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Cold as Hell (Black Badge Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Rhett C. Bruno (Author), Jaime Castle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,192 ratings
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In the West, there are worse things to fear than bandits and outlaws.

Demons. Monsters. Witches. James Crowley’s sacred duty as a Black Badge is to hunt them down and send them packing, banish them from the mortal realm for good.

He didn’t choose this life. No. He didn’t choose life at all.

Shot dead in a gunfight many years ago, now he’s stuck in purgatory, serving the whims of the White Throne to avoid falling to Hell. Not quite undead, though not alive either, the best he can hope for is to work off his penance and fade away.

This time, the White Throne has sent him to investigate a strange bank robbery in Lonely Hill. An outlaw with the ability to conjure ice has frozen and shattered open the bank vault and is now on a spree, robbing the region for all it’s worth.

In his quest to track down the ice-wielder and suss out which demon is behind granting a mortal such power, Crowley finds himself face-to-face with hellish beasts, shapeshifters, and, worse … temptation. But the truth behind the attacks is worse than he ever imagined …

The Witcher meets The Dresden Files in this weird Western series by the Audible number one bestselling duo behind Dead Acre.

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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Black Badge Series
  2. Print length
    372 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    May 24, 2022
  6. File size
    1705 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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From the Publisher

Cold As Hell

Cold As Hell

Cold As Hell

Cold As Hell

Editorial Reviews

Review

- 2022 IPPY Award Gold Medal in Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Category
- 2022 Reader's Favorite Award Gold Medal in Western Category

  • "A weird and wild twist on the Old West that mashes gunslingers, divine intervention, and the supernatural into one hell of a story. Highly recommended!"—NY Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry, author of V-Wars and Kagen The Damned


  • "A badass supernatural western...It's like the Witcher goes to Tombstone."—Larry Correia, New York Times bestselling author of Monster Hunter International


  • "The rich mystical elements feel every bit as authentic to the west as the gunslinging and grit, all of which deftly bring the characters and setting to life"—Shirtaloon, Top 10 Amazon charts bestselling author of He Who Fights with Monsters


  • "Bruno and Castle...kick off a new collaboration in impressive style; their fantasy-western series debut blends its two genres perfectly and offers enough worldbuilding to sustain many sequels...A gritty romp sure to please fans of Jim Butcher and Mike Carey."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)


  • "Gunslingers and demons, shootouts and monsters, cowboys and the supernatural--Cold as Hell is an imaginative, fun, and exciting novel."—Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling co-author of Dune: House Atreides


  • "Undead cowboy ronin delivering the Lord's justice in the Old West? Cold as Hell snared me like a lasso and never let go."—Scott Sigler, #1 NYT Bestselling author of Earthcore


  • "They used to say the western is dead...and now it really is⁠—in a good way! A clever and fantastical spin on a well-worn and much-loved genre."⁠—actor Lou Diamond Phillips (Longmire, Young Guns, Prodigal Son)


  • "Cold as Hell? More like fun as hell. Take an undead outlaw hero, match him villains of the most devilish kind, and string it all together with a plot that has more twists and turns than a hangman's noose. Westerns don't get any weirder than this."—Matt Forbeck, New York Times bestselling author


  • "A Weird Western starring a taciturn lone gunman who will remind readers of Andrzej Sapkowski's Geralt of Rivia."— Library Journal


  • "For those who enjoy supernatural adventures with lots of heroic action set in a novel environment, Cold as Hell delivers."— Booklist


  • "Dark, gritty, and ultimately satisfying, Cold as Hell takes you on a nightmarish trip through a Weird West full of undead outlaws and hellish demons." —Joseph Nassise, New York Times bestselling author of the Templar Chronicles
  • "A potent blend of ghosts, gunfire, and regretful atonement. Take a load off those cracked bootheels, pour yourself a shot, and let them spin you a yarn. You can thank me later."—Travis Baldree, Audible Narrator & Author of Legends & Lattes

About the Author

Jaime Castle is the Washington Post and #1 Audible bestselling author of The Luna Missile Crisis, the Buried Goddess Saga--which includes the IPPY Award-winning Web of Eyes--and more. Hailing from the great nation of Texas, he lives with his wife and two children and enjoys anything creative. Castle cohosts Keystroke Medium, a popular podcast devoted to reading, writing, and everything in between. His office looks as if Marvel and DC vomited on his walls and he refuses to clean it up.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09GYJXMF5
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blackstone Publishing (May 24, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 24, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1705 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 372 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,192 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Rhett C. Bruno

    Rhett C. Bruno

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Rhett C Bruno is the USA Today and Washington Post Bestselling & Nebula Award Nominated Author of 'The Circuit Saga', 'Children of Titan Series', 'Buried Goddess Saga', 'Vicarious', 'The Roach', and 'The Luna Missile Crisis' (Audible Originals); among other works.

