What happens when you take a remorseless gunslinger and pit him against something that might actually be worse than he is? Brimstone Express by Justin Bienvenue sounds like it answers that question with maximum violence and zero apologies.
Kiero Dusk isn't your typical antihero with a heart of gold waiting to be discovered. He's explicitly described as someone who "will shoot anyone and doesn't care about the consequences" - which immediately sets up the kind of protagonist who works perfectly for horror. When your main character is already morally compromised, it creates space for the supernatural elements to be genuinely threatening rather than just spooky window dressing.
The setup is deceptively simple but brilliantly effective. A train that only operates at night, rumored to contain everything a man could dream of, and everyone who tries to rob it ends up dead? That's the kind of premise that writes itself, but the execution will make or break it. The fact that Dusk hears about it in a place called the "Bonesaw saloon" tells me Bienvenue understands the importance of atmospheric details in building this world.
What grabbed me immediately is how this flips the usual western narrative. Instead of a reluctant hero forced into violence, we get an eager killer who might have finally found something he can't shoot his way past. That reversal creates opportunities for genuine horror - when someone who doesn't fear death or consequences encounters something that makes them reconsider their worldview.
The "treacherous absolution" mentioned in the description suggests this isn't just about gore and gunfights. There's something almost theological about the title "Brimstone Express" - trains to hell have a long literary tradition, and the idea of damnation through greed feels like it could add real thematic weight to what might otherwise be pure action.
The 5.0 rating (albeit with only one review) combined with Bienvenue's promise of "blood, guts, and everything in between" tells me this author isn't trying to appeal to everyone - he's targeting readers who want their westerns dark, violent, and supernatural. That kind of focused approach often produces more satisfying results than trying to please all audiences.
The length appears to be novella-sized, which could be perfect for this type of story. Horror westerns work best when they maintain relentless pacing, and a shorter format forces authors to focus on the essential elements without padding. Sometimes the most effective horror comes from stories that don't overstay their welcome.
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Rating: 4/5 loft - Sounds like a brutal, focused ride that delivers exactly what it promises without pretension or unnecessary complexity. Sometimes you just want a bloody good time.
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