I was hoping to read this for my husband but haven’t had time so I’ll just buy him a copy! I’m not a big western person.

Well that was a delight! Not a book I would have normally picked up but I’m so glad I did. A mix of classic western tropes, horror gore, and a lighthearted comedy I didn’t know could blend but worked incredibly well. A lot of characters to keep up with but not the end of the world if you forget a few of the outliers at times. I’ll definitely be looking into what else the author has written!

This unfortunately went from being one of the books I was most excited for in 2023 to a disappointment. It took me too long to read through this and then write up a review because I kept trying to define my disconnect. The sparse narrative left a lot to be desired character development-wise. Everyone felt flat and I wasn't able to really place myself into their lives. Without a strong character present, I wasn't able to immerse myself in the story which is a shame because, at the same time, I feel like Grecian's choice in a sparse narrative could've been quite chilling. While I felt like I understood his goal, it did not hit its landing yet I would read another book by him. 

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I was happy to have the chance even though I didn't love the end result. It was still a journey I was glad to go on that still has a major influence on my own writing especially for Nanowrimo.

This is such a unique and interesting concept for a book, and it is so well executed. I have never read anything like it before and it just made me so happy. 

We've got cowboys, witches, magic, demons, strong women, and the weirdest little group going on a journey together. I think it's good to go into this blind and just experience it for yourself. It's absolutely worth it.

It is also written like a true western, which enhances the magic so much. It's just such a neat little book and I am so very glad I read it. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

Have you ever read a book that made you say “what the actual fuck” in the best way possible? That’s this book. It was a wild ride, and I absolutely loved it. Cannibals, ghosts, demons, a witch, and a weird ass little girl. Just when I thought it couldn’t get weirder, it did. Just when I thought I couldn’t be surprised? I was. Can we call this a found family story? Absolutely. Is it heartbreaking? Yes. Horrifying? 100%. I went in just on the recommendation of a podcast but it’s been a minute so I honestly didn’t remember anything other than it was a horror novel, and quite frankly, I’m glad. I truly enjoyed this folk story, even though initially I was getting characters confused, I’m glad there were multiple plot lines that wound up weaving together seamlessly. It honestly gives me Good Omens vibes just in the pacing and writing style. It’s a nonstop journey and one I will definitely revisit.

Alex Grecian masterfully weaves a chilling folk horror epic, where death is a constant companion and danger lurks at every turn. The characters, each with their unique blend of grit and desperation, are brought together by a common goal – capturing Sadie Grace, dead or alive. As the posse grows, so does the tension, leading to a gripping, adrenaline-fueled chase across the unforgiving plains of Kansas.

What sets "Red Rabbit" apart is its unapologetic embrace of the macabre. Grecian paints a vivid picture of a world where malevolent forces reign, and survival demands more than just physical prowess. The stolen red stagecoach becomes a symbol of their desperate journey, a race against time and an ever-encroaching darkness.

In decisive prose, Grecian skillfully delves into themes of fear, loyalty, and the lengths to which people will go when pushed to the edge. The story's relentless pace and haunting imagery make "Red Rabbit" a gripping read, leaving readers breathless and enthralled until the very last page.

This is a different kind of monster and witch book.  Set in the Wild West, Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft. As she races across the drought-stricken earth in a stolen red wagon, she encounters more monsters than you can imagine.  This is a fun and interesting romp through the Wild West.

Grateful for the opportunity to dive into the ARC of this book, though it didn't quite captivate me enough to reach the final page.

What an interesting party found each other in search for a “witch”. Not all of them were in it to destroy the witch and collected the bounty, but nevertheless they followed each other from Kansas to another tiny town in south. During their trip, they came across with so many weird things that made them say “we are not in Kansas anymore”

While 3 men and a northerner woman appeared to be the main characters of the story as they have voice and we could look into their thoughts, it was Rabbit who was keeping them together and on the course. Was Rabbit a girl or a boy? Or was Rabbit something altogether different? As the group was getting close where the witch was, Rabbit got more agitated. She (I think Rabbit was a girl) was hiding in corn fields, while things were going down like true Wild Wild West manner.

This story had both sad and happy endings. Women flourished as they should by getting each others’ backs. Men were all fighting to assert dominance over each other, If you are into old timey stories with cowboys, bank carriages and witchcraft, read this!

