My Selling Pitch:
1800s Wild West steel industry, delicious corruption, and gay horses. You’re gonna have to WORK to read it, but who cares when it’s that pretty.

Pre-reading:
I’m a horse girl, and I love a quirky graphic novel.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
The way I thought I misread the panel and was just having a dirty mind and then got to part three with them making out and it was like oh no, he literally fucked a horse.

It reminds me a lot of Blacksad and Stag Dance, but like you do have to work to read this.

The horse legs are so delicate and have such movement to them.

Learnin’ all kinds of things about US history omg!

I think a map of the US in 1873 might be really helpful at the beginning of this book because I did not know the state changed, but I’m also stupid.

Elen’s WILD

Also holy shit, the art is so beautiful

Is he eating a carrot? That’s so funny.

That was gorgeous. More please.

Post-reading:
Listen, I’m two halves of a whole idiot when it comes to anything historical. I don't know anything about US history, and I definitely needed to for this graphic novel. She will not be spoon-feeding you anything.

But if you come in knowing nothing and are willing to flip back once you get new context, you can figure out the gist of what’s going on. However, as Miss Kimberly says nobody wants to work anymore! I don’t think this is for the casual reader. There's not enough clear-cut, here's the facts explanation. It’s all very subtle.

I don't think we spend enough time with Asa to make it clear why Evander’s attracted to him. I think we could've used a couple more panels of their initial meeting.

The art’s stunning. Evander and Midas’s character design is lovely. Color does a lot of work in this book.

I'm so invested though! I want the second volume now!

Who should read this:
Blacksad fans
Red Dead Redemption fans

Ideal reading time:
Summer

Do I want to reread this:
Yeah and I want more

Would I buy this:
Yes

Similar books:
* Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales-graphic novel, detective noir, historical, social commentary
* Mercy by Mirka Andolfo-graphic novel, Victorian historical, paranormal, social commentary
* Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu-graphic novel, steampunk fairytale retelling, gore
* Stag Dance by Torrey Peters-historical, queer, folktale horror, revenge
* The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones-historical, Dracula retelling, revenge thriller

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well this was certainly different… gay centaur + Wild West history alternate reality. I really have to give it to the author for originality and memorability, this one will stick with me for a while. Mainly because I was so confused, more than half the time I have no clue what part of the timeline I’m in or what the heck is happening. The overall tone is dark and moody but we don’t get clear answers of why these two could give Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights a run for his money for broody. I LOVED the setting though and although I wasn’t the biggest fan of art style it grew on me by the end. This is hard to rate because I think I would read the next but I can’t get over how confusing it was. I could see this one needing a reread to pick up on more, but really that’s a lot of effort. This one is truly unique although I can’t recommend for everyone I think those that want a comic that makes you take time to contemplate (and are down with m/m centaur human relationships) this will work.

Thanks to Netgally and Madcave studios for the ARC.

I was sooooo ready for a queer western story with centaurs in existence, but was ... let down by the characterization.

Why are we centering narratives with confederate back story in this day and age?? I instantly DNF'd. #sorrynotsorry

I remember seeing bits and pieces of this comic when it was being serialized on Tumblr back in the day, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it was being published! I love the world building in this book, the subtle ways supernatural beings influence the real world backdrop of the historical west. The book opens with a quote from Cormac McCarthy, which should give you an indication of the storytelling style you're about to encounter. The writing here is very understated and never holds your hand or takes time to explain things to you. You're just along for the ride. I found it a bit jarring that at the start of the book Rook says he's going to tell the reader a story, but his narration throughout tends to be more philosophical with occasional information about the plot rather than delivering a traditional beginning, middle, and end to a story. However, this is all part and parcel of what I expect from a western, especially one that takes inspiration from Cormac McCarthy. Quiet stoicism is a staple of the genre, and I think combining that tone with supernatural elements helps even everything out and keeps it from being too subdued. I'll admit, I wished there was more clarity around certain plot beats and character motivations, but I didn't mind continuing following these characters even when I found myself a bit lost. I particularly loved the use of centaurs, literal half horses, as a symbol of the pre-industrialized west, in competition with the harmful "progress" that capitalism was trying to impose. Although this is not a perfect book, the worldbuilding alone is enough to make me want to pick up the second volume.

