comes knocking in the night when he feels heads need to role. He maintains law and order in his town but when outsiders arrive, his world will never be the same. When a gang of crew members known as the Elder Boys arrive in San Dios with three “passengers”, Errol has some questions to ask. Turns out Errol will find himself in a web of violence, politics, and secrets involving a mother and two children. Errol will need to discover once again what it is like to be a person again at all costs. All the while, we get flash backs to Errol past involving his wife and daughter who are no longer with him. These flashbacks will tear on your heartstrings but that is just icing on the cake.
This is a slowburn type of story as we wait for all the layers to be peeled back, with plenty of action along the way. Like the wild west and the Gold Rush of the 1800’s, this is a story of discovery especially when it comes to the poltical power and the one pulling the strings. Don’t expect everything to click into place right away as it took me a good five chapters to be fully invested in the story. So bare that in mind should you decide to jump in.
Where Blood Runs Gold is a great addiction to the Wierd Western genre. Although not the most groundbreaking story on the market, this will bring many emotions every step of the way. A big thank you the A.C. Cross and Escaptist Tours for having me on the book tour.
Cheers!
April 18, 2022
I had no idea what to expect going into this book. My experience with westerns is the FX series Justified, the remake of True Grit and HBO’s Deadwood. In other words, extremely limited. I attribute this to the fact that I grew up in Virginia City, Nevada in the USA. I didn’t watch or read westerns because I basically live it. What I don’t live with? Flesh-eating dust, golden blooded cultists and whole host of other monsters.
Where Blood Runs Gold stars Sheriff Errol Thorpe, a rough and tumble, take-no-shit-from-no-one man who doesn’t just skirt the line of good and bad, he dances back and forth like he’s doing the hokey-pokey on the got-damn thing. Nicknamed “The Judge”, he will go to great lengths to punish what he sees as evil.
After saving a young girl from an awful situation, Thorpe finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy with far-reaching consequences. Carrying the burden of having lost his family, we watch the sheriff struggle with that loss while learning to move forward and love again.
But enough of that sappy shit, you’re here for the shit-kicking action, terrifying monsters and worst of all, corrupt politicians, all of which feature in spades. The horror elements are what drew me to read this book and it did not disappoint. The blood drips from the pages and you can feel the dust in your teeth as A.C. Cross drags into his vividly realized and beautifully described version of the wild west.
All the characters are wonderfully realized and even the smaller characters have unique voices feeling like they are bursting from the page with life. More often then not, one can tell who is speaking just by the way the dialogue is written and what the character is saying. I honestly haven’t seen character work that distinctive since reading The First Law by Joe Abercrombie.
Where Blood Run Gold is a bloody, dirty, dusty and thrilling western full of twists and turns, eldritch horrors, and greed. But underneath all the grime and gore, lies a heart of gold. Shit-fire! Read the fuckin’ thing already!
Where Blood Runs Gold stars Sheriff Errol Thorpe, a rough and tumble, take-no-shit-from-no-one man who doesn’t just skirt the line of good and bad, he dances back and forth like he’s doing the hokey-pokey on the got-damn thing. Nicknamed “The Judge”, he will go to great lengths to punish what he sees as evil.
After saving a young girl from an awful situation, Thorpe finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy with far-reaching consequences. Carrying the burden of having lost his family, we watch the sheriff struggle with that loss while learning to move forward and love again.
But enough of that sappy shit, you’re here for the shit-kicking action, terrifying monsters and worst of all, corrupt politicians, all of which feature in spades. The horror elements are what drew me to read this book and it did not disappoint. The blood drips from the pages and you can feel the dust in your teeth as A.C. Cross drags into his vividly realized and beautifully described version of the wild west.
All the characters are wonderfully realized and even the smaller characters have unique voices feeling like they are bursting from the page with life. More often then not, one can tell who is speaking just by the way the dialogue is written and what the character is saying. I honestly haven’t seen character work that distinctive since reading The First Law by Joe Abercrombie.
Where Blood Run Gold is a bloody, dirty, dusty and thrilling western full of twists and turns, eldritch horrors, and greed. But underneath all the grime and gore, lies a heart of gold. Shit-fire! Read the fuckin’ thing already!
August 20, 2024
This book gave off such Cold West vibes. Love that. Thorpe was such an interesting character.
Read
August 20, 2022
In the spirit of full disclosure, I did receive access to a copy of the e-book to read and review for the SPFBO 8 competition.
WHERE BLOOD RUNS GOLD by A.C. Cross is my first time foraging into the frontier that is Western Fantasy. When I think 'Western', I immediately visualize the cast of the movie Tombstone and so it was no surprise that the main character, Sheriff Errol Thorpe, sounded and looked like Sam Elliott in my mind while I was reading it.