Okay so I was excited for this book.  A witch hunt that takes place in Kansas. 
Well it was I can definitely say it’s so good and definitely worth the read.  Perfect for spooky season.  
I enjoyed this one.

Red Rabbit while interesting never truly lives up to the western/horror mashup that Alex Grecian wants it to be. I never truly felt that the world, characters or overall story meet the expectations set by the synopsis. Unlike Lone Women by Victor Lavelle, Red Rabbit never matches the strengths of other horror or western tales.

I have no idea what I just read, but I throughly enjoyed the ride.
This was a very interesting read, there’s witches and demons and cowboys and maybe werewolf creature. Oh also cannibalism which was unexpected and really threw me for a loop there.
There are A LOT of characters in the book and it can be hard to keep track of them all and who’s who and where they came from and why they’re mad at whom or whose wife is dead for what reason, it’s a lot to keep up with.
However, the story is great. I find many of the characters very likable I had a hard time putting the book dawn because I just wanted to get to the next chapter. I also really enjoyed that it was broken down in parts, but it also kind of gave away that some other crazy BS was about to happen to them again as well.

I am not even sure how to give this book the correct genre.  It starts out like a classic western,.... and it keeps that feel all the way through the novel - add in a witch - some misfit cowboys, witch hunters, ghosts and spells and you have a book that reads so vividly it is like watching a movie.  I had zero idea what I was getting into with this one, but I love love loved it!   Remember the era that this is set in before you get upset about what you are reading.   People were very prejudiced then against women, witches, slaves etc... so expect some of that to happen.  Also, there are a lot of triggers, suicide and gore, but this was a fresh new story line for me and I would read it again.

What a great surprise this read was. The character builds were perfect which could not have been easy considering the number of mc’s and side characters.  I found the cool western vibe refreshing and a lot of fun.  I’ll definitely be recommending this novel to friends!

This book felt way longer than it should have. If you like rambling types of epics, it wont feel so harsh but i dont read those types of stories that much. At its heart, Red Rabbit is an odyssey of an odd group, flung together by circumstances to find the witch Sadie Grace. However, they all have different reasons for seeking her out, while most just prefer the reward. Told froma bunch of perspectives, including Sadie and even some ghosts, she is aware of the group approaching her farm in Burden County. Was kind of a crazy genre with horror western set after the Civil War. Probably better for someone who likes more supernatural leanings than other types of horror elements. Was ok but felt kind of choppy and flat to me. Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this one early.

A supernatural western that follows quite the misfit band of witchhunters, ghosts, outlaws, and other characters. Told from multiple points of view but not confusing, we get the story of the witch, Sadie Grace, and everyone who is either out to kill her or on her side. More unsettling than jump scary, this horror is quite  unlike anything you've read before.

A motley crew of misfits - so motley that not all of them are alive - fall in together, mostly by happenstance. One of them is sure he's killed a witch, and he's headed north to collect the reward being offered. Everyone else decides to accompany him because . . . I'm guessing 'cause TV hadn't been invented yet.

And so, they're off to see the witch and check out whether she's dead or not. The road they travel is not yellow brick, but filled with danger and horrors that make visiting a witch seem tame by comparison.

I LOVED this fun and creepy tale. 'Twas one of my favorite books of the year, and the best horror read so far this Spooktober.

One warning - BAD THINGS happen to animals in this book. (Well, to people, too, but that never seems to upset us as much . . . )

TW: Language, drinking, smoking, rape, torture, gory scenes, suicide, racism, sexism, blasphemy, cheating, death of children

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft, dead (or alive). And every hired gun in Kansas is out to collect the bounty on her head, including bona fide witch hunter Old Tom and his mysterious, mute ward, Rabbit.

On the road to Burden County, they’re joined by two vagabond cowboys with a strong sense of adventure – but no sense of purpose – and a recently widowed school teacher with nothing left to lose. As their posse grows, so too does the danger.

