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WORK TITLE: Dawn in Damnation
WORK NOTES:
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BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://clarkcasey.com/
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
https://www.facebook.com/clark.casey.author
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in New York, NY.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Clark Casey is the author of the genre-bending novel Dawn in Damnation, which mashes up occult horror and western tropes. It tells the story of a Western-type town that is actually a kind of purgatory for souls that, because of the sins they have committed, may wind up in heaven or in hell. “Those arriving in Damnation, which resembles an old west cowpoke town, don’t have to leave,” explained a contributor to the Looking for a Good Book website. “If they can stay ‘alive’ they remain in Damnation. But get killed a second time and it’s out-of-town for the poor soul.”
The primary plot of the novel revolves around a recently-dead sharpshooter named Buddy, who arrives in Damnation just in time to serve as a protector for a pregnant woman who had committed suicide. “Buddy seemed like he was going to be really unlikable when he first showed up,” stated a reviewer for the Metaphors and Moonlight website, “but then I couldn’t help but like him too as the story went on. He was just so jolly and kind of oblivious to so much of the danger, but he was also really good at gunslinging, and he was the one who risked his life to stand up to the men for their violence against a woman.”
In general, critics enjoyed Casey’s foray into horror westerns. Dawn in Damnation, wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer, features “a cast of delightfully distinctive, authentically funny outlaws, butting heads in a lazy afterlife saloon somewhere between heaven and hell.” “Loosely examined as a period piece, the story could in ways be regarded highly by fans of the western genre,” said a Horror News website reviewer. “With gunslingers, desperados and a whole bevy of genre characters, we feel like we’re submerged deep into the fray of the wild west. One doesn’t have to be strictly a fan of the supernatural nor country to fully see the appeal in Dawn in Damnation.” “Friends, get yourselves a copy of Dawn in Damnation by Clark Casey. It works as a thriller, it serves as a proper horror fable, it’s a nifty mystery of sorts, and it is bitingly funny,” declared a reviewer for the web site Vampires. “I would say that it constitutes a literary rarity in that it is written from the `second person’ perspective.” “Dawn in Damnation kept me up too late reading a couple of nights in a row. I thoroughly enjoyed it–and, for what it’s worth, I’m really picky where such fare is concerned. My only complaint is that the story ends on something of a cliffhanger,” concluded a contributor to Werewolves.com. “I give this one two enthusiastic thumbs up. It’s just plain FUN.” In the end, concluded the Metaphors and Moonlight reviewer, “it was an entertaining start to a series I plan to continue about a paranormal western afterlife with some likeable characters.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, October 2, 2017, review of Dawn in Damnation, p. 121.
ONLINE
Horror News, http://horrornews.net/ (January 7, 2018), Dave Gammon, review of Dawn in Damnation.
Looking for a Good Book, https://lookingforagoodbook.com/ (December 28, 2017), review of Dawn in Damnation.
Metaphors and Moonlight, http://blog.kristenburns.com/ (March 16, 2018), review of Dawn in Damnation.
Vampires, https://www.vampires.com/ (October 22, 2017), review of Dawn in Damnation.
Werewolves.com, https://www.werewolves.com/ (March 21, 2018), author of Dawn in Damnation.
Clark Casey is the author of DAWN IN DAMNATION, the first volume in a paranormal western series. He has also written three novellas: THE JESUS FISH AND SLAUGHTER BIRD, PALE MALE AND THE INFERTILE GIRL, and THE PERFECT DEFECTIVE. He was born in New York and currently resides in Northern California.
Dawn in Damnation
Publishers Weekly.
264.40 (Oct. 2, 2017): p121.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Dawn in Damnation
Clark Casey. Lyrical, $3.99 e-book (182p)
ISBN 978-1-5161-0496-3
A cast of delightfully distinctive, authentically funny outlaws, butting heads in a lazy afterlife saloon
somewhere between heaven and hell, define the setting of Casey's weird western debut. Narrator Thomas
has light involvement in the story but brings lots of period character; he documents the comings and goings
in a place where annoying someone can get you shot and getting shot sends you straight to hell. When
newly dead Sally Parker--a pregnant woman who committed suicide-- shows up, she draws the attention of
Buddy Baker, the newly anointed top man in town, as well as several of the longtime residents who crave
female companionship. Her unborn baby awakens the hunger of both Damnation's reclusive, testy local
vampire and the werewolf pack from the saloon down the road. A simple plot drives the character
interactions at the heart of Casey's writing, and cantankerous dialogue shines with clever phrasing and
unique voices. Though Casey's setting leans heavily on the masculine posturing that's typical of westerns,
he is rarely gratuitously mean to his female characters. He establishes Damnation as timeless but eventful,
with a mix of regulars and constant new arrivals. There could be many more stories to tell here. Agent:
Doug Grad, Doug Grad Literary. (Nov.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Dawn in Damnation." Publishers Weekly, 2 Oct. 2017, p. 121. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A509728440/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=3aecd3d5.
