The Shotgun Arcana (Golgotha Book 2) --by R. S. Belcher

 Fiction / Weird Western / Fantasy / Horror / One Heckuva Ride

Tor Books

October 7, 2014

ASIN: B00J6TWJAU

1507 KB

ISBN-10: ‎ 0765374587

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0765374585

400 pages

5 Stars

 

Boy Howdy! Am I ever glad I followed my hunch and read Six Gun Tarot (Book 1) first. I actually read this book 4^th. I truly encourage you to read Book 1 first, as the groundwork is laid for the others. Once you’ve read Six Gun Tarot, I don’t think the order matters too much, though if read out of order you’ll entertain yourself with some mental gymnastics over the characters. Nothing serious. But read Book 1 First.

 

Mr. Belcher has created one of the most fun universes ever with the Golgotha books. If you like a pinch (ok, a quart) of weird thrown into your books, check this series out. Buy all the books, head to your favorite hotel for a weekend of binging. Use room service. Take with you as you sit in the hot tub, and for heaven’s sake, turn your phone off! Leave a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, and a gift certificate for pizza on the counter if you have family at home. Don’t forget to turn off your phone!

 

I am collecting the hard copy books. Yes, I will pack them around if I move. They are that good. Anne Bishop and Patricia Briggs, there is a new kid on the bookshelf, skootch over a bit and welcome him to the family. 

 

Six Gun Tarot

Shotgun Arcana --you're already here, do you really need a link?

Queen of Swords

Ghost Dance Judgement

The Queen of Swords (Golgotha Book 3) --by R. S., Belcher

 Fiction / Weird West/Horror/Twisted/Historical/A Heckuva Ride

Tor Books

June 27, 2017

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765390094

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765390097

368 pages

5 Stars

 

These books are stand-alone in a series, but I strongly urge you to read Six Tun Tarot (Book 1) first. Then you can read the books in any order. Six Gun Tarot gives the foundation on which this series is written. Since book 3 came at the same time as book one, I read it next.

 

This story is told in two separate timelines. The earlier one, in the 1720s tells us about the infamous pirate queen, Anne Bonney. Miss Bonney is a force to be reckoned with as the escapes the gallows, delivers a son, and searches for the lost city of bones somewhere in northern Africa.

 

One hundred fifty years later, in 1870 Anne’s great-great-great-granddaughter, Maude Stapleton, is a widow who is raising her daughter alone, until Maude’s father interferes, and takes the daughter from Maude and from Golgotha to raise her as a proper young lady and marry her off to the landed gentry of South Carolina. Alas, Maude’s dander is up. She needs to get her daughter back, her inheritance back, and deal with the Sons of Typhon all at the same time. 

 

Her father obviously never understood, perhaps never heard, the adage about Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned, let alone the advice to never get between a mama bear and her cub.  Especially when that woman, that bear, is named Maude Stapleton!

Six Gun Tarot (Golgotha Book 1) --R. S. Belcher

 Fiction / Western/Horror/Twisted/A Heckuva Ride

Tor Fantasy; Reissue

March 25, 2014

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765367513

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765367518

480 pages

5 Stars

 

I was given Ghost Dance Judgement by a friend. Now, I’ve read enough fantasy series in my life that I don’t have much of a problem coming in at the middle or end of a series figuring out what’s gone on before. And I didn’t have that problem with Ghost, either. However, after reading the first 20 or so pages, I realized this universe, this world, deserved to be started at the beginning, so I stopped, and ordered books 1, 2, 3. I am so glad I did.

 

Mr. Belcher has built a marvelous universe, in 1869 Nevada, and slightly earlier South Carolina. When I can put the books down long enough to go find my tarot cards and book, I will look the chapter headings up, in the meantime, I’m just reading. By starting at the beginning, I have a good background to read the other books. I’m already reading 3 (still waiting for 2 to arrive)

 

Golgotha kind of reminds me of Sanctuary of Thieves’ World (Robert Lynn Aspirin). Everyone is welcome as long as they can abide by the rules of keeping their nose out of other people’s business. Yeah. Right. Jim is a nice young man who killed a couple of guys back east and has come west to find a job with the railroad. He’s really a tenderfoot, and he and his faithful horse try to cross the 40-mile desert with no supplies. He’s rescued by a half-breed Indian/coyote called Mutt. The Sherriff is a dead man walking. It isn’t his time to die yet. Down in a cave are the golden tablets for the Mormons, and in an old silver mine an Olde Wurm (the original bad dude/thing/evil awakens and plans on eating every living thing on the planet, as well as the stars, etc. Unless, of course, our intrepid heroes can stop him.

 

Saddle up, Buckaroo, it’s one heckuva ride. Yes, there is a bit of gruesome, but I wouldn’t call it nightmare inducing. I don’t like horror because it gives me nightmares, and I read this book at night, just before turning my light out. Mostly I chuckled through the book.