    He has been writing since before he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic stories when he was young to show to his friends and family. He is currently a full-time author and publisher living in Delaware with his wife, daughter, and dog Raven.

    Find out more here: http://rhettbruno.com/

    Also, please consider subscribing to his newsletter for exclusive access to updates about his work and the opportunity to receive limited content and ARCs.

    Subscribe Here: http://rhettbruno.com/newsletter

    See more on the author's page
  2. Jaime Castle

    Jaime Castle

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Jaime Castle hails from the great nation of Texas where he lives with his wife and two children and enjoys anything creative. A self-proclaimed comic book nerd and artist, he spends what little free time he can muster with his art tablet.

    Jaime is a #1 Audible Bestseller, Audible Originals author (Dead Acre, Baron Steele, The Luna Missile Crisis) and co-created and co-authored The Buried Goddess Saga, which includes the IPPY award-winning Web of Eyes. Additionally, Cold as Hell was nominated for a 2023 Audie Award, and won Best Fantasy for 2022 on Audible. Sidekick, book one in Raptors, was a BIBA Award winner.

    Fantasy:

    The Buried Goddess Saga:

    Web of Eyes

    Winds of War

    Will of Fire

    Way of Gods

    War of Men

    Word of Truth

    Dragonblood Assassin:

    Black Talon

    Red Claw

    Silver Spines

    Golden Flames (2023/2024)

    RAPTORS:

    Sidekick

    Superteam

    Scions

    Baron Steele

    HARRIER (Raptors)

    Justice

    The Trench

    Invasion

    The Black Badge:

    Dead Acre

    Cold as Hell

    Vein Pursuits

    Ace in the Hole (2024)

    Jeff the Game Master:

    Manufacturing Magic

    Manipulating Magic

    Mastering Magic

    Science Fiction:

    This Long Vigil

    The Luna Missile Crisis

    ROGUE STARS:

    Purgatory (2024)

    Divine Intervention (2024)

    Reclamation (2024)

    Find out more at www.jaimecastle.com

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
1,192 global ratings
A western with demons, monsters, witches and undead!
5 Stars
A western with demons, monsters, witches and undead!
Now I love a good western, but this one blew me away! I would recommend this to anyone who doesn’t mind bloody gunfights and other similarly painful, bloody, gory situations. It is so good, I look forward to the next book in the series, Vein Pursuits (Black Badge Series Book 2).
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Top reviews from the United States

Belinda
5.0 out of 5 stars Nonstop adventure
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book gives a new twist to the old west and the occult. The characters are fascinating, even the horse. Bruno and Castle are in the top of current day writers for fantasy.
Bruno is also an excellent sci-fi writer. Been reading all his books.
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Michael Delaney
4.0 out of 5 stars A good western meets the supernatural story
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2022
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This popped up on my Facebook feed from a sponsored ad, and I couldn’t get passed how cool the cover looked, and how much the name just popped out at me. Then I saw that Roger Clark, the voice of Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2 was narrating it, and I immediately added it to my TBR. Who, by the way, gives an incredible performance. I dabbled in the “weird western” genre once before with a series I DNF’d. It was a few years ago and it just didn’t hit me the way I was hoping it would.
This is a good, fun western story that felt so authentic that I was expecting John Wayne or Clint Eastwood to grace the pages to battle some supernatural creatures.

Cold as Hell is described as The Witcher meets The Dresden Files, I don’t really understand this comp. Now, if you enjoy those, then I think this would be up your alley. I would say it’s more Jonah Hex meets The Dresden Files, where the old west meets the supernatural.
Based on the synopsis and the fact it won the 2022 IPPY Award Gold Medal in Sci-fi/fantasy/Horror category, I was expecting this to be a little darker than it was. Don’t get me wrong, it had some dark elements to it with several supernatural creatures, like nephilim, werewolves, a yeti, skinwalkers, a mind-drifter and demon possession, but I just expected it to be a bit darker than what it was. There is also a bit of racism used, but I thought it was done tactfully while staying true to the theme and authenticity of the old west, and only used by a very hated antagonist.

“But when the sun goes down in the West, and the wolves start their song, it’s hard not to clench a bit tighter on the reins. People aren’t afraid of being alone in the dark. They’re afraid of not being alone in the dark.”

