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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I really loved this, a great Western adventure with some horror/fantasy elements. The characters were great, I honestly cared about them.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism
Fun read with great characters. Maybe stretched a bit long, but I thought the ending was great.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4/5 stars.
There's a witch in Burden County, Kansas. A witch by the name of Sadie Grace. Nobody knows where she came from, not even herself. She's young, might have given birth at one point, and might be the cause of everything going wrong in the area. And now, there's a bounty on her head.
Old Tom and his mute charge Rabbit, who he thinks is a boy but is actually a girl, are going to kill her. Tom's a master of witches and hexes and he'll get the bounty. But this is also Rose Mullin's story. A former schoolteacher turned widow, after her husband's death she sees Tom and Rabbit putting a charm about her husband Joe's grave and decides Rabbit needs looking after. Joined by two gunmen, an white man named Ned and a Black man, his friend, Moses, the five of them set out for Burden County to confront Sadie Grace, but the road is long and dangerous and Sadie Grace has eyes everywhere.
And the ghosts are restless.
I have never heard of Alex Grecian before nor read anything by him (if he has any other works out at the time of me writing this in 2024), but this a surprise! Red Rabbit was a mostly fun a quick read! It's not 100% perfect--at most it's 97%--but it's still a damn good read! I think the ending is fine where it is, but I will definitely be reading [b:Rose of Jericho|211004018|Rose of Jericho|Alex Grecian|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1718938523l/211004018._SY75_.jpg|217233211] when it comes out.
To start with, this is a very fast-paced book, not too fast that things are glossed over or there's no impact. Red Rabbit has its share of funny moments, horrific ones, action pact ones, and even some sadder ones. They are all balanced extremely well and there's no jarring transitions between them; the quick pacing did not weaken them at all. What also helps with this is that the prose is very readable; nothing ornate, but it is not simple, choppy, or basic. It feels almost like Grecian was having fun while writing this book, however much fun one can have when writing a book (as a writer myself, I feel the burn). The prose compliments the pacing and in Grecian's, albeit brief, descriptions of the setting and people you can definitely feel that Midwestern atmosphere to everything. Even the horror aspects, which get the most detail in my opinion, are done sinisterly well. There's everything from cannibals, to gory killings, and spooky witchcraft happening in this book. I will note one thing about the perspectives here. The book is written in third person, however the perspective of which character we're following can change just like that (snaps fingers for emphasis). It can change within the same page between paragraphs, or even in the same paragraph. I didn't find this too jarring and it was interesting to utilize.
The main cast are all memorable; it should be noted that not all of the main cast joins us in the beginning. Poor Old Tom's cantankerous but honest attitude reminds you of any old timer and he can be funny at time. Rose's maturity, wit, and empathy for those around her make her endearing. Ned's gentleman attitude but also strength and bravery make you root for him. Moses was probably the most compelling of the main cast; he is honest and strong and will defend his companions with every he has. He also shows a softer side of himself and he isn't totally a stone-faced, hardened hero, the man can get frightened sometimes. Rabbit's muteness makes it hard to judge her character, but the mystery about her that unravels as the story progresses is genuinely interesting. We also have Rose's husband Joe. Yes, he's a ghost following after Rose and the others, trying to make sure she's alright before he passes on. Next to Moses, he was probably my favorite character. He's so humble and kind and he's aware that Rose probably didn't want to marry him, but he still tries to make her happy. Benito, a Mexican man who later joins them, is also a very fun character. Interestingly enough, Sadie Grace also gets some chapters and perspectives that revolve around her. She's a very interesting character. Is she truly a villain? A villain to others, but not everyone? Very murky implications.
Now, it's with the side characters that I have my major critique with. So, there's A LOT of side characters. Lot's of them. Some of them are memorable, some of them you completely forget who hey are by the time you return to them. Honestly, most of them felt like generic grizzled cowboy/rancher who doesn't know what's going on. I couldn't keep track. Grecian either needed to flesh out these characters more or just have what happened to them mentioned to our main cast later on.
And yes, folks, the witchcraft and magic is real in this book. How is it explained? As a mysterious force, and that's all it needs to be. One of greatest faults that writers of horror and fantasy (and some sci-fi) is overexplaining the supernatural/the magic/the mystical/etc. in their books. Magic and witchcraft is real in Red Rabbit and it can be both wonderful and terrifying, but always very bodily. Magic is all around in the air and earth. And that works just perfectly fine.
Red Rabbit has a lot of twists that made my jaw drop and some that made me go "That actually makes sense now that I think about it. Some of that was kind of obvious." But the climax of the book was AMAZING! And sad! I won't spoil anything, but man, some of my favorites didn't make it to the finish line. Grecian, why must you hurt me?
As I said before, Red Rabbit could work as a stand-alone with its bittersweet ending; my favorite kind of ending. But the sequel is forthcoming so Grecian has more to tell. That ending is just so bittersweet, however. I will reiterate: Joe was the best, and I'm glad he got what he wanted in the end. Even in the afterlife.
