I received a digital advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Red in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

Red in Tooth and Claw tells the story of Faolan Kelly, who has grown up with her grandfather in a small town. Due to the attitudes of this society, Faolan has been disguised as a boy for years, so that she doesn’t have to get married off young. Now, with her grandfather dead and the mayor threatening to take the farm away, Faolan has few options until she comes of age in a year or so. She ends up sent to a place called the Settlement, a fort for orphans and outcasts. His Benevolence “HisBen” Gideon Dillard runs the place with a strange authority, rife with religious superiority but also something more sinister. Faolan is suspicious, especially when she hears the bizarre noises at night. Then, a body turns up, and it’s clearer than ever that there is something outside the fort’s walls, and perhaps within them too. So she, along with the friends she makes, will have to figure out what’s really happening here—and perhaps escape before it’s too late.

I don’t know if I’d enjoy a traditional Western novel, but this one, with a supernatural horror twist, was a lot of fun! It reminds me of Red Rabbit for teens, in a way, but also with a touch of Stranger Things.

I liked Faolan as a protagonist. Her tenuous situation makes you root for her; it’s not her fault that her home has such unmoving ideas about the roles of women, after all. I was invested in her escaping a young marriage, as well as claiming her family’s farmland as her own. Then, when she’s brought to the Settlement, you desperately want to see her discover the truth of the place. And her unusual upbringing has contributed to her unwillingness to conform, either to societal or to gender roles, and I really appreciated that. It’s refreshing to see that kind of representation in this genre; even if Faolan isn’t confirmed to be non-binary or otherwise gender non-conforming, the implication is there, and it’s cool.

And what a place—the setting of this story is so quietly eerie; you can practically hear the night breezes and distant animal calls. The horror is a slow burn, almost too slow at times, but pretty intriguing overall. The last act in particular is thrilling and chilling, very hard to put down.

I also enjoyed the friendships and romance that Faolan forms. Dai Lo and Jesse, two other residents of the Settlement, are decent side characters. I especially liked Will, the gunslinger who brings Faolan here and then sticks around after he notices the strange place. He sort of serves as an older brother or an uncle, a steady ally and all-around great guy. And Tallis, the young man who lives in a group of nomadic people outside the Settlement, is a good love interest. I wanted a bit more of him in the first half, but overall, it’s a sweet subplot.

And in the end, Red in Tooth and Claw is a pretty excellent Western/horror novel. The setting is fantastically realized, and helps to amplify the tension and action of the story. The characters are wonderful, even the villains. The horror isn’t too graphic, but still frightening (though it’s nothing that wouldn’t be suitable for teens). The gritty world, inspired by the ideals of the American west, is really interesting and twisted by the presence of monsters in clever ways. If you want a novel for Halloween that doesn’t involve witches or ghosts, try this! Actually, you could read this any time of year and enjoy it.

Red in Tooth and Claw is available now!