Author: R.S. Belcher
Publishing Date: January 22, 2013
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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- Goodreads - ShelfariBook Blurb
Buffy meets Deadwood in a dark, wildly imaginative historical fantasy
Nevada, 1869: Beyond the pitiless 40-Mile Desert lies Golgotha, a cattle town that hides more than its share of unnatural secrets. The sheriff bears the mark of the noose around his neck; some say he is a dead man whose time has not yet come. His half-human deputy is kin to coyotes. The mayor guards a hoard of mythical treasures. A banker’s wife belongs to a secret order of assassins. And a shady saloon owner, whose fingers are in everyone’s business, may know more about the town’s true origins than he’s letting on.
A haven for the blessed and the damned, Golgotha has known many strange events, but nothing like the primordial darkness stirring in the abandoned silver mine overlooking the town. Bleeding midnight, an ancient evil is spilling into the world, and unless the sheriff and his posse can saddle up in time, Golgotha will have seen its last dawn…and so will all of Creation.
My Thoughts
This book was...I don't even know how to describe it. Twisted, dark, but very entertaining. I'm gonna be using a few quotes in this review, cause it's the only way to really describe things in this book.
I'll be honest, the first half of the book, I was totally lost. I was just nodding my head thinking 'Yeah, ok..' and just kept reading. After that halfway mark things started to get realllly interesting. Each chapter had the title of a tarot card, and it would be in the PoV of the person who would fit that role in the coming battle.
As I have said before, I'm usually not too keen on books that deal with religion, but damn this was done really well. It related to all religions and their beliefs, and how it all came together at the end.
"Gods are nothing without people, and depending on what people you ask you will get many different answers to questions about Heaven and Hell, how the universe was made and how it will end. Ask a Chinese, an Indian, a Mormon, a Christian and a Jew. Each will give you a different answer and they are all correct; they all exist and have power, within their proper domains, with their chosen people, and, if they are strong enough, even beyond."
Even though it took some time for the plot to really get going, once it did it was a none stop ride. I think what really kept me glued to the pages was how damn twisted and disgusting and just plain wrong the whole thing was. One could argue that technically it was just a simple good vs evil battle, but at the same time it was so much more. Here is an example of what I mean about twisted:
"My little sister. She was ten. I strangled her and then read the portents in her entrails. "
And that's actually pretty mild compared to some other scenes. But even with all that, there was still humor to be found. I specially liked Mutt, he was honest, to the point, and didn't beat around the bush.
"It doesn't matter, " Phillips hissed. "It's free and --"
Mutt opened his throat from ear to ear with the knife. The stuff that gushes out was black and thick as it splashed out onto the silver floor.
"You don't get to have the last word either," Mutt said. "Ain't that a pisser?"
I actually laughed out loud at that. I mean how many scenes are there were the bad guy just has to get that last speech in and just blab about how great he is.
I really liked how everyone came together and played out their parts and the explanations for things and how they worked and why. Sadly, I was still left with a couple of unanswered questions, but what the hell I really enjoyed this one. It was a great departure from the norm.
*Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for a copy!*
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