Accessed 4 Mar. 2018.
3/4/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Book Review: Dawn in Damnation – Author Clark Casey
Dave Gammon 01/07/2018 Book Reviews
Dawn in Damnation
By Clark Casey
Lyrical Press
181 Pages
“Welcome to Damnation where every living soul is as dead as a door nail, except one.”
The quotation directly derived from the novella’s opener says it all. Somewhere beyond the parameters of human comprehension lies a realm where the dead go. Not exactly hell, certainly not heaven the inhabitants are left to lurk until their eternal fate has been decided for them.
Dawn in Damnation marks the first reading odyssey I’ve taken with author Clark Casey at the helm. Upon devouring its contents within two sittings I must confess what an exquisite place to begin. The premise of a purgatory like realm for the dead is highly unique and creative. Throw an old western feel with a dash of vampires and werewolves into the mix, you have yourself a highly engaging and entertaining read that will have reading audience of all walks of life rejoicing.
One of my favorite, most noteworthy quotes is: “Why the hell’s God need to use signs? Don’t he speak American?” These are the types of zingers readers can anticipate to be dispatched by the most eclectic mix of characters spawned in recent memory.
As mentioned before there are werewolves and vampires, which at first glimpse may tarnish a stellar reading experience under ordinary circumstances. It seems a little over the top and sensationalized with over indulgent commercialism. Rest assured author Casey knows precisely what he’s doing and the addition of these folklore characters actually accentuate the plot development as opposed to distract from it. Give it an honest try, keep an open mind and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
As characters are introduced on a regular basis and in some cases dispatched, the incidents provide some extraordinary plot development. There’s never a dull moment in Damnation more specifically in the local watering hole referred to as The Foggy Dew. It’s a fine balance of keeping the plot going at a break neck pace but still maintaining enough integrity and relevance as to not over whelm the reading audience.
The stylistic prose in which Clark Casey utilizes is infectious to say the least. A lead protagonist in Tom, the local would be journalist drafts a daily newspaper titled aptly The Crapper, something one reads on the throne. Suffice to say these excerpts provide levity and well timed comedic interlude. Somehow it breaths a certain sense of authenticity into the fray and we get a recap of all the happenstance that has occurred in this quirky realm. The tale shifts from third to first person point of view as told through the eyes of Tom. It keeps the style fresh, the readers’ attention and the tale all the more compelling.
The contrast of exciting characters who provide allure and those we love to hate is indicative the author knows his market well. Ever heightening the empathetic meter, we also can’t wait for a handful of would be sinners to get their just desserts. Casey knows what works and what doesn’t. I could see Dawn in Damnation making a certifiable block buster of film adaptation one day.
Loosely examined as a period piece, the story could in ways be regarded highly be fans of the western genre. With gunslingers, desperados and a whole bevy of genre characters, we feel like we’re submerged deep into the fray of the wild west. One doesn’t have to be strictly a fan of the supernatural nor country to fully see the appeal in Dawn in Damnation.
The novella was crafted in infectious fashion that could easily be enjoyed within 1-2 days and likely revisited time and again. With a sensational blend of comedy, tragedy and grisly death scenes there is truly something for even the most discerning of readers. With a cliff hanger climax, it’s apparent there may be a sequel or even prequel in the works. Rest assured this critic will be among the first in line to awaken once again in the Dawn in Damnation.
Book Review: DAWN IN DAMNATION by Clark Casey
Lemme give you the premise first: Damnation is a town where dead cowboys go, and other people, too, folks who weren’t good enough in life to earn a pass into Heaven but weren’t so lousy that they go straight to Hell, either. It’s a sort of purgatory, where the streets are always dusty, it is always dusk, if you get shot a second time you DO go straight to hell but if you can abstain from killing anyone for a year you get to go to Heaven. At least those are the theories. No one has ever made it a year, to test that one about going to Heaven. And rather than dusk, it might just be predawn. No one in damnation really knows. Oh, and there’s a pack of werewolves there. And one ornery vampire. And a pregnant woman who drowned herself, but strangely enough is still pregnant when she comes to Damnation. Pregnant with the only living soul in the entire realm–and the only source of fresh, living blood.
