Young Faolan Kelly has lost the one important person in her life, and now the vultures are circling. Her grandfather Pops kept a small but healthy farm as their home, told her stories from the old country, and kept to their own beliefs instead of attending the church of The Shining God along with the rest of the nearby townsfolk. However, when he passes away, the mayor of the town sees his chance to subsume the Kelly farmlands so long as the young lad is not there to interrupt his search for the deed. Pops wisely indulged and encouraged Faolan’s wishes to dress and appear as a boy (though she still self-identifies as a woman) because it gave her a leg to stand on in a sexist world. However, if the mayor gets wind of her real nature, he will have plenty of ammunition against the farm staying in Kelly hands at all.

So, the greedy bureaucrat declares Faolan too young to handle the farm alone and prepares the young “Mister Faolan” for adoption and upbringing in the nearby religious community. In The Settlement, she will become a part of the community until her rite of passage to adulthood, which should provide the mayor and his cronies amble opportunity to search for the deed ... However, such a search will be in vain. Faolan has the coveted document tucked in a secret compartment of Pops’ pocket watch. All she must do is pass the months until her eighteenth birthday and she can come back to her home again.

However, The Settlement is far more sinister than she expects.

Most of the citizens are all devout believers in The Shining God and turn blind eyes to the patriarch’s unsettling practices. The local priest leader, His Benevolence Gideon Dillard (aka HisBen Dillard) is kindly when speaking but severe in his punishments. There are more adversarial and unsettling personalities in the place than HisBen Dillard, of course. His sycophantic second-in-command Acolyte Ignatius Stuckley and the smiling but sinister Miss Nettie Honeywell have the power to make Faolan’s life a living hell.

Even faced with such adversity, Faolan finds a place and some surprising companions. Fellow teenagers Jesse and Dai Lo are not taken with the life, they simply keep their heads down until they can leave it. Kindly matron Miss Moon has ways of supporting the children she dearly loves without standing out for public scrutiny. And finally, there is Will Speed, the gunslinger who escorted her to this place and who is sticking around for reasons unknown … but who certainly seems interested in poking his nose in The Settlement’s business.

When one mistake too many leads to days of isolation in The Box, Faolan learns there is a mysterious presence roaming The Settlement in its wee hours. Bloodthirsty, inhuman, and ineffable, it is a danger no one else seems to be aware of. What’s more, there are an awfully large number of young people who have come to the Settlement only to disappear. Supposedly orphans returned to their families or runaways, Faolan begins to wonder if their fates are more unspeakable.

When a chance encounter with the local indigenous tribe, The Rovers, reveals stories about a strange creature stalking the woodlands and attacking them as well, Faolan realizes The Settlement’s leaders may well be hiding a horrifying, supernatural secret.

How can Faolan hope to survive the months until her birthday? And even if she does, with the leaders of The Settlement simply allow her to leave? Or will she become another of the disappeared? And what of her allies? Faolan came here with only a single goal, getting out, but she soon finds herself tethered to something larger than herself. Lish McBride pens a western inflected slice of dark fantasy with the YA supernatural thriller, Red in Tooth and Claw.

Although there are familiar echoes with the world we take for granted, Faolan lives in a dark reflection of the nineteenth century United States. While there is evangelical religion spreading across the woods and plains, it recognizes The Shining God as opposed to familiar Judeo-Christian elements. Instead of first nation peoples, there are Rovers (groups that blend elements of indigenous Americans and Rom). Magic is a real thing, though it is not necessarily found everywhere or useable by all people—it is a secret thing, requiring access to lore, access to places of power at the right moment, and the bloodiest of sacrifices.

Despite these subtle changes and other dark fantasy world building elements, the drives and conflicts are recognizable enough both for the young adult audience this book targets for its readership as well as any readers looking for a storyline pitting outsiders against domineering powers.

Faolan is a character with a clear understanding of her own needs, who has her worldview opened. She needs to hold on to her own truth. She needs to hide her real self from people who would prefer to fit her into a mold instead of seeing and supporting who she really is. While following this individual track, she also discovers new connections with people who share her values.

