Paranormal Western – A Genre Mashup That Works
3.5 out of 5 stars
This is one of those rare books that is so far out of my typical realm that I had to try it out. Paranormal – nope, I don’t normally read those books. Maybe vampires (which is why this cover caught my attention). Western – no, no. My dad likes westerns – except I’ve read and liked a couple “western-leaning” books by C.T. Phipps and enjoyed the heck out of them. Okay, so let’s dive in.
This book definitely blends the two genres into one along with adding in another one, what I could call “pulp” fiction (no, not the movie). Casey also has a really dry and witty sense of humor as an author and it bleeds into his characters in a really enjoyable way.
This book was a breeze to read and I finished it in only a few settings but that didn’t stop me from having a few parts that I didn’t enjoy. Casey is able to write a good story with nice character progression and an interesting story but it falls a little short. There were parts that just didn’t make sense to me while other times I found myself saying “why is this important?”. The book meandered a bit and sometimes I felt like I got lost along the way. Some of the characters (especially the narrator/main character had a little bit too much information (if that makes sense). They seemed to know and understand what everyone else was doing/thinking without that character knowing themselves.
That being said, if you’re in the mood for a pulp, dry-witted, paranormal western – whoooo boy, this book is for you. I’m intrigued to see what Casey does with this genre/series in the future and I hope that the next book is a little less “wandery” without losing any of the dry-witted comedic moments.
Book Description:
Dawn in Damnation by Clark Casey
Published by Lyrical Underground on October 31st 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Western
Pages: 184
Format: Kindle
Buy From Amazon
WELCOME TO DAMNATION . . .
where every living soul is as dead as a doornail. Except one.
Buddy Baker is a dead man. Literally. After gunning down more men than Billy the Kid—and being hung by a rope necktie for his crimes—the jolly, fast-drawing fugitive reckoned he’d earned himself a nonstop ticket to hell. Instead, he finds himself in Damnation: a gun-slinging ghost town located somewhere between heaven and hell.
There are no laws in Damnation. Only two simple rules: If you get shot, you go directly to hell. If you stay alive without shooting anyone for one year, you just might get into heaven.
Hardened outlaws pass the time in the saloon playing poker and wagering on who will get sent to hell next, while trying not to anger the town’s reclusive vampire or the quarrelsome werewolves. Buddy winds up in everyone’s crosshairs after swearing to protect a pretty gal who arrives in Damnation pregnant. Her child might end up a warm-blooded meal for the supernatural residents, or it could be a demon spawn on a mission to destroy them all.
I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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The cover would’ve lured me in too 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it, for the most part!
Brian, thanks a lot for the post.Really thank you! Much obliged.