Chapter One was pure fire - I was instantly reeled in by the setting, its characters and the action. Sheriff Thorpe has come into the saloon of Santiago to escape the Dust storm - Dust is capitalized so you don't mistake it for regular old dust that just makes you sneeze once or twice. Dust kills. Just peels the flesh right off or, if you're unlucky, gets in your lungs and kills you slowly. At any rate, our Sheriff is partaking of some whisky when he notices a strange family at a table in the back. This is highly unusual due to that whole pesky Dust problem - people are afraid to travel these parts. Come to find out, this family were unwilling "guests" of Merl, who is a member of the Elder Boys gang...the very gang Sheriff Thorpe had been hunting before the Dust storm. Well now, Sheriff Thorpe already beat the tar out of Merl once and promised to kill him if he ever saw him again and we can't have the Law being made out to be a liar, can we?
This little family is more than what they appear and our Sheriff trying to do right by them sets into motion a whole string of connected events that lead to all manner of adventures, shenanigans and hilarity involving our main character.
My two cents is I would actually call this story grimdark - one thing you find out about several of our characters is that they do what they think is right - which isn't always on the right side of the law and typically involves them taking the law into their own hands as judge, jury and executioner. The good news here is that I love grimdark, so I was one happy camper. I really loved the characters, both the "good" guys and our "bad" guys. I also loved all the violence and the tail-kicking that went on - I don't know what exactly that says about me, but there it is.
Being set in a Western setting, you expect some slang and you expect some language. For me personally, a couple of the characters used foul language so excessively that it started distracting me and pulling me out of the story, because once something happens enough that I take notice - sadly it trips me up every time it happens after that. As I mentioned earlier, this one starts out with a lot of action and intrigue, but it did lose its steam around the 40% mark, meaning the plot slowed down for me just a bit and then kept that pace through to the end.
Now remember I said this was my first Fantasy Western - so this may be the norm, but it was very light on fantasy. Very, very light. I'll have to get my hands on more and compare because I really loved the Western setting and characters and would love to read more - but I would have liked a little more fantasy oomf in it.
Final thoughts: Would I read more about Sheriff Thorpe, Anna or Greta? You bet your spurs I would! (I really, really, REALLY want a Greta sequel!! Please A.C. Cross, please!!!) Not only would I read more, but I am now also interested in exploring more of this subgenre, so I'd count that as a win!
WHERE BLOOD RUNS GOLD by A.C. Cross is my first time foraging into the frontier that is Western Fantasy. When I think 'Western', I immediately visualize the cast of the movie Tombstone and so it was no surprise that the main character, Sheriff Errol Thorpe, sounded and looked like Sam Elliott in my mind while I was reading it.
Chapter One was pure fire - I was instantly reeled in by the setting, its characters and the action. Sheriff Thorpe has come into the saloon of Santiago to escape the Dust storm - Dust is capitalized so you don't mistake it for regular old dust that just makes you sneeze once or twice. Dust kills. Just peels the flesh right off or, if you're unlucky, gets in your lungs and kills you slowly. At any rate, our Sheriff is partaking of some whisky when he notices a strange family at a table in the back. This is highly unusual due to that whole pesky Dust problem - people are afraid to travel these parts. Come to find out, this family were unwilling "guests" of Merl, who is a member of the Elder Boys gang...the very gang Sheriff Thorpe had been hunting before the Dust storm. Well now, Sheriff Thorpe already beat the tar out of Merl once and promised to kill him if he ever saw him again and we can't have the Law being made out to be a liar, can we?
This little family is more than what they appear and our Sheriff trying to do right by them sets into motion a whole string of connected events that lead to all manner of adventures, shenanigans and hilarity involving our main character.
My two cents is I would actually call this story grimdark - one thing you find out about several of our characters is that they do what they think is right - which isn't always on the right side of the law and typically involves them taking the law into their own hands as judge, jury and executioner. The good news here is that I love grimdark, so I was one happy camper. I really loved the characters, both the "good" guys and our "bad" guys. I also loved all the violence and the tail-kicking that went on - I don't know what exactly that says about me, but there it is.
Being set in a Western setting, you expect some slang and you expect some language. For me personally, a couple of the characters used foul language so excessively that it started distracting me and pulling me out of the story, because once something happens enough that I take notice - sadly it trips me up every time it happens after that. As I mentioned earlier, this one starts out with a lot of action and intrigue, but it did lose its steam around the 40% mark, meaning the plot slowed down for me just a bit and then kept that pace through to the end.
Now remember I said this was my first Fantasy Western - so this may be the norm, but it was very light on fantasy. Very, very light. I'll have to get my hands on more and compare because I really loved the Western setting and characters and would love to read more - but I would have liked a little more fantasy oomf in it.
Final thoughts: Would I read more about Sheriff Thorpe, Anna or Greta? You bet your spurs I would! (I really, really, REALLY want a Greta sequel!! Please A.C. Cross, please!!!) Not only would I read more, but I am now also interested in exploring more of this subgenre, so I'd count that as a win!
April 17, 2022
Take your typical western, with its gangs, posses, corrupt officials, gunfights, and bar-brawls. Now add some dark fantasy and horror into the mix, dust it with some gore, and colourful profanities, and you end up with this wonderfully weird western.
