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Cora Oglesby #1
The Dead of Winter
Cora and her husband hunt things – things that shouldn’t exist.
When the marshal of Leadville, Colorado, comes across a pair of mysterious deaths, he turns to Cora to find the creature responsible. But if Cora is to overcome the unnatural tide threatening to consume the small town, she must first confront her own tragic past as well as her present.
When the marshal of Leadville, Colorado, comes across a pair of mysterious deaths, he turns to Cora to find the creature responsible. But if Cora is to overcome the unnatural tide threatening to consume the small town, she must first confront her own tragic past as well as her present.
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Lee Collins
15 books54 followersHaving grown up in Colorado, Lee Collins is no stranger to mountains, pine trees, and unstable weather patterns. He remains, however, willfully ignorant of certain other Rocky Mountain delicacies. A job at his alma mater supports his writing, reading, and video game habits.
After receiving a degree in English, Lee remained in the dark with regard to all things publishing. This darkness continued unbroken for several years until he finished drafting his first novel, The Dead of Winter. Now faced with the unmitigated terror of marketing the manuscript to agents, he began failing spectacularly for nearly a year. His protagonist Cora Oglesby mocked him for his inadequacy, so he thrust her into the gauntlet of the Open Door Month at Angry Robot Books. Once there (and perhaps just to spite him), she rose to the challenge and did what he could not: secured a two-book deal.
He still lives in Colorado with his girlfriend and their imaginary corgi Fubsy Bumble.
After receiving a degree in English, Lee remained in the dark with regard to all things publishing. This darkness continued unbroken for several years until he finished drafting his first novel, The Dead of Winter. Now faced with the unmitigated terror of marketing the manuscript to agents, he began failing spectacularly for nearly a year. His protagonist Cora Oglesby mocked him for his inadequacy, so he thrust her into the gauntlet of the Open Door Month at Angry Robot Books. Once there (and perhaps just to spite him), she rose to the challenge and did what he could not: secured a two-book deal.
He still lives in Colorado with his girlfriend and their imaginary corgi Fubsy Bumble.
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February 19, 2013I need to try this not only because it sounds interesting. But because there is a fully clothed woman on the cover. I thought that was against the rules of paranormal covers these days.
October 26, 2014
I like stories that surprise me. The Dead of Winter surprised me. When Cora Oglesby and her husband, Ben, ride into Leadville, CO in the early 1880s I thought it was going to be another cowboys versus the supernatural story. It definitely started out that way.
Cora was the hard-drinking, hard-talking, tough-as-nails heroine who could take down the unnatural using a combination of lightning reflexes, an indomitable faith, and grit. She is the driver of the story and it was refreshing to read about a heroine who is, frankly, kind of a bad-ass. She is most definitely is not waiting for someone to rescue her. Ben, by contrast, was the more laid back, cerebral yin to her yang. The guy who talked Cora off of a ledge. The guy who did the research and the deep thinking that made the two of them such a dangerous pair of monster hunters. They rolled into town to help with a mysterious beast that was killing miners and townsfolk.
(Spoiler). It was only as the story went along that I realized that there was something wrong with Ben. It wasn't anything that I could put my finger on, but he was definitely 'off.' At first I wondered if he had 'red shirt' painted all over him. I read page after page of exploring dark, nasty places just waiting for him to bite it, but he rolled through one bad situation after another. I started wondering if maybe, just maybe, there was something sinister and dark about him. Then I found out the truth. It caught me off guard and I really, really like that.
The surprise made me appreciate the book and overlook some of its weaknesses. For example, the first half of the book is about tracking down a rogue Wendigo. It was entertaining and fun, but kind of disconnected from the second half of the book. The second half is about the confrontation of a master vampire and Cora's own past.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four on the strength of the story's unexpected twist.
Cora was the hard-drinking, hard-talking, tough-as-nails heroine who could take down the unnatural using a combination of lightning reflexes, an indomitable faith, and grit. She is the driver of the story and it was refreshing to read about a heroine who is, frankly, kind of a bad-ass. She is most definitely is not waiting for someone to rescue her. Ben, by contrast, was the more laid back, cerebral yin to her yang. The guy who talked Cora off of a ledge. The guy who did the research and the deep thinking that made the two of them such a dangerous pair of monster hunters. They rolled into town to help with a mysterious beast that was killing miners and townsfolk.
(Spoiler). It was only as the story went along that I realized that there was something wrong with Ben. It wasn't anything that I could put my finger on, but he was definitely 'off.' At first I wondered if he had 'red shirt' painted all over him. I read page after page of exploring dark, nasty places just waiting for him to bite it, but he rolled through one bad situation after another. I started wondering if maybe, just maybe, there was something sinister and dark about him. Then I found out the truth. It caught me off guard and I really, really like that.
The surprise made me appreciate the book and overlook some of its weaknesses. For example, the first half of the book is about tracking down a rogue Wendigo. It was entertaining and fun, but kind of disconnected from the second half of the book. The second half is about the confrontation of a master vampire and Cora's own past.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four on the strength of the story's unexpected twist.
November 27, 2012
What can I say???? Great book. This is a western, really. It makes no pretense at being anything else...well, I mean besides a fantasy. This is about "monster hunters" in the American west. And I like it. It does what it does rather well.
So, why 4 stars not 5? Well I have a couple of gripes. They are not huge gripes, some won't be bugged at all...some of you will disagree on at least one point. No biggie, nothing huge and definitely nothing that takes away from the book.
So...on to the novel. We start out with our intrepid monster hunters showing up in a small mining town where something has ripped apart a couple of the citizens. And it wasn't a wolf, or a lion, or a bear...it was something much worse.
So who are these monster hunters and what is their background? Well Cora and Ben are from the South. The war left them nothing and they drifted into bounty hunting, of an unusual type.
What kind of monsters are in the book???? Well read it and find out, sheesh do you want me to tell you everything? Hey, it's a good book don't look for spoilers.
Okay then what bugs me? Well, I had a lot of trouble warming up to Cora. She's a bit abrasive and has some other troubling character traits. But I liked her by the end of the book.
What else? Research! Mr. Collins, Colt introduced the first "swing out cylinder" revolver in 1889. That's I believe a bit later than this story and even if it wasn't the swing out cylinder revolver WAS NOT THE PEACEMAKER!!!!!!! Yes the Peacemaker was made by Colt, but it's cylinder did not swing out. You loaded it one cartridge at a time.
I know it won't bug anyone who doesn't know...but it will gnaw at those who do, really. Still not a deal breaker. I read a book some years ago where the author insisted on calling a Colt 1911(semiautomatic) a revolver. Oh well.
Finally...this one I'll have to put under a spoiler tag
Okay a few minor gripes, but very minor and I recommend this chunck of brain candy highly. Enjoy.
So, why 4 stars not 5? Well I have a couple of gripes. They are not huge gripes, some won't be bugged at all...some of you will disagree on at least one point. No biggie, nothing huge and definitely nothing that takes away from the book.
So...on to the novel. We start out with our intrepid monster hunters showing up in a small mining town where something has ripped apart a couple of the citizens. And it wasn't a wolf, or a lion, or a bear...it was something much worse.
So who are these monster hunters and what is their background? Well Cora and Ben are from the South. The war left them nothing and they drifted into bounty hunting, of an unusual type.
What kind of monsters are in the book???? Well read it and find out, sheesh do you want me to tell you everything? Hey, it's a good book don't look for spoilers.
Okay then what bugs me? Well, I had a lot of trouble warming up to Cora. She's a bit abrasive and has some other troubling character traits. But I liked her by the end of the book.
What else? Research! Mr. Collins, Colt introduced the first "swing out cylinder" revolver in 1889. That's I believe a bit later than this story and even if it wasn't the swing out cylinder revolver WAS NOT THE PEACEMAKER!!!!!!! Yes the Peacemaker was made by Colt, but it's cylinder did not swing out. You loaded it one cartridge at a time.
I know it won't bug anyone who doesn't know...but it will gnaw at those who do, really. Still not a deal breaker. I read a book some years ago where the author insisted on calling a Colt 1911(semiautomatic) a revolver. Oh well.
Finally...this one I'll have to put under a spoiler tag
Okay a few minor gripes, but very minor and I recommend this chunck of brain candy highly. Enjoy.
November 11, 2012
“How do you make vampires more original? You put them in the Western genre. Collins has created a stunning debut here that is sure to entertain.” ~The Founding Fields
So, The Dead of Winter. What a heck of an enjoyable read, and Angry Robot continue to impress me with another stellar debut. The storyline is unique and engaging, and it moves along at a brisk pace. This is the first novel in the Cora Oglesby series and it did not disappoint - I loved every second of it.
"Cora Ogelsby and her husband, Ben, hunt things – things that shouldn’t exist.
When the marshal of Leadville, Colorado, comes across a pair of mysterious, bloody deaths out in the badlands, he turns to Cora to find the creature responsible. But if she is to overcome the unnatural tide threatening to consume the small town, Cora must first confront her own tragic past."
Let’s start with discussing the characters. Cora and Ben are at the core of the novel and are the most developed characters here. Collins manages to make Cora a strong, lead character that is not one-dimensional, and he manages to have the novel lead a lasting effect on the characters involved, as well as the reader. An interesting choice by Collins was to make Cora and Ben a married couple, rather than a pair of lone assassins, which I found to add an interesting element to the story. With She Returns From War coming soon as the next book in this series, you can count me in as a reader of that for certain. I enjoyed almost everything about The Dead of Winter, to the extent that there’s only one thing that I had an issue with (which I’ll touch on later).
The book itself is essentially written in two halves, and the first of which deals with the introduction of Cora and what a normal job would be like for her, whilst the second kicks things into gear and after developing Cora as a strong character and allowing the reader to fully understand her as a character, we’re thrust headlong into the action in the second half, and Collins’ pace doesn’t relent. It’s action-packed, and written with confidence and very entertaining.
Read the Rest of the Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/11/....
So, The Dead of Winter. What a heck of an enjoyable read, and Angry Robot continue to impress me with another stellar debut. The storyline is unique and engaging, and it moves along at a brisk pace. This is the first novel in the Cora Oglesby series and it did not disappoint - I loved every second of it.
"Cora Ogelsby and her husband, Ben, hunt things – things that shouldn’t exist.
When the marshal of Leadville, Colorado, comes across a pair of mysterious, bloody deaths out in the badlands, he turns to Cora to find the creature responsible. But if she is to overcome the unnatural tide threatening to consume the small town, Cora must first confront her own tragic past."
Let’s start with discussing the characters. Cora and Ben are at the core of the novel and are the most developed characters here. Collins manages to make Cora a strong, lead character that is not one-dimensional, and he manages to have the novel lead a lasting effect on the characters involved, as well as the reader. An interesting choice by Collins was to make Cora and Ben a married couple, rather than a pair of lone assassins, which I found to add an interesting element to the story. With She Returns From War coming soon as the next book in this series, you can count me in as a reader of that for certain. I enjoyed almost everything about The Dead of Winter, to the extent that there’s only one thing that I had an issue with (which I’ll touch on later).
The book itself is essentially written in two halves, and the first of which deals with the introduction of Cora and what a normal job would be like for her, whilst the second kicks things into gear and after developing Cora as a strong character and allowing the reader to fully understand her as a character, we’re thrust headlong into the action in the second half, and Collins’ pace doesn’t relent. It’s action-packed, and written with confidence and very entertaining.
Read the Rest of the Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/11/....
August 16, 2023
I tried. I really tried. I cannot get into the story.
August 8, 2022
I really wanted to love The Dead of Winter (Cora Oglesby #1) by Lee Collins, but it never quite got there for me. I was hoping for something more along the lines in tone to Supernatural. This wasn't bad in the least, it just wasn't as great as it could have been. I'm not sure if I'll be back for the second book or not. I do really love Chris McGrath's cover art style, though.
June 4, 2021
DEAD OF WINTER by Lee Collins is one of the latest books I've read on my Weird West kick. I've always been a fan of the genre and even wrote my Cthulhu Armageddon books with the theme but am not as sufficiently versed in the subject as I want to be. This came highly recommended and I immediately tore into it when I got my copy. It is an extremely readable novel and that's something I always like to bring up. Like Blood Riders by Michael Spradlin, I really loved entering the world and spending time with its characters.
The premise is that Cora Oglesby is a Southern woman who hunts vampires with her husband Ben. The two of them ostensibly work for the Catholic Church, though Cora is the kind of hard-drinking hard-fighting woman who is decidedly not the type you'd think would be employed by such. Finding herself in the town of Leadville, Colorado, she soon finds herself on the trail of a cannibalistic monster that she manages to dispatch only to find herself engaged with an even bigger threat.
I like the character and really enjoyed her constantly getting in the face of the locals. Unfortunately, one issue I had is the fact Cora is one of those mythical Confederate citizens who blame the Yankees for their "savagery" while also not being racist themselves. Everytime she tried to play her past for sympathy, I rolled my eyes as I've had enough Lost Cause apologia to last a lifetime. I liked her less and less every time she tried to pretend that the South wasn't the bad guys.
The villains are also a bit lacking due to the fact that they are all motivated by EVIL and don't have much of a personality. That's fine for our monster-hunting story, though, and I liked the Wendigo especially. The fact Cora has no idea what the monster is and how to kill it is something that added a level of believability to the Wild West shenanigans.
I'd be remiss if I also didn't mention this is one of those books that relies on a BIG TWIST that changes everything. I won't spoil the BIG TWIST but I am going to note that there is one. I'm of mixed feelings about it because it is never explained to be either supernatural or mundane. If mundane, it would be something that doesn't correspond much to reality but is still an interesting way of forcing you to interpret previous events in a new light. Sadly, it also spoils something that I'd been enjoying about the book in a completely drama free protagonist relationship.
