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Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

Recent Posts

Black Out The Stars by Christopher Bond - book sitting on wooden flooring. Book cover of Black Out the Stars by Christopher Bond, cover illustrated by Todd Kiesling. The design showcases a dark, atmospheric pond and sky filled with swirling fog and scattered stars. The title is prominently displayed in bold, white, pink and purple lettering, contrasting against the deep purple and black hues of the background.

Black Out The Stars by Christopher Bond | Book Review

Indie Bookstore Day 2025 | Book Event

A tablet lies on dry grass and surrounded by dandelions in a natural outdoor setting. The screen displays the cover of the book Everybody Is in the Place by Emma J. Gibbon. The cover features a colorful, fantastical illustration of a female figure with glowing eyes and curved horns, holding something mysterious in her hands. Stars and swirling cosmic elements fill the background, giving the cover a magical and otherworldly feel. The title text is in bold, colorful letters across the top and middle, with the author's name at the bottom.

Everybody Is in the Place by Emma J. Gibbon | Book Review

[Book Review] The Magpie Coffin by Wile E. Young

June 24, 2020      Erica Robyn      16 Comments

The Magpie Coffin by Wile E. Young Book Photo

On the back cover blurb of this book, it says, “The Magpie Coffin is an unrelenting tale of revenge, with precise brutality and extreme violence.” Well… I was sold!

The Magpie Coffin by Wile E. Young was exactly that; it was brutal and had some very extreme violence that had me cringing from time to time… But it also had a lot of heart!

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on The Magpie Coffin by Wile E. Young –

When the story begins, we meet our main character, Salem Covington, who had been spending the evening with a woman. He decides to head to a saloon and once inside, discovers that there is a group celebrating the end of the Indian Wars. Once Mr. Covington learns that they had killed an old “medicine man,” the bullets begin to fly.

From that moment on, Mr. Covington is determined to get his revenge on the people who killed his teacher. No matter the cost.

Phew, what a bang to start with! It was all pretty calm, and then suddenly Mr. Young hits us with: “The bullet had found his eye, blood pouring from the liquefied remains of his socket.” And then we were off and running!

This tale was written so wonderfully! The storyline and the pacing were laid out perfectly. It wasn’t full-on action the whole time, but there sure was plenty of it! The action scenes played out like a movie in my head, while the violence had me wanting to read while peeking through my fingers. But don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved that the violent scenes had me feeling a bit feeble!

The violence here was just so vivid. There are some scenes that I know I won’t be forgetting about any time soon. Like the rattlesnake scene for example. Ugh, that gives me a pit in my stomach just thinking about it!

I also greatly appreciated the breaths of fresh air that were the scenes where we got to know the characters a bit more. Salem Covington and Jake Howe are two characters that I loved both as individuals and as an unlikely duo. It was so fun to watch their relationship transform over time.

Salem Covington sure wasn’t a force to reckon with! I loved how intense and brutal he was. It was clear from the start that he wasn’t someone that you wanted to irk and wind up with his gun pointed your way. And while you teeter on the fence of being with Mr. Covington or afraid of him while reading, I guarantee you will be excited when some nasty souls meet their end when they cross paths with The Black Magpie.

There was one more element in this novel that I was so excited to see play out. It was super interesting and added a whole other layer to both the character development and the story overall! But, if you haven’t read this one yet, I’ll leave that discovery for you! If you have read this, then you know what I’m talking about.

My Favorite Passages from The Magpie Coffin –

If Fate had plans for me tonight, she was sure as shit taking her time.

If anything decided to take me now, the devil would have to set an extra place at dinner tonight.

“Lies are a lot like a wrong note, Mister Covington; they just don’t ring right in the grand flow of things.”

Sometimes, you plan things from the start, but other times it’s all up to providence to see whether you catch a bullet or live to suck breath for another day.
And sometimes, an idiot is just an idiot.

My Final Thoughts on The Magpie Coffin –

I had so much fun reading this! From the intense violence to the quick heartwarming scenes, I loved each and every second of it. From here on out, when I think about the American West, Salem Covington is going to come to mind.

I seriously need some more splatter Westerns in my life! I also cannot wait to read more from Mr. Young very soon.

If you’re ready for a bumpy and bloody ride along the American West, you gotta check this one out!


Purchase your copy of The Magpie Coffin
Featured Indie Bookstore
Bookshop.org
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Kindle

Thanks for reading!
And thanks again to Wile for sending me a copy after Corona Con!

The Magpie Coffin by Wile E. Young Signature

Related Reading:

  • Catfish in the Cradle by Wile E. Young
  • The Perfectly Fine House by Stephen Kozeniewski & Wile E. Young

Here are a few more recent posts you might like:

  • Black Out The Stars by Christopher Bond | Book Review
  • Indie Bookstore Day 2025 | Book Event
  • Everybody Is in the Place by Emma J. Gibbon | Book Review

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ShootingStarsMag says

    June 24, 2020 at 7:39 am

    Sounds like a winner for you. I love that you get to know the characters throughout!

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      June 28, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      <3

      Reply
  2. Candyce @the book Dutchesses says

    June 24, 2020 at 9:54 am

    I haven’t read many Westerns, but this sounds interesting!

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      June 28, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      I haven’t either! I think this was my third 🙂

      Reply
  3. Paige Schildkamp says

    June 24, 2020 at 10:23 am

    Glad you enjoyed this one so much – I love a fun read!

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      June 28, 2020 at 2:05 pm

      <3

      Reply
  4. Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight says

    June 26, 2020 at 6:32 pm

    What an attention-grabbing cover! And it seems like it kinda matches the intensity of the book. Glad you enjoyed this!

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      June 28, 2020 at 2:06 pm

      RIGHT?! I’m so obsessed with the cover and the story was amazing!!

      Reply
  5. Lindsi says

    June 27, 2020 at 1:06 am

    For some reason the cover of this book makes me think of The Goonies, although I’m sure it was way more terrifying! Haha. I’m happy you enjoyed it, Erica!

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      June 28, 2020 at 2:07 pm

      Oh my gosh, you’re right!! Now I need to go re-watch The Goonies!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Lauren @ Always Me says

    June 28, 2020 at 1:22 pm

    You’ve sold me. I’m adding this to my tbr right now. Thanks for sharing!

    Lauren @ Always Me

    Reply
    • Erica Robyn says

      June 28, 2020 at 2:08 pm

      Woot!! Enjoy!! I can’t wait to see what you think!

      Reply

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Welcome to Erica Robyn Reads!

Erica Robyn of Erica Robyn Reads
Hello! I’m Erica, a Mainer living in New Hampshire who runs on hot tea, good books, and loud music. Join me as I seek out amazing horror tales and help support the indie horror community!
 

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