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The Drowned Horse Chronicle: Volume One: The Forrest Years
The Drowned Horse Volume 1: The Forrest Years is the first mosaic novel in David Boop’s Weird Western series, collecting previously published short stories and presenting many new ones, ultimately weaving them into one compelling narrative.
Welcome to the town of Drowned Horse. It’s one helluva place...
Westward expansion was fraught with peril from the get-go, be it weather, wildlife, or Natives. But what no one expected was the supernatural Native American gods, vampires, ghosts, and aliens.
Legend has it that a person’s deepest fears become real in Drowned Horse. Its citizens have seen it Gambling Gods. Mythological Monsters. Sinful Settlers. But despite these “setbacks,” they do their best to carve out a life here…before it carves back...
A place of dreams and nightmares, it’s where pioneers carry their demons as luggage on the 4:00 stagecoach. Will these stubborn fools build a future here, or will the ghosts of their past drag them under the red-painted desert?
Standing between the dark and the light is one brave sheriff…
Welcome to the town of Drowned Horse. It’s one helluva place...
Westward expansion was fraught with peril from the get-go, be it weather, wildlife, or Natives. But what no one expected was the supernatural Native American gods, vampires, ghosts, and aliens.
Legend has it that a person’s deepest fears become real in Drowned Horse. Its citizens have seen it Gambling Gods. Mythological Monsters. Sinful Settlers. But despite these “setbacks,” they do their best to carve out a life here…before it carves back...
A place of dreams and nightmares, it’s where pioneers carry their demons as luggage on the 4:00 stagecoach. Will these stubborn fools build a future here, or will the ghosts of their past drag them under the red-painted desert?
Standing between the dark and the light is one brave sheriff…
378 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2022
6 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
David Boop
66 books32 followersDenver-based author David Boop is a single dad and returning college student. Dave was a journalist before turning to fiction.
Hes published a dozen short stories and written two short films. His stories have appeared in magazines like Tales of the Talisman and SF Trails and in the anthologies Wondrous Web Worlds and Space Pirates. A fixture on the convention circuit, hes spoken at such literary gatherings as Mile High Con, Coppercon and Norwescon.
His novel, She Murdered Me with Science, debuted in August.
General interests include noir, Mayan history, and The Blues. He enjoys watching anime and playing GO.
Series:
* Noel Glass Mystery
Series contributed to:
* Full-Throttle Space Tales
Hes published a dozen short stories and written two short films. His stories have appeared in magazines like Tales of the Talisman and SF Trails and in the anthologies Wondrous Web Worlds and Space Pirates. A fixture on the convention circuit, hes spoken at such literary gatherings as Mile High Con, Coppercon and Norwescon.
His novel, She Murdered Me with Science, debuted in August.
General interests include noir, Mayan history, and The Blues. He enjoys watching anime and playing GO.
Series:
* Noel Glass Mystery
Series contributed to:
* Full-Throttle Space Tales
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 22, 2023
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
I wasn't sure that I would at first because the first chapter left me flat, but I pushed through, and I am so glad that I did. I love this book and can barely wait for volume II.
We met David Boop at a local comic convention here in Denver a couple of weeks ago (3C), and he told us about this book and what he was trying to create, and he sold me on buying it. He creates a wonderful old west world full of fantasy, monsters, and characters we come to love, who we cheer for and cry for, and I wish I could read it from scratch to get introduced to them all over again.
What I really love is that although each chapter is related to the ones before, he's written it so each is a stand-alone story allowing those of us with short reading spans (whether medically induced, like me, or for whatever reason) to be able to get through entire stories in a single sitting and come back later to continue.
If you love Westerns and/or fantasy, give this a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.
I wasn't sure that I would at first because the first chapter left me flat, but I pushed through, and I am so glad that I did. I love this book and can barely wait for volume II.
We met David Boop at a local comic convention here in Denver a couple of weeks ago (3C), and he told us about this book and what he was trying to create, and he sold me on buying it. He creates a wonderful old west world full of fantasy, monsters, and characters we come to love, who we cheer for and cry for, and I wish I could read it from scratch to get introduced to them all over again.
What I really love is that although each chapter is related to the ones before, he's written it so each is a stand-alone story allowing those of us with short reading spans (whether medically induced, like me, or for whatever reason) to be able to get through entire stories in a single sitting and come back later to continue.
If you love Westerns and/or fantasy, give this a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.
December 7, 2022
David Boop is an evil man.
The Drowned Horse Chronicles wonderfully captures much of the breadth of the Weird West genre. A collection of interrelated short stories, there’s fantasy, a little science fiction, some mystery, and, yes, horror. It’s all well written, with recurring characters you’ll root for in their battle against the curse caused by an ancient Navaho god.