Hotblood is a graphic novel revolving around a centaur in the American Old West and his journey of killing a man, who is his lover of sorts.

The graphic novel does a perfect job to show the harshness and brutality of the West. The colours and the landscapes are so brilliant, truly transports the reader to a different place and time. While the visual elements of the book did everything for me, the storytelling did not. And it feels like it was not meant for you - fell flat in some places or some parts felt like they were too unexplained (especially if you do not have insight into American regions + iron / steel industries) which impacted my liking towards the book.

All the stars given are for the visuals of the book - panels, illustration, and the colours. Even though I was not a big fan of the story, I cannot wait to read volume 2.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the ARC in exchange of an honest, unpaid review.

DNF @ 50%

listen, i was planning to push through to the end, but after being forced to read the line, “she hired me to kill you, you stupid zoophile,” i have elected to DNF.

i picked this up because i was intrigued by the idea of a centaur western. while this is definitely that, the very minimalist storytelling here didn’t work for me. i was never drawn in by anything—the characters, the plot, the relationship between asa and eve. i wanted more, and that clearly isn’t the author’s style, so this just isn’t the book for me.

to give credit where credit is due, i loved the artwork. the color palette and style really captured the tone of a western.

Hotblood! Vol. 1 is a creative blend of wild west with hints of fantasy (y'know centaurs and such). The story is a bit hard to follow at times and feels like it is all over the place with where it is going, but the premise is strong and the illustrations are beautiful. I am looking forward to reading the next volume when it releases!

Hotblood! tells the story of Eve and Asa in the late 1800s Wild West. It features a wholly unique art style with undefined lines and dusty colours, which suit its setting. We get snippets of story here and there, but are also invited as readers to fill in the blanks. Our main characters have a few secrets of their own and make some morally questionable choices, but it's hard not to root for their happiness in this bleak world.

I would recommend Hotblood! to people who enjoyed media like Trigun Stampede and Interview with the Vampire. It's all a bit messy, but it's their mess. I'm excited to see where the next volume will lead.

Yknow, it would be a decent gay wild Wild West story if it wasn’t all over the place. I think it just wasn’t clear enough but I still kept reading through…

I remember reading Hotblood years ago when it was first published as a webcomic on Tumblr, so I vaguely remembered the general premise but none of the details. Unfortunately, the plot line is a bit all over the place. I felt myself getting confused about where we were within the story's timeline. However, with the quote at the beginning of the book being from Blood Meridian, it makes sense that the odd plot structure in Hotblood is similar to it. From what parts of the plot I did understand, I did enjoy it. The vibes are very much old school Western Gothic, in a gritty, darker way. I did adore the art style, which was the thing that originally drew me to it back when it was on Tumblr

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A wonderful wild west graphic novel with an art style that I enjoyed immensely. I was very happy this is only volume 1 because I will be snagging the second one upon release

This book is a western gay with centaurs. First I really appreciated the art style and the colors. I think it give an aesthetic and give an ambiance to the background and story. However in terms of plot it was a bit hard to understand what was going on and where it was going. But overall it was a plesant and a good read

Before I even delve into the plot I feel it is important to mention that Hotblood is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel, that manages to capture the essence of an old western, through the muted colour pattern, and distinct textures, it has an almost vintage feel to it. I found the art style compelling and unlike any art style I had encountered before.

In terms of plot I’d describe it as if you made an old western gay and added centaurs. The characters were intriguing and overall kept me interested in the story, as the plot at times was quite confusing; for someone who knows very little about the Wild West industries of steel, iron, and gold, this book relied on you having either some prior knowledge or you have to sort of work it out as you go - which didn’t bother me too much, but for some readers that may put them off.

The main relationship in the novel was messy, for the first half of the novel you had a typical western frenemies to lovers situation, but then it became cyclic with them becoming enemies to lovers once more. Overall I didn’t find the relationship between the characters very compelling, believable yes, loveable not really.