A. C. Cross does several things really well in this highly entertaining novel.
His main character is one of the best characters I have read recently. Sheriff Thorpe - the Judge - is a ruthless lawman, hell bent on serving justice on those who deserve it. But the man has a heart. He's witty, and has the the foulest mouth.
Aside from the main character, the other characters are great too. Even the characters who appear briefly in the book are interesting/entertaining enough that you want to have more interaction between them and Thorpe, like Corey, the barkeeper. I just loved the scenes in the bar between him and Thorpe.
The dialogue throughout is brilliantly, which made this book an easy read.
The profanities really are beautifully descriptive, and provided me with literal laugh out loud moments.
I loved the overall writing, particularly the way the atmosphere is described and built in those moments just before something horrific happens.
I hope that we get a chance to return to A. C. Cross's twisted version of the wild west soon, as I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
A. C. Cross does several things really well in this highly entertaining novel.
His main character is one of the best characters I have read recently. Sheriff Thorpe - the Judge - is a ruthless lawman, hell bent on serving justice on those who deserve it. But the man has a heart. He's witty, and has the the foulest mouth.
Aside from the main character, the other characters are great too. Even the characters who appear briefly in the book are interesting/entertaining enough that you want to have more interaction between them and Thorpe, like Corey, the barkeeper. I just loved the scenes in the bar between him and Thorpe.
The dialogue throughout is brilliantly, which made this book an easy read.
The profanities really are beautifully descriptive, and provided me with literal laugh out loud moments.
I loved the overall writing, particularly the way the atmosphere is described and built in those moments just before something horrific happens.
I hope that we get a chance to return to A. C. Cross's twisted version of the wild west soon, as I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
January 20, 2022
I grew up watching Westerns, and it’s something that I’ve never stopped loving. So, the idea of a Western crossed with Eldritch horrors immediately caught my attention, and Where Blood Runs Gold delivered in spades.
The sheer readability of this one is off the charts. Every time I was like I should stop for the night, I immediately talked myself into reading just a bit more, which turned into another chapter or three. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about picking it back up to find out what was going to happen next, and it was the only the fact that I had to work that stopped me devouring this in one sitting – and I already want to read it again.
‘This is the Judge.’
One of the reasons Where Blood Runs Gold is so compelling is undoubtedly the characters. Sherrif Errol Thorpe was an absolutely fantastic lead, although he won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, because to be honest, he’s a bit of an ass. Hard as nails, ruthless and with one foot on either side of the law in most cases despite the badge he wears, and yet at the same time he has a heart even if he isn’t the best at showing it in a way that doesn’t end up with gunfire and arguments. He also has a moral compass that’s firmly set to grey, with the ends justifying the means if it’s what he sees as right. It’s always been one of the things that I’ve liked about Westerns, are the characters that tread that boundary of grey. That isn’t to say I didn’t want to smack him upside the head more than once. But, I would also say that he was the character that grew the most throughout the book, without losing all those elements that made him who he was, but softening the edges – or maybe it would be more accurate to say he was pulverised into softening by everything that happened.
“Gentlemen, I hate to break up this lover’s spat,” Anna broke in, “but I believe there is something worth noticing, regarding the church. Specifically, it’s not burning down.”
The other characters that stood out for me were Captain Josiah Daniels, who is both friend and opponent depending on the circumstance. He’s an example of the law as it should be, in contrast to Thorpe. However, I love the give and take between them, the way that they find common ground in their own way between the arguments and chaos. Anna was a definite favourite, feisty yet hardened, she was probably the character who caught me most by surprise by the impact that she had on both me the reader but also Thorpe. Greta was another favourite, and I liked that amongst everything that happened to her and around her, she was very much a teenager with her attitude and behaviour – and her sass had me grinning at times.
The setting and worldbuilding were brilliant, taking the familiar features of the Western and transforming them into something different. Something weird and compelling. You have corruption, the law was the outlaw, gunfights and holdups, and everything that kept me glued to the television screen as a kid. Then you have Dust, which kills and corrupts and drives everyone with an ounce of sense and self-preservation to hide inside and ride out the storm. You have cults in the desert, worshipping monstrous beings – and that was one of my favourite incidents that Thorpe found himself embroiled in, and had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up from the moment it started. Also, just the imagery and idea of Sin that Cross ran with was fantastic. Also, the way the Eldritch element was woven throughout the entire story and world were fantastic, we’d find one thread, and connect one dot, only to be shown another, and I loved how everything felt connected and how it all came together at the end.
Another element that worked really well was the use of flashbacks through Thorpe telling about his exploits -not only did it expand the world considerably, and also give more of a chance to demonstrate the variety and chaos of life in this Wild West, but again it showed how all the threads came together across time. Seriously, how Cross brings all the elements together is fantastic. It also leads to my one and only grumble about this book, and that is that there were a couple of places where the transition felt a little too contrived and brought me briefly out of the book – some of that was down to the pacing because this is a fast-paced book and you can feel it building to the crescendo (hence not being able to put it down) and another transition might have slowed things too much. A difficult balance to maintain, and it is a very minor issue because I was immediately drawn back into the story by the next page and allowed the story to flow towards the conclusion.
