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calbowen's review against another edition
1.0
Six-Gun Tarot
The Good – I love the concept of Six-guns and Sorcery, which is the main reason why I bought this book. What I got was Six-guns and Sorcery – in a Stephen King story.
The Bad - everything else - Back in 1996, I read Desperation by Stephen king, and felt that book was nowhere near his best. Now, having read this, I feel that the author used that book as a template for this waste of 300+ pages. Transport the King story into the American Frontier and you get Six-gun Tarot.
My other issue with this, is not the multiple character points of view, but the multiple character flashbacks, with no warning. There is a double enter between paragraphs, and it might be a flashback, it might be a new character POV within the chapter, who knows until you read for a few hundred words.
My other issue is that there is so much ‘longing’ between characters. So many characters having sex that try to keep it secret, or secret love for another, or whatever. One or two, okay, but it seemed that EVERYONE had sexual tension. This entire novel felt like a cheap horror porn rip off of a not very good book to begin with.
And no, I did not quit, I read it through to the end, but redemption was not to be had. Desperation indeed; in more than one way. Unless, of course, you loved that novel, in which case, you can have my copy of Six-Gun Tarot.
The Good – I love the concept of Six-guns and Sorcery, which is the main reason why I bought this book. What I got was Six-guns and Sorcery – in a Stephen King story.
The Bad - everything else - Back in 1996, I read Desperation by Stephen king, and felt that book was nowhere near his best. Now, having read this, I feel that the author used that book as a template for this waste of 300+ pages. Transport the King story into the American Frontier and you get Six-gun Tarot.
My other issue with this, is not the multiple character points of view, but the multiple character flashbacks, with no warning. There is a double enter between paragraphs, and it might be a flashback, it might be a new character POV within the chapter, who knows until you read for a few hundred words.
My other issue is that there is so much ‘longing’ between characters. So many characters having sex that try to keep it secret, or secret love for another, or whatever. One or two, okay, but it seemed that EVERYONE had sexual tension. This entire novel felt like a cheap horror porn rip off of a not very good book to begin with.
And no, I did not quit, I read it through to the end, but redemption was not to be had. Desperation indeed; in more than one way. Unless, of course, you loved that novel, in which case, you can have my copy of Six-Gun Tarot.
timinbc's review against another edition
2.0
The author read a lot of books, and seems to have wanted to bring something here from each of them.
And wanted to set up a series all at once, with enough characters to last for years. Too many characters, and too many of them magical. This is American Gods.
Biqa and Lucifer, but Rules; this is Good Omens
Ambrose, all the bwah-hah-ha cult baddies ever (altho Phillips was OK), and really, "Greate Olde Wurm"? and his ludicrous speeches? Feh.
A Daughter of Lilith is here, who is/was also Anne Bonney, nice but irrelevant
Mutt the Indian shapeshifter (a decent character though)
A Chinese wizard who should have his own book, because he has a great attitude; but he too seems to have Rules.
The unkillable Highfather, who is unexplained but with that name I think I would be disappointed
later if I read any more in this series, which I won't. He'd better not be, ahem, let's just say Mr. Wednesday.
Oh, and here's the Black Madonna/Whore of Babylon. Sure.
I expected Merlin, Gandalf, Dumbledore, Cthulhu, Diana, Moses, the Wild Hunt and a giant squid to appear. Yet there's no sign of anyone thinking, "Gee, there's a lot of magic here in the ass end of nowhere, I wonder why?"
Tarot? mentioned on one page, and not at all necessary. I suspect it was put in when someone noticed that the buyer-bait title wasn't reflected in the book.
And one full star deducted for the guns. A bad guy being thrown across the room by a shot from a derringer? C'mon, doesn't anyone watch Mythbusters? 200-pound guy, soft flesh, small bullet, puny gun: I doubt the guy would even flinch. Soon after, another guy's head is blown right off by a pistol shot (non-silver bullet), while the next shot, same gun, is a mild inconvenience for the victim. And of course they had like ten silver bullets, kept reminding us how few they had, yet somehow seemed to use about 40 of them. Must be Rambo's magic ammo belt.
OK, let's look at the things. We got magic swords, a magic eye, magic Mormon scripts and more. Most get used once and briefly. Especially the eye. Gor blimey. It's on the cover. It's in every chapter. It's obviously the key to the plot. And in the end OK, Belcher took time to warn us that a neophyte couldn't possibly etc. etc. but still. Pfui.
