R.S. Belcher, the acclaimed author ofThe Six-Gun Tarot andThe Shotgun Arcana launches a gritty new urban fantasy series set in today's seedy occult underworld inNightwise.
In the more shadowy corners of the world, frequented by angels and demons and everything in-between, Laytham Ballard is a legend. It's said he raised the dead at the age of ten, stole the Philosopher's Stone in Vegas back in 1999, and survived the bloodsucking kiss of the Mosquito Queen. Wise in the hidden ways of the night, he's also a cynical bastard who stopped thinking of himself as the good guy a long time ago.

Now a promise to a dying friend has Ballard on the trail of an escaped Serbian war criminal with friends in both high and low places—and a sinister history of blood sacrifices. Ballard is hell-bent on making Dusan Slorzack pay for his numerous atrocities, but Slorzack seems to have literally dropped off the face of the Earth, beyond the reach of his enemies, the Illuminati, and maybe even the Devil himself. To find Slorzack, Ballard must follow a winding, treacherous path that stretches from Wall Street and Washington, D.C. to backwoods hollows and truckstops, while risking what's left of his very soul . . . .

R.S. Belcher's profile page

R.S. BELCHER is the author of two acclaimed "weird westerns,"The Six-Gun Tarot andThe Shotgun Arcana.Nightwise is his first contemporary fantasy novel. He lives Salem, Virginia.

“A worthy addition to Belcher's highly imaginative series, with a large cast that is both magical and mundane and a well-drawn historical setting. Weird West fans will happily gobble this up.” —Library Journal on The Shotgun Arcana

“Golgotha is the Wildest of the Wild West.” —Publishers Weekly on The Shotgun Arcana

“Belcher proves he's no one-trick pony with the second installment of his wildly adventurous and humorously horrifying Golgotha series . . .Charismatic characters and a stunning blend of history, legend, religion and modern sensibility intertwine to create a world that embraces the strange and fantastical.” —RT Book Reviews on The Shotgun Arcana

“Keep an eye on Belcher because if this, his first novel, is any indication, he will be a must-read. THE SIX-GUN TAROT is nothing short of fantastic: a complex page-turner with philosophical, metaphysical, and mystical underpinnings. Placing his tale in Nevada in 1869, Belcher deftly describes a complex set of characters and a setting so sharp you can feel the dust in your mouth.” —Booklist on The Six-Gun Tarot

“A fun, rollicking, dark, and disturbing romp through a magical western world . . . a whirlwind of shootouts, assassins, cults, zombies, magic, attractive ladies, dubious morals, and demonic possession, sure to keep you on your toes.” —San Francisco Book Review on The Six-Gun Tarot

“An astonishing blend of first-rate steampunk fantasy and Western adventure. The author reinvents Wild West stereotypes into fresh, original characters and imbues the landscape with its own mystical characteristics. VERDICT: Though this fantasy debut should especially appeal to fans of both ‘Weird West' fiction and steampunk, the power of the author's storytelling and strong characters deserve as wide an audience as possible.” —Library Journal (starred review) on The Six-Gun Tarot

“The Wild West was never as wild as Golgotha, nor as mysterious . . . Against the backdrop of Chinese and Mormon mythology and the Civil War, with a bit of Frankenstein for color, the mix of theology, frontier justice, and zombies is merely cover for an intense and irreverent exploration of good, evil, and free will.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Six-Gun Tarot