Bloodletting

By: J.R. Curtis

Narrated by: John Gladden

Caught in a blizzard, a handcart company desperately needs help, food, and supplies. They will send ahead three men to seek assistance at an old army fort, only to discover that the fort is not only abandoned, but also locked from the inside.

Through an unfortunate accident, one of the men becomes injured, requiring them to stay at the old fort. Over time, they will piece together the horrendous history of this place and discover that all is not as it appears to be.

©2021, 2022 Joshua George Olsen (P)2022 Joshua George Olsen

3.5 stars

I liked this fine. it held my attention. The narration was pretty good for this type of book. Some horror western books have weak narration. Is this a classic? Nope. But again, it held my attention and I did want to read all the way to the end. I felt like it did miss a few opportunities and was a bit predictable.

wild story

finished in one sitting, really enjoyed this period piece with a horror twist, would definitely recommend

wonderful, chilling story

I went in knowing nothing, just that I had scored a free copy from the author. well... imagine my shock to find we're starting off on a trek across America in a wagon and no food or supplies, and narrated by a very western accent. this book was good. I'm not good at descriptions, but man... I'm sure had I read it in my bed curled up or next to a fire, either during winter, it would have only enhanced the feeling, tone, mood that was so well dictated. I could put myself in that frozen, isolated, Fort afraid for myself and friends, wind howling, creatures coming. it put me right there. I'd never read a western, much less a western horror, but I quite liked this a lot. I appreciate the epilogue as well, fine work.

A dark and compelling story

I'm not usually a fan of Western. but this book had just enough intrigue and slight horror to keep my interest. Great start looking forward to more books from this author.

Western horror!

I received an Audible code for a review copy of J. R. Curtis’s book Bloodletting from the author last week. He offered review codes in one of my favorite book groups on Facebook and I happily requested one. I looked up the kindle version, as I like to read along with audiobooks, and found that I already owned it. Good sign! I found the premise of this book interesting enough to have acquired it twice! And so I read my first western themed horror novel.

The story begins with the description of a handcart company starting their journey and getting caught in a blizzard. Winter is harsh, and the group is in desperate need of food and supplies. Three men take on the task of traveling ahead to an old army fort to find help. The journey is long and difficult, and they find themselves overcoming the obstacles of weather and hostiles to get to their destination. I won’t give away any spoilers, but I was on the edge of my seat as one thing after another attacked them. Poor Caleb…that kid just couldn’t get a break! The three travelers make it to their destination, only to find the fort completely empty. This is where the story goes from survival story to an otherworldly tale of horror. As the title implies, it is graphic and bloody.

Come to think of it, none of them can seem to catch a break. We learn all about each of their tragic backgrounds as they try to survive in the abandoned fort.

There is a lot I loved about this book. The whole concept of western horror scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. The writing is descriptive in a way that makes the reader really feel the cold, isolation, terror, and despair. There is nowhere for our travelers to run, and that feeling is conveyed effectively. The audiobook narration was really good. Slow enough that even though I increased the playback speed quite a bit, it didn’t sound like chipmunks. And the narrator had just the right voice for this type of story. It had that same atmospheric feel that I got from Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.

That said, I feel like this book could have benefited from a little more time in editing. It gets repetitive at times. The dialog feels unnatural. But overall, it’s a good book.

3.5 rounded up for star rating. I'll definitely be reading more of Curtis's work.