Red in Tooth and Claw dabbles with some darker elements, including the dangers of zealotry as well as the threats people can pose when they manipulate others through their faith. All are equal in the Shining God’s eyes, HisBen proclaims at one point. By then, we are aware he also believes some are more equal than others. How this inequality manifests in The Settlement has unsettling, historical analogues.

McBride’s prose is well composed, giving Faolan the right measure of spirit, grit, and vulnerability. This is a character who thinks she knows everything (and does know quite a bit), but who is sorely lacking in both the kindnesses that those outside her family are capable of as well as the stranger things to be found in this large, wondrous, and sometimes terrifying world. Her experiences will reveal some of the facets she has been heretofore unaware of. She will make solid friendships, several dire adversaries, and one unique companion unlike anything she could have ever expected.

Readers who hear weird westerns and expect gunfights and stagecoach robberies will be left wanting. The western angle is exploited well, giving us large patches of untamed wilderness, a good sense of isolation and mystery, as well as character archetypes that might well be found in such a time and region. However, the book is much more concerned with one young woman’s discoveries (some of which turn out to be surprisingly gruesome) than it is with delivering rote elements from the genre’s cinematic side.

Nevertheless, Red in Tooth and Claw is a suspenseful and provocative page turner, a YA novel that blends fantasy elements with wide open spaces as well as the most terrifying cave found this side of Antonia Bird’s 1999 film Ravenous. Lish McBride’s writing is clean and clever, and Faolan’s point of view employs a clever blend of confidence and vulnerability. This is the kind of character we want to see succeed, to watch defy the odds and overcome the challenges. But it’s also a person we want to grow as her initially tiny world gets unfathomably more complicated.

I absolutely loved Lish McBride's Necromancer series, and I was so thrilled that her new novel fits in the same vein as that duology! Faolan Kelley is alone, and is forced to move to a religious settlement. Under the pretense of being a boy waiting to turn eighteen to get his grandfather's land, Faolan's a girl trying to keep her secrets. She discovers that something isn't quite right at the Settlement, and she aims to get into as much trouble as possible to find out what that is. I loved the Western vibes, I loved the twists. Truly so glad I got to read this one!

The book was fine. I enjoyed it, but not in a way where I was drawn back to my Kindle for more and more. It was one of those books where if I had free time, it was there. The world built in this book is interesting. It's Western but not Western. There are old gods, encampments, etc. Faolon, the main character is really cool. I liked her a lot. If anything, she was the high point for me. Hiding her gender, there is a good bit of built in tension to the story. Other than that, I found a lot of the supporting cast flat. The book was slow moving. Normally, since this was pitched to have horror elements, that wouldn't bother me. I just didn't find a building of tension in that slow pacing, as I would normally expect.

I will raise my hand here and now to say I may not be the intended audience of this book. I will read YA from time to time, but it's not my preferred genre. I can't tell you what percentage of my "It's Average" review comes from objectivity vs mismatch of tastes. I think that if it sounds interesting, you should try it. I enjoyed it, I just didn't feel a need to devour it.

With an amazing cover, this was a definite read for me. I don’t think I’ve ever read a western but this was so interesting. We get the look at the frontier with a young woman as our protagonist, which is rare for that period. We also get a look at a young woman trying to survive while pretending to be a boy so she can keep her freedom. I liked the way Faolan interacted with everyone and I was rooting for her. This was a fun halloweeny horror read and I’m excited for more like this!

I don’t like Westerns, and this didn’t prove to be an exception to that, as there weren’t enough horror or speculative elements early on to keep my attention.

loved the cast of characters. had a bit of a slow start, but overall good story, western horror is a bit different for me,also did read a little ya.but still enjoyed it. thank you net galley for the arc copy.

This gave me Holes vibes but extra sinister (and heavy on the human sacrifice part) with a dash of Western fun.

All the characters were so lovable and distinct and it really makes you root for Faolan and her little crew of misfits. While I don't think this book was heavy on horror elements, it will definitely give you a spook with some of its lore and creatures. The chapters are broken up well, making it easy to get through, and I really enjoyed the writing style.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I had absolutely no notes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lish McBride for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Red in Tooth and Claw coming out October 8, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I thought the western style was interesting. I really love horror books. I liked the story, but it was a little hard to relate to the characters and picture some of the world. I liked Faolan’s character and there was a lot of action at the beginning. I wasn’t as much into the ending. I would check out other books by this author.

