For all you folks out there waking up and suddenly getting a craving for an Undead Raptor Jesus, this is your lucky day!

What? What?

Or I should say, the Weird West is out in full colors with this novel, an adaptation of the Deadlands paper-based RPG game that's full of great storytelling elements from a WoDish dark Wild West with screaming rocks, undead soldiers, mad scientists, and Hell beginning to encroach upon the Earth. This is the Weird West, full of high-tech gadgets, magic, and a hell of a lot of wild action as only an over-the-top western can make it.

I could argue that any such setting and possibility deserves five stars, of course, but I won't.

This book hops along wonderfully with some great characters and story. A certain Thomas Looks Away kinda stole the show, but I had no problems at all with the development of the tortured gunslinger Grey or the firecracker gunslinger girl Jenne. There's a lot of stock stuff here, sure, but it's how it's dealt with in the Weird West that makes it awesome.

And then there are the undead raptors. Hell, all the dinosaurs and flying machines and aetheric missiles and the Cthulhu-like mythos running wild, too. It's enough to make me have a nerdgasm. So yeah, while it does have a flavor of steampunk, it's really very American, so don't let that turn you off. I got kinda tired of the whole steampunk thing, too, but this is just plain fun. :) ( )

My original Deadlands: Ghostwalkers audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Ghostwalkers is book one in a planned three book tie-in to the Deadlands RPG games. And did they pick a great author to start if off. Jonathan Maberry is an exceptional storyteller, multiple Bram Stoker award winner, and a perfect fit for this world. Best known for his award winning Pine Deep Trilogy, as well as his Joe Ledger series and his YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin. I've listened to all of them and they're all great. It wasn't a question of if I would read this, but when. Especially when you consider Ray Porter is narrating.

Welcome to the Wild Weird West, "a country made for dying." After The Great Quake in 1868; California has been shattered and released veins of a new, mysterious metal called Ghost Rock. Which is used in various steampunk weapons and gadgets, as well as some more devious uses that I will leave the reader to discover on their own.

Grey Torrance is running from ghosts as he sees a man being chased by six others. Torrance doesn't like the odds and goes to help. He quickly discovers there's more to the chase than meets the eye. As he's - let's say talking - with a couple from the group doing the chasing, he sees a blinding flash of blue light and quickly loses consciousness. When he comes to, he sees a man standing over him. This man, Thomas Looks Away, explains why he was being chased and what he's trying to accomplish. After some entertaining dialogue, which Maberry is always good at writing, Looks Away hires Grey to help him save the people of a little town called Paradise Falls. After helping them reclaim their very own town well, Grey discovers what Ghost Rock can really do and it terrifies him. Looks Away and Torrance set out to stop the man responsible for this new hell, each obstacle more terrible and horrific than the last.

This was performed by Ray Porter, "'Nuff said" as far as I'm concerned. However, the man deserves more than that. He is an exceptional narrator, and is at the top of his field. He has read everything from horror and thriller to fantasy and non-fiction, always delivering a great performance. This was no exception. Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter's chemistry is astounding, as if Porter can crawl into Jonathan's mind and understand exactly how Maberry is hearing the words as he writes them. Listen to anything read by Ray Porter, the man is a force.

This has everything I wanted from it. It's a Western, Fantasy-Horror weaved in such a way that it would be enjoyable for anyone who isn't interested in any of those genres. It's a story about a man who is haunted by guilt and grief trying to right past wrongs, and a group of people who just want their lives back. It's filled with horror, heartache, determination, and love. Written by a man who understands the art of storytelling better than most, and performed by a man who's voice talent is one of the top reasons I fell in love with audio books.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR. ( )

Review copy

Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times bestselling and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author. Probably best known for his Joe Ledger novels and for his award-winning YA Rot & Ruin series. He currently resides in Del Mar, California and you can find him online at jonathanmaberry.com.

Deadlands: Ghostwalkers is the first in a thrilling series of novels based on Deadlands, a hugely successful role-playing game (RPG) set in the Weird, Weird West.

Jonathan Maberry can spin a yarn with the best of them. This tale starts with "One man on foot trying to escape six on horseback in a country that was made for dying." This is where Grey Torrance makes the acquaintance of Thomas Looks Away, a member of the Sioux nation who spent a good number of years in England making for an interesting amalgamation of what you see and what you hear.

Deadlands: Ghostwalkers features mad scientists as well as dark, unnatural forces. The Great Quake of 1868 has shattered California into a labyrinth of sea-flooded caverns and has lead to the discovery of a mysterious substance called "ghost rock" which fuels exotic steampunk inventions as well as well as a new breed of super weapons. By the way, a side affect of exploding "ghost rock" is having the recently dead become "undead."

There are more surprises in Deadlands: Ghostwalkers and I'll leave them for the reader to discover.

There were a few times where the story did drag just a bit, but overall, the key word for this book is FUN. A pure, unadulterated good time.

Deadlands: Ghostwalkers will be published on September 22, 2015 in paperback, e-book and audible formats.

Definitely recommended. ( )