Tag Archives: horror western

Hunger as Old as This Land by Zachary Rosenberg Review

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Two women in the aftermath of the Civil War must protect a small Western town and help defend the town’s citizens from malicious marauders, only to discover a much darker secret in author Zachary Rosenberg’s “Hunger as Old as This Land.”

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The Synopsis

The settlement of Grey’s Bluffs is a prosperous town. An independent community dwelling in the shadows of the mountains known only as The Hungers.

Esther Foxman and Siobhan O’Clery have grown up in Grey’s Bluffs, thriving out on the western territories in the aftermath of the Civil War. Devoted to one another and their home, the two set out to complete a regular pact at the Hungers to ensure that Grey’s Bluffs continues to prosper.

Cyril Redstone is a man who knows death well. Becoming a mercenary after the Civil War, Cyril leads the marauding Blackhawks from one slaughter to the next. Hired to destroy Grey’s Bluffs, Cyril cares little for morality, nor that he owes its founder his life.

Esther and Siobhan are left to defend the only home they have ever known from the Blackhawks, their confrontation driving them deep into the mountains.

Where the darkest secrets of the Hungers await them.

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The Review

This was an absolutely compelling and gripping Western horror novel. The emphasis the author put on getting the detail surrounding the setting and western-themed atmosphere to sound just right when moving through the narrative was astounding, and the bone-chilling tension that the story built when The Hungers arrived to show their terror to the characters made this a compelling horror read.

Yet to me, the heart of this narrative rested in the author’s ability to find a natural and heartfelt way of finding inclusivity in the narrative through characters that represented people of the LGBTQ+, Jewish, and Native American people. The protagonist embodied all of these backgrounds, and her strength and resiliency when balanced with the heart and compassion in her heart made for a moving story, which helped elevate the horror and the gritty nature of the setting immensely.

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The Verdict

Memorable, thoughtful, and chilling, author Zachary Rosenberg’s “Hungers as Old as This Land” is a must-read Western horror novel that readers won’t be able to put down. The quick pacing and the rich world-building made this story feel alive on the page and kept me as a reader hanging off of the author’s every word. If this book is any indication, I think the author is set for a long career developing the next generation of great horror classics. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Zachary Rosenberg is a horror writer living in Florida. He crafts horrifying tales by night and by day he practices law, which is even more frightening.  His forthcoming debut novella “Hungers as Old As This Land.” will be published by Brigids Gate press and his first novel “The Devils and the Deep Blue Sea” shall be published by Darklit Press. You may find his works released or forthcoming at Air and Nothingness Press, Dead Sea Press and Nosetouch Press.

https://linktr.ee/zachrosewriter

Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger by K.C. Grifant Review

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A monster-hunting gunslinger must traverse the Old West and stop an army of soul-devouring monsters arrive on Earth in author K.C. Grifant’s “Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger”.

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The Synopsis

In an Old West overrun by monsters, a stoic gunslinger must embark on a dangerous quest to save her friends and stop a supernatural war.

Sharpshooter Melinda West, 29, has encountered more than her share of supernatural creatures after a monster infection killed her mother. Now, Melinda and her charismatic partner, Lance, offer their exterminating services to desperate towns, fighting everything from giant flying scorpions to psychic bugs. But when they accidentally release a demon, they must track a dangerous outlaw across treacherous lands and battle a menagerie of creatures—all before an army of soul-devouring monsters descend on Earth.

The Witcher meets Bonnie and Clyde in a re-imagined Old West full of diverse characters, desolate landscapes, and fast-paced adventure.

The Review

I love this book. The author does an incredible job of finding the balance needed to connect this horror and supernatural plot with the Western setting. The imagery the author utilizes in their writing comes into play brilliantly when setting the stage of gritty old-west drama and the visceral and haunting creatures that the protagonist comes up against. The balance of tone was great to see as well, as the author was able to bring camaraderie and lightheartedness in some sections of the narrative while also providing a depth and emotional connection that keeps the reader invested in these characters.

The driving force of this narrative was not only the action and suspense that comes with these supernatural threats but the well-developed characters that inhabit this world. The immediate heroism and complexity of Melinda, as well as her leadership alongside Lance, was great to see, and her evolution as a protagonist when coming up against these larger and larger threats was mesmerizing to behold as a fan of these genres.

The Verdict

Haunting, chilling, and entertaining, author K.C. Grifant’s “Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger” is a must-read western horror novel of 2023! The story felt like a natural blend of The Witcher, the cult classic video game Darkwatch, and a mind-bending Lovecraftian story. The twists and turns in the narrative and the powerful draw of the protagonist will have readers enthralled with this brand-new saga that introduces a hero worthy of the reader’s attention. If you haven’t yet, be sure to preorder your copy today or grab your copy on February 2nd, 2023!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

KC Grifant is a Southern Californian author who writes internationally published horror, fantasy, science fiction and weird west stories for podcasts, anthologies and magazines.

Her writings have appeared in magazines and podcasts including: Andromeda Spaceways Magazine (cover story for issue #70), Unnerving Magazine, Aurealis Magazine, Fission Magazine, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Dark Matter Magazine, Tales to Terrify, the Lovecraft eZine, Sley House Podcasts, and many others.

