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    A Rope of Thorns
    A Rope of Thorns
    A Rope of Thorns
    Ebook426 pages6 hours

    A Rope of Thorns

    By Gemma Files

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    The second book in the “top-notch horror-fantasy saga,” following A Book of Tongues, is “a spectacular blend of Aztec religion and Western gunslinging (Publishers Weekly).
     
    Welcome to Hex City. Population: magicians. Thanks to hexslinger “Reverend” Asher Rook, sorcerers now have a sanctuary where they can live and work in peace. But a storm is coming—a tempest known as Chess Pargeter.
     
    Infuriated by his former lover Rook’s betrayal and sacrificed in the name of the Mayan goddess who is Rook’s current consort, Chess leaves a trail of death and destruction in his wake. Caught up in Chess’s crusade is Pinkerton-agent-turned-outlaw Ed Morrow and a young woman spiritualist. But there are more than Chess’s own demons to be reckoned with, including a resurrected lawman with a bone to pick—and a final judgment to deliver . . .
     
    “Paints a stark, vivid, and gory picture of the ‘wild west’ in the years following the Civil War . . . Files’s latest is not for the squeamish but should delight fans of gothic Western fantasy and Central American myths.” —Library Journal
     
    “Files’ prose remains a delight to read, the cadence of her sentences captures the wild west setting perfectly, and the images she paints are a fascinating mix of frontier practicality and magic bred surrealism.” —The Turned Brain
     
    Praise for A Book of Tongues
     
    “Boundary-busting horror–fantasy . . . This promising debut fully delivers both sizzling passions and dark chills.” —Publishers Weekly
     
    “Ridiculously vivid . . . A magic-riddled, horror-strewn West with hexes running around wrecking reality and a spectrum of queer characters.” —Tor.com
     
    “Truly one-of-a-kind: violent, carnal and creepy.” —Fangoria
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Media
    Release dateOct 13, 2020
    ISBN9781504063661
    A Rope of Thorns
    Author

    Gemma Files

    Gemma Files, a former film critic, journalist, screenwriter, and teacher, has been an award-winning horror author since 1999. She has published two collections of short work; two chapbooks of speculative poetry; the “weird western” Hexslinger Series; a story-cycle; and the standalone novel Experimental Film, which won the 2016 Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel and the 2016 Sunburst Award for Best Adult Novel. Files also has several story collections and a collection of poetry forthcoming.

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    • 5/5
      Book Info: Genre: Weird Western/Supernatural Horror/SteampunkReading Level: AdultRecommended for: Fans of Weird West, horror, those interested in Meso-American religious practicesTrigger Warnings for Book 2: killing, murder, discussion of mass suicides, human sacrifice , m/m sex, obscenity, profanity, blasphemy, self-injury, non PC languageAnimal Injuries: several horses are killed during a meleeMy Thoughts on Book 2: Chess Pargeter has quite a mouth on him. I would love to share some of the creative swearing, but alas, Amazon doesn't like us to use that sort of language. One of the things I like best about these books is the character development. The author creates characters that you love, or love to hate, with depth and quirks. A few of my favorites from this book include Three-Finger Hank and Yiska, as well as Yancey.This book is set just after the Civil war, so in order to maintain realism, there is language used that many people might find offensive in a modern context. However, one needs to realize that this is how people spoke then, and it is not meant in a pejorative way.I'm fascinated by the MesoAmerican mythology being brought to life here. The descriptions of things are so beautiful, but then the actual thing being described is horrible. It was not a kind, gentle society, that much is sure, and the gods are some of the most bloodthirsty the world around.The author describes this as black magic gay porn horse opera. This is fairly accurate, although to be fair there is much less sex in this second book than was in the first. If you enjoy that sort of story, and/or are interested in MesoAmerican culture, be sure to check this series out.Synopsis: You must let blood to get blood. Arizona, 1867. As consort to resurrected Mayan goddess Ixchel, hexslinger "Reverend" Asher Rook* has founded "Hex City"—the first place in all of human history where magicians can live and work together safely. But this tenuous peace is is threatened by the approach of Rook's former lover, Chess Pargeter, bent on revenge over Rook's betrayal, as he kills his way toward the very same spot, dragging Pinkerton agent-turned-outlaw Ed Morrow along with him. Because Chess, sacrificed in Ixchel's name, has become far more than just a hex: his very presence has torn a crack in the world, remaking everything around him. And as the cycle of Chess's power approaches its climax, Chess, Morrow, and a young spiritualist named Yancey Colder—caught up in Chess's vendetta—will all have to shed yet more blood as they face down his mysterious patron demon, known only as the Enemy... along with every other enemy Chess has already made along the way.
    • 4/5
      A Rope of Thorns is book two in a trilogy, so if you don't want any spoilers, I suggest you stop reading and go devour A Book of Tongues first.Book two has Reverend Rook and his Lady Ixchel constructing "Hex City," built on blood and carnage, but also the only place where hexes can live in peace with one another. Meanwhile, Chess, the red-headed little man of grit and violence, barely in control of his new abilities, seeks his revenge against his former lover, Rook, while avoiding the attacks of angry hexes, Pinkerton agents, and other darker creatures, with Ed Morrow along for the ride. As the middle book in the trilogy, A Rope of Thorns widens the the scope of the story, interweaving new characters and plotlines into Gemma Files' vision of a blood soaked west. As always, violence follows Chess wherever he goes, as well as a strange new red weed that is spreading through the desert in the wake of his footsteps. But Chess has changed. He still laughs at the world and it's brutal misery, but his laughter is more bitter and without glee. The unfolding of Chess's character that began in the first book, continues in the second. His layers are stripped away and the profoundly human that lays at his core is unveiled. I'd be madly in love with him, if it weren't for the fact that he is fictional, gay, and unlikely to take my affection kindly. The addition of Yancey Colder into the story is wonderfully refreshing. She's a spiritualist with her own unique power and is drawn into Chess's circle of violence. She's a strong female character, one who knows how to act quickly and smartly in the face of threat, and who manages not to be crushed under the weight of disaster that transpires. Morrow, too. I find I'm even more fond of him in this book, because for all that happens, he stays loyal and true to his friend, Chess. He's a good brave man, who knows that justice isn't always what's written down in legislature books.Most every one is given a wider breadth in this one, though the Gods that are playing board games with the world remain somewhat one-dimensional. Though, as they are far from human, I suppose that's to be expected. Like the first book, there's plenty of sex and gore in gripping, graphic detail, and the story moves along at a fast pace. I'm looking forward to reading the final book, A Tree of Bones. Based on the ending of book two, I can't even imagine the carnage that's going to take place then.

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    A Rope of Thorns - Gemma Files

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