Remember those old FAR SIDE comic strips collectively labeled “Trouble Brewin'”? Yep. There’s a recipe for some serious trouble, right there.
I’m always skittish when I receive a new work to review. More often than not, the manuscript ends up not being to my tastes–in blunter terms, it sucks–and as I owe it to my readers to be honest, I have to give it a bad review. I feel bad, though. I know how much work goes into writing a book. I’ve even had people, after I gave their book a lousy or lukewarm review, send me nasty emails in reply, or else try to make me feel guilty by telling me all their travails in life, and how getting a book published was their one dream, the one thing they lived for, and how could I be so heartless?!?! So yeah, I’m nervous when I start reading a new book for review purposes. If I end up liking the book in question, it’s a pleasant surprise. Never before, though, have I been sent a book to review that I absolutely LOVED.
Never, that is, until now.
Friends, get yourselves a copy of DAWN IN DAMNATION by Clark Casey. It works as a Thriller, it serves as a proper Horror fable, it’s a nifty mystery of sorts, and it is bitingly funny. I would say that it constitutes a literary rarity in that it is written from the “second person” perspective. The narrator, the town of Damnation’s sole newspaperman, is hardly the main character. That would be either Buddy, the loveable dead gunfighter, or Nigel the temperamental but ultimately goodhearted vampire. All the characters are a hoot, though, and Casey manages to capture the standard “cowboy” mode of speech perfectly without it becoming distracting or annoying.
DAWN IN DAMNATION kept me up too late reading a couple of nights in a row. I thoroughly enjoyed it–and, for what it’s worth, I’m really picky where such fare is concerned. My only complaint is that the story ends on something of a cliffhanger–but that only means there will be a sequel forthcoming, which is something to celebrate. I give this one two enthusiastic thumbs up. It’s just plain FUN.
DAWN IN DAMNATION – Clark Casey
Posted by Daniel on December 28, 2017
Posted in: SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized, WESTERN. Tagged: 4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Paranormal, Reviews, SF/Fantasy, Western. Leave a comment
Well this was just a heck of a lot of fun.
“Damnation,” is a lot like what the Christian church-goers might refer to as “Purgatory”–that place in-between the land of the living and either heaven or hell. But with a twist. Those arriving in Damnation have a past that’s checkered with some foul deed or another and it’s pretty well-assumed that those who move on from Damnation will only go in one direction.
But those arriving in Damnation, which resembles an old west cowpoke town, don’t have to leave. If they can stay ‘alive’ they remain in Damnation. But get killed a second time and it’s out-of-town for the poor soul. Our story is told primarily from the point of view of a man whose stayed out of trouble since arriving and even started his own Damn newspaper, keeping the residents apprised of the comings and goings of all the other residents.
Just in case the purgatory of the afterlife isn’t supernatural enough for the reader, Damnation also has its vampire residents and some werewolves who invade the town from time to time. The vamps and the wolves are just as subjected to being ‘killed’ and moving on to their final destination as the humans.
I was expecting something a little more … cheesy, I think. Something that was more along the lines of spoof or farce, but instead we actually get a good mash-up of two unlikely genres – the western and the paranormal.
There wasn’t anything here too serious, but the story was strong enough to capture my attention and to hold my interest. What Damnation is, or was, was nicely, slowly revealed, though there are still some questions about the place and why people arrive or don’t and where they go afterward. I had fun in Damnation and I’m hoping there will be more stories there to take me back.
Looking for a good book? Dawn in Damnation by Clark Casey is an entertaining read and a nice blend of paranormal/fantasy and old-fashioned western.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
* * * * * *
Dawn in Damnation
author: Clark Casey
publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
ISBN: 1516104986
paperback, 288 pages
Book Review: Dawn in Damnation (Damnation Book 1) by Clark Casey
03/16/2018 | Book Reviews, Reading, Reviews | 29 Comments
Book Review: Dawn in Damnation (Damnation Book 1) by Clark Casey | reading, books, book review, fantasy, paranormal, western
Damnation: a little Old West town somewhere between life and Hell where men and women (plus a vampire and some werewolves) who did bad but also did some good get a second chance to make it to Heaven---or at least that's what the residents speculate while they spend their days drinking, playing cards, and having gun fights. But then new people start arriving, a pregnant woman shows up with a living child in her womb, the sky starts changing, and weird things are happening in Damnation.