Racing along the drought-stricken plains in a stolen red stagecoach, they encounter monsters more wicked than witches lurking along the dusty trail. But the crew is determined to get that bounty, or die trying.
Release Date: September 19th, 2023
Genre: Western Folk Horror
Pages: 464
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I Liked:
1. Loving how the book is written
2. Audiobook narration is great

What I Didn't Like:
1. It ended too soon - can't it just go on forever 💀

Overall Thoughts:
Oh my God I loved every aspect of this book. I loved that it was a western. I loved that there was magic to it. I loved that there were witches and there were ghouls and there was heart to it. The writing was so enthralling that I was along with them.

Every character in this book added to the story. Not one character felt like they should have been left out or they were not needed. From the second I started reading this book I had to know where it was going.

As a huge fan of westerns I feel like this book did something that I haven't really seen in movies or other books. It's hard to have a book that is a historical fiction not feel weighed down with just details and not feel boring. But somehow this book managed to keep your interest while still feeling for the characters. The fact that Sadie is painted as this terrible evil witch but then we come to find out that really she is the mother to Rabbit is just a twist I did not anticipate or see coming. Maybe that's a little naive but I think that's great storytelling because I wasn't even thinking about the end I was just enjoying the book as I was going.

Loved the part about the cannibalism. I had a moment where I stopped reading and said ew.

Final Thoughts:
Cool just leave me here in tears with that ending. Oh my what an amazing story. If I could I'd give a million stars.

Reading this book did kind of remind me of The Wizard of Oz but not in a bad way. It just made this book have heart.

Recommend For:
• Westerns
• Witches
• Magical books

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Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Tor Publishing for this advanced copy of the book & audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but the premise sounded interesting and I've never read a western before. I really loved it! We follow a rag tag band of characters who embark on a journey to Riddle, Kansas in pursuit of a witch with a bounty on her head. There is plenty of adventure and obstacles along the way as the group aren't the only ones in search of a witch. The action begins pretty early on and doesn't really stop until the end of the story.

Red Rabbit was way heavier on the supernatural elements than I was anticipating - there was truly something for everyone as along the way we encounter ghosts, ghouls, witches and shapeshifters. Oh, and cannibals. Can't forget about them! I thought the author did a great job of combining the historical/western elements of his story with these more supernatural ones. Each of the characters we meet (even the ghosts) have their own, interesting backstory and felt like an integral part of the story. There were also a few twists here and there that I didn't see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for a review copy. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

From the publisher:
A ragtag posse must hunt down a witch through a wild west beset by demons and ghosts—where death is always just around the bend—in this new supernatural horror by bestselling author Alex Grecian.

Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft, dead (or alive). And every hired gun in Kansas is out to collect the bounty on her head, including bona fide witch hunter Old Tom and his mysterious, mute ward, Rabbit.

On the road to Burden County, they’re joined by two vagabond cowboys with a strong sense of adventure – but no sense of purpose – and a recently widowed schoolteacher with nothing left to lose. As their posse grows, so too does the danger.

Racing along the drought-stricken plains in a stolen red stagecoach, they encounter monsters more wicked than witches lurking along the dusty trail. But the crew is determined to get that bounty, or die trying.

Written with the devilish cadence of Stephen Graham Jones and the pulse-pounding brutality of Nick Cutter, Red Rabbit is an epic adventure of luck and misfortune.

Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian is expected out September 19th 2023 from Tor Nightfire.

My Thoughts:

I gave Red Rabbit 5 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed reading it. If weird westerns is your thing, then this would be a good book for you. Also if you enjoy horror that just happens to be set in the old west, you would probably enjoy this book as well. 

Old Tom and his mute ward Rabbit are on their way to catch a witch. The group grows first by 2 cowboys, then the recently widowed woman, and a ghost that none of them seem to know is there. So, you have a large group of characters going on a trip in this book, not to mention the witch herself.The group encounters horrors along the way - obstacles in their paths on the way to the witch. I liked the little group that tagged along with Old Tom basically because they had nothing better to do. I especially liked the widow woman and that the men she traveled with treated her well.

This book seemed pretty much to be a quest story. Generally, it's well-paced. Everyone had their reasons for being part of the group. And when their first goal seemed to fall through, they find another goal and keep going.

It's a well-written horror/adventure story. The way it ends leaves it open to sequels without being a cliffhanger. I definitely recommend this book if you like weird westerns or horror quest stories.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.