In addition to a Weird West horror novel, MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Feb 2023), she has also written stories for dozens of anthologies, including: Chromophobia; Dancing in the Shadows: A Tribute to Anne Rice; Musings of the Muse; Field Notes from a Nightmare; The One That Got Away; Six Guns Straight From Hell; Trembling with Fear: Year One; Shadowy Natures; Beyond the Infinite: Tales from the Outer Reaches; and the Stoker-nominated Fright Mare: Women Write Horror.

In addition, she is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), as well as the co-founder of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) San Diego chapter, an organization that helps to connect writers and fans of horror literature.

Owl Canyon (The Mimosa Tales Book Three) by Linda Thackeray Review

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A ragtag group of heroes finds themselves facing a terror that no one could have seen coming as something awakens deep inside of a series of caverns, with an insatiable hunger, in author Linda Thackeray’s “Owl Canyon”, the third book in The Mimosa Tales.

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The Synopsis

A lone survivor with a monstrous story to tell.

An enemy too monstrous to imagine.

Kris Jensen is sure he has seen it all as a lawman and now as the Marshal of Mimosa. Outlaws, shootouts, stagecoach robberies, and a renegade army, none of it surprises him anymore. Until word reaches him about a convoy of missing homesteaders lost in the Organ Mountains.

Kris and his men are led to Owl Canyon, a place even the fearless Apache avoid. They find six-year-old Heather with a story capable of sending chills through them all. Something is lurking within the catacombs deep beneath the canyon, and it’s hungry.

Joining them to remind him of his grifter past is Adrian’s old friend Calvin Chance who may have an answer to the mystery.

The newest chapter of The Mimosa Tales takes Kris and his friends on their scariest adventure so far. Will they survive, or will they be devoured by the evil secret hidden within Owl Canyon?

The Review

This was a truly captivating and chilling entry into the Mimosa Tales saga. The author did a great job of maintaining the gritty nature of the old west genre while also delving deeper into more horror elements in this narrative. As a fan of mythology and horror, I know that the old west was and still is filled with untold legends and myths that both the Native Americans who once populated the area and settlers alike discovered centuries ago and the author really did an incredible job of capturing the essence of that atmosphere and tone.

I loved the author’s ability to craft memorable characters and highlight the culture and reality of life in the west in this era while also providing an entertaining narrative. The exploration of Kris and Flynn’s friendship in the wake of book 2’s events was engaging to read, and the exploration of cultural identity and how the consequences of a people’s actions could impact another group of people so painfully was richly explored in this narrative.

The Verdict

Haunting, captivating, and entertaining, author Linda Thackeray’s “Owl Canyon” is a must-read western and slightly horror novel in the Mimosa Tales series. The shocking twists and turns the narrative takes and the harsh realities of the Old West made this a truly memorable reading experience. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Born in a village in Malaysia and delivered by underpaid midwife, and Ann, an irritable new mother (who wouldn’t be after 48 hours in labour?), X was named by a deranged grandmother with too much creativity for her own good. Once out of her pain-induced stupor, Ann decided to give her new daughter a proper middle name to avoid the risk of being put into a home later in life.

And so, she was called Linda.

Linda was an unremarkable child, save a few notable incidents, the discovery that a pot lid is not a substitute for Wonder Woman’s tiara (five stitches), four-year old don’t need to shave (no stitches but lots of toilet paper) and utility truck drivers are not necessarily qualified operators of their vehicles (seventy stitches).

At eight, Linda received religious enlightenment when she saw Star Wars at the Odeon Theatre and hence began her writing career.

For many years, the cages of various pets in the Thackeray household were littered with pages from Linda’s scribblings. Subjects usually ranged from whatever science fiction show was on television or at the movies. There was lots of Star Wars.

At 17, Linda moved to Sydney, Australia and was disappointed it was not occupied by Paul Hogan types with big knives and croc skin jackets but pot-bellied blokes with zinc cream and terry towel hats. Linda’s father (also known as that bloke who buys me stuff to piss mum off when she’s mad at him) settled in the town of Young, a community of 6000 people with no movie theatre.

Linda survived this period in the wilderness by raising kangaroos and writing original works but eventually got saddled down with the necessities of life and though she continued to write, work came first. Work, HBO, comic books and rent. It’s a kaleidoscope.

Even the kangaroos left out of boredom.

In 2014, Linda decided to start writing seriously again. Mostly because Australia’s strict gun laws make it very difficult to ‘go postal’ in the workplace. Moving to Woy Woy, which is Aboriginal for ‘Big Water’, she’s dipped her toes into the Indie pool and found she needs a pedicure. Her books are labours of love and championed by her friends on Facebook.

Eventually Creativia Publishers, appalled by Linda’s inability to conduct any marketing, offered to publish her books out of sheer exasperation.

Supported by two cats named Newt and Humphrey, she spends her days trying to write novels while having unclean thoughts about Michael Fassbender and Jason Statham, sometimes together.

https://lindathackeray.wixsite.com/authorsite?fbclid=IwAR0nXB5-qWWI2JRHUM7FxleTQGctra5DXOxDIN7qKCc7szzlSteutgTCKbY