Book Review: Dawn in Damnation (Damnation Book 1) by Clark Casey | reading, books, book review, fantasy, paranormal, western
Title: Dawn in Damnation
Author: Clark Casey
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Series: Damnation
Book Number: Book 1
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Western
Pages: 186
My Book Rating:
More Info: Goodreads, Amazon, Publisher
Review:
*I won an ecopy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This has not influenced my review.*
I was, oddly, in the mood for some sci-fi/fantasy western—odd because I had never read a sci-fi/fantasy western before, or any western, unless you count one webcomic—so I was excited to read this.
A couple things threw me off a bit though, so I’ll get those out of the way first. For one, I’m not sure there was a protagonist. The guy mentioned in the blurb, Buddy, isn’t even the narrator. Plus, the narrator, Tom, was kind of all-knowing in that he seemed to know other characters’ thoughts and feelings. Normally this is something that would bother me, but somehow, with the way it was written in this book, it wasn’t confusing, and I was able to just accept it.
The other thing that threw me a bit was that the book meandered without a clear plot or goal; it was just kind of about the people and goings on in the town. I guess you could say the goal was just to keep Ms. Parker and her baby alive until the baby was born, but that’s still vague. Surprisingly, even though that’s another thing that normally bothers me, that didn’t bother me much either. At least not until I reached the end and the book suddenly cut off with no warning in a really weird place. I imagine there must be an overall story that will span the series at least though.
There were reasons I still enjoyed the book though, despite the issues. For one, the setting was interesting. Not only was it the Old West, it was even more lawless since it was set in the afterlife. There were good ol’ gun fights in the street, but characters also shot/stabbed/killed each other with no warning basically any time they felt like it (yes, they could die again). No one was ever safe, and there were no consequences for killing unless someone else decided it was a good reason to kill you too. But a word of warning, because it was set in the Old West, characters sometimes treated others in offensive ways in regards to race/gender/etc. It was fitting with the setting, but I wanted to point it out in case it’s something that will bother anyone.
There was also a lot in this book that was just effed up but that I couldn’t help but laugh at. Like how they would bet on when other people in the town would be killed, and the jokes about murder and dead men that would be in really poor taste if it were real life. Just know that this book is not for the easily offended or the faint-hearted. I also loved their ridiculous theories about the town.
Then there was the vampire, who was entertaining to me because he could’ve killed everyone in the town if he wanted to, but he didn’t because 1) since they were all dead already, their blood wasn’t any good to him, and 2) if he killed them all, he’d be alone and bored because literally his entertainment was sitting on his balcony and watching the people kill each other. He mostly just hissed at people and otherwise didn’t harm anyone unless they bothered him first. But imagine being hungry and having no food, except it didn’t kill you—you were just forever hungry. I mean, I’d be grumpy too! I’d probably also hiss at people, and I’m not even a vampire. He was just hangry, the poor guy. Then he became the kind of reluctant town protector, and I already have a weakness for vampires, so of course I liked him.
Buddy seemed like he was going to be really unlikable when he first showed up, but then I couldn’t help but like him too as the story went on. He was just so jolly and kind of oblivious to so much of the danger, but he was also really good at gunslinging, and he was the one who risked his life to stand up to the men for their violence against a woman.
Speaking of which, I definitely liked Ms. Parker. Especially her cleverness during that first card game. And she was great because she was soft and feminine, but she was tough in that she didn’t cower and was able to hold her own in this town. For a while, she was the only young woman in a town full of men who were on their way to Hell (so most didn’t have much in the way of morals)—I’m sure you can imagine why that’d be a bad situation. But she was clever and smart and proactive in figuring out how to survive and even saved the narrator at one point.
Mabel was actually a great female character too. Yeah, she immediately found the top gun and essentially slept with him in exchange for protection, but the reality in that town was that women didn’t survive without protection (unless maybe they were the fastest draw in town). So she made her own decisions, took matters into her own hands, and did what she had to to survive. And by the end, she came up with an even better solution that didn’t require sleeping with anyone.
I’m not sure how this review got so long, but I just have one last thing worth mentioning—there was even some disability rep since the narrator had a limp, though I can’t speak for whether it was portrayed well or not.