Generally, if you like the idea of a couple of monster hunters coming to a small town (even though Leadville, CL was actually anything but at this point in time) to hunt evil then getting involved in some nasty business with a master vampire then this will be your kind of book. Cora is a great character and I wish I didn't find her opinion about the Civil War so repelant. Still, this is definitely something I enjoyed. The twist is something I have mixed feelings on, as stated, but I appreciate the author trying something new.
The premise is that Cora Oglesby is a Southern woman who hunts vampires with her husband Ben. The two of them ostensibly work for the Catholic Church, though Cora is the kind of hard-drinking hard-fighting woman who is decidedly not the type you'd think would be employed by such. Finding herself in the town of Leadville, Colorado, she soon finds herself on the trail of a cannibalistic monster that she manages to dispatch only to find herself engaged with an even bigger threat.
I like the character and really enjoyed her constantly getting in the face of the locals. Unfortunately, one issue I had is the fact Cora is one of those mythical Confederate citizens who blame the Yankees for their "savagery" while also not being racist themselves. Everytime she tried to play her past for sympathy, I rolled my eyes as I've had enough Lost Cause apologia to last a lifetime. I liked her less and less every time she tried to pretend that the South wasn't the bad guys.
The villains are also a bit lacking due to the fact that they are all motivated by EVIL and don't have much of a personality. That's fine for our monster-hunting story, though, and I liked the Wendigo especially. The fact Cora has no idea what the monster is and how to kill it is something that added a level of believability to the Wild West shenanigans.
I'd be remiss if I also didn't mention this is one of those books that relies on a BIG TWIST that changes everything. I won't spoil the BIG TWIST but I am going to note that there is one. I'm of mixed feelings about it because it is never explained to be either supernatural or mundane. If mundane, it would be something that doesn't correspond much to reality but is still an interesting way of forcing you to interpret previous events in a new light. Sadly, it also spoils something that I'd been enjoying about the book in a completely drama free protagonist relationship.
Generally, if you like the idea of a couple of monster hunters coming to a small town (even though Leadville, CL was actually anything but at this point in time) to hunt evil then getting involved in some nasty business with a master vampire then this will be your kind of book. Cora is a great character and I wish I didn't find her opinion about the Civil War so repelant. Still, this is definitely something I enjoyed. The twist is something I have mixed feelings on, as stated, but I appreciate the author trying something new.
July 18, 2013
http://www.rantingdragon.com/review-o...
The Dead of Winter is the début novel by American author Lee Collins, and billed as "True Grit meets True Blood," it's a paranormal western action mystery (I know right!?). It pits the investigating gunfighters Cora and her husband Ben Oglesby against vampires and other supernatural enemies in the silver mining town of Leadville, Colorado.
Certainly a novel concept
It seems so tempting these days to slap the suffix "-punk" onto every genre that already exists. It seems especially common when we get to the Old West: that desire to start gluing gears onto every flat surface and making giant robotic contraptions to menace everybody. So it's actually quite refreshing to see a western that is just a western. Sure, there might be vampires and hellhounds alongside the more usual bandits and sheriffs, but the supernatural elements are a lot easier to wrap your head around when you aren't also trying to deal with technology that is both a lot more complicated and too advanced for the era. There's just something visceral and wonderful about matching a Colt .45 against a vampire.
Collins' integration of the supernatural elements of the story is also fabulously well done. The reason legends like these exist in the first place is that scientific understanding of the past wasn't advanced enough to explain what we've later discovered to be natural phenomena. What we now deride as foolish parochial superstition was perfectly reasonable and logical to people of earlier times. It was not a large suspension of disbelief at all to go from, "People didn't know any better, so they thought a dog with some phosphorous on it was a hellhound" to, "It's actually a hellhound, it's just nobody hangs around or lives long enough to know that's what it is."
Introducing Cora Oglesby
The protagonist of this tale is one Cora Oglesby, a sass-talking, whisky-drinking, ass-kicking hunter. In this age of fantasy, covers featuring lower back tattoos, bare midriffs, and increasingly awkward poses, Cora's appearance on the cover of The Dead of Winter was a breath of fresh air. Cowboy boots, Buffalo leather trench-coat, checkered flannel shirt, rifle slung over one shoulder, and rosary clenched in her other fist. Fantastic stuff. She is actually dressed for the work she plans to do, which she does with skill and determination because this is what she's chosen to do.
I'm brought to mind of some combination of all three of the main characters from the Western classic The Good, The Bad and the Ugly alongside Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. From Sergio Leone, Cora gets Clint Eastwood's dedication to doing the right thing. She is religious, and she feels ridding the world of the forces of darkness is doing God's work. We also see some of Lee Van Cleef's interest in the pay. Cora really doesn't care too much about the people in the town of Leadville. She's offering her help for a fair price, and if they don't want to listen to her, they can go hang. From Eli Wallach, she picks up a certain element of the outlaw. She's a vigilante, and the law doesn't much appreciate her swooping into town, guns blazing, causing trouble. From Whedon's vampire slayer, aside from the vampire slaying, you start to get the feeling that Cora has been called to this work. It feels like it's some degree of destiny for her since she seems to find herself involved in the supernatural whether she wants to or not.
Why should you read this book?
I really enjoyed this book. Collins has a really gritty style that makes it feel like a western. The dialogue is in the vernacular, but not so far that you have trouble understanding it. The pacing is absolutely perfect, and it doesn't miss a beat throughout. The action is definitely straight out of the Spaghetti Westerns. All of these great pause moments where the characters eye each other across the square, then a sudden flurry of action, and the dust settles. Brilliant.
If westerns have ever seemed too boring or dull for you, this is about as unlike that as you can get while still wearing spurs on your boots. If you enjoy westerns but want to dabble in fantasy, you won't be disappointed either.
The Dead of Winter is the début novel by American author Lee Collins, and billed as "True Grit meets True Blood," it's a paranormal western action mystery (I know right!?). It pits the investigating gunfighters Cora and her husband Ben Oglesby against vampires and other supernatural enemies in the silver mining town of Leadville, Colorado.
Certainly a novel concept
It seems so tempting these days to slap the suffix "-punk" onto every genre that already exists. It seems especially common when we get to the Old West: that desire to start gluing gears onto every flat surface and making giant robotic contraptions to menace everybody. So it's actually quite refreshing to see a western that is just a western. Sure, there might be vampires and hellhounds alongside the more usual bandits and sheriffs, but the supernatural elements are a lot easier to wrap your head around when you aren't also trying to deal with technology that is both a lot more complicated and too advanced for the era. There's just something visceral and wonderful about matching a Colt .45 against a vampire.
Collins' integration of the supernatural elements of the story is also fabulously well done. The reason legends like these exist in the first place is that scientific understanding of the past wasn't advanced enough to explain what we've later discovered to be natural phenomena. What we now deride as foolish parochial superstition was perfectly reasonable and logical to people of earlier times. It was not a large suspension of disbelief at all to go from, "People didn't know any better, so they thought a dog with some phosphorous on it was a hellhound" to, "It's actually a hellhound, it's just nobody hangs around or lives long enough to know that's what it is."
Introducing Cora Oglesby
The protagonist of this tale is one Cora Oglesby, a sass-talking, whisky-drinking, ass-kicking hunter. In this age of fantasy, covers featuring lower back tattoos, bare midriffs, and increasingly awkward poses, Cora's appearance on the cover of The Dead of Winter was a breath of fresh air. Cowboy boots, Buffalo leather trench-coat, checkered flannel shirt, rifle slung over one shoulder, and rosary clenched in her other fist. Fantastic stuff. She is actually dressed for the work she plans to do, which she does with skill and determination because this is what she's chosen to do.
I'm brought to mind of some combination of all three of the main characters from the Western classic The Good, The Bad and the Ugly alongside Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. From Sergio Leone, Cora gets Clint Eastwood's dedication to doing the right thing. She is religious, and she feels ridding the world of the forces of darkness is doing God's work. We also see some of Lee Van Cleef's interest in the pay. Cora really doesn't care too much about the people in the town of Leadville. She's offering her help for a fair price, and if they don't want to listen to her, they can go hang. From Eli Wallach, she picks up a certain element of the outlaw. She's a vigilante, and the law doesn't much appreciate her swooping into town, guns blazing, causing trouble. From Whedon's vampire slayer, aside from the vampire slaying, you start to get the feeling that Cora has been called to this work. It feels like it's some degree of destiny for her since she seems to find herself involved in the supernatural whether she wants to or not.
Why should you read this book?
I really enjoyed this book. Collins has a really gritty style that makes it feel like a western. The dialogue is in the vernacular, but not so far that you have trouble understanding it. The pacing is absolutely perfect, and it doesn't miss a beat throughout. The action is definitely straight out of the Spaghetti Westerns. All of these great pause moments where the characters eye each other across the square, then a sudden flurry of action, and the dust settles. Brilliant.
If westerns have ever seemed too boring or dull for you, this is about as unlike that as you can get while still wearing spurs on your boots. If you enjoy westerns but want to dabble in fantasy, you won't be disappointed either.
September 25, 2012
The person who wrote the blurb on the back of this book should either be fired or given a raise. Do the people that write them actually read the book, or are they given a synopsis that they reword into something polished enough to go on the back of the finished item, but I digress.
I have to say that the writing for this story was quite well done, that the bones of the story was interesting. I enjoyed that part of it, it's just too bad that the characters ruined it.
I really couldn't find it in me to like the main character, she is mean spirited bitch to put it mildly. In the first few chapters of the book she aims to kill a crow with a rock for cawing at her, break a tree branch for having the nerve to brush up against her neck, and call the marshal that hired her Mr. Satan himself for calling her out for drunk and disorderly.
This leads me into the religious aspect of this book, I will not call it preachy per say but it came pretty close. That wouldn't have bothered me too much if Cora wasn't so much of a hypocrite. She gets shitfaced on whiskey and plays poker every night at the bar but has the nerve to call the deputy a stupid fool for falling in love with a whore.
Cora was the most developed character, I can't say much about her husband Ben, cause well there wasn't much too him. I can tell you that he likes books, has a mustache, and blue eyes. Yup that about sums him up, I think I know more about her horse Our Lady of Virginia than her husband.
I now want to point out the cliches, did you know that this was a western? I didn't when I signed up for this book so I wanted to toss that out there. I also want to list all the ways you can tell its a western just in case you don't pick it up in the fist few chapters.
A mysterious stranger comes to town, a tired whiskey soaked marshal trying to save his silver mine town, a lynch mob, racism, a whore house, train rides, Yankee bashing, confederate pride, a bar fight, quick draws, a fight out in the middle of the street, and native American mysticism.
So, even with all that I did still like the base story even if the ending was pure shit. I saw it coming but it still pissed me off, I don't want to ruin it for people so I will leave it at that.
I can see where this author may shine later on with a different set of characters. I really hope he writes another series, I would like to read something that doesn't have the sound track to Ravenous playing in the back of my head while reading.
That shit was annoying.
Thank you Net Galley and Angry Robot for letting me read and review this book.
I have to say that the writing for this story was quite well done, that the bones of the story was interesting. I enjoyed that part of it, it's just too bad that the characters ruined it.
I really couldn't find it in me to like the main character, she is mean spirited bitch to put it mildly. In the first few chapters of the book she aims to kill a crow with a rock for cawing at her, break a tree branch for having the nerve to brush up against her neck, and call the marshal that hired her Mr. Satan himself for calling her out for drunk and disorderly.
This leads me into the religious aspect of this book, I will not call it preachy per say but it came pretty close. That wouldn't have bothered me too much if Cora wasn't so much of a hypocrite. She gets shitfaced on whiskey and plays poker every night at the bar but has the nerve to call the deputy a stupid fool for falling in love with a whore.
Cora was the most developed character, I can't say much about her husband Ben, cause well there wasn't much too him. I can tell you that he likes books, has a mustache, and blue eyes. Yup that about sums him up, I think I know more about her horse Our Lady of Virginia than her husband.
I now want to point out the cliches, did you know that this was a western? I didn't when I signed up for this book so I wanted to toss that out there. I also want to list all the ways you can tell its a western just in case you don't pick it up in the fist few chapters.
A mysterious stranger comes to town, a tired whiskey soaked marshal trying to save his silver mine town, a lynch mob, racism, a whore house, train rides, Yankee bashing, confederate pride, a bar fight, quick draws, a fight out in the middle of the street, and native American mysticism.
So, even with all that I did still like the base story even if the ending was pure shit. I saw it coming but it still pissed me off, I don't want to ruin it for people so I will leave it at that.
I can see where this author may shine later on with a different set of characters. I really hope he writes another series, I would like to read something that doesn't have the sound track to Ravenous playing in the back of my head while reading.
That shit was annoying.
Thank you Net Galley and Angry Robot for letting me read and review this book.
October 21, 2012
I didn’t know much about this book apart from the tag on the front of the book ‘True Grit meets True Blood’. This was enough to get my attention and I felt like a western paranormal urban fantasy novel might be a fun read. Cora and her husband Ben are hunters, but for things that should not exist in the world. When the Marshall of Leadville, Colorado calls her in to help with a series of mysterious deaths, Cora feels she may have finally met her match.
