Title: The Star of the Show: A Milestone Novella
Author: Kealan Patrick Burke
Release date: October 13th, 2025
Have you read Kealan Patrick Burke?
I think most of you reading this will have read at least something from him, and KPB – for me, absolutely – is on my short list of MUST read authors. He’s long been one of my favorites and one of the things I’ll always cherish is the fact that he was kind enough to blurb one of my books.
Saying that – I’m a few KPB releases behind AND even worse, I’ve still never managed to find the time to read ‘Currency of Souls,’ Kealan’s his 2007 novel. Why does that matter? Well, when Subterranean Press announced this novella, it was shared that this story takes place in Milestone, a town introduced to us in that novel.
I didn’t care. PLUS – this novella was free, which meant I was absolutely grabbing it (I’m a moron, but not a total moron. Well…). Even then, I still wasn’t sure when I’d get to reading it. That was until this past Friday night, when I decided to dive in. I’ve got two other books on the go, but I decided to start this, wanting something as a light reading finish for the night after reading a bunch of chapters in the novels.
Well, that plan went out the window as soon as I started this one, soon rampaging through and finish it in two sittings.
What I liked: Granted, having not read ‘Currency of Souls,’ I’ll have missed some of the reoccurring characters and Easter Eggs, but it didn’t dampen my reading experience, so, if you’re like me and haven’t read it yet, don’t let that deter you.
The story follows Judd, an outlaw who has just killed and buried a man on the outskirts of a small town. Wanting to find a place to sleep for the night and have a few adult beverages, he rides his trusty horse into the town, where quickly he discovers that the small town is also an ‘odd’ town.
The idea of people not being able to leave a town at sundown has been around for centuries and told in various forms throughout written history. Kealan takes that story idea and gives it depth and layers. Judd meets a strange woman, has a run in with the local law who fills him in with why his killing of that particular man has thrown him into something he never asked for and it forces Judd to begrudgingly accept his fate and place.
The town came to life through Kealan’s steady and wonderfully descriptive prose. The people became people you knew and either liked or loathed and even characters that at first glance seemed to be throwaway characters – Cadaver, I’m looking at you – played a larger role than you’ll expect.
The ending was great. Straddling the line between western horror and 80’s fantasy film and the connections revealed to the present day were great.
What I didn’t like: I 100% believe my initial issue with this novella is because I’ve not read ‘Currency…’ yet, so take this with a grain of salt, but I found the opening dozen pages or so to feel very repetitive in terms of it feeling like every other western book I’ve ever read. Stranger arrives, townsfolk don’t like his face, people are rude and the barkeeper is sassy. Textbook western opening. Saying that, once things get rolling it really takes off, so don’t let that initial setup be a deterrent to continuing on.
Why you should buy this: Well, as I said – it’s free, so technically you don’t need to buy it, but if you’ve never read Kealan’s work before, this would be a really solid entry point which will then make you want to go out and buy more of his work. If you’re a longtime fan of KPB’s, then this is another exciting release from one of the best writer’s out there. Kealan’s walking that line that many of us dream about. A modern master who keeps getting better and better.
This was a really fun – and dusty – western horror that will have you wiping your face clean while complaining about how warm the drinks are.
Now, I’m off to track down a copy of ‘Currency of Souls.’
Grab the eBook for free at the link below:
Steve Stred - The Official Website 