R.S. Belcher has done something a bit unconventional in his third installment of the Golgotha series. Instead of following the lives of all our beloved characters in the infamous desert town, we follow only the deeds of Maude Stapleton. This will lead us on a wild adventure, lay the groundwork for the rest of the series, and give us a deeper understanding of who Maude Stapleton really is and where she came from. This will be a spoiler free review but I will be touching upon events that have taken place previous installments.
We leave the confines of Golgotha and follow Maude across the country to her home town. Maude is determined to recover her missing daughter and return her to the loving home she has built in Golgotha. The problem is the person responsible for taking Maude’s daughter is her own father and with the laws of the United States in 1870, Maude will have an uphill battle ahead of her. Maude is the descendant of Anne Bonney, the infamous pirate queen responsible for the creation of the Daughters of Lilith. A secret organization trained in the skills of combat, poisons, and intelligence. Think of it as an all female splinter cell with members scattered throughout the world. But for every yin there is a yang and the Son’s of Typhon are starting to make their move against the Daughters and Maude’s daughter is at the center of their plans. Buckle up for a wild adventure to places you never expected to go.
Making the drastic change from a multi-person POV story to essentially focus on one character was a gutsy decision by R.S. Belcher, but one where the reward was paid back ten fold. Being able to change the scope of the story where we as the reader can gain a deeper understanding into the past and present of a vital character in the Golgotha series was a risk worth taking. Plus, we also get to experience the events of Anne Bonney, how the Daughters came to be founded, and those sections were some of my favorite in the entire series. Technically, this book can be read as a standalone novel on its own, but you would be missing all the buildup and strong emotional moments in the first two books and I wouldn’t recommend it. The stakes are raised to the highest degree and the repercussions will be felt across the world upon this books finale.
R.S. Belcher says that Queen of Swords is the conclusion for the first arc trilogy in his Golgotha series with his second arc trilogy beginning back Golgotha where it all began. Having already read book 4 in this series, The Ghost Dance Judgement, Belcher has published a game changer and you will not want to miss out. I can honestly say that this is my favorite weird western series available on the market today and everyone should experience what this amazing author has to offer. Take a chance and try something new!
Cheers!
Under The Radar SFF Books 