A Rope of Thorns

Title: A Rope of Thorns
Author: Gemma Files
Published: 2011 by ChiZine, 2012 for the Kindle
Genre: Weird Weird West!
Pages: 350


Second Hexslinger book! Eek! I'm finding it a little hard to think of something to write without plenty of spoilers. Also, I'm already well into the third one, and it's a bit hazy where exactly this one ended and the third started.

No, that's a lie. I do actually remember where exactly this one ended. Spoiler territory. So deep in spoiler territory. The story takes a bit of a breather in A Rope of Thorns, the middle book of three, but don't take that to any way imply that it's slow going or boring. The way Files places those darn words one after the other is mesmerizing: you forget the real world as she sucks you in to this dark, dry place where the red weed grows and blood runs like water on the ground. We're introduced to a few new characters, and some old faces come back to cause trouble. There were a few giggles as well along the way, and plennnty of Chess. I'm very fond of the pocket-sized Satan. Yessir.

One thing I have to mention is all the new words I've never seen/read anywhere. I'm really happy about the Kindle's dictionary-feature that lets me check all these wonderful new words immediately. Quotidian. Diablerie. Sybaritic. Inchoate. Foofaraw! Indefatigably! What? Not like I remember all the meanings, but I can always go back and check.


   "Chesssss Paaaaaaargeter!"
   Yancey staggered to Chess's side, trying her level best to figure exactly what he was staring at, but the darkness defeated her. While he stayed right where he was, surprisingly unsurprised.
   Remarking to her sidelong, with admirable calm --"Never did think it'd happen, back when notoriety was a fair trade for bein' talked up in every bandit hole from here to Tlaquepacque . . . but I'm gettin' damnable sick of the sound of my own name."