Where Blood Runs Gold is a fantastic example of what Weird West can be, and I absolutely loved the blend of the grittiness and familiarity of a Western with the chill-inducing Eldritch aspect. A fast-paced, compelling read with a memorable main character. Also not sure I am ever going to look at Dust the same way again. A great read for anyone looking for something a little strange and different, and who loves Wild and Weird West.
The sheer readability of this one is off the charts. Every time I was like I should stop for the night, I immediately talked myself into reading just a bit more, which turned into another chapter or three. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about picking it back up to find out what was going to happen next, and it was the only the fact that I had to work that stopped me devouring this in one sitting – and I already want to read it again.
‘This is the Judge.’
One of the reasons Where Blood Runs Gold is so compelling is undoubtedly the characters. Sherrif Errol Thorpe was an absolutely fantastic lead, although he won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, because to be honest, he’s a bit of an ass. Hard as nails, ruthless and with one foot on either side of the law in most cases despite the badge he wears, and yet at the same time he has a heart even if he isn’t the best at showing it in a way that doesn’t end up with gunfire and arguments. He also has a moral compass that’s firmly set to grey, with the ends justifying the means if it’s what he sees as right. It’s always been one of the things that I’ve liked about Westerns, are the characters that tread that boundary of grey. That isn’t to say I didn’t want to smack him upside the head more than once. But, I would also say that he was the character that grew the most throughout the book, without losing all those elements that made him who he was, but softening the edges – or maybe it would be more accurate to say he was pulverised into softening by everything that happened.
“Gentlemen, I hate to break up this lover’s spat,” Anna broke in, “but I believe there is something worth noticing, regarding the church. Specifically, it’s not burning down.”
The other characters that stood out for me were Captain Josiah Daniels, who is both friend and opponent depending on the circumstance. He’s an example of the law as it should be, in contrast to Thorpe. However, I love the give and take between them, the way that they find common ground in their own way between the arguments and chaos. Anna was a definite favourite, feisty yet hardened, she was probably the character who caught me most by surprise by the impact that she had on both me the reader but also Thorpe. Greta was another favourite, and I liked that amongst everything that happened to her and around her, she was very much a teenager with her attitude and behaviour – and her sass had me grinning at times.
The setting and worldbuilding were brilliant, taking the familiar features of the Western and transforming them into something different. Something weird and compelling. You have corruption, the law was the outlaw, gunfights and holdups, and everything that kept me glued to the television screen as a kid. Then you have Dust, which kills and corrupts and drives everyone with an ounce of sense and self-preservation to hide inside and ride out the storm. You have cults in the desert, worshipping monstrous beings – and that was one of my favourite incidents that Thorpe found himself embroiled in, and had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up from the moment it started. Also, just the imagery and idea of Sin that Cross ran with was fantastic. Also, the way the Eldritch element was woven throughout the entire story and world were fantastic, we’d find one thread, and connect one dot, only to be shown another, and I loved how everything felt connected and how it all came together at the end.
Another element that worked really well was the use of flashbacks through Thorpe telling about his exploits -not only did it expand the world considerably, and also give more of a chance to demonstrate the variety and chaos of life in this Wild West, but again it showed how all the threads came together across time. Seriously, how Cross brings all the elements together is fantastic. It also leads to my one and only grumble about this book, and that is that there were a couple of places where the transition felt a little too contrived and brought me briefly out of the book – some of that was down to the pacing because this is a fast-paced book and you can feel it building to the crescendo (hence not being able to put it down) and another transition might have slowed things too much. A difficult balance to maintain, and it is a very minor issue because I was immediately drawn back into the story by the next page and allowed the story to flow towards the conclusion.
Where Blood Runs Gold is a fantastic example of what Weird West can be, and I absolutely loved the blend of the grittiness and familiarity of a Western with the chill-inducing Eldritch aspect. A fast-paced, compelling read with a memorable main character. Also not sure I am ever going to look at Dust the same way again. A great read for anyone looking for something a little strange and different, and who loves Wild and Weird West.
January 4, 2025
This ain’t an ARC, I haven’t been given a copy by the author and the book is already out. I’m just here to tell you to take a break from your TBR, pick up this book, and git.
I’m not new to an AC Cross book. I’ve read his epistolary, The Boddicker Letters, so I was expecting there to be some splatterful horror elements to Where Blood Runs Gold. Disclaimer - I’ve also made it no secret that I love a weird western. But I haven’t yet raved about this weird western. Let’s fix that.
Cross kicks us off with a no-good varmint kickin’ up trouble in Sheriff Errol Thorpe’s small town of Santiago. We quickly learn that’s a mistake. Thorpe’s immediate introduction is a snapshot of the man’s brutality. Saddle up, because you’re moments away from that scene early doors. Cross doesn’t hold back. There’s blood on the sand and it gets real graphic, real fast. Those of a squeamish disposition better put the book down.
On the subject of that scene, it set a pretty high bar for the remaining descriptive writing of the rest of the book. I saw an author channelling Murakami’s Wind up Bird Chronicle which was unexpected but very well-done. Cross’ frontier is a harsh place make no mistake.
