Writ in Blood Gay Western Romance
LIBRAtiger
10/26/21
kindle
328
amazon
Courage. Honor. Loyalty. All fine things, but they’ve led John Ringo to kill a man. He was raised right and he knows he’s not a murderer, but otherwise he’s a mystery even to himself. Doc Holliday claims to have some insights, but Doc is too devoted to Wyatt Earp to spare much attention for the man who’s already lost his soul. Which leaves Johnny Ringo prey to the distractions of a demon. Imaginary or not, if this creature abandons him, too, then surely his sanity is forfeit – and what will his life be worth then?
This Queer Weird West novel follows these three along the complex trails that lead into and out of Tombstone, Arizona in 1881.
Reviewed by
S.C. Principale Member of The Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Writ in Blood by Julie Bozza is a fascinating and curious tale of the Old West and the supernatural. Historical characters like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Johnny Ringo are brought to life and contorted into a vividly descriptive, lushly illustrated multi-genre novel.
The tale is told in several veins, which eventually merge. We follow Holliday, the sexually adventurous gambler with a charming manner and consumptive lungs, as he cheats and beguiles his way afoul of the law and then to the right of it. When he’s about to be lynched for an accidental killing, his gorgeous madame of a wife Kate frees him, but it’s the curiously well-respected lawman, Wyatt Earp that makes sure he’s cleared of the crime.
Wyatt Earp, the no-nonsense lawman who is smart enough to keep the criminals in line without earning their ire, has become a subject of fascination for Holliday, both mentally and physically. The lawman quietly aches for love denied to him by his money-minded sweetheart. When Wyatt dances with Kate at Holliday’s insistence, he soon finds himself tangled in a complicated friendship with the gambler and his lover, with all three wanting something more, though they’re unsure how to begin. Holliday knows he wants Earp’s friendship, if he cannot have more. The gambler has Earp’s back in the dangerous world where outlaws turn into lawmen and old wounds and gold can put bounties on any head.
The third vein of our tale belongs to Johnny Ringo, outlaw, murderer, and worse. Before Earp met Holliday, Ringo was already known as one of the best gunslingers in the West. Haunted by visions of a satanic angel, Ringo trades away his soul, his freedom from damnation, and any other wish for a chance to fulfill his lusts with the perfect, handsome demon. Johnny Ringo sinks further and further into darkness, trying to keep the fallen angel’s attention, but only ensnares himself in mortal troubles—and entangled in an amorous tryst with his rival gunslinger and gambler—Doc. Holiday’s easygoing affection and careless sexual exploits baffle the guilty, hardened man.
Bozza’s tale is a long, winding one where paths cross over and over, indulging in character study for Ringo, Holliday, and Earp. Their lives are so interconnected that they eventually bleed into one another, with sometimes surprising, heartrending results. The author thoughtfully provides the year at the start of each chapter, but the story twists and doubles back on itself so that it might confuse some readers. Despite the confusion, Writ in Blood is a deep, beautifully creative tale that flips a famous Western narrative. All in all, it’s a thoroughly captivating read.