I’m not sure how to classify the novel; is it a Western, paranormal, dark fantasy or even urban fantasy novel? The Dark of Winter seems to mash all these elements into the one book, and it does a decent job at doing that. I was hoping that Cora would be as sassy as Mattie Ross in True Grit but she was just a bitch, plain and simple. In fact the only True Grit element in the book was that this book is a western. I felt a little disappointed in that, I wanted sassy, but I got bitchy. I did get over that pretty quickly and was able to settle in to enjoy the plot. The characters never seemed to be developed enough for me, but this may have been due to my expectations.
On the whole, I felt that there was just something missing from the book; the characters just didn’t come together properly, but there was some chemistry between Cora and the English hunter. The writing of this book was good and the pacing of the plot was decent enough but for some reason I still think the book needed something else to improve the story. I’m not sure if it needed the sass, or maybe some wit or humour but I think adding an extra element like these would have helped the book overall.
A Vampire Western novel seems very unique and there was a sense of mystery throughout the novel but there was always some cliches which counteracted the good parts. Its adventure elements were let down by the dialogue between the characters. It just felt like for every good element of this book, I had an issue with something else. I’m sure some people will really enjoy this book I just felt like the pros and cons of this book just equalled out to make it feel like an average read. I’m not sure if I’ll read the sequel when it comes out but I know I won’t be rushing out to get it.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2012/...
I’m not sure how to classify the novel; is it a Western, paranormal, dark fantasy or even urban fantasy novel? The Dark of Winter seems to mash all these elements into the one book, and it does a decent job at doing that. I was hoping that Cora would be as sassy as Mattie Ross in True Grit but she was just a bitch, plain and simple. In fact the only True Grit element in the book was that this book is a western. I felt a little disappointed in that, I wanted sassy, but I got bitchy. I did get over that pretty quickly and was able to settle in to enjoy the plot. The characters never seemed to be developed enough for me, but this may have been due to my expectations.
On the whole, I felt that there was just something missing from the book; the characters just didn’t come together properly, but there was some chemistry between Cora and the English hunter. The writing of this book was good and the pacing of the plot was decent enough but for some reason I still think the book needed something else to improve the story. I’m not sure if it needed the sass, or maybe some wit or humour but I think adding an extra element like these would have helped the book overall.
A Vampire Western novel seems very unique and there was a sense of mystery throughout the novel but there was always some cliches which counteracted the good parts. Its adventure elements were let down by the dialogue between the characters. It just felt like for every good element of this book, I had an issue with something else. I’m sure some people will really enjoy this book I just felt like the pros and cons of this book just equalled out to make it feel like an average read. I’m not sure if I’ll read the sequel when it comes out but I know I won’t be rushing out to get it.
This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2012/...
January 13, 2013
This book was "ok", and that's about it.
In the Old West, Cora and her husband Ben are bounty hunters of supernatural critters. Ben annoyed me for most of the book, though, because he didn't really do much of anything. There's a reason for this you find out later, but it didn't really change how I felt about the earlier parts.
And Cora - well, Cora's a nasty drunk and a generally disagreeable person. I mean, I liked flawed protagonists and all, but Cora was just kind of annoying, and it was hard to really get into her story all that much.
Anyway - there are sort of two stories, as the town we're in, whose name I forget, gets attacked first by one creature and then another. I did give the book some points for having the first creature be something you don't see everyday in these sorts of books - a , and also for sticking to the lore pretty well.
But a lot of the story was pretty basic - information sessions to discover the nature of the bounty, and some fights that ya gotta lose a bit first, and then win, so on and so forth.
As I was never really invested in the characters, and as the plotline didn't offer much in the way of originality - the one twist having been telegraphed from about a mile away and, thus, offering no surprise or pathos - nor was it written in any kind of interesting way, I was pretty meh about the whole thing.
Not a horrible book, but far from great, and I doubt I'll be continuing the series.
In the Old West, Cora and her husband Ben are bounty hunters of supernatural critters. Ben annoyed me for most of the book, though, because he didn't really do much of anything. There's a reason for this you find out later, but it didn't really change how I felt about the earlier parts.
And Cora - well, Cora's a nasty drunk and a generally disagreeable person. I mean, I liked flawed protagonists and all, but Cora was just kind of annoying, and it was hard to really get into her story all that much.
Anyway - there are sort of two stories, as the town we're in, whose name I forget, gets attacked first by one creature and then another. I did give the book some points for having the first creature be something you don't see everyday in these sorts of books - a , and also for sticking to the lore pretty well.
But a lot of the story was pretty basic - information sessions to discover the nature of the bounty, and some fights that ya gotta lose a bit first, and then win, so on and so forth.
As I was never really invested in the characters, and as the plotline didn't offer much in the way of originality - the one twist having been telegraphed from about a mile away and, thus, offering no surprise or pathos - nor was it written in any kind of interesting way, I was pretty meh about the whole thing.
Not a horrible book, but far from great, and I doubt I'll be continuing the series.
December 18, 2012
Full review originally at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: Lee Collins’ debut was one that I almost missed out on. I had gotten hold of an e-copy earlier however due to work and my TBR pile, kept on passing it over. But I kept seeing praise about it on twitter and with me being in a recent book slump of sorts, I decided to take a look at it. It began a bit slowly but I’m glad I took a chance on it as I think I’ve discovered another debut that might make the year-end lists.
The book begins in 1883 in Colorado and features Cora and Ben Oglesby. They both are bounty hunters who hunt vampires and have been successfully doing so for more than a decade. As they are passing through the small settlement of Leadville in Colorado, they are beseeched to save the settlement from a mysterious animal that has been killing the poor folk. With their fees being settled, Cora and Ben get down to their job only to find out that the creature they are hunting might not be their usual supernatural quarry. Things get even hairier as they find out what they might be against. The plot then has them dealing with further problems as they make the acquaintance of a British vampire hunting academic who tells them of a problem infesting his lord’s mines. Its up to Cora and Ben to make light amid all the problems and save themselves as well as all the people around them.
This debut is one that stands out because of its settings and mixing of genres in the main storyline. On one hand it’s a historical fantasy but it also has some elements of horror to it and lastly it also has some very potent characterization to it in regards to the main characters. Lets get to the meat of it then, kudos to the author for writing this story and placing it in the western setting as the tagline suggests, “True Grit meets True Blood”. This tagline is pitch perfect and sums up the book with near perfection. The story’s pace is also something that isn’t the fastest but never slackens and does its best to keep the reader hooked. Also the plot twists as well as the author’s descriptive prose help in enriching the read and making sure that it does not seem as a run-of-mill debut. The main character of Cora Oglesby is absolutely a treat to read about. Being a tough no-nonsense woman in a male-dominated field has earned her a reputation as “Mad Madam”. She strives to do her best and truly is a wonder to behold when she’s doing what she does best. While Ben acts as the smooth glove to her iron fisted approach, their team has acquired a legendary name of sorts within the western towns. The author has given birth to a very fascinating character and the grit she showcases is simply brilliant to read.
Next there is one wild twist that occurs near the middle of the story for which the author has to be applauded. While it’s not completely easy to anticipate, the reader will probably notice some irregularities for them to give it a thought. Though the end result might not be the same, kudos to the author adding this to the story to make that much more interesting. Lastly the setting and pace of the story is such that the readers are constantly kept on the edge and this book is one that will have the readers coming back for seconds, thirds and much more. There are also various nods to history and several small factoids that are smartly incorporated in the story. I particularly enjoyed this debut and feel that this would make a truly fun cinematic experience be it in the form of a movie or even a TV series.
Not that that this debut is flawless, firstly it takes a while to get things in place and the first 50 odd pages, the readers might feel a little lost with all the happenings. Be assured that its done on purpose and I would recommend that readers pay particular attention to the happenings as otherwise you’ll be scrambling back to these pages when the twist is revealed. Lastly the plot has two main threads to it and while the first one ends in the middle before leading on to the second, the transition doesn’t go as smoothly as the author envisions.
CONCLUSION: Lee Collins marks himself out with his debut that has an eclectic mix of genres and some pretty terrific prose and characterization to dazzle readers with. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and for those readers who are on the fence about this book, my advice is to get off it as quickly as you can and read this one, as its ingenuity will mark itself out among the year end lists and the minds of readers.
December 3, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: folks who think they might enjoy it
Trigger Warnings: Plot holes. Discrepancies. Annoyances.
My Thoughts: I’ve seen a number of negative reviews for this book, but it sounded like something I might like, so I figured I’d check it out and see what I thought, rather than relying on what other people think to decide whether or not it was a worthwhile book. Of course, I ran the risk of wasting my time reading a really horrible book, but one has to take a risk once in awhile, right?
It didn’t start off so great—on the very first page there is this very weird description: “. . . his breath lingering in front of his nose like a lover’s ghost.” What does that even mean? But I took a deep breath (minus the lingering lover’s ghost) and plunged on.
Now, some people have commented on Cora starting to throw a rock at the crow, but that was just realism—people weren’t terribly concerned with kindliness to animals at that point in our history. However, when Cora closed an eye to aim her pistol, I was pretty irritated. A person with any knowledge of the proper handling of handguns and how best to aim them will know that one is not supposed to close one’s eye, as that will distort one’s aim. A lot of people do it anyway, but it’s not correct, and I’m guessing someone like Cora, who is supposed to be a professional and (I would guess) a sharpshooter, would know that. So, yeah . . . typical writing by someone who knows very little about firearms culture. This occurred very early in the book and made my heart sink . . . I was pretty sure this would not be a book I would end up liking if I was already nitpicking it this early. Another of the minor things that really bothered me was when Cora ate some snow to ingest some water—well, sure, that would work, but you would have to eat a lot of snow to manage to quench your thirst, and in the meantime you’d end up with some serious hypothermia. Again, anyone with any common sense or knowledge about wilderness survival should know this. Not to mention the author, on more than than occasion, uses a phrase that just drives me crazy: “stood to his/her feet.” Does that phrase bother anyone else? I’ve been pointing it out when I edit, that it is redundant and ridiculous, but I see people using it all time. What’s up with that?
Now, don’t misunderstand me; the story itself was entertaining enough, when you were reading it. But there were so many little things like the ones I mentioned above that it started to become a bit irritating. For instance, Cora is supposed to be some big-shot monster hunter, but doesn’t have the awareness of what is going on around her to notice that someone is acting out of character? I don’t know . . . it all sort of aggravated me. This is a neat plot twist in the last quarter of the book that was unexpected, but even then I couldn’t stop my nitpicking. Unfortunately I can’t tell you exactly why I had a problem with that without giving out spoilers, but I’ll give you a very minor one as an example. Suffice it to say: there are several places where major plot holes open up after that little twist and are never explained.
So, at the end, I have to rate it as only 2 stars, because while the story was entertaining enough at times, and that plot twist was awesome, there were just too many other problems and I ended up the book with a feeling of distinct annoyance. I mean, if you think the story will amuse you, and you can ignore the things I’ve mentioned, definitely go for it. It’s well-written enough overall, and I assume any typos I noticed will be corrected in the final copy, but . . . I really didn’t like it.
Disclosure: I received an ARC (unproofed galley) from Angry Robot via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Cora and her husband hunt things—things that shouldn't exist. When the marshal of Leadville, Colorado, comes across a pair of mysterious deaths, he turns to Cora to find the creature responsible, but if Cora is to overcome the unnatural tide threatening to consume the small town, she must first confront her own tragic past as well as her present.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: folks who think they might enjoy it
Trigger Warnings: Plot holes. Discrepancies. Annoyances.
My Thoughts: I’ve seen a number of negative reviews for this book, but it sounded like something I might like, so I figured I’d check it out and see what I thought, rather than relying on what other people think to decide whether or not it was a worthwhile book. Of course, I ran the risk of wasting my time reading a really horrible book, but one has to take a risk once in awhile, right?
It didn’t start off so great—on the very first page there is this very weird description: “. . . his breath lingering in front of his nose like a lover’s ghost.” What does that even mean? But I took a deep breath (minus the lingering lover’s ghost) and plunged on.
Now, some people have commented on Cora starting to throw a rock at the crow, but that was just realism—people weren’t terribly concerned with kindliness to animals at that point in our history. However, when Cora closed an eye to aim her pistol, I was pretty irritated. A person with any knowledge of the proper handling of handguns and how best to aim them will know that one is not supposed to close one’s eye, as that will distort one’s aim. A lot of people do it anyway, but it’s not correct, and I’m guessing someone like Cora, who is supposed to be a professional and (I would guess) a sharpshooter, would know that. So, yeah . . . typical writing by someone who knows very little about firearms culture. This occurred very early in the book and made my heart sink . . . I was pretty sure this would not be a book I would end up liking if I was already nitpicking it this early. Another of the minor things that really bothered me was when Cora ate some snow to ingest some water—well, sure, that would work, but you would have to eat a lot of snow to manage to quench your thirst, and in the meantime you’d end up with some serious hypothermia. Again, anyone with any common sense or knowledge about wilderness survival should know this. Not to mention the author, on more than than occasion, uses a phrase that just drives me crazy: “stood to his/her feet.” Does that phrase bother anyone else? I’ve been pointing it out when I edit, that it is redundant and ridiculous, but I see people using it all time. What’s up with that?
Now, don’t misunderstand me; the story itself was entertaining enough, when you were reading it. But there were so many little things like the ones I mentioned above that it started to become a bit irritating. For instance, Cora is supposed to be some big-shot monster hunter, but doesn’t have the awareness of what is going on around her to notice that someone is acting out of character? I don’t know . . . it all sort of aggravated me. This is a neat plot twist in the last quarter of the book that was unexpected, but even then I couldn’t stop my nitpicking. Unfortunately I can’t tell you exactly why I had a problem with that without giving out spoilers, but I’ll give you a very minor one as an example. Suffice it to say: there are several places where major plot holes open up after that little twist and are never explained.
