Review - In the Land of the Pigs by Caesar Ruell

SYNOPSIS -

Levi Harlen is a butcher in Crow’s River, struggling to get by, running his shop and taking care of his wife, Adeline, who has come down with a debilitating illness. Within the wild, wretched town he lives in, Levi also has to contend with the violence and murder that have become startlingly commonplace, as of late. But those on higher plains have been watching, and they’ve decided that a correction is desperately needed.

Soon, a storm sweeps in, and the townsfolk deemed genuinely evil are transformed into pig-creatures - grotesque human-animal hybrids with otherworldly strength and an insatiable bloodlust. The most sinful among them, is a vicious outlaw named Benjamin Sidney, who lost a part of his skull in the war, causing him to speak in Shakespearian dialect, and who is thought to be the leader of the pigs.

When a celestial messenger informs Levi that his wife has succumbed to her disease, at the same time, she offers him a deal - cleanse the land of the creatures, and he will get Adeline back.

Will the butcher be able to stop the pigs’ rampage, or is he destined to simply become the slops in their feeding troughs?

REVIEW -

How good would it be to be able to look at people and separate the good from the bad by appearance alone. If the bad all looked like pigs, it would be easy, which is the basic idea behind the plot of this cool novella.

Set in the Old West, a cataclysmic event turns all the bad guys into evil, marauding pigs, with the town butcher, assisted by an angel and a re-animated corpse, the only one that can stop them.

It's a fast paced, imaginative tale that you can tear through quickly. A thoroughly enjoyable read with some excellent action set pieces.

4 Stars out of 5