Nicole Givens Kurtz

Strange magics run amok in the wild west of days gone past, times unknown, and into the far reaches of the future. Ms. Kurtz offers us twelve stories that run the gamut of classic western tales but each with an unexpected twist. You’ll find yourself in a world both comfortingly familiar and tantalizingly unorthodox as you saddle up to ride with The Sisters of the Wild Sage.

Revival
3.75 stars
A young woman raised by her protective aunt learns the truth of herself and her family.

Belly Speaker
4 stars
A woman flees through the desert in a fight for her life alongside an ally whose unpredictability may be every bit as dangerous as the mob who hunts her.

Los Lunes
4 stars
An assassin and a reverend seek to destroy a monstrous child before it fulfills evil prophecy that could ravage the world.

Justice
5 stars
A woman seeking safety from a posse finds herself cornered in exactly the wrong place.

KQ'
3.5 stars
A small girl boldly faces a god’s wrath.

Unhinged: A Tale of Three Brothers
4 stars
The violent death of a brother leaves a man in despair and confusion.

The Trader
4 stars
In a story worthy of a Twilight Zone episode, a contemptible trader takes in a Navajo pot that is much more than he bargained for.

Oni Soars
3 stars
A woman defies her community in order to save it.

The Wicked Wild
4 stars
The evil of hate seeks to destroy a woman who came west looking for a new life.

The Pluviophile
4 stars
On a desperate quest for water, a woman tests her faith and learns the truth.

Rise
3 stars
Two children seek safety in a ravaged world.

Sisters of the Wild Sage
3 stars
An orphaned woman strives to protect both her sister and her family’s land.… (mais)

If you enjoy vampire fiction, don't let this one slip under the radar.
I've been enjoying vampire fiction for many years, everything from Bram Stoker to Charlaine Harris to Octavia E. Butler, and yet this anthology was chock full of things new to me. New stories, new authors, new ideas, new perspectives.
As with all anthologies, some stories are stronger than others, but overall it is a beautifully varied and nicely structured book, with some exciting digressions from the usual vampire tropes.… (mais)