James Crowley, the single POV main character, is an undead former outlaw, now a member of the Black Badge, a supernatural bounty hunter for the White Throne. I really liked this character a lot, he had some complexity to him that showed his humanity. A rough and rugged outlaw, but kinda soft on the inside as well. Like my comp above, Crowley has a very Jonah Hex vibe to him, and because of that, all I could picture the entire time was Josh Brolin. I loved the connection that Crowley has with his horse, Timperina, while not a speaking character, they just have a great bond and I thought the authors did a great job of showing it. Oh yeah, there’s a magical HARMONICA! Yes, you read that right, a magical harmonica! That needed to be said.

Where this suffers the most is not being long enough, not because, I NEED MORE, but because there is a lot of information given that was never really delved into or given any kind of page time. However, there is an audio only novella called Old Acre that may go into some of the details that are missing, and I’ll be reading that soon. One big issue was The White Throne. It is mentioned sporadically, but we literally know nothing about it other than Crowley working for them. The side characters just don’t get enough time either. Dale the bumbling deputy, who reminded me a lot of Don Knotts portrayal of Barney Fife from the Andy Griffith show, is the biggest crime in this. The banter between him and Crowley had me laughing the few times they shared the pages together. Rosa is also a great character who brings a lot to the table, and her introduction was one of the best, as it comes with a special appearance by a couple of horror legends that I thought was a very nice touch. Shargrafein (Shar) is an Angel and Crowley’s handler for The White Throne, the only thing we know about the White Throne. They have a very volatile relationship that would have made for some great dialogue, but like the others, just doesn’t get enough time.

As in a gunfight, it had its hits and it had its misses, but this was a solid start that should be a very fun and hopefully darker series as it progresses along.
11 people found this helpful
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KrissyGirl
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2023
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Westerns are not my cup of tea. However, the cover first caught my eye and after reading the blurb, I decided to give it a go. I have to say that I highly enjoyed this book. It was nothing like I expected. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the story and the fact that it kept me engaged throughout. I loved the bits and pieces of Native American lore. The various cryptids throughout were a great bonus as well. James Crowley won me over as well. I felt like you get to know him really well throughout the story. His character development was well done.
2 people found this helpful
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WyoGal
3.0 out of 5 stars Shootouts, angels, demons, but seems like a comic book
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
The authors capture the flavor of the Wild West with a twist. Angels using resurrected outlaws to fight demonic creatures is an intriguing idea. However, there are moments that require the reader to slip into a superhero story mindset or suffer from annoyance and disbelief.

There is a scattering of errors, but they can be ignored. My biggest complaint about the story is the shallow, surfacey relationship between Shar and James. Shar lacks development, and she is irritating for her type-casting as a demanding, unreasonable boss. As a result, I question how she can represent the White Throne, the source of Grace based on Faith and not works. Why would anyone work for her?

That’s the other issue—how long does James need to comply with Shar’s demands before he achieves redemption, and why should he bother? Is there a need to hurry? I really don’t know why the reader should care if he keeps working as a black badge. The stakes seem vague and not urgent. Timp is the only character who merits emotional concern. James can’t physically feel…but sometimes he can? So he can’t pursue emotional or physical connection in a romance….so what will he accomplish on a personal level to keep the story fresh, compelling, and meaningful?

The epilogue is head-scratching. Why would angels need to have others do their killing for them when they can dissolve body parts?

If a reader likes graphic novels and western action scenes for the sake of action (and not true emotional character arc development), then maybe this book will appeal. I wanted to stop several times, but I was curious what the authors would do to end it. It’s certainly not an HEA. I won’t read further in the series.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

DEP
5.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat Unique
Reviewed in Canada on December 24, 2023
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Somewhat unique story. Man brought back to life to rid earth of evil but in the wild west and that's what makes it unique. His horse which is his sidekick is amusing.
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Christopher morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars Always loved a western
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2022
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One of the things my father did for me was made me and my brothers fall in love with westerns.
Every weekend was a marathon of westerns s on tv and my dad watching them.

This in turn made me wish there was more western books to read. This book fills the hole of those weekends gone and mixs it up with other genres I like.

You won't be disappointed in this book I hope others enjoy it
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George Anton
4.0 out of 5 stars Dead hunter
Reviewed in Canada on March 24, 2023
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Good novel. The only suggestion I have is to reduce the amount of unnecessary verbage. Otherwise I look forward to the next edition.
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k
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting premise
Reviewed in Australia on January 17, 2023
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I liked the wild west world building, and
the nod toward what we now understand as the evils of colonialism. The characters were interesting and well crafted.

Look, it's not my cup of tea but there's nothing wrong with it!
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Amazon review
5.0 out of 5 stars THIS SERIES IS AMAZING
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2023
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I genuinely adore James Crowley he's such an interesting character and this is a refreshing spin on western. The genre needed this!
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