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3.5! Rounded up for Goodreads
“Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is.”
― Forrest Carter, The Outlaw Josey Wales
Just finished DUST DEVILS by Jonathan Janz last night. I was still in my bed staring at the ceiling, searching the files of my brain for that damn, Josey Wales quote! Thank goodness for Google searches because it's just the perfect quote for this story.
The protagonist, our unlikely hero, Cody Wilson isn't full of "grit & spit" like you would expect from a Western. He's a bit craven and probably not the most intimidating fighter.
Even though he's on this revenge mission, the reader gets an early sense that Cody might be biting off more than he can chew pursuing a pack of wild, beefy vampires across the desert.
The book starts off in the eye of the storm with Cody watching the vampires from a safe distance. He encounters a young boy doing the same thing and the two of them make a hasty introduction--the kid showing he has more courage and balls than Cody, actually, and he tells Cody his revenge story.
Through some clever interludes of flashback, we get the basic idea of why Cody is trailing the vampires--from here, Cody develops a fatherly bond with Willet since they're basically on the same quest and neither one of them have any family to speak of. Part one: The story set up is my favorite part of this book. Although, I have to mention: One of my favorite aspects of the Western genre is how the environment/landscape is almost like another protagonist--the authors usually give a lot of page-time to its description and I feel like that element is missing; just a smattering of scenery details here and there.
But the scenes with Cody and Willet were really enjoyable--this is where Janz shines. He writes relationships so well and I've said this in another book review, but Janz is the most successful when he writes a bit of himself into the characters--Cody's fatherly protection of Willet is achingly sweet.
Part Two introduces one of my favorite characters in the story, Marguerite- a strong female protagonist as opposed to some of the other female characters who are just horribly unlikable.
The middle portion of this book is very graphic (both violently and sexually) and gives the reader their first real "look" at the vampires. I have to say--sometimes there truly is a threshold for how much sex and violence I can tolerate in my horror. It's so much more compelling when some evil act is implied, or the narrative cuts away and leaves a bit to the reader's imagination but in DUST DEVILS, everything is explicitly detailed and my brain does get weary of it (I'll even skim on to the next scene).
Kenny Rogers once sang, "You gotta know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em." and the same goes for sex & violence.
(I always feel like I have to defend my sensibilities when I say something like that, but I'm a horror fan, so obviously, I like things dark, disgusting and depraved-just not needlessly "porny")
In the last part of the book, things pick up. I enjoyed the way Janz ended this tale. For a Western/Horror mash-up, I think it left a little to be desired, but I do think it's entertaining, compelling and full of some great characters. I would recommend it to other horror fans.
“Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is.”
― Forrest Carter, The Outlaw Josey Wales
Just finished DUST DEVILS by Jonathan Janz last night. I was still in my bed staring at the ceiling, searching the files of my brain for that damn, Josey Wales quote! Thank goodness for Google searches because it's just the perfect quote for this story.
The protagonist, our unlikely hero, Cody Wilson isn't full of "grit & spit" like you would expect from a Western. He's a bit craven and probably not the most intimidating fighter.
Even though he's on this revenge mission, the reader gets an early sense that Cody might be biting off more than he can chew pursuing a pack of wild, beefy vampires across the desert.
The book starts off in the eye of the storm with Cody watching the vampires from a safe distance. He encounters a young boy doing the same thing and the two of them make a hasty introduction--the kid showing he has more courage and balls than Cody, actually, and he tells Cody his revenge story.
Through some clever interludes of flashback, we get the basic idea of why Cody is trailing the vampires--from here, Cody develops a fatherly bond with Willet since they're basically on the same quest and neither one of them have any family to speak of. Part one: The story set up is my favorite part of this book. Although, I have to mention: One of my favorite aspects of the Western genre is how the environment/landscape is almost like another protagonist--the authors usually give a lot of page-time to its description and I feel like that element is missing; just a smattering of scenery details here and there.
But the scenes with Cody and Willet were really enjoyable--this is where Janz shines. He writes relationships so well and I've said this in another book review, but Janz is the most successful when he writes a bit of himself into the characters--Cody's fatherly protection of Willet is achingly sweet.
Part Two introduces one of my favorite characters in the story, Marguerite- a strong female protagonist as opposed to some of the other female characters who are just horribly unlikable.