I was able to learn about this title at the SLJLive! event in August and knew I had to read it. I will definitely recommend this book to young readers at my library. With movies like Twisters being big hits earlier this year, I think a lot of children are interested in westerns. That, combined with their increased interested in horror and dark stories, make this book an easy recommendation to me! The book is a little long for some patrons, but I think the pacing lends itself well. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Red In Tooth and Claw is a western fantasy/horror novel from Lish McBride, and a damn good novel at that! I DEVOURED this book in almost 24hrs, I could Not Put. It. down. It was such a delightful treat with witty commentary, mystery, surprise romance, coming of age and found family! A little bit of everything is woven perfectly together.

We start of with our MC, Mr. Faolan Kelly attending the funeral of his beloved Grandpa, his last known living relative, as he still feeling lost and grieving, with his grandfather not even fully underground the cunning Mayor and other community elders are plotting on on poor Faolan’s inheritance of land using the excuse of him being 16yo and too young of a man to tend to his own lands, unbeknownst to them Faolan has a secret of his own, he is not a he, but a she that Grandpa had been concealing Faolan is a girl. Without much of a fight they ship her off to a settlement where things seem too good to be true, and she might be just right about that.

As I sit here writing this review I’m still basking on such a great storytelling that has left me yearning for more from this same cast of characters or created universe, its left open to so many wonderful possibilities and I would love to explore them if the if the author chooses to continue this story or more into this world build. I was given the opportunity to read this e-book ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest and truthful review, and I thank them for letting me experience this delight of a book!

**Book Review: "Red in Tooth and Claw" by Lish McBride**

"Red in Tooth and Claw" is a gripping young adult Western fantasy that plunges readers into a world steeped in darkness, mystery, and monstrous secrets. Lish McBride’s atmospheric storytelling and vivid character development make this a must-read for fans of both the fantasy genre and classic Westerns.

The story centers on Faolan Kelly, a resilient sixteen-year-old whose life takes a drastic turn after her grandfather's death. Disguised as a young man to protect herself from societal norms and a potentially grim fate, Faolan is thrust into a perilous situation when she is sent to the remote Settlement, a fort where outcasts are ruled by the enigmatic and tyrannical Gideon Dillard. The author brilliantly captures Faolan’s struggle for identity and autonomy in a world that seeks to define her by her gender and circumstances.

McBride’s writing is sharp and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the harsh realities of frontier life. The setting is rich with tension, from the claustrophobic confines of the Settlement to the eerie wilderness that surrounds it. The blend of Western and horror elements creates a haunting atmosphere, especially as Faolan discovers the gruesome fate of fellow boarders. The dark undertones of the story are balanced with Faolan’s fierce determination to survive and uncover the truth behind the sinister happenings.

The novel excels in its portrayal of Faolan's growth as she navigates her new reality. Her journey is filled with danger and intrigue, forcing her to confront both external threats and her own internal struggles. The relationships she forms, particularly with the other outcasts, add depth to the narrative, highlighting themes of loyalty, trust, and the search for belonging.

As the story unfolds, McBride masterfully builds suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The mysteries surrounding Gideon Dillard and the monstrous entity stalking the Settlement create a palpable sense of dread that propels the plot forward. Just when you think you’ve unraveled one secret, another emerges, ensuring that the twists keep coming.

In summary, "Red in Tooth and Claw" is a dark, thrilling adventure that deftly explores themes of identity, survival, and the nature of monstrosity. Lish McBride has crafted a haunting tale that lingers long after the final page is turned, making it a standout addition to the young adult fantasy genre. Fans of eerie Westerns and strong, complex protagonists will find themselves captivated by Faolan’s journey through a world where danger lurks at every turn. Highly recommended!

