The Best Indie Horror Novel I Have Ever Read!

A Review by Andrew ‘The Book Dad’

Hope’s Hill is a small western town lying at the base of mountainous terrain. Although it’s not obvious just looking upon this place, it has bared witness to some heinous acts of dark magic and the supernatural. There are ancient and unexplainable talismans hidden away from the forces of evil by those of the purest intent. Hope’s Hill is just such a place. Now, this small town and its people will need to stand tall as a gang called the Koyotes led by Glenn the Dreadful makes their way across the western plains driven by satanic forces of the most brutal nature. The townspeople will need to come together if they are to survive. They aren’t much but alongside the brides of christ, a former member of the Koyotes, and those with true grit, they may just stand a chance fending back Glenn the Dreadful in his quest of becoming the Prince of Hell.

Kristopher Triana crafted one hell of a splatter masterpiece that shows off his wildly dark and twisted imagination. The Thirteenth Koyote is an epic western yarn with storytelling unmatched in extreme horror. There are just so many elements that come together in this triumphant Splatterpunk novel. There are witches, warlocks, werewolves, skinwalkers, necromancers, demons and the walking dead that are all driven by an interdimensional satanic force. But not just that. There are always two sides to a coin. Although evil forces are at work here, there is holy white magic to balance the scales. The bride’s of Christ and the bloodletting of innocent children are used to sway the dark forces. It’s all fantastical in the most horrific fashion.

Triana is a champion of extreme horror. Every single sentence in this novel is incredibly vivid and steeped in some of the most visceral scenes I have ever read in horror. This is not to say that the gore was excessive. No. The carnage that lays waste amongst the pages of this book does not impede the story. Instead, it is vital to building scene’s and character development. Reader’s will find that the blood and guts show off the unconscionably brutal nature of the werewolves in The Thirteenth Koyote.

What is possibly the most impressive thing about this book is the author’s devotion to the character’s. There are a lot of moving parts in this story be it good or evil and reader’s get to know the innermost depths of depravity for each character. Even sister Mabel isn’t without her own twisted flaws regardless of the good intentions behind her decisions. We get to learn how Glenn the Dreadful became the unholy beast he is stemming all the way back to his childhood and how Byrne, the thirteenth koyote came to be the good-hearted creature he is birthed from abhorrent circumstances. I can’t say that this is a character driven story but this cast of characters are certainly what grasped my attention and held tight all the way to the bitter end.

Epic is truthfully the best word to describe The Thirteenth Koyote. Kristopher Triana crafted a full brutal western tale that is an unholy combination of supernatural and cosmic horror. Everything from the chaotic yet whimsical storytelling to the gut-wrenching character driven scenes enthralled me. This Splatter Western novel not only sets itself apart from other volumes in the series, it stands to be the best indie horror novel I have ever read. I challenge fans of horror fiction to put this book at the top of your TBR. You owe it to yourself to read this novel as soon as possible. You’ll thank me once you do.