The middle portion of this book is very graphic (both violently and sexually) and gives the reader their first real "look" at the vampires. I have to say--sometimes there truly is a threshold for how much sex and violence I can tolerate in my horror. It's so much more compelling when some evil act is implied, or the narrative cuts away and leaves a bit to the reader's imagination but in DUST DEVILS, everything is explicitly detailed and my brain does get weary of it (I'll even skim on to the next scene).
Kenny Rogers once sang, "You gotta know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em." and the same goes for sex & violence.
(I always feel like I have to defend my sensibilities when I say something like that, but I'm a horror fan, so obviously, I like things dark, disgusting and depraved-just not needlessly "porny")
In the last part of the book, things pick up. I enjoyed the way Janz ended this tale. For a Western/Horror mash-up, I think it left a little to be desired, but I do think it's entertaining, compelling and full of some great characters. I would recommend it to other horror fans.
What a powerhouse of a novel! The characters were bursting with such realism I could feel their heart beats leaping off the page. Janz really wrote something special here. The story never had time to slow down from the very first pages. It pulls the reader in and makes them invest in every paragraph. This was my first Janz book and I’m now a lifelong fan. If you love westerns or better yet, vicious flesh chewing vampires, this book is for you!
More like 3.5 stars
Admittedly, westerns aren't my genre of choice and if asked my favorite western I'd have to default to King's The Gunslinger (that counts right?!) but Jonathan Janz brought the fun with Dust Devils. It was a wild romp through the wild wild west. Janz has a way of making his readers run the gamut of emotions; I cringed, I blushed, I laughed, I felt sentimental. Dust Devils mixed it up a bit by throwing in some truly gruesome vampires and not just any old, run of the mill vampires either. These were some grisly vampires! I definitely appreciated the innovative spin, it kept a very traditional horror trope fresh and fun.
I loved the relationships within the book; Cody and his dad, Cody and Willet. It gave the book a heart. And speaking of Cody, he was such a great, albeit flawed, protagonist (my favorite!) although I think my favorite character was Cody's dad, Jack. He was just such a sweet man!
The end was slightly predictable but that didn't make the journey there any less fun. Janz is an auto-buy author for me.
Admittedly, westerns aren't my genre of choice and if asked my favorite western I'd have to default to King's The Gunslinger (that counts right?!) but Jonathan Janz brought the fun with Dust Devils. It was a wild romp through the wild wild west. Janz has a way of making his readers run the gamut of emotions; I cringed, I blushed, I laughed, I felt sentimental. Dust Devils mixed it up a bit by throwing in some truly gruesome vampires and not just any old, run of the mill vampires either. These were some grisly vampires! I definitely appreciated the innovative spin, it kept a very traditional horror trope fresh and fun.
I loved the relationships within the book; Cody and his dad, Cody and Willet. It gave the book a heart. And speaking of Cody, he was such a great, albeit flawed, protagonist (my favorite!) although I think my favorite character was Cody's dad, Jack. He was just such a sweet man!
The end was slightly predictable but that didn't make the journey there any less fun. Janz is an auto-buy author for me.
I really don't know where to start with this review. So much happens in "Dust Devils" and there is so much action, that when finished, I almost felt like I stepped off a rollercoaster - a very scary, very western rollercoaster.
As the book opens we meet Cody and Willet. Cody's wife has just been killed by a gang of traveling actors and Willet's entire family, including his mother, father and grandfather, has been slayed as well. Cody did not plan on teaming up with a young boy but he soon finds out that where he is lacking courage, Willet has no shortage, despite being so young. The two end up working together to track down the killers and stay alive while doing so.
First I have to admit I loved the relationship between Cody and Willet. They worked together so well and it was nice for them both to have someone to help them on their mission. Cody finds himself caring for Willet which soon gives him more purpose than just hunting down his wife's killers. I also really like Marguerite, who appears in the second of three sections of the book. She is a firecracker of a saloon keeper and it doesn't take long for her to catch Cody's eye. But off course, that also puts her dead center in the Devils' sights.
Now I don't think it's any big secret that this book deals with vampires and I must warn you, it is very graphic in places. Of course how can roasting body parts over an open fire and eating them not be graphic? That being said, I didn't find it too over-the-top and it really worked for me in this novel. The action never stops and at times I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
If any of you remember how much I enjoyed "The Suicide Motor Club" by Christopher Buehlman, then you know when I classify this book with that one, it's high praise. "Dust Devils" takes horror, mashes it with an action-packed western, and gives us some of the most vicious vampires I've ran across in a long time. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!
As the book opens we meet Cody and Willet. Cody's wife has just been killed by a gang of traveling actors and Willet's entire family, including his mother, father and grandfather, has been slayed as well. Cody did not plan on teaming up with a young boy but he soon finds out that where he is lacking courage, Willet has no shortage, despite being so young. The two end up working together to track down the killers and stay alive while doing so.
First I have to admit I loved the relationship between Cody and Willet. They worked together so well and it was nice for them both to have someone to help them on their mission. Cody finds himself caring for Willet which soon gives him more purpose than just hunting down his wife's killers. I also really like Marguerite, who appears in the second of three sections of the book. She is a firecracker of a saloon keeper and it doesn't take long for her to catch Cody's eye. But off course, that also puts her dead center in the Devils' sights.
Now I don't think it's any big secret that this book deals with vampires and I must warn you, it is very graphic in places. Of course how can roasting body parts over an open fire and eating them not be graphic? That being said, I didn't find it too over-the-top and it really worked for me in this novel. The action never stops and at times I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
If any of you remember how much I enjoyed "The Suicide Motor Club" by Christopher Buehlman, then you know when I classify this book with that one, it's high praise. "Dust Devils" takes horror, mashes it with an action-packed western, and gives us some of the most vicious vampires I've ran across in a long time. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!
Thank you to Flame Tree Press for providing me with a copy of Dust Devils by Jonathan Janz in exchange for an honest review.
In the past year, Jonathan Janz has weaseled his way into my horror-loving heart. But, as with any author, sometimes a certain book by them just doesn’t do it for you. Reader, that’s Dust Devils for me.
After reading this & Hunter Shea’s Ghost Mine, I made a discovery. I do not like westerns and the only cowboy I’m here for is Red Dead Redemption’s John Marston.
Clearly this is an “it’s not you, it’s me” situation. As usual, Jonathan Janz nails it in terms of writing and weaving in a deeper meaning than what meets the surface. Now, if you’re a fan of the two genres we have here, please! Go forth & read! Even though I’m not a fan of Dust Devils doesn’t mean that I won’t recommend a Jonathan Janz title to someone who might be into it.
Now that we got that out of the way, we can get more into the nitty-gritty. Dust Devils starts off with an action scene & at this point, I thought that I was really going to be into this read. & then we get into what seems like a solid found family trope between Cody & a young boy named Willet.
— why did I even think Dust Devils would allow me something so soft & sweet?
Anyway, after that — things pop off that I can’t really discuss, because of hashtag spoilers. Dust Devils contains a lot of sex, vampires & violence. So, again, if that’s your thing — go forth & read, my dear friends!
I don’t exactly know where to pinpoint where things got stale for me, but at some point, I just really wanted to get this read over with. Even with the action, it felt like it was dragging & I started to lose interest in what was happening & our main character. & once I lose interest in the main character then it’s basically game over for me.
In the past year, Jonathan Janz has weaseled his way into my horror-loving heart. But, as with any author, sometimes a certain book by them just doesn’t do it for you. Reader, that’s Dust Devils for me.
After reading this & Hunter Shea’s Ghost Mine, I made a discovery. I do not like westerns and the only cowboy I’m here for is Red Dead Redemption’s John Marston.
Clearly this is an “it’s not you, it’s me” situation. As usual, Jonathan Janz nails it in terms of writing and weaving in a deeper meaning than what meets the surface. Now, if you’re a fan of the two genres we have here, please! Go forth & read! Even though I’m not a fan of Dust Devils doesn’t mean that I won’t recommend a Jonathan Janz title to someone who might be into it.
Now that we got that out of the way, we can get more into the nitty-gritty. Dust Devils starts off with an action scene & at this point, I thought that I was really going to be into this read. & then we get into what seems like a solid found family trope between Cody & a young boy named Willet.
— why did I even think Dust Devils would allow me something so soft & sweet?
Anyway, after that — things pop off that I can’t really discuss, because of hashtag spoilers. Dust Devils contains a lot of sex, vampires & violence. So, again, if that’s your thing — go forth & read, my dear friends!
I don’t exactly know where to pinpoint where things got stale for me, but at some point, I just really wanted to get this read over with. Even with the action, it felt like it was dragging & I started to lose interest in what was happening & our main character. & once I lose interest in the main character then it’s basically game over for me.
4.5 stars! Review to come this week on Sci Fi and Scary!