So, at the end, I have to rate it as only 2 stars, because while the story was entertaining enough at times, and that plot twist was awesome, there were just too many other problems and I ended up the book with a feeling of distinct annoyance. I mean, if you think the story will amuse you, and you can ignore the things I’ve mentioned, definitely go for it. It’s well-written enough overall, and I assume any typos I noticed will be corrected in the final copy, but . . . I really didn’t like it.
Disclosure: I received an ARC (unproofed galley) from Angry Robot via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Cora and her husband hunt things—things that shouldn't exist. When the marshal of Leadville, Colorado, comes across a pair of mysterious deaths, he turns to Cora to find the creature responsible, but if Cora is to overcome the unnatural tide threatening to consume the small town, she must first confront her own tragic past as well as her present.
October 13, 2012
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Vicki
The Dead of Winter is a Supernatural Western. Some will have the same confused insta-reaction to this hybrid genre as they did when Joss Whedon announced production on Firefly, the Sci-Fi Western. ‘How will that work?’ they said. And unfortunately, they never really gave it a chance. Now is the chance to right those wrongs! Any past indiscretions, where you have overlooked awesome because it might have been a little bit too far outside of your comfort zone, can be forgotten about by reading Lee Collins’s debut novel: The Dead of Winter.
Cora Oglesby and her husband Ben are bounty hunters, but they don’t haul in felony dodgers and they don’t collect debts; their bounty is decidedly more fangy. They hunt vampires, hellhounds, werewolves, ghouls and a whole host of other things that go bump in the night; for the right price.
When the duo rides into Leadville, Colorado Cora and Ben are commissioned for a job that leads them down a path that will change their lives forever.
Cora is like Calamity Jane after too much whiskey, a couple more years around the block and less singing and dancing, more swearing and punching. Luckily, Calamity Jane is one of my all time favorite movies, which is why I instantly loved Cora and all her flaws. I think you really have to like Cora to enjoy this book, but she is definitely not for everybody. For me, Cora is the heart of the story, even if she seems a little harsh and distant at times, she ultimately roots the novel in reality.
Cora and Ben’s marriage is a catalyst to many truly surprising plot twists and while they appear to be polar opposites their relationship is comfortable, yet bittersweet. I really enjoyed the way in which Collins represented their relationship and the way in which this relationship developed throughout the novel.
The extremely English scholar and his eccentric wealthy employer were my other favorite characters. Although the dialogue was excellent for everyone; James and Cora’s exchanges and banter were particularly notable and entertaining.
Cora Ogelsby is a kick-ass heroine and really, we can’t have too many kick-ass heroines can we? Especially when they are nearing retirement and still wielding weapons and killing monsters like nobody’s business! This novel is not for the faint of heart, there are some particularly gruesome scenes but Cora’s interpretation of these scenes is almost comedic. She has no problem kicking a severed vampire head at a group of bystanders for her own amusement. See? Kick-ass!
I very much enjoyed my time with Cora and I am looking forward to seeing where Collins takes her next.
http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...
The Dead of Winter is a Supernatural Western. Some will have the same confused insta-reaction to this hybrid genre as they did when Joss Whedon announced production on Firefly, the Sci-Fi Western. ‘How will that work?’ they said. And unfortunately, they never really gave it a chance. Now is the chance to right those wrongs! Any past indiscretions, where you have overlooked awesome because it might have been a little bit too far outside of your comfort zone, can be forgotten about by reading Lee Collins’s debut novel: The Dead of Winter.
Cora Oglesby and her husband Ben are bounty hunters, but they don’t haul in felony dodgers and they don’t collect debts; their bounty is decidedly more fangy. They hunt vampires, hellhounds, werewolves, ghouls and a whole host of other things that go bump in the night; for the right price.
When the duo rides into Leadville, Colorado Cora and Ben are commissioned for a job that leads them down a path that will change their lives forever.
Cora is like Calamity Jane after too much whiskey, a couple more years around the block and less singing and dancing, more swearing and punching. Luckily, Calamity Jane is one of my all time favorite movies, which is why I instantly loved Cora and all her flaws. I think you really have to like Cora to enjoy this book, but she is definitely not for everybody. For me, Cora is the heart of the story, even if she seems a little harsh and distant at times, she ultimately roots the novel in reality.
Cora and Ben’s marriage is a catalyst to many truly surprising plot twists and while they appear to be polar opposites their relationship is comfortable, yet bittersweet. I really enjoyed the way in which Collins represented their relationship and the way in which this relationship developed throughout the novel.
The extremely English scholar and his eccentric wealthy employer were my other favorite characters. Although the dialogue was excellent for everyone; James and Cora’s exchanges and banter were particularly notable and entertaining.
Cora Ogelsby is a kick-ass heroine and really, we can’t have too many kick-ass heroines can we? Especially when they are nearing retirement and still wielding weapons and killing monsters like nobody’s business! This novel is not for the faint of heart, there are some particularly gruesome scenes but Cora’s interpretation of these scenes is almost comedic. She has no problem kicking a severed vampire head at a group of bystanders for her own amusement. See? Kick-ass!
I very much enjoyed my time with Cora and I am looking forward to seeing where Collins takes her next.
http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...
October 26, 2012
You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/10/...
Shadowhawk reviews another Angry Robot 2012 debut title, this one about the Wild West and Vampires and other supernaturals.
“Stunning, mind-blowing, amazing, fan-frikkin-tastic. None of those word can convey just how much I liked The Dead of Winter. I can’t even tell, although I know better, that this novel is a debut and not an author’s best at the peak of his career.” ~The Founding Fields
I’ve asked myself a question every month of the year: “Can Angry Robot do no wrong?”. The context: I’ve read 16 of their titles this year, and of them all, there are only 2 that I found didn’t work for me, just 2! And there are several titles coming out that I’m really excited about, more so since they are sequels to books that I really enjoyed, which is a win-win in my book. Lee Collins’ debut The Dead of Winter, the first Cora Oglesby novel, joins the ranks of Angry Robot’s best titles of 2012 and certainly one of the best debuts of the year as well. I never thought that I’d enjoy a Western so much, given that I rarely even watch a Western, let alone read one. The last Western I can recall reading is Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Valley of Fear, one of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, as well as A Study in Scarlet, the first of those novels. In terms of movies, the last one I’ve seen is Cowboys versus Aliens, which was surprisingly good. So yeah, not much experience in the genre.
But as matters stand now, The Dead of Winter has kindled a love for the Western genre in me and I’m definitely open to reading more within it.
The novel is about the husband-wife bounty hunter duo of Ben Oglesby and Cora Oglesby, who travel the Old West hunting down all manner of supernatural creatures, whether Vampires or Werewolves or any other sort. They’ve been doing it for a long time, 10 years at least if I recall correctly, and they are good at what they do. Which is why when they roll into Leadville, Colorado Cora makes Marshal Mart Duggan an offer he can’t refuse. He grudgingly recognizes her expertise, giving her the benefit of the doubt, and charges her with finding out just what the hell is going on around his town. From there on, it is non-stop action as Cora and Ben take on all sorts of Vampires, make new friends, lose a few and find their lives changed irrevocably for the worst when their past comes back to haunt them.
Feel free in the comments to correct me if I’m wrong but the Wild West isn’t a setting that suits strong female characters. It is an exemplification of “might-makes-right” and “only men have the might” and gunfighters and outlaws and sheriffs. It is fine to a degree, and I really have no complaints about it since I read so little in the genre anyway, but it still strikes me as untapped potential. It is a potential that Lee Collins explores fully with impressive flair. Cora Oglesby joins the ranks of awesome female characters such as Rachel Boucher from Teresa Frohock’s Miserere: An Autumn’s Tale, Blackbird from Adam Christopher’s Seven Wonders, Alix Nico from G. T. Almasi’s Blades of Winter, Infidel from James Maxey’s Greatshadow, and Valkia from Sarah Cawkwell’s Valkia the Bloody among others. She is our protagonist and she gets a lot of attention from the author in terms of how she is portrayed. She isn’t some stay-at-home-and-cook housewife, she is an in-your-face bounty hunter who knows how to take care of herself around all sorts of villains and monsters. Mostly.
At first she is all mysterious and stuff, but her personality, her attitudes, her motivations are gradually teased out of her and onto the pages. She embodies the sense of adventure, dangerous adventure, that I see permeate the Wild West setting. After all, it takes a very unique mindset to decide you want to dedicate the rest of your life to hunting supernatural monsters straight out of children’s horror stories, and actually doing so month after month, year after year. Which then, for Cora, dovetails into her reflections on the life she’s led so far, and how she might eventually retire with Ben to a profession that is decidedly less exciting than spook-hunting: a printing press, his father’s old business.
Cora can be charming at times, in the rough-edged sort of way, and she can be all “die, Vampire, die!” when the situation calls for it. She drinks and gambles, but is religious to her core since she considers a Priest, Father Baez of Denver, to be her mentor, confidante and friend. She is socially awkward at the best of times and treats most people around her with condescension but she loves Ben with a great warmth. Aggressive and flawed, Cora is one heck of a character to be reading about.
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/10/...
Shadowhawk reviews another Angry Robot 2012 debut title, this one about the Wild West and Vampires and other supernaturals.
“Stunning, mind-blowing, amazing, fan-frikkin-tastic. None of those word can convey just how much I liked The Dead of Winter. I can’t even tell, although I know better, that this novel is a debut and not an author’s best at the peak of his career.” ~The Founding Fields
I’ve asked myself a question every month of the year: “Can Angry Robot do no wrong?”. The context: I’ve read 16 of their titles this year, and of them all, there are only 2 that I found didn’t work for me, just 2! And there are several titles coming out that I’m really excited about, more so since they are sequels to books that I really enjoyed, which is a win-win in my book. Lee Collins’ debut The Dead of Winter, the first Cora Oglesby novel, joins the ranks of Angry Robot’s best titles of 2012 and certainly one of the best debuts of the year as well. I never thought that I’d enjoy a Western so much, given that I rarely even watch a Western, let alone read one. The last Western I can recall reading is Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Valley of Fear, one of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, as well as A Study in Scarlet, the first of those novels. In terms of movies, the last one I’ve seen is Cowboys versus Aliens, which was surprisingly good. So yeah, not much experience in the genre.
But as matters stand now, The Dead of Winter has kindled a love for the Western genre in me and I’m definitely open to reading more within it.
The novel is about the husband-wife bounty hunter duo of Ben Oglesby and Cora Oglesby, who travel the Old West hunting down all manner of supernatural creatures, whether Vampires or Werewolves or any other sort. They’ve been doing it for a long time, 10 years at least if I recall correctly, and they are good at what they do. Which is why when they roll into Leadville, Colorado Cora makes Marshal Mart Duggan an offer he can’t refuse. He grudgingly recognizes her expertise, giving her the benefit of the doubt, and charges her with finding out just what the hell is going on around his town. From there on, it is non-stop action as Cora and Ben take on all sorts of Vampires, make new friends, lose a few and find their lives changed irrevocably for the worst when their past comes back to haunt them.
Feel free in the comments to correct me if I’m wrong but the Wild West isn’t a setting that suits strong female characters. It is an exemplification of “might-makes-right” and “only men have the might” and gunfighters and outlaws and sheriffs. It is fine to a degree, and I really have no complaints about it since I read so little in the genre anyway, but it still strikes me as untapped potential. It is a potential that Lee Collins explores fully with impressive flair. Cora Oglesby joins the ranks of awesome female characters such as Rachel Boucher from Teresa Frohock’s Miserere: An Autumn’s Tale, Blackbird from Adam Christopher’s Seven Wonders, Alix Nico from G. T. Almasi’s Blades of Winter, Infidel from James Maxey’s Greatshadow, and Valkia from Sarah Cawkwell’s Valkia the Bloody among others. She is our protagonist and she gets a lot of attention from the author in terms of how she is portrayed. She isn’t some stay-at-home-and-cook housewife, she is an in-your-face bounty hunter who knows how to take care of herself around all sorts of villains and monsters. Mostly.
At first she is all mysterious and stuff, but her personality, her attitudes, her motivations are gradually teased out of her and onto the pages. She embodies the sense of adventure, dangerous adventure, that I see permeate the Wild West setting. After all, it takes a very unique mindset to decide you want to dedicate the rest of your life to hunting supernatural monsters straight out of children’s horror stories, and actually doing so month after month, year after year. Which then, for Cora, dovetails into her reflections on the life she’s led so far, and how she might eventually retire with Ben to a profession that is decidedly less exciting than spook-hunting: a printing press, his father’s old business.
Cora can be charming at times, in the rough-edged sort of way, and she can be all “die, Vampire, die!” when the situation calls for it. She drinks and gambles, but is religious to her core since she considers a Priest, Father Baez of Denver, to be her mentor, confidante and friend. She is socially awkward at the best of times and treats most people around her with condescension but she loves Ben with a great warmth. Aggressive and flawed, Cora is one heck of a character to be reading about.
December 14, 2012
Another brilliant debut from Angry Robot's amazing 2012 schedule. If you love supernatural stories then you're in for a treat with this one.
The Dead of Winter stars Cora Oglesby and her husband Ben who specialises in hunting things that even the most hardened hunters are afraid of. Think of them as a Western version of Supernatural's Sam and Dean Winchester if you will. Like Dean, Cora has a quick to anger temper and prefers action to words, whereas Ben is a more laid-back, thoughtful fellow. Despite how different they are, they do make an incredible pair and have a long history of monster slaying behind them. So that is why the marshal agreed to let Cora investigate the unnatural deaths of two local hunters in Leadville. But things are never this easy and soon they discover what is really lurking around in Leadville.