Let me tell you a story …
My greatest enjoyment came from Thorpe’s stories that crop up at various sections throughout the book. It speeds up a long journey while injecting worldbuilding elements. These are often like those creepy side characters that crop up in a Red, Dead Redemption game. Not necessarily integral to the story but damn near addictive. That these stories sometimes serve a dual purpose is another credit to an author giving me all the weird western vibes I could ask for.
On the worldbuilding, the flesh-eating Dust storms and golden blood leads the plot along. Where did they come from? What are they for? The monsters in the shroud vary in shape and size but there was always something that nudged me toward reading just one more chapter.
This is also, of course, a particularly sweary novel. What else would you expect? Thorpe is a satisfyingly blunt sumbitch after all. But beyond his cycle of violence is a human who is deeply vulnerable. He’s a real bastard but there’s no shortage of those close to him that call him out and bring out a different side. By the end of the novel we’re saddlin’ up and riding out with Thorpe ain’t no mistake.
Where Blood Runs Gold
This book serves as a reminder to not neglect your TBR. As reviewers, we love the shiny and the new future releases so much that it’s easy to forget that we’re sitting on a real gold mine of indie talent already. So, as for this being my TBR reminder, Where Blood Runs Gold was a dropkick in the teeth.
Getting to know The Judge, Errol Thorpe, who’s not far removed from Frank Castle blasting through the Wild West, was a bone-splinteringly wild read. It gave me a burning two fingers of bourbon, it gave me Red Dead, it gave me Bone Tomahawk. Simply put, this, if ye beg my pardon ma’am, is how you do a weird western.
I’m not new to an AC Cross book. I’ve read his epistolary, The Boddicker Letters, so I was expecting there to be some splatterful horror elements to Where Blood Runs Gold. Disclaimer - I’ve also made it no secret that I love a weird western. But I haven’t yet raved about this weird western. Let’s fix that.
Cross kicks us off with a no-good varmint kickin’ up trouble in Sheriff Errol Thorpe’s small town of Santiago. We quickly learn that’s a mistake. Thorpe’s immediate introduction is a snapshot of the man’s brutality. Saddle up, because you’re moments away from that scene early doors. Cross doesn’t hold back. There’s blood on the sand and it gets real graphic, real fast. Those of a squeamish disposition better put the book down.
On the subject of that scene, it set a pretty high bar for the remaining descriptive writing of the rest of the book. I saw an author channelling Murakami’s Wind up Bird Chronicle which was unexpected but very well-done. Cross’ frontier is a harsh place make no mistake.
Let me tell you a story …
My greatest enjoyment came from Thorpe’s stories that crop up at various sections throughout the book. It speeds up a long journey while injecting worldbuilding elements. These are often like those creepy side characters that crop up in a Red, Dead Redemption game. Not necessarily integral to the story but damn near addictive. That these stories sometimes serve a dual purpose is another credit to an author giving me all the weird western vibes I could ask for.
On the worldbuilding, the flesh-eating Dust storms and golden blood leads the plot along. Where did they come from? What are they for? The monsters in the shroud vary in shape and size but there was always something that nudged me toward reading just one more chapter.
This is also, of course, a particularly sweary novel. What else would you expect? Thorpe is a satisfyingly blunt sumbitch after all. But beyond his cycle of violence is a human who is deeply vulnerable. He’s a real bastard but there’s no shortage of those close to him that call him out and bring out a different side. By the end of the novel we’re saddlin’ up and riding out with Thorpe ain’t no mistake.
Where Blood Runs Gold
This book serves as a reminder to not neglect your TBR. As reviewers, we love the shiny and the new future releases so much that it’s easy to forget that we’re sitting on a real gold mine of indie talent already. So, as for this being my TBR reminder, Where Blood Runs Gold was a dropkick in the teeth.
Getting to know The Judge, Errol Thorpe, who’s not far removed from Frank Castle blasting through the Wild West, was a bone-splinteringly wild read. It gave me a burning two fingers of bourbon, it gave me Red Dead, it gave me Bone Tomahawk. Simply put, this, if ye beg my pardon ma’am, is how you do a weird western.
January 17, 2022
A look into what happens when the weird west meets Lovecraftian myths, following Sheriff Errol Thorpe as he navigates corrupt politicians, cults worshiping elder Gods, and a corrupting Dust that infects anyone who breathes it with a mortal illness ... all set against the backdrop of a decaying, decadent west.
I had a chance to early read this one and it was quite a ride. To me, the setting and worldbuilding are the best strength of the books, in that I've never read anything quite like it. Thorpe can be a hard character to like but he has his good points and at the end of the day, he's far better than most of his foes who are universally amoral and wicked in varied ways. Secondary characters vary from likable to weak and ineffective (in the plot and to the reader). My favorite was Anna, the feisty gunslinger who serves as his sometime-companion and love interest (sort of). The plot heads toward an inevitable confrontation, which is suitably exciting.
If you're looking for something odd and strange, check this out.
