A review by theneverendingtbr
The Magpie Coffin by Wile E. Young

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I've been a fan of westerns since I saw The Good, The Bad and the Ugly when I was a kid; it's always been a genre I've been fascinated by after that.

Never started reading western fiction until a few years back with Blood Meridian, which was absolutely brilliant.

The Magpie Coffin just goes to show that it's a genre which can be expanded upon, and when I saw that cover I was immediately attracted by it - especially the writing at the bottom saying A Splatter Western. I immediately started thinking about the blood spurts of Django Unchained.

This one never let me down and I'm glad I got it, I really enjoyed it.


Salem Covington, the main character here is a outlaw occultist who cannot be killed by an ordinary bullet. 

His old teacher, a native shaman called Dead Bear is brutally murdered by a gang of thugs, and he vows vengeance upon them. 

With the body of his teacher kept in a coffin behind his wagon, he goes to avenge Dead Bear’s murder.

Very violent.
Very well written, it wasn't bloated in the slightest.
Like some sort of grindhouse western, that I'd love to see adapted.
Top rated.

Now I'm on the lookout for 'splatter westerns'