I want to start with the fact that I know Lish, and that I consider her a friend, so I'm not 100% impartial here, but that perhaps that means you should trust me even more because while I know this book isn't perfect it's a whole lot of fun. It seems like westerns aren't really a genre anymore, which you can probably see just by walking into any bookstore (mine included) because the western section (if there even is one) consists of a shelf or two and has basically two authors who have written all of the book, so I can understand how someone might be skeptical when you hear that this book is a western. And it is. It's a fantasy horror western, but a western none the less. I'm also not sure it would have worked any other way. So many integral parts of this story worked only because of the setting, which is not something that can be said for every (if not most) book. It was also just really fun, and now I kind of want to go visit an old west town. I also am not sure this book would have worked without our main character Faolan. I also love her. Actually, I kind of love the entire cast of characters Lish has created. They all feel so real, and the found family element is strong. It was just all so great. I will say there were a few things that stopped me from officially giving this book 5 stars (technically it's more like a 4.5. Although I don't think I've given a book a full 5 stars in years now, so this is really about as good as it gets for me). First, I wanted a little more out of the end. I wanted that BIG confrontation with the big bad and we didn't really get that. Sure, everything is pretty much wrapped up at the end (although technically there COULD be room for a sequel), but I think I wanted it drawn out just a little bit more. The second thing is that the reveal came a little out of left field. For so much of the book we think we're just in a regular old alternate wild west book then bam, magic. It's not bad, and honestly thinking about it if it had gone the way I thought it was going (it did not, so kudos to Lish for that as well) I suppose it would also be basically the same situation, something about where we did end up just seems a little different. I'm not going to say much more than that, just because I don't want to spoil anything, but for some reason (that I can fully admit is probably not 100% logical) it still feels different. Either way, despite these things I really enjoyed this book. Just sped through it, and I can't wait for my store to get it in. There's no doubt in my mind I will be writing a shelf-talker for it, and I'm pretty sure everyone is going to be sick of me after a rather short while because I won't shut up recommending this book. It's just so much fun, and I would honestly love to see this turned into a movie or a TV show, or hell, even a comic book. I also hope that this is the book that blows Lish up, because more people need to know about her writing because it's all just delightful. Weird, but definitely delightful.

"A dark young adult Western fantasy about a teen in a remote settlement full of monsters and secrets.

Faolan Kelly's grandfather is dead. She's alone in the world and suddenly homeless, all because the local powers that be don't think a young man of sixteen is mature enough to take over his grandfather's homestead...and that's with them thinking Faolan is a young man. If she revealed that her grandfather had been disguising her for years, they would marry her off at the first opportunity.

The mayor finds a solution that serves everyone but Faolan: He hires a gunslinger to ship her off to the Settlement, a remote fort where social outcasts live under the leadership of His Benevolence Gideon Dillard. It's a place rife with mystery, kept afloat by suspicious wealth. Dillard's absolute command over his staff just doesn't seem right. And neither do the strange noises that keep Faolan up at night.

When Faolan finds the body of a Settlement boarder, mangled by something that can't possibly be human, it's clear something vicious is stalking the palisades. And as Settlement boarders continue to drop like flies, Faolan knows she must escape to evade the creature's wrath."

Such a fan of Lish McBride!

Great book. The MC is tough as nails and I enjoyed the vernacular. Concept is cool, just wish it expanded on certain things more.

This was an interesting read! I didn't really have any expectations going in, other than a horror/paranormal Western. I read plenty of horror and paranormal but Westerns are not my usual. Overall this was just okay to me.

I found Faolan to be a likable character, maybe with a few too many little quips - although they were often funny.

The paranormal and horror were lacking for majority of the book, I would have liked more! Though the world itself and the people and places the MC deals with certainly give that eerie "something is off here" feeling.

The romance was also unnecessarily and kind of out of the blue, happening too fast. I especially am not expecting or needing romance in this type of book, it would have been just as good, if not better, without it.

Thank you PenguinTeen and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Putnam Sons' and Netgalley for this Advanced Reader Copy.

McBride sat down at her keyboard and typed out a masterpiece. In her acknowledgements, she shares that she was inspired to write Red in Tooth and Claw after watching a western horror flick with a frustrating ending. She wanted a better ending, a better plot, and she absolutely delivered.