I really enjoyed the pacing and structure of this book. The first half serves an introduction to help you familiarise yourself with the characters and demonstrates just how effective and ruthless Cora is at her work. Once you reach the second half though, that is when the real meat of the story begins and you are exposed to a world bathed in rich lores and myths. Even though we've read these vampire stories hundred of times before, Collins still made it interesting and thrilling. I even managed to pick up a term for vampires that I never knew before!
A lot of credit goes to how well Cora is written. She is a conflicted character torn by a tragic event in her past. Cora wants to settle down to an easy life once she has made enough money but circumstances drive her to continue her journey on the road. Her character and attitude truly reflects on all the crap she has been through in her life. I can't wait to see how she will evolve after the events in this story.
The Dead of Winter is a fantastic Supernatural tale set in Western setting with plenty of action and quirky humour. Definitely not to be missed and it makes a wonderful addition to your (virtual) bookshelf. Did you know that Collins was discovered because of Angry Robot's Open Door Month? I'm just glad they did not pass on this gem.
Cora's tale will continue in She Returns From War , which will be published in February 2013.
(Originally posted at http://www.paperlessreading.com/2012/...)
The Dead of Winter stars Cora Oglesby and her husband Ben who specialises in hunting things that even the most hardened hunters are afraid of. Think of them as a Western version of Supernatural's Sam and Dean Winchester if you will. Like Dean, Cora has a quick to anger temper and prefers action to words, whereas Ben is a more laid-back, thoughtful fellow. Despite how different they are, they do make an incredible pair and have a long history of monster slaying behind them. So that is why the marshal agreed to let Cora investigate the unnatural deaths of two local hunters in Leadville. But things are never this easy and soon they discover what is really lurking around in Leadville.
I really enjoyed the pacing and structure of this book. The first half serves an introduction to help you familiarise yourself with the characters and demonstrates just how effective and ruthless Cora is at her work. Once you reach the second half though, that is when the real meat of the story begins and you are exposed to a world bathed in rich lores and myths. Even though we've read these vampire stories hundred of times before, Collins still made it interesting and thrilling. I even managed to pick up a term for vampires that I never knew before!
A lot of credit goes to how well Cora is written. She is a conflicted character torn by a tragic event in her past. Cora wants to settle down to an easy life once she has made enough money but circumstances drive her to continue her journey on the road. Her character and attitude truly reflects on all the crap she has been through in her life. I can't wait to see how she will evolve after the events in this story.
The Dead of Winter is a fantastic Supernatural tale set in Western setting with plenty of action and quirky humour. Definitely not to be missed and it makes a wonderful addition to your (virtual) bookshelf. Did you know that Collins was discovered because of Angry Robot's Open Door Month? I'm just glad they did not pass on this gem.
Cora's tale will continue in She Returns From War , which will be published in February 2013.
(Originally posted at http://www.paperlessreading.com/2012/...)
October 6, 2012
I received this free Advanced Release Copy through NetGalley. The book is out November 1st.
The Dead of Winter bears the pitch line, "True Grit meets True Blood." That's quite apt. Cora and her husband hunt "spooks"--that is, the undead and other nasty critters that crawl out of hell. There aren't too many willing to take on that job in the late 19th-century pioneer west.
The book's pace and feel is like that of an urban fantasy, but against a very cold, very dark Colorado winter backdrop. The mixture works incredibly well. I read another ARC (Portlandtown by Rob DeBorde) earlier in the year that tried the same blend and pioneer setting, but felt very disjointed, with too many characters and almost too much crammed in; The Dead of Winter didn't suffer from that problem at all. It stays true to its western roots, with that paranormal touch.
As much as I love steampunk, it's good that it's not forced into a book. Sometimes a western should just be a western.
Cora is a tough-as-nails heroine. She's quick on the draw and damn good at her job, but at the same time relies heavily on her husband's wisdom and quiet, supportive presence. She also has a problem with alcohol. There is a major subplot involving her husband--I will take care not to spoil it. I caught hints early on and wondered where it was going. The climax relies heavily on this subplot, and handles it quite effectively. There's a lot of action involved, but the psychological repercussions are beautifully handled. The one thing that took away from this was a bit too much chest-thumping on the part of the villain--you know, the whole, 'I am evil and this is my dark plan for you' speech. But as that was probably the weakest element in the book, it's forgivable.
Well, I take that back--this does rely on a lot of western cliches. For example, the only women shown are Cora and prostitutes, and the word "whore" feels overused. Even if it draws on western cliches, it still feels unique because of the paranormal elements.
The Dead of Winter wasn't one of my very favorite reads of the year, but it's high up there. It's a thoroughly enjoyable book, and well worth seeking out if you love a paranormal western. Also, at the end I was thrilled to find this was a NaNoWriMo book--hooray for NaNo!
The Dead of Winter bears the pitch line, "True Grit meets True Blood." That's quite apt. Cora and her husband hunt "spooks"--that is, the undead and other nasty critters that crawl out of hell. There aren't too many willing to take on that job in the late 19th-century pioneer west.
The book's pace and feel is like that of an urban fantasy, but against a very cold, very dark Colorado winter backdrop. The mixture works incredibly well. I read another ARC (Portlandtown by Rob DeBorde) earlier in the year that tried the same blend and pioneer setting, but felt very disjointed, with too many characters and almost too much crammed in; The Dead of Winter didn't suffer from that problem at all. It stays true to its western roots, with that paranormal touch.
As much as I love steampunk, it's good that it's not forced into a book. Sometimes a western should just be a western.
Cora is a tough-as-nails heroine. She's quick on the draw and damn good at her job, but at the same time relies heavily on her husband's wisdom and quiet, supportive presence. She also has a problem with alcohol. There is a major subplot involving her husband--I will take care not to spoil it. I caught hints early on and wondered where it was going. The climax relies heavily on this subplot, and handles it quite effectively. There's a lot of action involved, but the psychological repercussions are beautifully handled. The one thing that took away from this was a bit too much chest-thumping on the part of the villain--you know, the whole, 'I am evil and this is my dark plan for you' speech. But as that was probably the weakest element in the book, it's forgivable.
Well, I take that back--this does rely on a lot of western cliches. For example, the only women shown are Cora and prostitutes, and the word "whore" feels overused. Even if it draws on western cliches, it still feels unique because of the paranormal elements.
The Dead of Winter wasn't one of my very favorite reads of the year, but it's high up there. It's a thoroughly enjoyable book, and well worth seeking out if you love a paranormal western. Also, at the end I was thrilled to find this was a NaNoWriMo book--hooray for NaNo!
December 30, 2017
I'm a fan of the Weird Western genre, and this is a good book in that area. Cora Oglesby is a monster hunter, most often for the Church. She and her husband Ben came into this line of work some years ago, and they've built a good reputation.
Now, with mysterious deaths in Leadville, Colorado, Cora is summoned to deal with the creature, but it's nothing she's familiar with. She'll have to figure out what it is and how to kill it, and resolve a major issue from her past. But, because trouble so rarely comes alone, she's also got problems with some creatures she does know how to handle: vampires.
It's a good book and a fun read. There's a major reveal about one of the main characters that I saw coming a long way off, but it was well done. I enjoyed the story, and will probably go try and find more of them.
Now, with mysterious deaths in Leadville, Colorado, Cora is summoned to deal with the creature, but it's nothing she's familiar with. She'll have to figure out what it is and how to kill it, and resolve a major issue from her past. But, because trouble so rarely comes alone, she's also got problems with some creatures she does know how to handle: vampires.
It's a good book and a fun read. There's a major reveal about one of the main characters that I saw coming a long way off, but it was well done. I enjoyed the story, and will probably go try and find more of them.
November 18, 2013
This is a book I wouldn’t ordinarily give a second glance on a library shelf. It’s an ambitious attempt to combine a western with the "hunter" subgenre of urban fantasy. I’m just not a fan of the western tropes or, in fact, the time period or setting. I don’t sympathize with the dangerous, romanticized nostalgia for a “simpler” time on the “frontier” when men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were … nowhere to be seen. So had The Dead of Winter offered itself to me on a library shelf, I would have moved it along. But because I subscribe to Angry Robot’s offerings, I try to read most, if not all, of what this entitles me to download. So I trudged on through The Dead of Winter and quickly found myself enjoying it.
On the surface, combining a western with supernatural hunters is a no-brainer. (Indeed, the TV series Supernatural is an example, as it embraces much of the western ethos and has explicitly borrowed elements of the western in some of its stories.) The western as a genre has much in common with science fiction. Both are heavily "genre" in the sense that they tend to exist within literary ghettos. Science fiction in many forms, or at least its pulpiest, is the western, but in space—this is how Star Trek was often pitched in its early days. Such comparisons don’t quite do these genres justice, though. The western and SF are similar because they are both settings, within which any story is possible, given enough imagination and careful planning.
The Dead of Winter works because Lee Collins has one goal and pursues it whole-heartedly. His sole purpose is to introduce us to Cora Oglesby and her husband, Ben. They are hunters of the supernatural in late-1800s America. This goal is ambitious enough, but because he doesn’t try to do too much, the end product is very focused and quite fun. For instance, he doesn’t spend too much time explaining the various types of monsters found in this universe. Obviously there are vampires, which come in two specific subspecies; there are also werewolves and wendigos, and I’m sure he mentioned one or two others. Aside from exposition on the nature of vampires, though, which is totally relevant to the plot, Collins resists the temptation to worldbuild through unnecessary infodumps. The result is clean, crisp prose and plot. This quality of writing is exactly what’s required to overcome a reader’s (mine) prejudice of a novel’s apparent genre or setting.
Also, Cora is an excellent protagonist. Collins’ characterization of her is masterful: he just drops things on us with a matter-of-fact attitude. I had no idea Cora was scarring her face as a mark of her kills until she does it after disposing of the wendigo. In that scene, Ben stands in for the reader in his obvious distaste and squeamishness over Cora’s actions: not only does he not enjoy the sight of her blood, but he obviously doesn’t like that she does this to herself. Cora kicks ass: she isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she’s a tough fighter. She’s also flawed—a little too fond of drink, a little too hot-headed. But she recognizes these qualities in herself and has tried to compensate for them in Ben. This idea of a husband-wife team of hunters, one the scholar and one the warrior, really intrigued me.
Which is why I simultaneously hate and love Collins for the twist midway through the book.
It’s a twist worthy of Nick Harkaway’s The Gone-Away World, which currently holds my personal record for most effective, most shattering plot twist. I’m not going to spoil it. Suffice it to say that, in hindsight, it’s obvious. In fact, in contrast to Harkaway, who just pulls the rug out from under the reader without any sympathy, Collins telegraphs it quite a bit before he makes it explicit. He needles the reader, forcing us to doubt Cora and start wondering exactly what’s wrong, before he reveals the details of the situation. My only critique is that this would have been even more effective in first-person; first-person unreliable narrators are much more convincing than third-person ones.
Collins also does vampires right. No sparkles or veganism here. Vampires in The Dead of Winter are nasty, brutish animals—yet the nosferatu variety are also cunning and terrifying. I wasn’t all that impressed with the antagonist; he didn’t seem half as clever as he thought he was, and I never much worried that Cora would fail against him. Perhaps that’s why Collins sets it in Leadville—even if the reader doesn’t worry about Cora, they can worry about the casualty count in the town, as I did.
This is a world where the supernatural is real and present. Vampires and werewolves are facts of life on the frontier; you just pray they don’t bother your little homestead. But if they do, you need someone like Cora, with her blessed blade and her silver bullets, to back you up.
There is much to be said for reading books within your comfort zone. But I love when I take a chance on something I’m not enthusiastic about and the chance pays off. I can’t promise The Dead of Winter will work similarly for you, but I encourage you to take a chance on some book. You never know. I’m still not going to read straight-up westerns any time soon, but Cora’s next adventure is certainly on my list.
On the surface, combining a western with supernatural hunters is a no-brainer. (Indeed, the TV series Supernatural is an example, as it embraces much of the western ethos and has explicitly borrowed elements of the western in some of its stories.) The western as a genre has much in common with science fiction. Both are heavily "genre" in the sense that they tend to exist within literary ghettos. Science fiction in many forms, or at least its pulpiest, is the western, but in space—this is how Star Trek was often pitched in its early days. Such comparisons don’t quite do these genres justice, though. The western and SF are similar because they are both settings, within which any story is possible, given enough imagination and careful planning.
The Dead of Winter works because Lee Collins has one goal and pursues it whole-heartedly. His sole purpose is to introduce us to Cora Oglesby and her husband, Ben. They are hunters of the supernatural in late-1800s America. This goal is ambitious enough, but because he doesn’t try to do too much, the end product is very focused and quite fun. For instance, he doesn’t spend too much time explaining the various types of monsters found in this universe. Obviously there are vampires, which come in two specific subspecies; there are also werewolves and wendigos, and I’m sure he mentioned one or two others. Aside from exposition on the nature of vampires, though, which is totally relevant to the plot, Collins resists the temptation to worldbuild through unnecessary infodumps. The result is clean, crisp prose and plot. This quality of writing is exactly what’s required to overcome a reader’s (mine) prejudice of a novel’s apparent genre or setting.