So overall, this book had a couple things that threw me off a bit, but it was an entertaining start to a series I plan to continue about a paranormal western afterlife with some likeable characters.
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes inappropriate humor, paranormal, and the Old West.
Book Blurb Buddy Baker is a dead man. Literally. After gunning down more men than Billy the Kid—and being hung by a rope necktie for his crimes—the jolly, fast-drawing fugitive reckoned he’d earned himself a nonstop ticket to hell. Instead, he finds himself in Damnation: a gun-slinging ghost town located somewhere between heaven and hell. There are no laws in Damnation. Only two simple rules: If you get shot, you go directly to hell. If you stay alive without shooting anyone for one year, you just might get into heaven. Hardened outlaws pass the time in the saloon playing poker and wagering on who will get sent to hell next, while trying not to anger the town’s reclusive vampire or the quarrelsome werewolves. Buddy winds up in everyone’s crosshairs after swearing to protect a pretty gal who arrives in Damnation pregnant. Her child might end up a warm-blooded meal for the supernatural residents, or it could be a demon spawn on a mission to destroy them all.
Talk to me!
Have you read Dawn in Damnation by Clark Casey?
Have you ever found yourself in the mood for a genre that you hadn't even tried before? Greg 03/16/2018 at 1:43 AM Reply I need more paranormal Westerns, I think. Or weird West (I like that little moniker lol). This one sounds so intriguing, and it seems gutsy to write a story that way, since yeah it would turn off some readers probably- the meandering plot and weird protag thing. A vampire that can’t feed is kinda fun, and yeah I’d be grumpy too. I hope weird west becomes a thing (or is it already?) because it’s so different. Urban fantasy w/o the urban? Greg recently posted: Comic of the Week #10 The Red and the Black Kristen Burns 03/16/2018 at 1:56 AM Reply They’re fun! I mean, you’ve read The Six-Gun Tarot, right? That’s Weird West too. But yeah, the protag/POV thing was a bit confusing at first. And lol, the vampire cracked me up, but I did feel bad for him w/ the lack of food! Well I just call everything that’s fantasy set in our world “urban fantasy” lol. But Weird West is definitely a thing. I feel like it’s a specific subgenre though that I’m not quite sure the definition of, so I don’t know if every SFF set in the Old West can be considered that or not? Greg 03/17/2018 at 1:04 AM Reply Ooh I love labels ha ha. Seriously though yeah I like Weird West- has a cool ring. And I’ve noticed we’re seeing more and more stuff like that… a trend I can get behind! Good question though- I dunno? To me Weird West has to have a certain vibe, to be “weird” actually, but that’s probably just me. Like I don’t think some SF would qualify? Now I guess I need to look it up and see what people think. A good discussion post topic maybe- what the hell is Weird West lol? I DID read Six Gun Tarot and it was kinda the bomb? Like weird definitely applied. :) See there it was a Lovecraftian element that made that WW for me… have you read the sequels? I did want to rad the new one, where Anne Bonny goes to Africa or whatever… Greg recently posted: Bookcover Spotlight #145 Kristen Burns 03/17/2018 at 4:21 AM Reply Exactly, I feel it has to actually be weird to be called Weird West. Or something. Idk. I just know I’ve read some SFF western books that I just wouldn’t classify that way. I have the second book but haven’t read it yet. I loved the characters, but the head-hopping drove me a bit crazy in the first, so I think that’s why I keep putting the second one off lol. Greg 03/17/2018 at 5:12 AM Reply I kinda decided to skip the second one because I thought the Nevada town was cool, but the second one didn’t jump out at me, you know? Plus the third one had that amazing cover, and the lost city in Africa thing… definitely appealed to me more. Even though it’s not Weird West lol. Greg recently posted: Bookcover Spotlight #145 Kristen Burns 03/17/2018 at 3:07 PM Reply I’m the opposite. I’m not interested in the third one cuz it’s about Maude, right? And I just… don’t understand her character? Like, I don’t understand what she is or does or whatever her whole thing was. Maybe the second book will make me more interested in her, idk. Greg 03/18/2018 at 2:17 AM Reply Was Maude the one who lived in Golgotha? Geez I’m fuzzy already on the book… she was the descendant of Anne Bonny? Clearly I should have taken notes… I probably should read 2 first anyway, it’s not like me to skip a book. But I am kinda interested in the historical Anne Bonny, having read a little about her, and that cover… :) Greg recently posted: Sunday Post #237 Kristen Burns 03/18/2018 at 3:12 AM Yeah she lived in the town, Mutt kind of liked her, she