Well damn. I was NOT expecting this to be so good.

You know how, every once in a while, you read the back cover of the book and think, oh, I MUST read this! ...and then it turns out to be...well, so much less than you expected?

This book, for me, is the exact opposite of that. I read the back cover, thought, "meh" and put it back on the shelf. However, over the next couple of months, two co-workers both read it, and both sang its praises.

So, I figured, maybe I should check this out.

I'm so glad I did.

Going through the other reviews, I've seen complaints over the large cast of characters, some of whom aren't introduced until quite a ways in. And, in one case, an additional complaint that, because of the large cast, no one gets a proper backstory. And I also saw a complaint that the story is male-dominated.

Interesting.

First off, I don't care if the story has a large or small cast, as long as all the characters have a place in the story. That's definitely the case here. As for backstories? Yeah, the ones that require it definitely get it. Grecian provides a masterclass in doling out just enough information to pique a reader's interest in the characters, without doing a monstrous info dump, saving important details for deeper into the story where they have the most impact.

And, as for the male-dominated cast. Um...look at the time period this takes place in...there wasn't a lot of room for women in the male dominated world, however, there were some that absolutely stood out in history. And it's the same here: lots of guys, but the main "villain" is a woman, the most enigmatic lead of the troop is a woman, and then there's the titular Rabbit, who is...yup, a female character. I'd argue the strongest characters in the book were the female ones. So, I don't buy into any of these criticisms.

The story unfolds completely differently from what I expected, which was a minor disappointment until the author threw bomb after bomb of events and plot twists that I just didn't care and settled in for the ride, knowing it was going to be a good one.

Grecian offers a fun story, and lots of human drama, along with characters you can absolutely get behind and cheer for...even the villain.

I loved this book and I have a feeling it's going to be one of my favourites of the entire year. ( )

Demons and witches and cowboys, oh my!

When I saw Red Rabbit on Netgalley, I had no idea what to expect. I’m not really much of a horror fan but the publisher’s blurb intrigued me. The story is set in the old west only this old west is replete with witches and demons and all kinds of supernatural entities. A reward has been offered for powerful witch, Sadie Grace, dead or alive. Among the many seeking the reward is Old Tom, a witch finder. As he makes his way to capture her, he gathers a group of others to accompany him. They include two cowboy drifters just looking for a bit of adventure, a recently widowed school teacher, a young Mexican man who may also be sought by the law, and a little gir or maybe boy who Tom has named Rabbit. Rabbit never speaks but has an uncanny ability to sense when danger is imminent. And on their journey, danger is in no short supply including a vicious demon, cannibalism, and, of course, Sadie herself.

As I said, horror is not my usual choice of genre si I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed this book. There’s plenty of excitement, action, suspense, and spine tingling thrills as well as a whole lot of characters to care about but it’s probably not a good idea to get too attached. This is horror after all. Which brings me to a trigger warning. There are also plenty of grisly murders and gore so, if you’re squeamish this may not be the book for you. For me, though, this was one of the most entertaining books I’ve read or, in this case listened to all year. The story was narrated by John Parhilla and I suspect his spot-on narration went a long way in adding to my enjoyment.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiotape in exchange for an honest review. ( )

A witch who's not terribly evil unless she needs to protect herself, a mysterious child who attaches herself to an equally odd collection of folks heading toward where the witch allegedly lives in rural Kansas to maybe claim a bounty on her head and massacres aplenty. These are concocted to create an absolute page-turner that dances back and forth between horror and empathy. In the process I found myself feeling for many of the characters, intrigued by some of the twists, and extremely satisfied as I closed the cover. It feels far shorter than the 454 pages needed to tell the tale. ( )

A horror fantasy western with witches? Hell yes

This was a really fun and dark adventure story through a parallel version of our own world. There are demons, ghouls, ghosts and really great characters.

This isn't my usual genre at all my I really loved it, so give it a chance even if it's not your usual thing.

Thank you netgalley and Macmillan audio for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, sorry for being a few days late! ( )