Where the Daybreak Ends

First came The Demon Of Devil's Canyon. Then, Noose. And, with this third book, Brennan LaFaro has cemented himself in the western horror genre.

These terrifying stories from Buzzard's Edge link characters from his previous books and expands this fantastic world he's created. It's filled with horrific creatures, bad man, even badder women at times, and all the wild west vibes you could want.

In this book, a man named Josiah is wandering the desert, hatchet in hand, and dying of hunger and thirst. He comes upon a small oasis and is met with a talking coyote and vulture.

These creatures have stories to tell about a town called Buzzard's Edge. A town which materialises from the sand as they speak. And in these stories, unimaginable terrors await. Vampires, monsterous man eating cave monsters, murderers, serial killers, and more.

But Josiah has secrets of his own. When these things come to light, he realizes he's been chosen for something sinister.

This is just a great western horror books. The series as a whole needs to be read by more people in my opinion. I think it's absolutely brilliant. It combines the wild west with not only terrifying situations but with heart as well. Rory and Alice are two of my favorite characters in this genre and I hope we'll hear more from them in the future. I highly recommend this and the rest of the series.

Instantly fell in love with the cover of this collection of short stories in the world of Buzzards Edge.

As soon as I started reading this collection of short stories I was hooked, especially with the way they were narrated as though campfire tales but more of a mythos especially considering the two unlikely narrators.

They built up a past/present/future history of this place set in the blazing desert and just recently been found by (revealed to?) Josiah Dennis after trekking for a while with no food or water, just a bloody hatchet for company…

The collection is woven around the story of Josiah Dennis and his bloody hatchet, each as goos as the next and nothing really letting the collection down. Full of monsters both supernatural and human, they weave a bloody tale of life and death on this frontier between night and day.

I think two of my favourites were ‘Trade Secrets’ and ‘Holes’, both dealing with lawmen and their ways, and the darkness that they hold.

Eventually going to have to find the rest of Brennan’s works that are set in Buzzard’s Edge.

I received this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is how a short story collection should be done. Every story stands on its own and is interesting. All of the stories are different and dynamic enough that you don't feel like ideas are being rehashed. You could absolutely jump around to the stories that look most interesting to you, but there is a central thread that pulls it all together. For that reason, you should read this one front to back. If you have read Noose and The Demon of Devil's Cavern, there are some treats in here for you. Specifically, I was saddened by the background of the couple who built the cabin in The Demon of Devil's Cavern. I was also shocked to find out the background of Thad Locke. I can't give a greater compliment than to say this collection feels like being told the oral history of Buzzard's Edge while eating canned beans around a campfire in the middle of a desert.

I'm intrigued by Western horror but have yet to find one that I like. This one blew me away. I haven't read the any of the book series this derived from (though I'll definitely be checking it out) and still enjoyed every story in this collection.

These short tales are well written with great characters and excellent atmosphere. Monsters of all kinds and the bloody hatchet of Josiah Dennis.

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to Buzzard’s Edge we go, with a collection of stories old and new that show just how weird this little frontier town is. And once again, I’m entirely here for it.

I love Brennan’s own logic within his worldbuilding, as the laws of nature twist when the sun goes down or some unforeseen boundary is crossed, leaving those facing their monsters to fight or fall. His writing is so skilful that even if the reader has only just met these characters a few pages ago, we’re rooting for them and trying to figure out what they can do to survive - if that’s even the best option.

I also appreciate that these are Westerns told with a nod to modern sensibility. Yes, society’s morals and values were different in those times, but the mix of black and white, male and female, able-bodied and crippled, coloniser and native are all drawn sensitively, as humans making their way in a very lethal environment. If you’ve read the other books in this series, even the truly villainous have their motivations - everybody feels real in a world where the unknown simply needs to be dealt with.

These are campfire tales with bite. Bring something to defend yourself with, maybe a bit of strong liquor, and settle down to enjoy.