Sunday, November 18, 2012

VENOM VALLEY 1: BOUNTY by Hank Edwards




Hank Edwards Books
September 14th, 2011
9781465716538
Western/Vampires Gay (M/M)
E-book
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Author


 
 
Josh Stanton never felt like he fit in at Belkins Pass on the edge of Venom Valley./ He always knew everyone whispered-or even told him to his face-he wasn’t wanted or that his mother, who disappeared when he was five was a witch or worse. Having a home with a local schoolteacher who taught him how to be a man, to love to read and more, he felt like he was able to live a somewhat normal life even if he did have one true friend in Dex, now a deputy for the local Sheriff. But Josh is having one hell of a week. His mysterious power of letting him know where dead people are has him finding two dead bodies in a matter of a week and when he is accused of killing the local school teacher, Agnes, well lets just say the defense of seeing dead people rise and come after you just won’t be believed, not in Belkins Pass that is. On the run with his friend Dex, he finds himself pitted against the vampire Balthazar and finds himself finding out what his powers are for when Balthazar kidnaps Dex, well lets just say all hell is about to break loose in Venom Valley.

Hank Edwards delivers one unique tale in BOUNTY, his introduction to Venom Valley. With a base of a western and a dash of the paranormal in zombies and vampires, with a little magic thrown in with an Indian spirit guide, well let’s just say things are about to get really interesting in Belkins Pass very quickly. Hank Edwards has written a fantastic and quite entertaining story to engross the readers. The ending alone had me almost screaming and wondering what happens next for Josh and Dex. The writing was tight, story flowed swiftly and the cast of characters was intriguing. You had saloon girls, a half-breed woman with an Indian spirit guide who protected her from harm and more making up Belkins Pass. The reader gets sucked into the story within minutes and I can honestly say, I could not put this one down. It was funny, tender, sexy and sweet. Friends turned lovers, running for their lives and going up against something that they never experienced before. In another book, it would have made no sense but somehow Hank Edwards makes it work and incorporates Glory and her sub-plot storyline into Josh and Dex’s story and it flowed beautifully, seamlessly into one another. There were no abrupt point of view shifts which can plague some stories if not done right and Hank Edwards knows exactly how to keep the storylines moving smoothly.

Meet Josh and Dex. Friends forever it seems and now something is going on in Belkins Pass, something so sinister and evil, Josh is on the run after killing his foster mother after she rose from the dead. Who is going to believe him, the guy whose mother disappeared, who the townsfolk believe was a witch or worse and made no bones about telling Josh their opinions of him. Dex is his one true friend though and when Dex sees things happening at the local saloon well let’s just say what Josh tells him isn’t so far-fetched as he thinks. I absolutely adore Josh and Dex. They had a deep connection, of friendship and when they finally admit their feelings for one another….lets just say you will need some ice or a cold shower to cool things down a bit. The cast of characters are intriguing and I really enjoyed getting to know Glory as well as Josh and Dex. These three make up the core of BOUNTY and they had me glued to the edge of my seat, flipping the pages on my e-reader to see what happens next for all three. The secondary characters keep the story moving and some had me wishing they had a little more screen time as they had me intrigued.

BOUNTY is more than a western, more than just a paranormal, it’s both and more. Vampires, zombies, a guy who can control the dead and all in the good ol’ west, where the men were tough and the ladies could tame them. Hank Edwards delivers a rousing tale that will surely hit all your love buttons in one fell swoop. Now I need to read book two, Bait, to see what happens next in Venom Valley.

If you are looking for something different tonight to read, then grab BOUNTY by Hank Edwards and get ready to travel to the old west. I can guarantee you won’t want to leave.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.


 



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