The pacing was super fast due to the novel being a recounting of how the two main characters met, this made sense however the novel may of benefitted from slowing down as to allow readers to fall in love with the characters more.

I also found that sometimes characters would say things and it would completely take you out of the story, the main one that comes to mind is when the one character calls the other a ‘You stupid Zoo-Phile’ which completely took you out of the moment and overall feel of the story.

In summary the novel had intriguing characters, a beautiful art style, but with a plot that lacked clarity whilst having questionable pacing - However it does get points for diversity, it references sexuality, slavery, vitiligo, and more.

In Hotblood!, we follow the adventures (?) of two men (well, a man and a horse-man) bound together by violent circumstance in an alternate Wild West in which humans and centaurs coexist (and some other mythological creatures seem to as well.) Evander (the centaur) is originally sent to kill Asa (the human,) who works for a mining company responsible for massive wealth extraction and shady dealings. However, Eva decides not to do so and instead the two become involved. Over the course of this volume, Eva learns more about Asa's dealings and the two eventually try to carve out an existence apart from the exploitative dealings of the mining company.

What impressed me the most in this volume is Orlesky's skill at depicting environments, and her choice of color palette and texture create a strikingly beautiful aesthetic that fits the grim mood of this story. However, other aspects of the art style didn't work so well for me. Character's expressions are drawn in such a very thin-line, soft style that they are often lost in the detail of the panels and layouts. Similarly, motion and actions are were often hard for me to detect from amongst the illustrations.

In terms of writing and storytelling, both the dialogue and narrative itself are so disjointed that I consistently felt like I did not quite know what was going on, aside from the broad strokes. By the end of the volume things are a little less confusing, but not by much. It felt like for the story Orlesky was trying to tell, particularly in this volume on its own, much more information needs to be clear from the beginning for readers to enjoy this. I was intrigued by the concept of this but in the end it was not for me, and I would have some reservations about recommending it due to its lack of clarity.

It’s the days of the Wild Wild West. Asa Langley has crossed the last person for the last time. Somebody wants him ding dong dead. Here comes Evander “Eve” Rook to do the deed but instead agrees to a job offer by the very man he was sent to kill.

This one is odd and hard to describe. It is a little bit magic and a little bit Wild West. This one is an interesting journey.

#ThxNetGalley #TorilOrlesky #HotbloodVol1

A dark and gritty story of the railway being built. I like the aspect of centaurs being around with humans. The art is beautiful and visually reading this story was fun. I was a bit confused with some of the story and where it was going but I'm definitely interested in reading more.

Thank you to netGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the eARC.

Hotblood! is a wild graphic novel about the real life historical pioneering of the west... but with centaurs. Honestly, it was an interesting story with a lot of real life history and very messy, struggling interpersonal relationships.

Although from the art perspective I found it to be very well crafted and thought out, the story plot was difficult to navigate, and you kind of had to accept that the main couple is absolutely toxic and made for each other. Overall, not bad, but it was a bit much for me.

3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

Really loved the art and concept for this one! The storyline could've been fleshed out a lot more I think, there were some interesting concepts started but not really developed as it went along which was a bit frustrating.

Cowboys & centaurs though, that is TOP TIER world building right there.

To be a white free man in colonized land

I did not understand what the purpose of this was, a gay portrayal in 'The Free Land'? Showing that abolutionist decendants survive due to capitalism? SHowing the 'boring' and 'dull' America through a white man's gaze?

Throughout the start I already got bad feelings due to the use of colonizing terms, further on I thought 'Maybe it's critic to colonization?' Then I was confused and finally I concluded that the author does not care about the colonization but about two men, some deals and power struggles.

If my conclusion is wrong, I beg you to correct me.

Edit: after reading through the comments I'm seeing all people want is gay and the West. The first one; no problemo, stick your dick into what you want, I'm not you. The latter; thanks for romanticinzinf colonisation and the dull (as always) view of white people.

Besides my rant about colonization I also want to say that the story wasn't clear for me at all and the characters were forced to be 'miserable'.

I had no idea what was going on most of the time and I liked neither the characters nor the art style, so this was a fail for me.