catsluvcoffee's review
5.0
I picked up Beasts of Babylon on a whim. I'd seen the cover come across the "you may like" page a couple of times and I thought since it was Kindle Unlimited... well, why not? Boy, am I glad I did.
For some reason, I really enjoy the Horror Western (or Weird Western) genre, which is odd because I'm not really a big western person. When it comes to movies though, I'm a huge fan. Bone Tomahawk is one of my favorites, as is Dead Birds and The Burrowers. There's just something about the grit and forlorn landscapes of the primitive western setting combined with the dread of horror. Needless to say, horror westerns are few and far between. And well done novels? Well, almost non-existent.I went into Beasts of Babylon not expecting much and it blew me out of the water.
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
For some reason, I really enjoy the Horror Western (or Weird Western) genre, which is odd because I'm not really a big western person. When it comes to movies though, I'm a huge fan. Bone Tomahawk is one of my favorites, as is Dead Birds and The Burrowers. There's just something about the grit and forlorn landscapes of the primitive western setting combined with the dread of horror. Needless to say, horror westerns are few and far between. And well done novels? Well, almost non-existent.I went into Beasts of Babylon not expecting much and it blew me out of the water.
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
cladoric's review
5.0
When I got this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was curious. A Western with monsters?! This would either be amazing or it would crash and burn. I kept an open mind when I started, and I loved what I found.
The story follows Anastasia Thorne on her quest for revenge. Ana doesn't gain the support of the sheriff of Babylon - who's also her husband - so she's forced to recruit local criminals to aid her in finding the monsters she's after. The sheriff isn't ready to let his wife ride into a dangerous situation with convicted outlaws even if she *is* dead, so the law of Babylon chases after her. From the beginning, it was bound to be a wild ride.
I was immersed from the time Ana came out of her grave until the story's end. The odds seemed stacked against Ana, but I wanted to see her get revenge. I wanted to see whether her companions would stay loyal to her cause. I wanted to see more of this crazy Western-meets-horror world where monsters roam the frontier and outlaws ride into town on horseback. I wanted to see the tension between rival characters resolve itself.
As usual, Copen excels at writing strong female characters and particularly strong mothers. You can feel Ana's pain for her children and her anger at Christian for not being there to save them. You can tell she'd stop at nothing to get vengeance. Vengeance is another theme Copen uses well across genres; Ana's motives are believable and relatable. Copen spins a story where bad men can be heroes and good men can be monsters, a story I didn't want to put down. All the while, she kept a tone that made me feel like I was there for the ride. Her mixture of Native American and Norse mythology had me fascinated, though we only saw glimpses of it.
A fantastic shift into a new genre, and one I hope to see more of in the future.
The story follows Anastasia Thorne on her quest for revenge. Ana doesn't gain the support of the sheriff of Babylon - who's also her husband - so she's forced to recruit local criminals to aid her in finding the monsters she's after. The sheriff isn't ready to let his wife ride into a dangerous situation with convicted outlaws even if she *is* dead, so the law of Babylon chases after her. From the beginning, it was bound to be a wild ride.
I was immersed from the time Ana came out of her grave until the story's end. The odds seemed stacked against Ana, but I wanted to see her get revenge. I wanted to see whether her companions would stay loyal to her cause. I wanted to see more of this crazy Western-meets-horror world where monsters roam the frontier and outlaws ride into town on horseback. I wanted to see the tension between rival characters resolve itself.
As usual, Copen excels at writing strong female characters and particularly strong mothers. You can feel Ana's pain for her children and her anger at Christian for not being there to save them. You can tell she'd stop at nothing to get vengeance. Vengeance is another theme Copen uses well across genres; Ana's motives are believable and relatable. Copen spins a story where bad men can be heroes and good men can be monsters, a story I didn't want to put down. All the while, she kept a tone that made me feel like I was there for the ride. Her mixture of Native American and Norse mythology had me fascinated, though we only saw glimpses of it.
A fantastic shift into a new genre, and one I hope to see more of in the future.
lunakay's review
5.0
I was hopeful when I bought this book, but I was prepared not to like it. I am not generally a fan of westerns.
However, this gripping and dark. Everything from the setting, the language and the characters felt authentic. The characters are entertaining and all out to benefit themselves. Ana and Christian's relationship -- both before her firey death and afterwards -- is rocky.
Ana is wreckless, and won't let anyone walk over her. She knows exactly what she is about.
Christian is sheriff of Babylon, his deceased wife is still walking around and has a bounty on her head, and he's torn about where his loyalties lie.
Jesse is a criminal through and through, but he has his own set of morals. He doesn't kill any unarmed person.
Put them together with some monsters and shake for the best UF Western horror that you never knew you wanted.
However, this gripping and dark. Everything from the setting, the language and the characters felt authentic. The characters are entertaining and all out to benefit themselves. Ana and Christian's relationship -- both before her firey death and afterwards -- is rocky.
Ana is wreckless, and won't let anyone walk over her. She knows exactly what she is about.
Christian is sheriff of Babylon, his deceased wife is still walking around and has a bounty on her head, and he's torn about where his loyalties lie.
Jesse is a criminal through and through, but he has his own set of morals. He doesn't kill any unarmed person.
Put them together with some monsters and shake for the best UF Western horror that you never knew you wanted.
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