I had a chance to early read this one and it was quite a ride. To me, the setting and worldbuilding are the best strength of the books, in that I've never read anything quite like it. Thorpe can be a hard character to like but he has his good points and at the end of the day, he's far better than most of his foes who are universally amoral and wicked in varied ways. Secondary characters vary from likable to weak and ineffective (in the plot and to the reader). My favorite was Anna, the feisty gunslinger who serves as his sometime-companion and love interest (sort of). The plot heads toward an inevitable confrontation, which is suitably exciting.
If you're looking for something odd and strange, check this out.
April 14, 2024
I sincerely thank the author for giving me an ARC copy of this book.
This book was so much fun! It stars s a bootlicker, whiskey aficionado gunslinger sherrif with a Judge Dredd nod of approval named Sherrif Errol Thorpe. When he isn't giving swift justice to bumpkin carriage thieves and being a badass, he's busy thinking about his family that died under suspicious circumstances a few years ago.
Meanwhile, his usual dalliances keeping things in order go haywire when he rescues three people who just happen to be the daughter and grandchildren of a very important (aka a complete asshole) guy. Things get weirder when he and the family are attacked by a guy filled with... liquid gold blood? Huh?
Life in the frontier of this unknown state in the US is dangerous, excessively violent and filled with unchartered threats. While horror is not the main focus of this book, it does serve as a nice worldbuilding element with ominous flesh eating Dust storms that force Errol to seek refuge in very sinister places.
I believe this book was a deserving semifinalist in the 2022 SPFBO. Which makes me continuously wonder why so few people have read it if the story and overall writing is so good. And yes, I know. Westerns are not precisely the easiest genre to sell books. I myself must admit I only read the genre on occasion and would very much like to snag copies of the large plethora of Chilean authored western fantasy that have been proven immensely difficult to buy in ebook format. So in my defense, I am very willing to read in the genre.
Accompanying Errol during various portions of the story is a teenage girl with a lot of potental to become Errol's protegé named Greta, and a sort of casual romance sidekick named Anna Faith. Anna was okay, but at times I felt she and Greta were both playing the damsel in distress/shooting slinger companion role. Furthermore, I could easily do minimal scene rewrites, remove Anna's character from the book completely... and the ending would have still happened. If there was one criticism of the book, it could be that it would have felt a full-fledged 5 star read for me if Anna's character has been scrapped since her side plot isn't exactly essential for the head honcho bad guys of the book. Greta delivered a good role and I quite liked her a lot.
Maybe English language readers will have some difficulty pinpointing good comps for this book, but Latin America got the huge chance to watch a Leijiverse anime on the Animax channel called Gun Frontier. Both stories happen in a fictionalized Wild West with minimal hints of dark fantasy, violence, action packed, occasionally comical with gratituous nudity. Greta reminds me of a much younger and inexperienced Sinoula, while Errol is a meaner and cynical Harlock. We don't have an exact equivalent to play Tochiro's role (which would have given me a huge thumbs up if the author had included such a coprotagonist). I suppose either Jossie or in a long shot, Sherrif Wolf are the closest. Jossie for the comedy and Wolf for the bloodshed. So, if readers enjoyed this book, I believe there is a 1970's Gun Frontier manga that would be worth reading.
In a nutshell, while the book veered into meander territory and the strongest part of the book is the initial third, it was an enjoyable read and I had plentiful amounts of fun reading it.
4.5 stars!
This book was so much fun! It stars s a bootlicker, whiskey aficionado gunslinger sherrif with a Judge Dredd nod of approval named Sherrif Errol Thorpe. When he isn't giving swift justice to bumpkin carriage thieves and being a badass, he's busy thinking about his family that died under suspicious circumstances a few years ago.
Meanwhile, his usual dalliances keeping things in order go haywire when he rescues three people who just happen to be the daughter and grandchildren of a very important (aka a complete asshole) guy. Things get weirder when he and the family are attacked by a guy filled with... liquid gold blood? Huh?
Life in the frontier of this unknown state in the US is dangerous, excessively violent and filled with unchartered threats. While horror is not the main focus of this book, it does serve as a nice worldbuilding element with ominous flesh eating Dust storms that force Errol to seek refuge in very sinister places.
I believe this book was a deserving semifinalist in the 2022 SPFBO. Which makes me continuously wonder why so few people have read it if the story and overall writing is so good. And yes, I know. Westerns are not precisely the easiest genre to sell books. I myself must admit I only read the genre on occasion and would very much like to snag copies of the large plethora of Chilean authored western fantasy that have been proven immensely difficult to buy in ebook format. So in my defense, I am very willing to read in the genre.
Accompanying Errol during various portions of the story is a teenage girl with a lot of potental to become Errol's protegé named Greta, and a sort of casual romance sidekick named Anna Faith. Anna was okay, but at times I felt she and Greta were both playing the damsel in distress/shooting slinger companion role. Furthermore, I could easily do minimal scene rewrites, remove Anna's character from the book completely... and the ending would have still happened. If there was one criticism of the book, it could be that it would have felt a full-fledged 5 star read for me if Anna's character has been scrapped since her side plot isn't exactly essential for the head honcho bad guys of the book. Greta delivered a good role and I quite liked her a lot.
