D.S. Brandt (Author of In the Giant's Shadow)

D.S. Brandt rated a book it was amazing Transmutation Texas (WATCHER of the DAMNED: WATCHER Book 1) by R.H. Snow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I love me a good Western. Then again, I love me some good examples of genre fiction in general. Of course, I have my preferences, as anyone does. I tend to prefer fantasy, adventure, and Westerns over sci-fi and horror, but not by all that much. Gener ...more
Sep 19, 2026 08:08AM · like · see review
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D.S. Brandt liked Constantine Bech's review of Steelhearts: An Anthology: "Full review: https://gunghogeeksblog.wordpress.com... Thanks to a stellar tale (Terrors from the Red Mountain), a surprisingly endearing one (Serpent’s Hearth), and a flawed heroic piece (The End of Days), this anthology does what it says on the heroi" Read more of this review »
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D.S. Brandt rated a book really liked it Carnage! by Ian Barr (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
We all know the basics of Romeo & Juliet—two star-crossed young lovers, finding each other for the first time, fall madly in love and end up beset by the melodramas and tribulations of family and young life. Now that you've got that idea in mind, imag ...more
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D.S. Brandt rated a book it was amazing

Transmutation Texas (WATCHER of the DAMNED: WATCHER Book 1)
by R.H. Snow (Goodreads Author)

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I love me a good Western.

Then again, I love me some good examples of genre fiction in general. Of course, I have my preferences, as anyone does. I tend to prefer fantasy, adventure, and Westerns over sci-fi and horror, but not by all that much. Gener I love me a good Western.

Then again, I love me some good examples of genre fiction in general. Of course, I have my preferences, as anyone does. I tend to prefer fantasy, adventure, and Westerns over sci-fi and horror, but not by all that much. Generally speaking, so long as a story’s well written and captivates me, I’m going to enjoy it regardless of genre.

When I read for pleasure, what I’m searching for above all else are gripping stories that are rich with character and meaning. They don’t have to be especially deep or poignant—though it’s always welcome when they are—but they should invite me to explore the tales they hold and make me want to spend my time with them.

R. H. Snow's first Watcher of the Damned novel, Transmutation Texas, excels in this.

Set in a post-apocalypse future Texas, (Whodathunkit with a title like that?) this inaugural entry in the rather extensive Watcher of the Damned series introduces us to a strange and savage future through two characters: our protagonist and the titular watcher, Saul Azarian, and an unusual, almost fey-like young woman named Rose. Though their eyes, minds, and hearts, we explore a ravaged and mutated future Texas through a story that blends the classic Western tropes of the lone gunslinger and the spirited young woman with glimmers of cyberpunk dystopia and rugged, pulpy post-apocalypse survival.

Described thus, it sounds like a hodgepodge of standard indie fare. While there is truth in that, Transmutation Texas is so much more. What we have on our hands is a story that’s far more than the sum of its parts, and the reason comes down to Mrs. Snow herself.

Through the story's two central characters, the titular Watcher, Saul Azarian, and Rose, the fey-like young woman he later encounters, Mrs. Snow presents us with a dangerous and complex world that feels both lived in and ravaged. The Happening, a viral apocalypse that obliterated huge swathes of mammalian life, has upended society and left humankind on the brink. Most of humanity's few survivors, including the Watcher, were heavily mutated by this mysterious pathogen, and these mutations have given rise to some deadly monstrosities. As such, the remnants of society have banded together under the oppressive rule of a new governing order, the System, for the sake of their continued survival.

Or so it seems.

At its core, Transmutation Texas is a story about faith, freedom, love, and America's—and particularly Texas'—history of rugged individualism. We see this most clearly through the intertwining stories of Rose and the Watcher, characters who act simultaneously as foils and mirrors of each other. Where the Watcher is a lonely, stoic mute with a hard heart and a ready willingness to do what he must to protect himself and those few he truly cares for, Rose is lively and exuberant, a seemingly unmutated oddity in this new world, a glimpse of the femininity the Happening took away. Where the Watcher is an old, jaded unbeliever, Rose is young and has conviction in the strange faith she adheres to. Where he's gruff, bulky, and silent, she's small, voluptuous, and chatty.

These differences make their interactions a joy to read, but its the way the characters mirror each other that imparts greater depth in them. Mrs. Snow has a real talent for this that's visible in both her characters and her worldbuilding. The ruined future she presents is rich with detail, that's readily apparent within the first couple pages of the book. There's a whole glossary of unique terms she uses throughout the novel—she even cleverly disguises an actual glossary as her epilogue, sneaking it in on the conceit that it's a recovered document supplied by the System to Sentinels assigned to keep the peace—but most of these terms were so easy to understand in the context of the story that they're essentially self-explanatory.

That said, it's not the world she made up that makes this setting feel so alive. It's the world she drew from. This is the key element that helps make this story more than the sum of its parts: Texas itself.

A seventh-generation Texan, Mrs. Snow’s love for the culture, stories, and history of her home state are infused into every page of this book. Among everything else this story is—post-apocalypse cyberpunk dystopia, frontier survival, pulpy weird Western, mystical romance—it’s also a legend that’s unabashedly Texan, such that the setting itself is every bit as impactful a character as the Watcher or Rose. Without Mrs. Snow’s love and respect for Texas steeped throughout it, this story wouldn’t—nay, couldn’t be what it is.

None of Mrs. Snow's worldbuilding would be nearly as effective if it didn’t have her real world knowledge of Texas life and history to support it. This is where the meat grows around the bone, and much like a delicious Texas barbecue brisket, it’s damn succulent. The real world connection Mrs. Snow has with her beloved home state adds a sense of authenticity to this story that can’t be faked. This is the genuine article, a new Texas legend written by a real Texas woman, and you can feel the love in every word. What presents itself initially as a dark, genre blending weird Western romp quickly reveals itself to be something far deeper. A love letter to Texas, all wrapped up in an introspective tale about what it means to have faith, to be human, to live and die, to experience betrayal, and to love. ...more

D.S. Brandt is now following Constantine Bech's reviews

D.S. Brandt liked Constantine Bech's review of Steelhearts: An Anthology:

"Full review: https://gunghogeeksblog.wordpress.com...

Thanks to a stellar tale (Terrors from the Red Mountain), a surprisingly endearing one (Serpent’s Hearth), and a flawed heroic piece (The End of Days), this anthology does what it says on the heroi" Read more of this review »

D.S. Brandt rated a book really liked it

Carnage!
by Ian Barr (Goodreads Author)

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We all know the basics of Romeo & Juliet—two star-crossed young lovers, finding each other for the first time, fall madly in love and end up beset by the melodramas and tribulations of family and young life.
Now that you've got that idea in mind, imag ...more

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	In the Giant's Shadow: The First Tale of Calamity and Triumph really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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