had a daughter. She was a descendant of someone who trained her or something? And she drank some blood and got some powers? Honestly, so lost. Just so lost as to what her story was lol. I’m not even really sure what the 3rd book is about, I just thought I remembered the blurb being about her. It does have a great cover though! Barb (boxermommyreads) 03/16/2018 at 8:18 AM Reply Okay so you’ve got my attention. First, an Old West afterlife? Sounds pretty cool. Secondly, effed up characters and situations that make you laugh? Finally, even though there seems to be issues, they don’t seem to interfere with your overall enjoyment. I think you’ve pretty much convinced me to give this one a try! Barb (boxermommyreads) recently posted: Weekly Reads (3/16/18) Kristen Burns 03/16/2018 at 1:34 PM Reply Oh yeah, this one does seem like it’d be your kinda book! The issues were there, but no, they didn’t seem to bother me much for some reason (once I got over the initial confusion of who the narrator was). I thought it was fun, hopefully you will too! Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy 03/16/2018 at 9:20 AM Reply This sounds hysterical! I do love weird westerns, although this one seems a bit all over the place. Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy recently posted: The Friday Face-Off: Dolls or Puppets Kristen Burns 03/17/2018 at 4:42 AM Reply It was a lot of fun, even if it did have a couple issues! Fran 03/16/2018 at 3:49 PM Reply I’ll admit this is not a book I would enjoy, but it does seem an interesting concept as I’ve never heard of paranormal western. Glad you are happy to continue with this! Fran recently posted: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo Kristen Burns 03/18/2018 at 3:22 AM Reply It turns out there are quite a few paranormal/fantasy westerns out there! I agree it’s an interesting concept. Thanks! Dani @ Perspective of a Writer 03/17/2018 at 1:43 AM Reply This is fascinating… You finished it too! I would find the problems you listed quite problematic for me but then again the things you loved like the vampire are quite intriguing! I think I will pass but it was certainly entertaining to read your review! <3 Dani @ Perspective of a Writer recently posted: Humor + History Collide! A fun, fun read… Kristen Burns 03/18/2018 at 3:23 AM Reply Idk, they just didn’t really bother me once I got past the initial confusion. And it was just so much overall! No worries, not every book is for every person. Thanks! Erica 03/17/2018 at 9:45 AM Reply What a creepy cover!!! Erica recently posted: [Audiobook Review] Bird Box by Josh Malerman, performed by Cassandra Campbell Kristen Burns 03/18/2018 at 10:48 PM Reply Now that you point it out, it’s weird that the cover is so creepy since the book really isn’t lol. Erica 03/19/2018 at 6:41 AM Reply Oh! Interesting!! haha Erica recently posted: [Book Review] Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson Kristen Burns 03/19/2018 at 2:41 PM Reply Yep, the book is more fun than creepy! Olivia Roach 03/17/2018 at 12:05 PM Reply I have been reading a lot of non-fiction lately that actually isn’t required for my course which is weird because I used to stay far away from that genre! I really love the setting of the Old West as well! It sounds like this one needed a bit more guidance though, like a strong center character or plot… Olivia Roach recently posted: Broken Moon [Book Review] Karen 03/17/2018 at 4:23 PM Reply Westerns are iffy for me. I need really interesting characters or else the setting doesn’t capture my attention enough. I’ve read a few mash ups and that certainly helps me lol Karen @ For What It’s Worth Karen recently posted: tell me something tuesday Kristen Burns 03/18/2018 at 3:46 AM Reply I mean, the setting alone isn’t enough for me either, but the Old West as a setting is something that attracts my attention and makes me more interested. Mash-ups are great for those iffy genres! verushka 03/18/2018 at 1:31 AM Reply Your recommendation line made me smile! It certainly is an apt description of this very quirky book! verushka recently posted: Red Sparrow Movie Review Kristen Burns 03/18/2018 at 10:56 PM Reply It is a pretty apt description! Lol. Lola 03/18/2018 at 4:09 PM Reply That does sound confusing how there wasn’t a protagonist, so that makes me curious how the book made that works so well. That can bother me sometimes when the plot seems to have no direction, but it seems to work here. You’re making me a bit curious about how this book handles those things that often would be annoying or bother you in books, but not here. The setting does sound interesting, although I haven’t read many Old West books. I remember one paranormal/ghost book that had an old west vibe and a great twist and ofcourse the tv series Firefly has that western feel. Now I feel bad for that vampire, that sounds the worst to