Also, Cora is an excellent protagonist. Collins’ characterization of her is masterful: he just drops things on us with a matter-of-fact attitude. I had no idea Cora was scarring her face as a mark of her kills until she does it after disposing of the wendigo. In that scene, Ben stands in for the reader in his obvious distaste and squeamishness over Cora’s actions: not only does he not enjoy the sight of her blood, but he obviously doesn’t like that she does this to herself. Cora kicks ass: she isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she’s a tough fighter. She’s also flawed—a little too fond of drink, a little too hot-headed. But she recognizes these qualities in herself and has tried to compensate for them in Ben. This idea of a husband-wife team of hunters, one the scholar and one the warrior, really intrigued me.
Which is why I simultaneously hate and love Collins for the twist midway through the book.
It’s a twist worthy of Nick Harkaway’s The Gone-Away World, which currently holds my personal record for most effective, most shattering plot twist. I’m not going to spoil it. Suffice it to say that, in hindsight, it’s obvious. In fact, in contrast to Harkaway, who just pulls the rug out from under the reader without any sympathy, Collins telegraphs it quite a bit before he makes it explicit. He needles the reader, forcing us to doubt Cora and start wondering exactly what’s wrong, before he reveals the details of the situation. My only critique is that this would have been even more effective in first-person; first-person unreliable narrators are much more convincing than third-person ones.
Collins also does vampires right. No sparkles or veganism here. Vampires in The Dead of Winter are nasty, brutish animals—yet the nosferatu variety are also cunning and terrifying. I wasn’t all that impressed with the antagonist; he didn’t seem half as clever as he thought he was, and I never much worried that Cora would fail against him. Perhaps that’s why Collins sets it in Leadville—even if the reader doesn’t worry about Cora, they can worry about the casualty count in the town, as I did.
This is a world where the supernatural is real and present. Vampires and werewolves are facts of life on the frontier; you just pray they don’t bother your little homestead. But if they do, you need someone like Cora, with her blessed blade and her silver bullets, to back you up.
There is much to be said for reading books within your comfort zone. But I love when I take a chance on something I’m not enthusiastic about and the chance pays off. I can’t promise The Dead of Winter will work similarly for you, but I encourage you to take a chance on some book. You never know. I’m still not going to read straight-up westerns any time soon, but Cora’s next adventure is certainly on my list.
October 25, 2013
3.5 Stars
Dead of Winter was an interesting read to say the least. It's a blend of several different genres: Western, Paranormal,Dark Fantasy,Historical … It's all in there. And it was done really well, actually.
When I first started I was wondering how Collins is going to blend in any thing Paranormal into the story… since it was so classic western actually.
And honestly to my surprise it actually worked.
I am not sure if it is because the world building is quite solid or because Collins didn't reinvent the wheel and just told a new story. Because none of the aspects were reinvented; your small town mining city is full of quite stereo typical Wild West characters and there are no new inventions in the paranormal side either. So somehow the plot takes center stage. And Collins tells a good story.
Most of the book is written in Cora's POV, so she is the character one gets to know the best. She is the kick-ass heroine of the book. She and her husband Ben are bounty hunters for the paranormal creatures that roam the west. She is kinda reckless, drinks lots of whisky and gambles. As she says herself: 'I ain't no lady'
While she is really good with gun and sword, she doesn't see it as something special. In fact in some ways she is rather humble about her own virtues. She does on the other hand not miss telling people that they are good on the job and thinks she is a good gambler. The book doesn't disclose if she actually is any good at gambling. But what we do come to know is that she is an incredible fighter and that she is fiercely loyal to Ben. Her love for him is actually very moving and her relationship with him beautiful. I think it shows the heart of Cora, a Cora stripped of years of hardship and how she truly were it not for the necessity to be a hunter. And while she does enjoy their lives as hunters she also starts feeling that the hardship of it is starting to take a toll on her so they decided to take one last extremely well paid job.
I really liked her interactions with Townsend, it showed a rather witty side of hers.
Cora is the most developed character as well. I also think if you don't like her, you won't like the book. Because for me the book hinges on her character to a huge part, needles to say I did like her. In fact of all the characters she is the least stereotypical.
Marshal Mart Duggan is your brave, good dude that keeps the town in order and sometimes drowns his despair secretly in whiskey (which he keeps in his desk drawer) . He can stand down an entire mob of miners on his own, and stands for true justice. As I said the book is full of typical western characters. So there is a young gun fighter who wants to be famous, there is your friendly bartender, the beautiful whore, the young goodhearted deputy who is in love with the whore, a kind priest and lastly the english men.
James Townsend is a Oxford Scholar and I had to chuckle so much about his character, because he was SOOOO english. He is a rather great fun, especially when Cora interacts with him. I have to say that only a non- English person could have written him, its rather stereotypical view of the english and I loved every minute of it.
Flava was interesting. I really enjoyed the brief moments of his POV, and while he was the villain I kinda liked him. He was intelligent and calculated
Which brings me to where for me his character disappointed me.. It the end of the book really.
The End of the book was a bit disappointing for me. So there was all this build up and all this planning and wooh it was suddenly all over. I couldn't believe what Wash did. And it left me with many questions actually. I would have personally preferred a bit of a more enigmatic end somehow.
Collins did touch on many issues very briefly, like slavery and racism of that time or the Civil Wars but doesn't go into detail. I didn't mind this, in fact i feel the way its done, its a clever way to solidify the world building. And since those issues are always addressed from Cora's POV, they take on her observation of them.
There is a very big christian theme in the book, since Cora and many other characters are believing christians, i have seen that other readers didn't like it. But I personally didn't mind, I sort of imagine that people where like that in that particular time and place
In fact I found the world build was great because the characters are a lot like I imagined people in the US to be at that time. But I am not from the States so I might be mistaken about it. Historically it is solid and the fact that there were mines and mining cities at that time, in fact Leadville was one of them (i googled it). Collins descriptions of the area and the seasons are brilliant.
Probably my favorite thing about the book is that its built up slowly, revealing layer after layer of the story. And there were many twists in it, that were slowly hinted at, and if one doesn't pay attention, they suddenly happen. In retrospective though the signs were appearing slowly and subtly.
I think all in all this is a solid debut novel. Certainly a book to enjoy for lovers of westerns and paranormal.
Dead of Winter was an interesting read to say the least. It's a blend of several different genres: Western, Paranormal,Dark Fantasy,Historical … It's all in there. And it was done really well, actually.
When I first started I was wondering how Collins is going to blend in any thing Paranormal into the story… since it was so classic western actually.
And honestly to my surprise it actually worked.
I am not sure if it is because the world building is quite solid or because Collins didn't reinvent the wheel and just told a new story. Because none of the aspects were reinvented; your small town mining city is full of quite stereo typical Wild West characters and there are no new inventions in the paranormal side either. So somehow the plot takes center stage. And Collins tells a good story.
Most of the book is written in Cora's POV, so she is the character one gets to know the best. She is the kick-ass heroine of the book. She and her husband Ben are bounty hunters for the paranormal creatures that roam the west. She is kinda reckless, drinks lots of whisky and gambles. As she says herself: 'I ain't no lady'
While she is really good with gun and sword, she doesn't see it as something special. In fact in some ways she is rather humble about her own virtues. She does on the other hand not miss telling people that they are good on the job and thinks she is a good gambler. The book doesn't disclose if she actually is any good at gambling. But what we do come to know is that she is an incredible fighter and that she is fiercely loyal to Ben. Her love for him is actually very moving and her relationship with him beautiful. I think it shows the heart of Cora, a Cora stripped of years of hardship and how she truly were it not for the necessity to be a hunter. And while she does enjoy their lives as hunters she also starts feeling that the hardship of it is starting to take a toll on her so they decided to take one last extremely well paid job.
I really liked her interactions with Townsend, it showed a rather witty side of hers.
Cora is the most developed character as well. I also think if you don't like her, you won't like the book. Because for me the book hinges on her character to a huge part, needles to say I did like her. In fact of all the characters she is the least stereotypical.
Marshal Mart Duggan is your brave, good dude that keeps the town in order and sometimes drowns his despair secretly in whiskey (which he keeps in his desk drawer) . He can stand down an entire mob of miners on his own, and stands for true justice. As I said the book is full of typical western characters. So there is a young gun fighter who wants to be famous, there is your friendly bartender, the beautiful whore, the young goodhearted deputy who is in love with the whore, a kind priest and lastly the english men.
James Townsend is a Oxford Scholar and I had to chuckle so much about his character, because he was SOOOO english. He is a rather great fun, especially when Cora interacts with him. I have to say that only a non- English person could have written him, its rather stereotypical view of the english and I loved every minute of it.
Flava was interesting. I really enjoyed the brief moments of his POV, and while he was the villain I kinda liked him. He was intelligent and calculated
Which brings me to where for me his character disappointed me.. It the end of the book really.
The End of the book was a bit disappointing for me. So there was all this build up and all this planning and wooh it was suddenly all over. I couldn't believe what Wash did. And it left me with many questions actually. I would have personally preferred a bit of a more enigmatic end somehow.
Collins did touch on many issues very briefly, like slavery and racism of that time or the Civil Wars but doesn't go into detail. I didn't mind this, in fact i feel the way its done, its a clever way to solidify the world building. And since those issues are always addressed from Cora's POV, they take on her observation of them.
There is a very big christian theme in the book, since Cora and many other characters are believing christians, i have seen that other readers didn't like it. But I personally didn't mind, I sort of imagine that people where like that in that particular time and place
In fact I found the world build was great because the characters are a lot like I imagined people in the US to be at that time. But I am not from the States so I might be mistaken about it. Historically it is solid and the fact that there were mines and mining cities at that time, in fact Leadville was one of them (i googled it). Collins descriptions of the area and the seasons are brilliant.
Probably my favorite thing about the book is that its built up slowly, revealing layer after layer of the story. And there were many twists in it, that were slowly hinted at, and if one doesn't pay attention, they suddenly happen. In retrospective though the signs were appearing slowly and subtly.
I think all in all this is a solid debut novel. Certainly a book to enjoy for lovers of westerns and paranormal.
October 26, 2012
Westerns and I have usually been rather reluctant companions; they're not really my cup of tea, but Wiebe loves them, so I'll have to sit through either Once Upon a Time in the West or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly once a year. As a consequence I've always been rather hesitant to pick up weird westerns, thinking I wouldn't enjoy them. But in my bid to broaden my reading and as the blurb and synopsis of the book sounded rather interesting, I took a chance on The Dead of Winter. It turns out westerns and I do get along, as long as they're combined with a strong, female lead and some supernatural shenanigans, things which Lee Collins offers up by the bucket load in this, his debut novel.
To my disquiet, it did take me awhile to get into book. I needed to get used to the rhythm of the prose and the stylistics of a western, and to connect to Cora. Luckily by the third chapter this was a fait accompli and I could settle into the narrative completely. Cora Ogelsby is a wonderful protagonist, with a fantastic voice and presence: very western, mixed with a bit of South. She's gruff, competent and all business, except when it comes to her husband Ben. Ben comes across as the weaker partner, or rather as the second fiddle to Cora's first. He's bookish and kind and doesn't seem cut out for the life he and Cora lead. While there are some great major secondary characters, these two lead the dance and the only one who is able to cut in is Fodor Glava, the main antagonist. His character is the only one who makes as big an impression as Cora and Ben do. However, I have to say that I loved Father Baez though!
Collins gives us an interesting world in The Dead of Winter. I'm not very familiar with the Wild West, for reasons stated above, so I'm not sure how historically accurate the book is, but it certainly rings true to the Hollywood depiction of it I've seen on TV—though I'll grant that might not be the best standard to judge by. It doesn't add in any strange non-contemporary technology or gizmos, however, it adds in the supernatural. I liked his choice of monsters; there are vampires in true Dracula style. Having read Dracula last year, I can see how Fodor harkens back to Stoker's depiction instead of the more contemporary representations of vampires. The distinction between vrykolakas and nosferatu was cool and scary, with an interesting hierarchy between the two. There is even a nod to Stoker as the British vampire expert claims to have been taught his lore by a certain Dutchman.
The Dead Winter's plot seems quite straightforward, with a fairly quick resolution to the initial monster problem and a continuance of the narrative via the bigger problem with the vampire nest. This isn’t to say that it’s boring, not at all; however, at about three quarters of the book, Collins pulls out the rug from under you and hands you a plot twist that left me going wait, WHAT? Even suspecting something was off, I couldn't quite see it coming. Once you cotton on, earlier clues become very apparent, even perhaps a bit clumsy, but in first instance I just read right over them. I thought the twist was set up very well and I loved the resolution of the mystery and the narrative.
That is not to say that this book didn't have its problems. As pointed out, took me awhile to get into it and Collins does make some clunky switches of point of view, transitions into flashbacks, and introductions of plot necessary characters, but those are all first novel stumbling blocks and can be forgiven on those grounds.
In all, The Dead of Winter introduced me to a new sub-genre of my beloved speculative fiction genre and did it in such a way that next time I won't be so hesitant to try a Weird Western. The Dead of Winter is an interesting first book from an author who shows lots of promise and is the first in a series that looks to be very entertaining. The Dead of Winter is out now from Angry Robot and will be followed in the spring by She Returns From War. I'm looking forward to it already.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
To my disquiet, it did take me awhile to get into book. I needed to get used to the rhythm of the prose and the stylistics of a western, and to connect to Cora. Luckily by the third chapter this was a fait accompli and I could settle into the narrative completely. Cora Ogelsby is a wonderful protagonist, with a fantastic voice and presence: very western, mixed with a bit of South. She's gruff, competent and all business, except when it comes to her husband Ben. Ben comes across as the weaker partner, or rather as the second fiddle to Cora's first. He's bookish and kind and doesn't seem cut out for the life he and Cora lead. While there are some great major secondary characters, these two lead the dance and the only one who is able to cut in is Fodor Glava, the main antagonist. His character is the only one who makes as big an impression as Cora and Ben do. However, I have to say that I loved Father Baez though!