Finally, we got Ch'eng and others who are all, "well, yeah, this creature has a darn good chance of ending the universe, and I'm a top-level wizard, but I'ma just stay here in my little compound while you guys go out there and get slimed." Are we to conclude that he already knows the Good Guys got this? Is he also an Angel With Rules? Ptui.
There are enough ideas for a series here, but this book needed a tough editor, maybe even at the Joseph Campbell level. Hack out half the flashbacks and a couple of the storylines, and find the real story that's hidden in here among the too-muchness.
But if that happens in book 2 I'll never know.
And wanted to set up a series all at once, with enough characters to last for years. Too many characters, and too many of them magical. This is American Gods.
Biqa and Lucifer, but Rules; this is Good Omens
Ambrose, all the bwah-hah-ha cult baddies ever (altho Phillips was OK), and really, "Greate Olde Wurm"? and his ludicrous speeches? Feh.
A Daughter of Lilith is here, who is/was also Anne Bonney, nice but irrelevant
Mutt the Indian shapeshifter (a decent character though)
A Chinese wizard who should have his own book, because he has a great attitude; but he too seems to have Rules.
The unkillable Highfather, who is unexplained but with that name I think I would be disappointed
later if I read any more in this series, which I won't. He'd better not be, ahem, let's just say Mr. Wednesday.
Oh, and here's the Black Madonna/Whore of Babylon. Sure.
I expected Merlin, Gandalf, Dumbledore, Cthulhu, Diana, Moses, the Wild Hunt and a giant squid to appear. Yet there's no sign of anyone thinking, "Gee, there's a lot of magic here in the ass end of nowhere, I wonder why?"
Tarot? mentioned on one page, and not at all necessary. I suspect it was put in when someone noticed that the buyer-bait title wasn't reflected in the book.
And one full star deducted for the guns. A bad guy being thrown across the room by a shot from a derringer? C'mon, doesn't anyone watch Mythbusters? 200-pound guy, soft flesh, small bullet, puny gun: I doubt the guy would even flinch. Soon after, another guy's head is blown right off by a pistol shot (non-silver bullet), while the next shot, same gun, is a mild inconvenience for the victim. And of course they had like ten silver bullets, kept reminding us how few they had, yet somehow seemed to use about 40 of them. Must be Rambo's magic ammo belt.
OK, let's look at the things. We got magic swords, a magic eye, magic Mormon scripts and more. Most get used once and briefly. Especially the eye. Gor blimey. It's on the cover. It's in every chapter. It's obviously the key to the plot. And in the end
Spoiler
plucky Jim rides up when everything's mostly over, and raises an army of the dead [hello, Lord of the Rings!] for mop-up duty.Finally, we got Ch'eng and others who are all, "well, yeah, this creature has a darn good chance of ending the universe, and I'm a top-level wizard, but I'ma just stay here in my little compound while you guys go out there and get slimed." Are we to conclude that he already knows the Good Guys got this? Is he also an Angel With Rules? Ptui.
There are enough ideas for a series here, but this book needed a tough editor, maybe even at the Joseph Campbell level. Hack out half the flashbacks and a couple of the storylines, and find the real story that's hidden in here among the too-muchness.
But if that happens in book 2 I'll never know.
laureenreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Six-Gun Tarot by R.S. Belcher was my first foray into the world of Westerns. Even as a kid when my dad would read Louis L’Amour novels I would read the dictionary. Westerns didn’t hold much appeal for me. So why on earth would I have chosen to read this book?
Read more on my webpage.
Read more on my webpage.
aceinit's review against another edition
4.0
This book hit pretty much all of the buttons to catapult it to the top of my must-read list, even above installments of series I have been waiting for for over a year.
I love books that are willing to put a unique spin on topics such as religion and myth. Add to that the fact that this one is set in Nevada, where I currently reside and, well, I had to try it out.
Belcher takes on myth and religion and the Wild West and weaves them into a fascinating tale stretching back to the beginnings of time. He populates his tale with a cast of interesting characters ranging from a teenage boy on the run from the law, a sheriff who can't be killed, a man fascinated with death, a society lady descended from pirate assassins and an Indian who is related to coyotes. Oh, and there are also cameos by the Almighty, the Lightbringer, and the founder of the Mormon religion. And, like any good ol' Western, the cowboys have to saddle up to do battle with one hell of a nemesis...and avert the end of the world in the process.