Maybe English language readers will have some difficulty pinpointing good comps for this book, but Latin America got the huge chance to watch a Leijiverse anime on the Animax channel called Gun Frontier. Both stories happen in a fictionalized Wild West with minimal hints of dark fantasy, violence, action packed, occasionally comical with gratituous nudity. Greta reminds me of a much younger and inexperienced Sinoula, while Errol is a meaner and cynical Harlock. We don't have an exact equivalent to play Tochiro's role (which would have given me a huge thumbs up if the author had included such a coprotagonist). I suppose either Jossie or in a long shot, Sherrif Wolf are the closest. Jossie for the comedy and Wolf for the bloodshed. So, if readers enjoyed this book, I believe there is a 1970's Gun Frontier manga that would be worth reading.
In a nutshell, while the book veered into meander territory and the strongest part of the book is the initial third, it was an enjoyable read and I had plentiful amounts of fun reading it.
4.5 stars!
April 11, 2022
‘Where Blood Runs Gold’ is a brutal Western that aims for your gut and refuses to pull its punches.
Errol Thorpe is the Sheriff of Santiago. He’s like Wyatt Earp crossed with Batman. There’s a macho savagery about his sense of justice that keeps him walking the tightrope between hero and villain. He protects and settles scores for those who can’t do so for themselves. But his methods can be gratuitously gory. When Errol meets a young girl in need of help, he forms a bond with her that might just threaten to pierce the callouses around his stony heart. Some of his actions made me wince at times, but there was always just enough about him to keep me rooting for him until the end.
On top of the father-and-lost-daughter dynamic, there’s also a freakish Dust that storms the terrain, and eats people. Yep. You heard that right. It eats people. And if that wasn’t creepy enough, there are also scoundrels roaming the land who are possessed by liquid gold that taints their blood. They’re the equivalent of zombie-cowboys who survive bullets, only to spontaneously combust, liquifying everything in their path.
If this sounds like the opposite of your typical Western, then you might be surprised to hear that the book somehow manages to revolve around gold-infected zombies and phantom, flesh-eating Dust, while still feeling like a pure, 100% authentic Western. The addition of speculative elements really adds to the intrigue, but don’t expect this to read like anything besides a classic Wild West adventure.
The book is unapologetically bravado, macho in the extreme. But it works. It doesn’t just shovel on the grit, it buries you in it, and then throws in the shovel for good measure.
If you feel squeamish when it comes to explicit violence, an excess of swearing, and the thought of attractive ladies going to bed with an unwashed bear of a man, then this might not be the book for you. But don’t dismiss this story as just a gritty, sweary gore-fest. There are subtleties and complexities about the characters and plot which keep the intrigue high, and the pages turning.
The dialogue can be sharp, and there’s enough banter between the characters to keep it fresh. If you ever wondered what a Halloween episode of Firefly might have looked like if Quentin Tarantino had directed it, then it would probably have looked like this.
‘Where Blood Runs Gold’ lives up to its name. It’s a dark, bloody, gruesome take on the Wild West, but there’s gold to be found amidst the carnage. Errol Thorpe is as iconic a lawman as any that have gone before him. And much like a shot of the fiercest saloon whiskey, although it might be a little uncomfortable to swallow at times, you’ll keep going back for another swig.
Errol Thorpe is the Sheriff of Santiago. He’s like Wyatt Earp crossed with Batman. There’s a macho savagery about his sense of justice that keeps him walking the tightrope between hero and villain. He protects and settles scores for those who can’t do so for themselves. But his methods can be gratuitously gory. When Errol meets a young girl in need of help, he forms a bond with her that might just threaten to pierce the callouses around his stony heart. Some of his actions made me wince at times, but there was always just enough about him to keep me rooting for him until the end.
On top of the father-and-lost-daughter dynamic, there’s also a freakish Dust that storms the terrain, and eats people. Yep. You heard that right. It eats people. And if that wasn’t creepy enough, there are also scoundrels roaming the land who are possessed by liquid gold that taints their blood. They’re the equivalent of zombie-cowboys who survive bullets, only to spontaneously combust, liquifying everything in their path.
If this sounds like the opposite of your typical Western, then you might be surprised to hear that the book somehow manages to revolve around gold-infected zombies and phantom, flesh-eating Dust, while still feeling like a pure, 100% authentic Western. The addition of speculative elements really adds to the intrigue, but don’t expect this to read like anything besides a classic Wild West adventure.
The book is unapologetically bravado, macho in the extreme. But it works. It doesn’t just shovel on the grit, it buries you in it, and then throws in the shovel for good measure.
If you feel squeamish when it comes to explicit violence, an excess of swearing, and the thought of attractive ladies going to bed with an unwashed bear of a man, then this might not be the book for you. But don’t dismiss this story as just a gritty, sweary gore-fest. There are subtleties and complexities about the characters and plot which keep the intrigue high, and the pages turning.