Faolan Kelly, a young spitfire living in a corrupt township, masquerades as a boy after the death of her grandfather. Tossed from her home by her town’s mayor, she finds herself discarded into a place called 'the Settlement.' Palisades border the Settlement, which plays host to lost souls and home to fanatics of the Shining God. Though she is suspicious of her peers in the settlement, Faolan attempts to blend, and all begins to feel normal until she wakes to a blood-curdling scream. This is where the story truly begins. McBride’s prose are lush in variety and cadence, rich in western dialect, sophisticated yet effortless. Her literary devices never dip into the cliche, but inspired a sense of nostalgia. Reading like Stephen King for a younger audience, McBride’s narrative voice jumps off the page. I truly believed I had been transported to the Wild West in a parallel universe where magic can also exist.

Faolan is a character I could cheer on, happy to be a passenger in her adventure, and she wasn’t the only character I came to love. McBride never dropped the ball on character development. The love interest was equal parts charming, devilish, and capable—the man you hope would walk with you through a horror story. There’s a gunslinger who fits the bill and is also a romantic. Minor characters Jesse and Dai Lo are so well-constructed they felt like friends of my own. And the monsters… oh the monsters! They are perfect. Above anything, though, this is a story of transcendence and redemption. Through Faolan, McBride shows young adult readers that one can walk through horrors and emerge changed, but in tact. By the end, I was crying happy, contented tears. All loose ends had been tied, each character’s storyline completed. McBride absolutely deserves this 5-star rave.

Postscript straggler thoughts:
McBride wrote a romantic subplot so rewardingly that she didn’t have to include spice in a YA novel in order to give the reader a feeling of “pay-off.” I love that this YA was truly age-appropriate. In the same vein, though this is a YA, McBride wrote in a sophisticated manner such that it felt adult. Never did I catch myself thinking, “oof this is definitely for a lower reading level.” I firmly believe that a book should never be allocated to YA simply because it isn’t written well. Too many books intended for the New Adult genre end up in YA because they were too poorly crafted to be marketed to adult readers. I will die on this hill: a young adult book should be sorted into that genre because it is age-appropriate, not because it assumes a lower-level of intelligence in the average reader from the target audience. McBride broke this negative trend. McBride is the template. I hope she will blaze the trail for future authors to do the same.

**4 stars**

If you’re into western horror, you should definitely read this book. It starts out a bit slow, but before you know it, you’re drawn in to the creeping feeling that something just isn’t right.

Faolan’s grandfather dies, leaving her essentially homeless. Even though everyone thinks she’s a young man, it’s not enough to secure her grandfather’s land. The mayor decides 16 is too young to be all alone, so he hires a gunslinger to take Faolan to the Settlement. Many people think the Settlement is cursed. A new leader has taken over however. At first glance, the place looks like it’s prospering. But how? It costs money to feed and clothe so many people. Faolan quickly realizes you don’t ask questions in a place like this. With the strange noises at night and the missing boarders, she knows something is wrong. Something is stalking the Settlement and she needs to figure out the mystery before she’s next.

This book definitely has a slow start. It takes awhile to build up the tension and mystery. Faolan is a truly incredible character. She’s extremely prickly, but she’s also kind and funny and brave. I loved the found family aspect in this book. Faolan was definitely rough around the edges, but her friends were good at smoothing those out for her. Also, animal companions are always amazing. I just wish he was introduced sooner in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this! It really just sucks you in and makes you never want to leave. In my opinion, those are the best books and I couldn't get enough.

This book was so interesting to read. I loved the suspense and mystery about the monsters, and the shenanigans that the FMC has to engage in to keep her identity secret. I know some people didn't enjoy the magic system of this book, but I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

I have a tendency to go in blind to books based on how much I love the cover and Red in Tooth and Claw did not disappoint. I was hooked to this western fantasy/horror right in the beginning.

The strongest aspect of Red in Tooth and Claw is the characters. Faolan Kelly for one, is a well developed main character who starts out losing the only remaining family they have. Faolan is forced to go with a gunslinger to a new home on a settlement where nothing seems right. The found friendship and family is very fitting and done well.

There were many things I loved about this book, but two things brought my rating down. First the thrown in romance. This story was great on its own and I felt that the romance aspect was not needed at all. Second was that I didn’t feel it lived up to the horror aspect. Based strictly on the cover I was expecting more to do with a monster in the woods, and while it was there it was made to be much more brief.

Overall, Red in Tooth and Claw was a great read and I highly recommend it for your fall TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and opinions are my own.