Though the narrative stumbles in places (pretty much every romantic relationship comes off as awkward to some degree, and there are times where the writer drives his points home a little too hard, leaving the reader rolling their eyes and thinking "I get it...can we move on already?"), Belcher tells a tight story at a breakneck pace, and always keeps the reader wanting more.
A very impressive debut novel. I will definitely be watching to see what Belcher comes up with next.
I love books that are willing to put a unique spin on topics such as religion and myth. Add to that the fact that this one is set in Nevada, where I currently reside and, well, I had to try it out.
Belcher takes on myth and religion and the Wild West and weaves them into a fascinating tale stretching back to the beginnings of time. He populates his tale with a cast of interesting characters ranging from a teenage boy on the run from the law, a sheriff who can't be killed, a man fascinated with death, a society lady descended from pirate assassins and an Indian who is related to coyotes. Oh, and there are also cameos by the Almighty, the Lightbringer, and the founder of the Mormon religion. And, like any good ol' Western, the cowboys have to saddle up to do battle with one hell of a nemesis...and avert the end of the world in the process.
Though the narrative stumbles in places (pretty much every romantic relationship comes off as awkward to some degree, and there are times where the writer drives his points home a little too hard, leaving the reader rolling their eyes and thinking "I get it...can we move on already?"), Belcher tells a tight story at a breakneck pace, and always keeps the reader wanting more.
A very impressive debut novel. I will definitely be watching to see what Belcher comes up with next.
highlanderajax's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I was looking for something in the "gunslinging + spellslinging" vein - people shooting magic Colt Peacemakers and casting spells at high noon, that kind of thing. This was recommended, so I tried it. Not quite what I was looking for. It's set in the Old West, there are magical elements, but that's about where it ended. It just didn't gel with me.
The plot is serviceable, if a bit...flat. It doesn't feel particularly involved - everything is laid out very clearly for the readers, if not the characters, which makes the mystery aspect that's presented to the protagonists feel a bit hollow. This type of thing works better on TV, I think, because it's easier to show a scene without having to explain things - you can show a character while keeping them anonymous far more easily, for instance. Here, it's quite obvious from the get-go how the majority of the plot will play out, which takes a lot of the suspense away. The writing is good enough, but the story just feels...fine. Nothing super-wrong, but nothing particularly engaging either.
The character work is also a little bland. Some characters get a bit of development, but for the most part it feels like there was a lot more that could have been done. Characters' backstories are hinted at, but not in a fun way that makes me want to hear more - they just feel like they get the barest explanation to explain their use in the denouement, and that's about it.
I dunno. This was kind of ok, but it wasn't great. Bit of a shame.
The plot is serviceable, if a bit...flat. It doesn't feel particularly involved - everything is laid out very clearly for the readers, if not the characters, which makes the mystery aspect that's presented to the protagonists feel a bit hollow. This type of thing works better on TV, I think, because it's easier to show a scene without having to explain things - you can show a character while keeping them anonymous far more easily, for instance. Here, it's quite obvious from the get-go how the majority of the plot will play out, which takes a lot of the suspense away. The writing is good enough, but the story just feels...fine. Nothing super-wrong, but nothing particularly engaging either.
The character work is also a little bland. Some characters get a bit of development, but for the most part it feels like there was a lot more that could have been done. Characters' backstories are hinted at, but not in a fun way that makes me want to hear more - they just feel like they get the barest explanation to explain their use in the denouement, and that's about it.
I dunno. This was kind of ok, but it wasn't great. Bit of a shame.
natixii's review against another edition
3.0
While I loved the set up of the town and the charicters there was so much going on, between the flipping between charicters and flashbacks, that it was like watching a TV that was rapidly flipping channels. That got a lot better in the last third of the book when thing really got moving. At that point it still caused me trouble in understanding how much time had passed and how long the final battle had been going. At the end when all the characters came together to fight it was so much fun to read though. It gave me enough attachment to the charicters and the town to want to try the next book.
sarah_grey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
I don't understand the title or chapter titles, but it was fine. A weird, creepy western with some pretty cool characters, but also at times too many characters. Also omniscient POV that is sort of in one POV but sometimes forgets and switches to another.
doritobabe's review against another edition
4.0
4.25/5
I really liked this book but it's just not up there enough to be 4.5/5. Excellent for a stand-alone fantasy.
TL;DR:
Writing: 5/5 (Belcher is a very good storyteller. The writing was intelligent and well paced. The only thing missing was the oxford comma.)