The dialogue can be sharp, and there’s enough banter between the characters to keep it fresh. If you ever wondered what a Halloween episode of Firefly might have looked like if Quentin Tarantino had directed it, then it would probably have looked like this.
‘Where Blood Runs Gold’ lives up to its name. It’s a dark, bloody, gruesome take on the Wild West, but there’s gold to be found amidst the carnage. Errol Thorpe is as iconic a lawman as any that have gone before him. And much like a shot of the fiercest saloon whiskey, although it might be a little uncomfortable to swallow at times, you’ll keep going back for another swig.
June 19, 2023
Where Blood Runs Gold twists westerns and eldritch horror into one enjoyable beast with a great cast of characters.
Our main protagonist, Sheriff Errol Thorpe, is a swearing, gruff man with a heart and a readiness to lay down the law that I really appreciate. Anybody who guns down a confederate officer before they even have the chance to say more than three words is alright in my book and Thorpe has no problems with resolving injustice in his own way.
As the story unfolds across a land plagued by storms of Dust, which eats the flesh off anybody unlucky enough to be caught in it, we meet a wide selection of people across different towns from Thorpe’s town to a creepy hideaway of cultists that definitely aren’t feeding something deep within the ground.
The different threats are all unnerving and cover not just cosmic evil, but also the human evil that can grow in our backyards. The diversity of dangers and threats works well to cover that sinister unknowable power put also the wills that would twist it for their own gain such as wealth or longer life.
I really hope to be able see more in this world.
Our main protagonist, Sheriff Errol Thorpe, is a swearing, gruff man with a heart and a readiness to lay down the law that I really appreciate. Anybody who guns down a confederate officer before they even have the chance to say more than three words is alright in my book and Thorpe has no problems with resolving injustice in his own way.
As the story unfolds across a land plagued by storms of Dust, which eats the flesh off anybody unlucky enough to be caught in it, we meet a wide selection of people across different towns from Thorpe’s town to a creepy hideaway of cultists that definitely aren’t feeding something deep within the ground.
The different threats are all unnerving and cover not just cosmic evil, but also the human evil that can grow in our backyards. The diversity of dangers and threats works well to cover that sinister unknowable power put also the wills that would twist it for their own gain such as wealth or longer life.
I really hope to be able see more in this world.
December 2, 2023
Where Blood Runs Gold by A.C. Cross
Adventurous, challenging, dark, emotional,
reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0 🌟
First off, I did not realize what genre this book was...when I picked it up. That was a surprise. Not one that made me mad, but it wasn't what I was expecting, but man did I have fun with this book.
This is a world set in a Western genre. I don't think a date was mentioned, and it may have even been in a "secondary world" with similarities to our world...with the exception of the magical realism of the dust. I won't say more. That is part of the adventure.
Sheriff Errol Thorpe is the type of character that you want on your side. You definitely do NOT want him to be an enemy of yours. That would be the worst situation, EVER!
To me, this was a Judge Dredd character type story (written and possibly played by Clint Eastwood) and a found family story, rolled up in one...and it worked. Brutally harsh, but with a heart of GOLD. Did you see what I did there? Well, read the story...and it will make MORE sense and warm your heart.
I cannot say that I agreed with Thorpe in all his decisions, but then again...I didn't grow up in THIS brutal world. He is known, far and wide, for HIS brand of justice. That is a blessing and a curse, but that is the man he is, and he'll die for the ones he loves. The perfect lawman for this HARSH world.
I don't want to say more, but to say...that I loved the way this book ended.
#ReindeerReadathon #TeamSnowflake❄
Adventurous, challenging, dark, emotional,
reflective, sad, and tense.
Medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0 🌟
First off, I did not realize what genre this book was...when I picked it up. That was a surprise. Not one that made me mad, but it wasn't what I was expecting, but man did I have fun with this book.
This is a world set in a Western genre. I don't think a date was mentioned, and it may have even been in a "secondary world" with similarities to our world...with the exception of the magical realism of the dust. I won't say more. That is part of the adventure.
Sheriff Errol Thorpe is the type of character that you want on your side. You definitely do NOT want him to be an enemy of yours. That would be the worst situation, EVER!
To me, this was a Judge Dredd character type story (written and possibly played by Clint Eastwood) and a found family story, rolled up in one...and it worked. Brutally harsh, but with a heart of GOLD. Did you see what I did there? Well, read the story...and it will make MORE sense and warm your heart.
I cannot say that I agreed with Thorpe in all his decisions, but then again...I didn't grow up in THIS brutal world. He is known, far and wide, for HIS brand of justice. That is a blessing and a curse, but that is the man he is, and he'll die for the ones he loves. The perfect lawman for this HARSH world.
I don't want to say more, but to say...that I loved the way this book ended.
#ReindeerReadathon #TeamSnowflake❄
November 8, 2023
Joe Abercrombie's Red Country meets Stephen King's The Gunslinger.
I thoroughly enjoyed this horror/fantasy/western mash-up and its morally grey main character. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
I thoroughly enjoyed this horror/fantasy/western mash-up and its morally grey main character. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
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