be hungry all the time. i always get grumpy when i am really hungry. Sounds like a sad way to spend his afterlife. I can definitely understand hwy he hisses at people then. Ms Parker does sound likeable and that sounds neat how she handles her own and survives in that town. Great review! Lola recently posted: Sunday Post #274 Kristen Burns 03/19/2018 at 2:45 AM Reply The protag thing confused me at first because I didn’t know whose POV it was since it wasn’t the guy mentioned in the blurb. But once I figured it out, I was able to just roll with it. He was a person in the town, but he was kind of omniscient. The setting was fun though! Right?! I feel bad for him too, hungry all the time! I don’t blame him for hissing at people lol. Ms. Parker was great too :-) Thanks! Daniela Ark 03/20/2018 at 12:24 PM Reply oh wow you have been in an old west mood lately huh? Even though I’m very intrigued by the concept of a paranormal western afterlife the lack of plot would kill me! Daniela Ark recently posted: 13 awesome female characters that defy gender roles and stereotypes Kristen Burns 03/20/2018 at 2:51 PM Reply I have! Although I actually read this one last year lol.
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Hi! I’m Kristen, a twenty-something who loves reading, writing, and rambling. (I also love pomegranates, The Sims, nighttime, gymnastics, circus, and the color red, but that kinda kills the alliteration.) Stick around for book reviews, discussions about reading, and other random bookish things. I look forward to getting to know my fellow book lovers!!
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Book Review: DAWN IN DAMNATION by Clark Casey
Lemme give you the premise first: Damnation is a town where dead cowboys go, and other people, too, folks who weren’t good enough in life to earn a pass into Heaven but weren’t so lousy that they go straight to Hell, either. It’s a sort of purgatory, where the streets are always dusty, it is always dusk, if you get shot a second time you DO go straight to hell but if you can abstain from killing anyone for a year you get to go to Heaven. At least those are the theories. No one has ever made it a year, to test that one about going to Heaven. And rather than dusk, it might just be predawn. No one in damnation really knows. Oh, and there’s a pack of werewolves there. And one ornery vampire. And a pregnant woman who drowned herself, but strangely enough is still pregnant when she comes to Damnation. Pregnant with the only living soul in the entire realm–and the only source of fresh, living blood.
Remember those old FAR SIDE comic strips collectively labeled “Trouble Brewin'”? Yep. There’s a recipe for some serious trouble, right there.
I’m always skittish when I receive a new work to review. More often than not, the manuscript ends up not being to my tastes–in blunter terms, it sucks–and as I owe it to my readers to be honest, I have to give it a bad review. I feel bad, though. I know how much work goes into writing a book. I’ve even had people, after I gave their book a lousy or lukewarm review, send me nasty emails in reply, or else try to make me feel guilty by telling me all their travails in life, and how getting a book published was their one dream, the one thing they lived for, and how could I be so heartless?!?! So yeah, I’m nervous when I start reading a new book for review purposes. If I end up liking the book in question, it’s a pleasant surprise. Never before, though, have I been sent a book to review that I absolutely LOVED.
Never, that is, until now.
Friends, get yourselves a copy of DAWN IN DAMNATION by Clark Casey. It works as a Thriller, it serves as a proper Horror fable, it’s a nifty mystery of sorts, and it is bitingly funny. I would say that it constitutes a literary rarity in that it is written from the “second person” perspective. The narrator, the town of Damnation’s sole newspaperman, is hardly the main character. That would be either Buddy, the lovable dead gunfighter, or Nigel the temperamental but ultimately goodhearted vampire. All the characters are a hoot, though, and Casey manages to capture the standard “cowboy” mode of speech perfectly without it becoming distracting or annoying.
DAWN IN DAMNATION kept me up too late reading a couple of nights in a row. I thoroughly enjoyed it–and, for what it’s worth, I’m really picky where such fare is concerned. My only complaint is that the story ends on something of a cliffhanger–but that only means there will be a sequel forthcoming, which is something to celebrate. I give this one two enthusiastic thumbs up. It’s just plain FUN.
The Evil Cheezman
WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS (www.evilcheezproductions.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/evilcheezproductions), specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763
MORTUI VELOCES SUNT!