4.25

Recommended only for fans of the genre(s) (i.e. those who know what they're getting into) but for fans of the genre it is certainly recommended. This was pretty rad. Between this and the film Bone Tomahawk, brutal Horror Western crossovers are a thing that Zahler has almost single-handedly gotten me into, and I'm in all the way.

The first chapter is rough (animal abuse, my biggest soft spot) and I had to set the book aside for a moment. Ok. 'Was the scene pertinent to the story?' Ugh. Yes. 'Remember how much you liked the characters in Bone Tomahawk? Don't you want to see what kind of ensemble Zahler's created here?' Ok Yes. Most def. So, onward.

We get to know the characters (the gentlemen, the patriarch, the gunfighter, the cowboy', the villains etc.) for a good amount of time before shit hits the fan, so when the action starts it is tense and exciting. I thought I had a pretty good idea of how things would play out. Nope. This is not a predictable ride.

I felt that the middle sequence was the strongest and the tension tapered a bit once one of the main characters was removed from the stage. But the complaint is minor and I even understand why it needed to be done.

I will definitely be reading Zahler's other Western Horror book soon.