The format of interrelated short stories is both a curse and a blessing. It’s a curse because there are regular stops, which makes this book difficult to devour in a single night. It’s too tempting to take a break and savor an individual story instead of pushing onto the next. And yes, they are consistently worth savoring. All you binge readers will have trouble binging, even as you keep coming back.
The blessing is that you can stop before reading the last story.
Did I mention horror? Do you like horror? Do you like waking up at three in the morning all upset about what happened to the characters you’ve come to love? As I did?
If you do, by all means, read the last story.
If not, then skip it and enjoy the memories of clever sheriffs, stoic bartenders, irascible and irritating soldiers, and the creatures they must overcome.
And if you can’t skip that last tale of despicable outlaws and magic, if you’re just too eager to read what’s next, well, I warned you. David Boop is an evil man.
The Drowned Horse Chronicles wonderfully captures much of the breadth of the Weird West genre. A collection of interrelated short stories, there’s fantasy, a little science fiction, some mystery, and, yes, horror. It’s all well written, with recurring characters you’ll root for in their battle against the curse caused by an ancient Navaho god.
The format of interrelated short stories is both a curse and a blessing. It’s a curse because there are regular stops, which makes this book difficult to devour in a single night. It’s too tempting to take a break and savor an individual story instead of pushing onto the next. And yes, they are consistently worth savoring. All you binge readers will have trouble binging, even as you keep coming back.
The blessing is that you can stop before reading the last story.
Did I mention horror? Do you like horror? Do you like waking up at three in the morning all upset about what happened to the characters you’ve come to love? As I did?
If you do, by all means, read the last story.
If not, then skip it and enjoy the memories of clever sheriffs, stoic bartenders, irascible and irritating soldiers, and the creatures they must overcome.
And if you can’t skip that last tale of despicable outlaws and magic, if you’re just too eager to read what’s next, well, I warned you. David Boop is an evil man.
November 5, 2025
The town of Drowned Horse, Arizona, is a nexus for supernatural weirdness and strange creatures. Initially consisting of only a tavern, run by a strange, bald bloke known only as Owner, it gradually attracts those settlers that are desperate enough to stay in such a place. One of the first is Levi Forrest, who becomes the town sheriff, and so must protect the town from the evil that is attracted to it. But we soon realize that Levi’s own personal quest is tied in with the Drowned Horse, for good or ill.
Along the way we are gradually introduced to a rich supporting cast of characters—Owner, of course, and Will, who becomes his Deputy. Then there is Tucker, a fellow lawman, Jonas and his wife Vonnie, who are with the military base nearby, and a host of others. They are all developed gradually and skilfully.
It’s Buffy or Grimm set in the Weird West. The stories are enjoyable and cleverly plotted, celebrations of courage and the human spirit. But if they are relatively simple, they are not simplistic. The overarching storyline is intriguing and satisfying, and not at all predictable. That having been said, I am not sure I enjoyed how it ended. But I will definitely look for the sequel, and for other works by David Boop.
Along the way we are gradually introduced to a rich supporting cast of characters—Owner, of course, and Will, who becomes his Deputy. Then there is Tucker, a fellow lawman, Jonas and his wife Vonnie, who are with the military base nearby, and a host of others. They are all developed gradually and skilfully.
It’s Buffy or Grimm set in the Weird West. The stories are enjoyable and cleverly plotted, celebrations of courage and the human spirit. But if they are relatively simple, they are not simplistic. The overarching storyline is intriguing and satisfying, and not at all predictable. That having been said, I am not sure I enjoyed how it ended. But I will definitely look for the sequel, and for other works by David Boop.
November 17, 2024
I met the author a year ago at a steampunk convention & he pitched the premise of this book to me as I was dressed as a gunslinger. I’m of the mind that the weird Wild West is an underwritten genre with huge amounts of potential. I did buy an autographed copy of his book. I did thoroughly enjoy it.
It takes a bit before the story finds its stride but once found will keep you hooked. It is a book of short stories about the cursed town of Drowned Horse & its Sheriff.
It takes a bit before the story finds its stride but once found will keep you hooked. It is a book of short stories about the cursed town of Drowned Horse & its Sheriff.
October 31, 2022
Wonderful diversion
I love western novels. It doesn't matter if they are about Sheriff's, army patrols, Indians or mountain men. They release you into a past world where people worked for what they acquired.
This set of stories provided a unique twist to the overall storyline however. A splendid serving of a western with a side dish of horror. Absolutely wonderful.
I love western novels. It doesn't matter if they are about Sheriff's, army patrols, Indians or mountain men. They release you into a past world where people worked for what they acquired.
This set of stories provided a unique twist to the overall storyline however. A splendid serving of a western with a side dish of horror. Absolutely wonderful.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews