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spooky_librarian's review
4.0
“Some Ghosts never stopped haunting you...And some evils, it seemed, would not die, but only rest. Rest and wait.”
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I’ve just read nearly 500 pages of a Werewolf Western and I feel as if I’ve survived the chaotic winds of a tornado.
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A group of vicious half-wolf outlaws are on the hunt for the key that opens the door to Hell. The fate of humanity lies in the hands of an ageless nun, a sharp-shooting teenage girl, an emancipated slave, and a half-wolf outcast with the number 13 tattooed on his neck.
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This was probably the most carnage-heavy Splatter Western in the series thus far and I will be shocked if no one feels the need to bathe in holy water after finishing this behemoth of an unholy epic. Splatterpunk as a horror sub-genre is typically known for its gore not recommended for the faint of heart, but while we definitely got a taste of blood in the other Splatter Westerns, author Kristopher Triana basically chuckled and said “hold my beer.” This
•
I’ve just read nearly 500 pages of a Werewolf Western and I feel as if I’ve survived the chaotic winds of a tornado.
•
A group of vicious half-wolf outlaws are on the hunt for the key that opens the door to Hell. The fate of humanity lies in the hands of an ageless nun, a sharp-shooting teenage girl, an emancipated slave, and a half-wolf outcast with the number 13 tattooed on his neck.
•
This was probably the most carnage-heavy Splatter Western in the series thus far and I will be shocked if no one feels the need to bathe in holy water after finishing this behemoth of an unholy epic. Splatterpunk as a horror sub-genre is typically known for its gore not recommended for the faint of heart, but while we definitely got a taste of blood in the other Splatter Westerns, author Kristopher Triana basically chuckled and said “hold my beer.” This
johnlynchbooks's review
5.0
Another Splatter Western has arrived, this time from an author who I'm very familiar with as high caliber writer, though this would be my first dive into his work. First off let me say for those who don't know me, Im usually skeptical of a book more than 300ish pages. Just not typically my thing, they lose their grip on my attention. So despite knowing that Triana was an author that many love, I did have my reservations and I'm happy to say that those reservations were left in the dust.
Triana has crafted an epic. Full of gore, violence, a large, meaningful cast of characters. What we have here is a book that in all aspects, the storytelling and writing matches the violence, action and gore bit for bit. Triana has gifted the horror worl with a book that proves sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too. This was my first Triana but it damn sure won't be my last.
Triana has crafted an epic. Full of gore, violence, a large, meaningful cast of characters. What we have here is a book that in all aspects, the storytelling and writing matches the violence, action and gore bit for bit. Triana has gifted the horror worl with a book that proves sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too. This was my first Triana but it damn sure won't be my last.
daltonlaut's review against another edition
5.0
Really gross. Really dark. Disturbed me to my core. 5* read one of my favorites of the year
biancarosesmith's review
5.0
This was my first experience of the Splatter Western series and it was an epic one to begin with so probably fairly ambitious on my part!
Straight up - this is brutal and has lots of gore. Expect that going in. That said, there is a solid story underneath all this gore. It is not gore without purpose or reason which I always appreciate. This is a story about magic, cosmic horror and well fleshed out characters with stories that are equally fascinating as they are heartbreaking.
The cast is huge in this which was sometimes hard to follow, but I found myself catching up as time went on. In essence, the story centres around a group of werewolf koyotes who are on a mission to find a valuable talisman which has magic they seek for reasons I will not make known. The koyotes are brutal, and led by their leader Glenn who is an extremely dark individual with his own dark back story. This back story helped me as a reader to understand his actions and to attach meaning to my reading experience. It was greatly appreciated.
This was a dark journey but I was captivated the entire time. Triana does not hold back in terms of shock value but there was also depth and heart along the way. A little bit f magic too. There's also some girl power here which I always love. Give me strong female characters and you will have my heart.
This was my first experience reading Triana's writing and I now want to go out on a Triana reading binge. I'll also continue with the Splatter Western series but I am concerned I may have started with the best of the bunch and will possibly have high expectations. It is certainly not a bad thing though! I also heard this will be part of a trilogy which excites me to no end.
Straight up - this is brutal and has lots of gore. Expect that going in. That said, there is a solid story underneath all this gore. It is not gore without purpose or reason which I always appreciate. This is a story about magic, cosmic horror and well fleshed out characters with stories that are equally fascinating as they are heartbreaking.
The cast is huge in this which was sometimes hard to follow, but I found myself catching up as time went on. In essence, the story centres around a group of werewolf koyotes who are on a mission to find a valuable talisman which has magic they seek for reasons I will not make known. The koyotes are brutal, and led by their leader Glenn who is an extremely dark individual with his own dark back story. This back story helped me as a reader to understand his actions and to attach meaning to my reading experience. It was greatly appreciated.
This was a dark journey but I was captivated the entire time. Triana does not hold back in terms of shock value but there was also depth and heart along the way. A little bit f magic too. There's also some girl power here which I always love. Give me strong female characters and you will have my heart.
This was my first experience reading Triana's writing and I now want to go out on a Triana reading binge. I'll also continue with the Splatter Western series but I am concerned I may have started with the best of the bunch and will possibly have high expectations. It is certainly not a bad thing though! I also heard this will be part of a trilogy which excites me to no end.
sir_readalot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
spookishmommy's review
5.0
I'm probably one of the most skeptical of Splatter Westerns, especially a 500 page brick of a book but when I heard it was being written by Kristopher Triana, I was like, you son of a bitch, I'm in.
The Thirteenth Koyote exceeded my expectations. It kept my attention from start to finish and even after almost 500 pages, I still wasn't ready to say goodbye.
This book is full of terrible people and terrible situations, violence and gore but somehow Triana makes it work.
But there are also characters you'll fall in love with. Who you'll root for. Between the werewolves, magic and incredible writing, I guarantee you'll love this one.
The Thirteenth Koyote exceeded my expectations. It kept my attention from start to finish and even after almost 500 pages, I still wasn't ready to say goodbye.
This book is full of terrible people and terrible situations, violence and gore but somehow Triana makes it work.
But there are also characters you'll fall in love with. Who you'll root for. Between the werewolves, magic and incredible writing, I guarantee you'll love this one.
iplaruf's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
4.0
Epic battle scene with loads of delicious gore!!! Great character development and awesome plot.
screamdogreads's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
5.0
"The pack had been getting restless. They'd done no killing since the Broken Ridge bank robbery. The teller had given them no trouble, but bloodlust ran like a river through the dreams of Koyotes."
Review updated as of my re-read (11.3.24-13.3.24) - Loved it even more than my first read.
It's an entirely daunting thing to review a book that is this wholly affecting. Because, how does one even begin to describe the most sickening, nauseating, unflinchingly violent of novels? It's simply not enough to say that The Thirteenth Koyote is brutal. In fact, brutal is a word that doesn't even come close to describing the savagery redefined that is this story. It's unholy. It's ruthless. The Thirteenth Koyote is an abomination of a book, a sinful monstrosity, one of the single most enrapturing and alluring books to ever grace the world of literature. Satan himself would cower before the contents of these pages.
There exist many novels that push the boundaries of wickedness far beyond what The Thirteenth Koyote does. So why is it, that this particular novel is seen as so grotesque and horrific? Well, it's down to the barbaric nature of this story - It's not just gore and violence and edgy shock tactics told with middling prose. Rather, it's intensely impactful, highly skilled, unending, maddening violence thrust deep into a biblical epic, narrated so fucking gorgeously. Cosmic horror, werewolves, and a traditional Western adventure create a sacred blend of whimsy and magic. It's rare to find a novel so utterly exhausting and so very perfect.
Review updated as of my re-read (11.3.24-13.3.24) - Loved it even more than my first read.
It's an entirely daunting thing to review a book that is this wholly affecting. Because, how does one even begin to describe the most sickening, nauseating, unflinchingly violent of novels? It's simply not enough to say that The Thirteenth Koyote is brutal. In fact, brutal is a word that doesn't even come close to describing the savagery redefined that is this story. It's unholy. It's ruthless. The Thirteenth Koyote is an abomination of a book, a sinful monstrosity, one of the single most enrapturing and alluring books to ever grace the world of literature. Satan himself would cower before the contents of these pages.
There exist many novels that push the boundaries of wickedness far beyond what The Thirteenth Koyote does. So why is it, that this particular novel is seen as so grotesque and horrific? Well, it's down to the barbaric nature of this story - It's not just gore and violence and edgy shock tactics told with middling prose. Rather, it's intensely impactful, highly skilled, unending, maddening violence thrust deep into a biblical epic, narrated so fucking gorgeously. Cosmic horror, werewolves, and a traditional Western adventure create a sacred blend of whimsy and magic. It's rare to find a novel so utterly exhausting and so very perfect.
"Nothing's going to be all right. Not now or ever again. Not for you, my sweet delight. The boy shuddered in Hiram's embrace. One again, his breath left him. They say a gut-shot is the most painful way to die. Hiram said. But I can think of many ways worse. Can't you? The boy didn't answer. Hiram undid his coat and reached for the hunting knife in its sheath. The blade was long as his forearm and gleamed like a supernova in the backroom's shadows. Well, Willard, when it comes to pain, I'm about to expand your imagination."
Be warned, casual horror fan, this punishing novel is reserved for those with rotting hearts and souls of decay. Between these blood soaked pages lie scenes too ungodly to speak of, too terrible to utter, yet so compelling is the storytelling, you'll dive headfirst into the abyss. It is the most sinister of tomes, a truly evil book, one with claws ready to eviscerate any who dare pick it up. It's a book to cast upon your worst of enemies, and to gift unto your best of friends. It's page upon page of the most violent, most twisted werewolf savagery the human mind has ever imagined.
The Thirteenth Koyote ruined my life in the best possible way. This beastly novel was the genesis for my love affair with Westerns and Splatterpunk. Triana's mind is a scary thing, a marvel that can conjure up the most beautiful of horror. Because that's what this book is, it's beautiful. It's hideous, ugly, atrocious even, but my god, is it fucking beautiful. It's also just absolutely bonkers, a ride you'll desperately want off but that will never stop. You'll never be free of the outlandish mayhem that is the Koyotes.
"Though his thoughts were failing to connect as the dementia set in, he could still comprehend his encroaching demise. The black magic only lasted so long. His stars were going out, his farm paid in full. He chuckled at the notion. After a life spent in the worship of death, he was still unprepared for it. "
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