Merry Christmas 2024, everyone!
There's a witch in Burden County, Kansas. A witch by the name of Sadie Grace. Nobody knows where she came from, not even herself. She's young, might have given birth at one point, and might be the cause of everything going wrong in the area. And now, there's a bounty on her head.
Old Tom and his mute charge Rabbit, who he thinks is a boy but is actually a girl, are going to kill her. Tom's a master of witches and hexes and he'll get the bounty. But this is also Rose Mullin's story. A former schoolteacher turned widow, after her husband's death she sees Tom and Rabbit putting a charm about her husband Joe's grave and decides Rabbit needs looking after. Joined by two gunmen, an white man named Ned and a Black man, his friend, Moses, the five of them set out for Burden County to confront Sadie Grace, but the road is long and dangerous and Sadie Grace has eyes everywhere.
And the ghosts are restless.
I have never heard of Alex Grecian before nor read anything by him (if he has any other works out at the time of me writing this in 2024), but this a surprise! Red Rabbit was a mostly fun a quick read! It's not 100% perfect--at most it's 97%--but it's still a damn good read! I think the ending is fine where it is, but I will definitely be reading [b:Rose of Jericho|211004018|Rose of Jericho|Alex Grecian|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1718938523l/211004018._SY75_.jpg|217233211] when it comes out.
To start with, this is a very fast-paced book, not too fast that things are glossed over or there's no impact. Red Rabbit has its share of funny moments, horrific ones, action pact ones, and even some sadder ones. They are all balanced extremely well and there's no jarring transitions between them; the quick pacing did not weaken them at all. What also helps with this is that the prose is very readable; nothing ornate, but it is not simple, choppy, or basic. It feels almost like Grecian was having fun while writing this book, however much fun one can have when writing a book (as a writer myself, I feel the burn). The prose compliments the pacing and in Grecian's, albeit brief, descriptions of the setting and people you can definitely feel that Midwestern atmosphere to everything. Even the horror aspects, which get the most detail in my opinion, are done sinisterly well. There's everything from cannibals, to gory killings, and spooky witchcraft happening in this book. I will note one thing about the perspectives here. The book is written in third person, however the perspective of which character we're following can change just like that (snaps fingers for emphasis). It can change within the same page between paragraphs, or even in the same paragraph. I didn't find this too jarring and it was interesting to utilize.
The main cast are all memorable; it should be noted that not all of the main cast joins us in the beginning. Poor Old Tom's cantankerous but honest attitude reminds you of any old timer and he can be funny at time. Rose's maturity, wit, and empathy for those around her make her endearing. Ned's gentleman attitude but also strength and bravery make you root for him. Moses was probably the most compelling of the main cast; he is honest and strong and will defend his companions with every he has. He also shows a softer side of himself and he isn't totally a stone-faced, hardened hero, the man can get frightened sometimes. Rabbit's muteness makes it hard to judge her character, but the mystery about her that unravels as the story progresses is genuinely interesting. We also have Rose's husband Joe. Yes, he's a ghost following after Rose and the others, trying to make sure she's alright before he passes on. Next to Moses, he was probably my favorite character. He's so humble and kind and he's aware that Rose probably didn't want to marry him, but he still tries to make her happy. Benito, a Mexican man who later joins them, is also a very fun character. Interestingly enough, Sadie Grace also gets some chapters and perspectives that revolve around her. She's a very interesting character. Is she truly a villain? A villain to others, but not everyone? Very murky implications.
Now, it's with the side characters that I have my major critique with. So, there's A LOT of side characters. Lot's of them. Some of them are memorable, some of them you completely forget who hey are by the time you return to them. Honestly, most of them felt like generic grizzled cowboy/rancher who doesn't know what's going on. I couldn't keep track. Grecian either needed to flesh out these characters more or just have what happened to them mentioned to our main cast later on.
And yes, folks, the witchcraft and magic is real in this book. How is it explained? As a mysterious force, and that's all it needs to be. One of greatest faults that writers of horror and fantasy (and some sci-fi) is overexplaining the supernatural/the magic/the mystical/etc. in their books. Magic and witchcraft is real in Red Rabbit and it can be both wonderful and terrifying, but always very bodily. Magic is all around in the air and earth. And that works just perfectly fine.
Red Rabbit has a lot of twists that made my jaw drop and some that made me go "That actually makes sense now that I think about it. Some of that was kind of obvious." But the climax of the book was AMAZING! And sad! I won't spoil anything, but man, some of my favorites didn't make it to the finish line. Grecian, why must you hurt me?
As I said before, Red Rabbit could work as a stand-alone with its bittersweet ending; my favorite kind of ending. But the sequel is forthcoming so Grecian has more to tell. That ending is just so bittersweet, however. I will reiterate: Joe was the best, and I'm glad he got what he wanted in the end. Even in the afterlife.
Merry Christmas 2024, everyone!
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes