R.S. Belcher

Actual rating 3.5
As a dark fantasy with dribbling's of cosmic horror western, the Six-Gun Tarot delivers on its primary aesthetic/style fairly well: the evil is brooding and just out of view for much of the narrative, the magic is mysterious and 'soft', feeling ritualistic and folklore, and it feels like a western setting, from the dryness and heat, to the doctors and the silver-rush vibes.
Jim as the main character is enjoyable and mystery of his history (well teased and fed in tidbits throughout the narrative) is interesting, but the book sometimes suffers in the backstories of its other characters. (I found Maude's history largely unnecessary and boring, amounting to little more than a training montage. There is some relevance for the climax, but that has less to do with Maude and more of an item.) The celestial aspect/backstory of the book is also something (in retrospect) that I think diminished the narrative, it (initially) had nothing to do with the modern characters and events and (like Maude's backstory) is one of the few instances where telling is actually better than showing. (I.E a lot of additional time is required of the reader to read these backstories, to acquire information that could far more easily be conveyed in a paragraph of dialogue or exposition. The primary flaw here being that the additional time didn't enrichen the information or context, add stakes, conflicts, or relationships. Especially in contrast to Jim's history, which is rife with interpersonal relationships that define his current actions and situation, moral conflict and punishments, and elements of mystery that tease the reader.)
Aside from some of the backstory, the plot progresses at a nice pace but does eventually rely on zombies significantly for the climax (I consider zombies largely boring.) The tinges of cosmic horror are far more enjoyable.
The prose is solid but nothing special.… (more)

FROM AMAZON: 1720. Escaping the gallows, Anne Bonney, the infamous pirate queen, sets sail in search of a fabulous treasure said to behiding in a lost city of bones somewhere in the heart of Africa. But what she finds is a destiny she never expected . . . .

1870. Maude Stapleton is a respectable widow raising a daughter on her own. Few know, however, that Maude belongs to an ancient order of assassins, the Daughters of Lilith, and heir to the legacy of Anne Bonney, whose swashbuckling exploits blazed a trail that Maude must now follow―if she ever wants to see her kidnapped daughter again!

Searching for her missing child, come hell or high water, Maude finds herself caught in the middle of a secret war between the Daughters of Lilith and their ancestral enemies, the monstrous Sons of Typhon, inhuman creatures spawned by primordial darkness, she embarks on a perilous voyage that will ultimately lead her to the long-lost secret of Anne Bonney―and the Father of All Monsters.… (more)