Collins gives us an interesting world in The Dead of Winter. I'm not very familiar with the Wild West, for reasons stated above, so I'm not sure how historically accurate the book is, but it certainly rings true to the Hollywood depiction of it I've seen on TV—though I'll grant that might not be the best standard to judge by. It doesn't add in any strange non-contemporary technology or gizmos, however, it adds in the supernatural. I liked his choice of monsters; there are vampires in true Dracula style. Having read Dracula last year, I can see how Fodor harkens back to Stoker's depiction instead of the more contemporary representations of vampires. The distinction between vrykolakas and nosferatu was cool and scary, with an interesting hierarchy between the two. There is even a nod to Stoker as the British vampire expert claims to have been taught his lore by a certain Dutchman.
The Dead Winter's plot seems quite straightforward, with a fairly quick resolution to the initial monster problem and a continuance of the narrative via the bigger problem with the vampire nest. This isn’t to say that it’s boring, not at all; however, at about three quarters of the book, Collins pulls out the rug from under you and hands you a plot twist that left me going wait, WHAT? Even suspecting something was off, I couldn't quite see it coming. Once you cotton on, earlier clues become very apparent, even perhaps a bit clumsy, but in first instance I just read right over them. I thought the twist was set up very well and I loved the resolution of the mystery and the narrative.
That is not to say that this book didn't have its problems. As pointed out, took me awhile to get into it and Collins does make some clunky switches of point of view, transitions into flashbacks, and introductions of plot necessary characters, but those are all first novel stumbling blocks and can be forgiven on those grounds.
In all, The Dead of Winter introduced me to a new sub-genre of my beloved speculative fiction genre and did it in such a way that next time I won't be so hesitant to try a Weird Western. The Dead of Winter is an interesting first book from an author who shows lots of promise and is the first in a series that looks to be very entertaining. The Dead of Winter is out now from Angry Robot and will be followed in the spring by She Returns From War. I'm looking forward to it already.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
October 9, 2012
Wow...I just finished THE DEAD OF WINTER, the debut novel from author Lee Collins, and I have to say that I’m impressed. Very impressed. For a first time author, Collins displays a nice diversity of writing skills, including a unique voice, a solid story, and damaged characters that are both likable and strong. Not to mention an original storyline that throws plenty of punches throughout its course.
Don’t confuse this book’s title with DEAD OF WINTER, the excellent Brian Moreland novel I reviewed earlier this year for Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror. Although both are historical horror and both are excellent reads, the similarities end here. Author Lee Collins gives us a hair-raising horror story set in the Old West that will make you sleep with a six-shooter under your pillow.
Be warned: this book will consume you. It will find its way into your hands when you least expect it, and then it will force you to read it. I tore through this in four days and even found myself skipping a few daily duties to work in a chapter here and there. THE DEAD OF WINTER is very entertaining and will engage even the heartiest of readers.
Collins writes with a fluid prose but he also has an eye for detail, right down to the specifics of what an Old Western drawl probably sounded like. This is especially evident in the book’s main character, Cora Oglesby. Cora’s southern accent is by no means lady-like and adds merit to her gruff demeanor. As a result, her character is much more believable.
THE DEAD OF WINTER also contains some very unique horror elements as well. I am not going into detail about them here because doing so would spoil some of the story. But let’s just say that you’ll probably read about a couple of things in this book that you haven’t heard of before.
The story moves along at a nice pace and there’s even a clever twist towards the end that I certainly didn’t see coming. Combine all of these attributes with vivid detail in the writing and you’ve got one hell of a novel that deserves your attention.
THE DEAD OF WINTER is not your traditional horror story and will keep you riveted until the final page. I highly recommend this one and look forward to Collins’ future projects. If he can continue writing books like this, I will be a longtime fan of his work. Check this one out for sure.
Don’t confuse this book’s title with DEAD OF WINTER, the excellent Brian Moreland novel I reviewed earlier this year for Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror. Although both are historical horror and both are excellent reads, the similarities end here. Author Lee Collins gives us a hair-raising horror story set in the Old West that will make you sleep with a six-shooter under your pillow.
Be warned: this book will consume you. It will find its way into your hands when you least expect it, and then it will force you to read it. I tore through this in four days and even found myself skipping a few daily duties to work in a chapter here and there. THE DEAD OF WINTER is very entertaining and will engage even the heartiest of readers.
Collins writes with a fluid prose but he also has an eye for detail, right down to the specifics of what an Old Western drawl probably sounded like. This is especially evident in the book’s main character, Cora Oglesby. Cora’s southern accent is by no means lady-like and adds merit to her gruff demeanor. As a result, her character is much more believable.
THE DEAD OF WINTER also contains some very unique horror elements as well. I am not going into detail about them here because doing so would spoil some of the story. But let’s just say that you’ll probably read about a couple of things in this book that you haven’t heard of before.
The story moves along at a nice pace and there’s even a clever twist towards the end that I certainly didn’t see coming. Combine all of these attributes with vivid detail in the writing and you’ve got one hell of a novel that deserves your attention.
THE DEAD OF WINTER is not your traditional horror story and will keep you riveted until the final page. I highly recommend this one and look forward to Collins’ future projects. If he can continue writing books like this, I will be a longtime fan of his work. Check this one out for sure.
October 30, 2012
Cora and her husband Ben are bounty hunters on paranormal creatures. In this book we follow them while they are solving a couple of cases in a small western town. If you are not a lover of western novels, better skip this book because this book has all the elements: sheriffs, deputies, saloon, whores, miners, trains, etc.
One of the things I liked when I read the summary for this book was that main characters will be a married couple. That was a refreshing change from solo hunters/assassins. I was hoping for something different and was disappointed when Cora and her husband behaved more like partners and platonic friends than married couple. But we get an explanation for this in the end, so now in retrospective I understand the reasons for that.
So, the main focus of this book is not a couple - only Cora Oglesby. All important character development we get is related to her. Everybody else, even her husband Ben, are neglected.
Maybe this would not be such a big deal to me if I liked Cora as character, but I didn't. I like female kick-ass sassy heroines with a bit of dry humor, but I can only describe Cora as bitchy and grumpy. And her irrational desire to start a fight with everything (even a tree branch!) was irritating me.
To make my reading of this book even more painful, the plot development in first 60% of the book is very slow. I was struggling with reading and more and more contemplating marking this book as DNF, when at about 65% there was a big twist & discovery that finally got me intrigued and interested. I finished the rest of the book in one sitting, literally glued to the pages.
So how to rate a book that is 60% 2 and 40% 4-5 star read? I settled on 3.
I am adding the next part of the series to my tbr list, because although case is resolved and there is no cliffhanger, I am interested to read how Cora's character will develop in the future.
Disclaimer: I was given a free ebook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on Amazon and my blog.
One of the things I liked when I read the summary for this book was that main characters will be a married couple. That was a refreshing change from solo hunters/assassins. I was hoping for something different and was disappointed when Cora and her husband behaved more like partners and platonic friends than married couple. But we get an explanation for this in the end, so now in retrospective I understand the reasons for that.
So, the main focus of this book is not a couple - only Cora Oglesby. All important character development we get is related to her. Everybody else, even her husband Ben, are neglected.
Maybe this would not be such a big deal to me if I liked Cora as character, but I didn't. I like female kick-ass sassy heroines with a bit of dry humor, but I can only describe Cora as bitchy and grumpy. And her irrational desire to start a fight with everything (even a tree branch!) was irritating me.
To make my reading of this book even more painful, the plot development in first 60% of the book is very slow. I was struggling with reading and more and more contemplating marking this book as DNF, when at about 65% there was a big twist & discovery that finally got me intrigued and interested. I finished the rest of the book in one sitting, literally glued to the pages.
So how to rate a book that is 60% 2 and 40% 4-5 star read? I settled on 3.
I am adding the next part of the series to my tbr list, because although case is resolved and there is no cliffhanger, I am interested to read how Cora's character will develop in the future.
Disclaimer: I was given a free ebook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This text is also posted on Amazon and my blog.
December 3, 2013
Think Holmes on the Range mixed with Harry Dresden and Anita Blake. Unlike most Occult Detective literature, the protagonist -- Cora Oglesby, has no powers. She doesn't commune with the Fay, she isn't half-something-or-other or an enchanted creature. Cora is just a deeply, deeply psychologically disturbed, but highly capapable, 100% human.
In the years just after the Civil War, she became a bounty hunter--then, after a chance meeting with a priest dealing with a pesky nest of Vampires--she became a legendary Hunter of monsters, carnivorous cryptids and mythic humanoids like vampires, werewolves and Wendigos. It's not quite made clear if the existence of such creatures are common knowledge in this Universe, as in Anita Blake, or if only those "in the know" are aware, like the Dresden series.
It was an interesting first book and series intro. I'll try the second book, and hope it doesn't leave me feeling so... Middling.
In the years just after the Civil War, she became a bounty hunter--then, after a chance meeting with a priest dealing with a pesky nest of Vampires--she became a legendary Hunter of monsters, carnivorous cryptids and mythic humanoids like vampires, werewolves and Wendigos. It's not quite made clear if the existence of such creatures are common knowledge in this Universe, as in Anita Blake, or if only those "in the know" are aware, like the Dresden series.
It was an interesting first book and series intro. I'll try the second book, and hope it doesn't leave me feeling so... Middling.
October 2, 2012
Book Review & Giveaway: We’re participating in the Fangs, Fur & Fey Giveaway Hop, and our giveaway is fangs related. Cue the evil book reviewer’s laugh. Thanks to the publisher, we’re reviewing and giving away an advance readers copy (ARC) of The Dead of Winter by Lee Collins. The book cover says it all: “True Grit meets True Blood.” Yep, this novel is alternate history – a Western with strong elements of paranormal fantasy and some horror thrown in for bump-in-the-night thrills. Read the rest of my review & enter our giveaway at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4689.
November 7, 2012
Set in the old west of Colorado just after the end of the civil war, this gritty supernatural tale is high on my list of favorite books this year. Filled with colorful characters, authentic dialog and plenty of blood and mayhem, I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. There are so many successful elements that make up this book, but the best one has got to be the character of Cora, a truly unique protagonist whose rough edges might turn some readers off, but will more likely have you cheering by the end of the book. Collins also pulls off a flabbergasting twist with one of his characters that was brilliant and completely unexpected, the kind of twist that makes you want to re-read the book to see what you missed.
Cora and Ben Oglesby are hunters, but the game they hunt is a little unusual. They track and kill “spooks,” creatures of the night like vampires and werewolves, and their travels have brought them to Leadville, a small mining town in Colorado. It’s a good thing, too, because two townsfolk have just been brutally murdered and eaten, and the town Marshal has no idea what killed them. Cora approaches Marshal Mart Duggan and offers her services to rid Leadville of the beast for good, which he gratefully accepts. But when Cora goes off by herself to look for the killer, she gets more than she bargains for and is nearly killed herself when she finds a corpse-like creature with spidery legs and arms hiding in a mining tunnel. Cora and Ben seek help from a priest named Father Baez who gives them the ammunition they need to kill it, but their problems in Leadville are far from over. Collins has plenty in store that will keep readers flipping the pages of this inventive and thrilling tale.
Cora is not your typical heroine, not by a long shot, but I’m hoping you grow to love her as much as I did. She drinks whiskey, gambles, swears and kills things better than most men, but she’s also a tender-hearted wife who loves her husband. She is fearless and brave when it comes to hunting vampires, but she’s also got a vulnerable side that she hides behind a prickly veneer, as well as some secrets in her past that even she has trouble remembering. Collins has a real talent for dialog, and Cora’s snappy quips are some of my favorite parts of the story. Here’s a conversation between Cora and James, a scholar of the supernatural that joins Cora in tracking the monster:
“Don’t misunderstand me,” James said, looking her in the eye. “…The foe we face is possibly the most dangerous one you will encounter in your life. If you approach it with the same jocularity you have displayed thus far, you will end up dead or one of his minions.”
“Don’t you worry, King George,” Cora said. “I aim to do this one sober.”
“Do you typically fight the supernatural while intoxicated?”
“It’s been known to happen,” Cora said, grinning at him.
James shook his head in wonder. “I find it remarkable that you’re alive, Mrs. Oglesby.”
“I could say the same, James. People that take this kind of thing too serious end up killing themselves with worry before the spooks get the chance.”
Cora definitely steals the show, but there were other characters that I loved as well. Marshal Mart Duggan just about matches Cora’s ability to fight, and he was actually more of a male counterpart to Cora than her husband Ben, who is a bookish sort of man. Ben’s secret wish is to eventually give up their vagabond lifestyle and open up a print shop, but he’s so in love with Cora that he goes along with her. It’s not often I come across a book whose main characters are married, and I thought it was a fresh way to approach a story.
The chilly winter setting of the story makes it all the more terrifying. The characters are hampered by snow and ice, which makes it difficult for Cora and the gang to hunt. Some of the scariest books I’ve read are set in the snow (The Shining, The Terror, Let Me In), and the fact that reading about snow makes me uncomfortable to begin with only heightened my distress.
Don’t let the cover fool you. What appears peaceful on the surface is bound to turn ugly. There are a lot of surprises between the pages of The Dead of Winter, and I reckon you ought to read this book as soon as possible.
Many thanks to the publisher Angry Robot for supplying a review copy. The above quote is taken from an advance proof copy and may be different in the final version of the book.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
Cora and Ben Oglesby are hunters, but the game they hunt is a little unusual. They track and kill “spooks,” creatures of the night like vampires and werewolves, and their travels have brought them to Leadville, a small mining town in Colorado. It’s a good thing, too, because two townsfolk have just been brutally murdered and eaten, and the town Marshal has no idea what killed them. Cora approaches Marshal Mart Duggan and offers her services to rid Leadville of the beast for good, which he gratefully accepts. But when Cora goes off by herself to look for the killer, she gets more than she bargains for and is nearly killed herself when she finds a corpse-like creature with spidery legs and arms hiding in a mining tunnel. Cora and Ben seek help from a priest named Father Baez who gives them the ammunition they need to kill it, but their problems in Leadville are far from over. Collins has plenty in store that will keep readers flipping the pages of this inventive and thrilling tale.
Cora is not your typical heroine, not by a long shot, but I’m hoping you grow to love her as much as I did. She drinks whiskey, gambles, swears and kills things better than most men, but she’s also a tender-hearted wife who loves her husband. She is fearless and brave when it comes to hunting vampires, but she’s also got a vulnerable side that she hides behind a prickly veneer, as well as some secrets in her past that even she has trouble remembering. Collins has a real talent for dialog, and Cora’s snappy quips are some of my favorite parts of the story. Here’s a conversation between Cora and James, a scholar of the supernatural that joins Cora in tracking the monster:
“Don’t misunderstand me,” James said, looking her in the eye. “…The foe we face is possibly the most dangerous one you will encounter in your life. If you approach it with the same jocularity you have displayed thus far, you will end up dead or one of his minions.”
“Don’t you worry, King George,” Cora said. “I aim to do this one sober.”
“Do you typically fight the supernatural while intoxicated?”
“It’s been known to happen,” Cora said, grinning at him.
James shook his head in wonder. “I find it remarkable that you’re alive, Mrs. Oglesby.”
“I could say the same, James. People that take this kind of thing too serious end up killing themselves with worry before the spooks get the chance.”
Cora definitely steals the show, but there were other characters that I loved as well. Marshal Mart Duggan just about matches Cora’s ability to fight, and he was actually more of a male counterpart to Cora than her husband Ben, who is a bookish sort of man. Ben’s secret wish is to eventually give up their vagabond lifestyle and open up a print shop, but he’s so in love with Cora that he goes along with her. It’s not often I come across a book whose main characters are married, and I thought it was a fresh way to approach a story.
The chilly winter setting of the story makes it all the more terrifying. The characters are hampered by snow and ice, which makes it difficult for Cora and the gang to hunt. Some of the scariest books I’ve read are set in the snow (The Shining, The Terror, Let Me In), and the fact that reading about snow makes me uncomfortable to begin with only heightened my distress.
Don’t let the cover fool you. What appears peaceful on the surface is bound to turn ugly. There are a lot of surprises between the pages of The Dead of Winter, and I reckon you ought to read this book as soon as possible.
Many thanks to the publisher Angry Robot for supplying a review copy. The above quote is taken from an advance proof copy and may be different in the final version of the book.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
November 3, 2012
1880s Leadville, Colorado: Monster hunters come to a mining town to eliminate a threat. They find more monsters than they expect, and also find out secrets about themselves.
It’s difficult to summarize the plot of The Dead of Winter without leaping directly into spoiler territory. I think that’s a tribute to the tight plotting that Collins has done here. It’s a relatively small story, but one with serious ramifications for our protagonist.
Your enjoyment of The Dead of Winter will depend heavily on how you react to Cora Oglesby, the protagonist. She reminded me more than a bit of Calamity Jane from Deadwood: hard drinking, argumentative, struggling to be a woman in very nontraditional roles. While she’s clearly a flawed protagonist, she’s not one without a moral center, or one that is not sympathetic.
The world building in The Dead of Winter is rather limited, but that is in keeping with the relatively small scale of the story itself. We don’t know much of the larger world, of the history of the monsters, or any sort of backstory for them. Fortunately we are spared the “but monster X is just a legend” conversation. There’s a bit of disbelief, but it seems to relate more to the proximity of the monster rather than their existence per se. The comparison I would make is this: if someone were to tell me that alligators were in my local park, I wouldn’t be quick to believe them. Not because I don’t believe that alligators exist, but rather because I don’t think that they would be in that location.
But what about the monsters? You can rest easily, they’re not “sparkly”, and they aren’t just misunderstood. They’re predators of humans, who need to be put down. Collins reaches back to Native American mythology and Gothic literature to set the parameters for these killers.
Aside from some awkwardness early on, The Dead of Winter is remarkably tight and confident for a first novel. Collins has a great sense of what works, and focuses on his strengths. Apparently it is the first book in a projected series. I’m looking forward to reading Cora’s further adventures and finding out more about this world.
It’s difficult to summarize the plot of The Dead of Winter without leaping directly into spoiler territory. I think that’s a tribute to the tight plotting that Collins has done here. It’s a relatively small story, but one with serious ramifications for our protagonist.
Your enjoyment of The Dead of Winter will depend heavily on how you react to Cora Oglesby, the protagonist. She reminded me more than a bit of Calamity Jane from Deadwood: hard drinking, argumentative, struggling to be a woman in very nontraditional roles. While she’s clearly a flawed protagonist, she’s not one without a moral center, or one that is not sympathetic.
The world building in The Dead of Winter is rather limited, but that is in keeping with the relatively small scale of the story itself. We don’t know much of the larger world, of the history of the monsters, or any sort of backstory for them. Fortunately we are spared the “but monster X is just a legend” conversation. There’s a bit of disbelief, but it seems to relate more to the proximity of the monster rather than their existence per se. The comparison I would make is this: if someone were to tell me that alligators were in my local park, I wouldn’t be quick to believe them. Not because I don’t believe that alligators exist, but rather because I don’t think that they would be in that location.
But what about the monsters? You can rest easily, they’re not “sparkly”, and they aren’t just misunderstood. They’re predators of humans, who need to be put down. Collins reaches back to Native American mythology and Gothic literature to set the parameters for these killers.
Aside from some awkwardness early on, The Dead of Winter is remarkably tight and confident for a first novel. Collins has a great sense of what works, and focuses on his strengths. Apparently it is the first book in a projected series. I’m looking forward to reading Cora’s further adventures and finding out more about this world.
October 31, 2012
I received this free Advanced Reader's Copy through Goodreads Giveaways. I would say it's more "horror western" than "dark fantasy".
Apparently the author wrote this for National Novel Writing Month, and once I knew that it all made a bit more sense. Overall, I liked it. I think this author has potential and I may read other series by them.
The setting was good, I could almost imagine myself there. You could almost feel the cold described with this one. The atmosphere was just right. The first third of the book seemed like filler, to be honest, and it detracted from the overall story as it has little baring on what happened for the rest of the book. In my opinion he should have cut that section right now and not rushed the ending so much. Everything seems to happen in the last fifty pages and it was too much.
The characters were at times self contradictory and pointless, but the author obviously put a lot of love and time into crafting Cora. She isn't perfect, however, and I found that she was more drama queen than badass. Cora goes from not wanting to talk to anyone and then ten pages later is still encouraging them to talk. A lot of the characters seemed to be really sterotypical and that bothered me. On the other hand, while she isn't very intelligent and doesn't think things through she would definately be someone I would want to have on my side in a gun fight. I get that she's a broken creature, but if that was hinted at more in the first third of the book it would have made for a more rewarding finish.
Overall, the major thing that bothered me was the antagonist. I think he could have been a lot better if he was introduced much earlier on and with more subtlety. He just didn't feel like he had much conviction and wasn't as intelligent or fearsome as everyone seemed to think he was.
Perhaps I am being too harsh. It's a great first novel and I think (hope) the author has learned a lot from this one. I wish him the best of luck in the future.
Apparently the author wrote this for National Novel Writing Month, and once I knew that it all made a bit more sense. Overall, I liked it. I think this author has potential and I may read other series by them.
The setting was good, I could almost imagine myself there. You could almost feel the cold described with this one. The atmosphere was just right. The first third of the book seemed like filler, to be honest, and it detracted from the overall story as it has little baring on what happened for the rest of the book. In my opinion he should have cut that section right now and not rushed the ending so much. Everything seems to happen in the last fifty pages and it was too much.
The characters were at times self contradictory and pointless, but the author obviously put a lot of love and time into crafting Cora. She isn't perfect, however, and I found that she was more drama queen than badass. Cora goes from not wanting to talk to anyone and then ten pages later is still encouraging them to talk. A lot of the characters seemed to be really sterotypical and that bothered me. On the other hand, while she isn't very intelligent and doesn't think things through she would definately be someone I would want to have on my side in a gun fight. I get that she's a broken creature, but if that was hinted at more in the first third of the book it would have made for a more rewarding finish.
Overall, the major thing that bothered me was the antagonist. I think he could have been a lot better if he was introduced much earlier on and with more subtlety. He just didn't feel like he had much conviction and wasn't as intelligent or fearsome as everyone seemed to think he was.
Perhaps I am being too harsh. It's a great first novel and I think (hope) the author has learned a lot from this one. I wish him the best of luck in the future.
February 1, 2013
I think this is the author's debut novel. I picked up the sequel the day it came out.
This is sort of a supernatural western, set in the grim little mining town of Leadville. I could hear the main character's drawl from her first line of dialogue, but it wasn't overdone. Atmospheric, but not cliched. Cora has a lot of pathos and loss in her life. And she doesn't handle it all especially well- she drinks too much and takes foolish risks. Yet I never got annoyed with her, but felt interested in her or sympathetic instead. I also very much enjoyed the vampire lore scholar character. There was a bit of a shout-out to Van Helsing, but again I didn't feel it was overdone.
There are essentially two halves to the book. The first deals with a wendigo, which Cora is hired to destroy. The second half becomes a vampire novel, with what looks like a set-up for a series. There's also a bit of a ghost story in the novel, the unfolding of which is executed well and about which I'll say no more in order to avoid spoilers.
This isn't a perfect book: you can see that the author is still learning a bit about characterization and writing flow. The characters leave the scene of the action several times to go to Denver to find out information. While this makes absolute sense, it messes with the build-up of tension a bit. However, I very much enjoyed it and plan to read the next book in the series this weekend!
This is sort of a supernatural western, set in the grim little mining town of Leadville. I could hear the main character's drawl from her first line of dialogue, but it wasn't overdone. Atmospheric, but not cliched. Cora has a lot of pathos and loss in her life. And she doesn't handle it all especially well- she drinks too much and takes foolish risks. Yet I never got annoyed with her, but felt interested in her or sympathetic instead. I also very much enjoyed the vampire lore scholar character. There was a bit of a shout-out to Van Helsing, but again I didn't feel it was overdone.
There are essentially two halves to the book. The first deals with a wendigo, which Cora is hired to destroy. The second half becomes a vampire novel, with what looks like a set-up for a series. There's also a bit of a ghost story in the novel, the unfolding of which is executed well and about which I'll say no more in order to avoid spoilers.
This isn't a perfect book: you can see that the author is still learning a bit about characterization and writing flow. The characters leave the scene of the action several times to go to Denver to find out information. While this makes absolute sense, it messes with the build-up of tension a bit. However, I very much enjoyed it and plan to read the next book in the series this weekend!
February 12, 2013
I continue to be impressed by the roster of authors in Angry Robot's stable. Of course, not all of them are writers whom I follow, but I always find a new writer to discover.
Lee Collins is such an author.
Collins' first book, "The Dead of Winter" is labeled on the cover as True Grit meets True Blood which might work well as a high concept elevator pitch, but it is much more than that. His characters are flesh and blood for the most part and well developed. The pace was brisk and kept me turning the pages.
There were a couple of choice he made as an author which I felt were pretty bold and they worked well for the most part.
Rather than following the typical flow of CALL TO ACTION->CHALLENGE&FAIL->HERO CHANGES->CHALLENGE&SUCCEED->EPILOGUE the author does some clever narrative tricks including a false denouement which actually starts the rising conflict for what one believes is a sub-arc but is the actual crisis and focal point of the book.
In addition Collins does a great job of evoking the look and feel of 1880's American West. Not as well as, say, Larry McMurty but respectable nonetheless.
I can't go into too much detail about my biggest disappointment in the book as it is SPOILERISH. But anybody who has read contemporary horror for the past 10 years or seen a particular movie from 14 years ago will quickly pick up on it and wince.
That aside I'm eager to read the second book in this series.
Lee Collins is such an author.
Collins' first book, "The Dead of Winter" is labeled on the cover as True Grit meets True Blood which might work well as a high concept elevator pitch, but it is much more than that. His characters are flesh and blood for the most part and well developed. The pace was brisk and kept me turning the pages.
There were a couple of choice he made as an author which I felt were pretty bold and they worked well for the most part.
Rather than following the typical flow of CALL TO ACTION->CHALLENGE&FAIL->HERO CHANGES->CHALLENGE&SUCCEED->EPILOGUE the author does some clever narrative tricks including a false denouement which actually starts the rising conflict for what one believes is a sub-arc but is the actual crisis and focal point of the book.
In addition Collins does a great job of evoking the look and feel of 1880's American West. Not as well as, say, Larry McMurty but respectable nonetheless.
I can't go into too much detail about my biggest disappointment in the book as it is SPOILERISH. But anybody who has read contemporary horror for the past 10 years or seen a particular movie from 14 years ago will quickly pick up on it and wince.
That aside I'm eager to read the second book in this series.
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