Thank you @NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This was my first western and I am not sure if this is going to be one of my go-to genres to read.

The Winnowing Draw follow the story of three men whose paths happen to cross at some point in the story while their ambitious journeys towards the west for various purposes.

The whole idea of brutally hunting mythical creatures that might exist in those jungles, forests, and deserts, of killing other human beings either accidentally or intentionally and justifying those acts, the idea of bounty hunting or being a paid private assassin; all the discussed quite in detail.

But idk why, it felt flat to me. I couldn’t connect to the characters as much as I would have liked and I also couldn’t come to terms with the ending. The way a child or a teenage boy could outwit every single person was beyond my grasp. The General and his addictions and ravings, the concept of plundering and murdering without remorse; everything was well written but it felt monotonous. It was never-ending.

The pace is quite slow at times. But I guess, if you love reading western novels, with a copious amount of gore and murder and mutilated bodies of humans and animals, then you will love reading this one.

A unique horror, following a cast of interesting & morally "grey" (some of them are just a shade off black) characters in the expanding American frontier. Using mythology & the fear of the unknown to create a tense & dark setting.

It took me a little while to get into the book, the language felt a little overly flowery initially but quickly settled into a more comfortable rhythm. If you like Westerns you'll enjoy the setting of this book more than I did, I liked it (I'm a big horror fan), & it's a unique setting for a horror novel.