One Night in Sixes

One Night in Sixes is definitely one of the more puzzling books this reviewer has encountered, so it’s difficult to say whether it’s wonderful or confusing.

Desperate to unload a group of horses, trading partners Appaloosa Elim and Sil Halfwick travel to the town of Sixes where gunslingers and shapeshifters rule the night. As the daylight dims and Sil goes missing, Elim will be hard-pressed to survive the night.

The language of this book is wonderful. Arianne “Tex” Thompson does a remarkable job creating a tone and language that feels natural to the story and nails the fantasy-western “feel.” At the same time, some words, such as Ardish, atodak, mereau, a’Krah, etc., are confusing because there aren’t many clues indicating meaning. And while the author has wonderful control of her subject matter, readers might feel there are behind-the-scenes subtleties they’re failing to grasp. While the storytelling is quite good, with the other confusions of language and intent, this gets lost in translation.

One Night in Sixes will appeal on a reader-by-reader basis. Some will love it, others will hate it; as much recommends it and as demerits it. For that fact alone, this reviewer recommends it.