Plot: low 4/5 (Not typically something I would have gone for --fantasy western-- but it was consistent: did not lose any of the plot, nor anything previously introduced in the text. Loses points for religion being a bit overbearing but it was necessary for the story Belcher crafted.)
Characters: 4/5 (Everyone was interesting, given their own backstory and LIFE without it bringing down the plot, and had their own resolution.)
The Six-Gun Tarot is a historical fantasy western that deals with shape-shifters, feminism, and discussions of God. It takes place in post-Civil war Nevada, where readers are first introduced to young fugitive Jim Negrey. Jim has secrets, one of them being a magical item that plays prominently in the rest of the story.
He arrives in the small town of Golgotha where the reader is then introduced to a cast of characters that will end up saving the world. The sheriff and his deputy; a scheming land owner/angel, a female assassin, and an evil plot to unleash the demon of all demons that resides underneath Mount Argent, and that has since before time.
Overall, Belcher's writing kept me rolling with the tale. As mentioned, I would not normally read a historical western fantasy, but this is the year of my branching out. He gives each character enough of a background for the readers to become fully invested and definitely enough to make the story a very strong one-shot. The reader has no questions about what or why things are happening or where they will go next.
The author also has great skill as a world builder. I felt Golgotha around me; its people, buildings; dry, hot desert air. Because of this, I think that I will be seeking out more of Belcher's books.
The only reason I didn't rate this book higher is because of the blatant racism (YES, I know it adds authenticity -- still sucks) and the close ties to religion. I am not a religious person, by any means. I was alright with the discussion of various religions and the fact that it plays an important role in the text, however, I was left questioning why the author decided to take this path. Is this actually Christian fiction in disguise? What are the authors feelings on diverse religions? Why is Mormonism featured so prominently? Things like that.
I really liked this book but it's just not up there enough to be 4.5/5. Excellent for a stand-alone fantasy.
TL;DR:
Writing: 5/5 (Belcher is a very good storyteller. The writing was intelligent and well paced. The only thing missing was the oxford comma.)
Plot: low 4/5 (Not typically something I would have gone for --fantasy western-- but it was consistent: did not lose any of the plot, nor anything previously introduced in the text. Loses points for religion being a bit overbearing but it was necessary for the story Belcher crafted.)
Characters: 4/5 (Everyone was interesting, given their own backstory and LIFE without it bringing down the plot, and had their own resolution.)
The Six-Gun Tarot is a historical fantasy western that deals with shape-shifters, feminism, and discussions of God. It takes place in post-Civil war Nevada, where readers are first introduced to young fugitive Jim Negrey. Jim has secrets, one of them being a magical item that plays prominently in the rest of the story.
He arrives in the small town of Golgotha where the reader is then introduced to a cast of characters that will end up saving the world. The sheriff and his deputy; a scheming land owner/angel, a female assassin, and an evil plot to unleash the demon of all demons that resides underneath Mount Argent, and that has since before time.
Overall, Belcher's writing kept me rolling with the tale. As mentioned, I would not normally read a historical western fantasy, but this is the year of my branching out. He gives each character enough of a background for the readers to become fully invested and definitely enough to make the story a very strong one-shot. The reader has no questions about what or why things are happening or where they will go next.
The author also has great skill as a world builder. I felt Golgotha around me; its people, buildings; dry, hot desert air. Because of this, I think that I will be seeking out more of Belcher's books.
The only reason I didn't rate this book higher is because of the blatant racism (YES, I know it adds authenticity -- still sucks) and the close ties to religion. I am not a religious person, by any means. I was alright with the discussion of various religions and the fact that it plays an important role in the text, however, I was left questioning why the author decided to take this path. Is this actually Christian fiction in disguise? What are the authors feelings on diverse religions? Why is Mormonism featured so prominently? Things like that.
lillanaa's review against another edition
4.0
This was exquisitely done horror, enough underlying to feel sinister without being too in your face, with an interesting fantasy element scoring it, which was the saving grace for me. All the trappings of westerns are heavily throughout, which is what drops it down to a 4 for me personally, though I understand that's the main genre of this now that I'm seeing it for myself. A recommendation from a friend, I would have likely passed on it and I'm glad I didn't. Despite feeling old, having some slightly problematic moments that are reminiscent of the genre, this had a good energy, and i would definitely recommend it if you want an interesting horror novel.
dengelke's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
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? No
4.0