Publisher: Zombie Blood Fights
March 23,2013
I’ve been craving horror for some reason. It’s much like a food craving. You know what it’s like, you have a taste for something and until you get a decent sized dose of it, it’s an itch that won’t go away.
Bowie Ibarra is a little known writer from Texas and that’s a shame. His Permuted Press zombie novels are powerful and violent tales of the Apocalypse. He has achieved cult status which is cooler than mainstream notice is many ways.
The Cruel Fate of Brewster McGill is an interesting tale. McGill is a snake oil salesman. McGill along with his sidekick Isidro, travel around South Texas hustling their wares. It’s 1855 and their world is about to get ugly. A competitor shows up with an elixir claiming that it raises the dead. He says the elixir’s power comes from an ancient Aztec relic which he is also in possession of. McGill and Isidro are tired of how things have been going for them and decide to steal both the elixir and the relic. This is when the story truly begins. The gloves come off and the mayhem is unleashed.
I truly enjoyed this book. I felt the premise was original. I loved the combination of zombies with a western setting. The characters were unique as well. The ancient Aztec folklore was a welcome addition to the story. The only thing I didn’t like was that the book is a novella and not a full length story. I would have liked more of everything. I wish it had been a fully fleshed out novel. I think the additional detail that would have come with the story in that format would have made much difference and created a wider audience for the story.
Bowie Ibarra is a very talented writer who brings an infectious enthusiasm to everything he creates. The man is not afraid to get brutal in his writing which I love. I’ll tell you straight his stuff is not for the faint of heart. I would love to see what he does in the future. I also hope he tries his hand with other genres like crime or even a straight western tale.
Dave Wahlman