Posted by This is my last SPFBO 9 review!! I’ve had a fun year despite it not being my highest scoring year (which was last year). This finalists this year were a bit different than we’ve had most years. This is possibly the most “varied” group in regards to subgenre I’ve experienced as a judge. For those who may feel like SPFBO has favored epic or grimdark for most years, this is not that year. Although this book is heavily grimdark, it’s also a Weird Western. Many of these books are audience-specific or could be described as “marmite” (having a strong flavor that you’re either going to enjoy or not). I think that’s why we’re getting such big variance in scores this year, I would not be surprised to see that trend continue. This book won’t be for everyone, but there’s a reason it has pulled high scores from judges who were the target audience.
This story follows a bounty hunter and his journey from kind of dark to really dark. Wil Cutter has a shitty past that he tried to leave behind, but after the death of his wife things just go in the shitter. He’s a pretty fucked up character capable of shocking acts of violence. This book is bloody. I think if you’ve ready anything by this author before should know that going into it. However, this one reallllyyyy dives deep. Sometimes these elements worked for me despite grimdark not always being my cup of tea. There are elements that are gripping, violent, and make sense in the moment. Its those scenes which highlight the human condition, the fucked up shit we’re capable of, and with an overtone of grief and loss that hammers home the darkness of it all. Sometimes, though, the darker elements (at least in my opinion) needed to have more context and relevance to the plot or character development. Since some of the ideas were neat, and this was such a short book, I would prefer to delve into more detail and give more context to these grimmer elements rather than cut them for being ‘too dark’ and have the feeling of being shoved into the plot to exacerbate the darkness.
The writing was a strong point here. It felt polished and professional while also being brutal and raw. This also should not come as a surprise if you’ve ready anything by this author before. This isn’t the first time he’s been a finalist, and perhaps it won’t be the last if he enters more books in the future. This book took a running leap over my comfy-zone line. Pretty much all the content warnings apply.
SPFBO SCORE: 8/10