Review of Ten Sleep by Nicholas Belardes

Ten Sleep by Nicholas Belardes is an atmospheric and haunting tale set against the stark and vast landscapes of Wyoming. Blending elements of Western fiction, supernatural horror, and eco-thriller, the novel explores the dark secrets buried in the American West and the psychological toll of confronting a world that teeters between the natural and the otherworldly.

Plot Overview: The story follows Greta Molina, a Mexican-American woman, as she embarks on a cattle drive across the Wyoming plains. What initially appears to be a straightforward journey turns into a nightmare as Greta and her companions—Tiller and Scott—encounter strange and unsettling phenomena in the remote canyons. Ghostly apparitions, unnatural wildlife, and eerie, larger-than-life creatures lurk just beyond the surface of the land, challenging the trio’s grip on reality. As tensions rise and the landscape becomes increasingly unforgiving, Greta is forced to confront the land’s bloody past and the unseen forces that still haunt it.

Atmosphere and Setting: One of the novel’s strongest features is its atmosphere. The harsh, unforgiving terrain of Wyoming becomes a character in itself, its sweeping plains and jagged canyons imbued with a sense of foreboding and danger. Belardes does an excellent job of making the environment both beautiful and menacing, turning the vast openness of the West into an ominous backdrop that enhances the tension throughout the narrative. The setting isn't just a place—it's a reflection of the eerie forces at work and the characters’ inner turmoil as they try to navigate through it.

Character Development: Greta Molina is a compelling protagonist whose journey is as much about self-discovery as it is about survival. Throughout the novel, Greta grapples with her own fears, uncertainties, and the weight of her heritage, which ties her to the land in a way she doesn't fully understand at first. Her companions, Tiller and Scott, are well-drawn, with their own secrets and hidden motivations, adding layers of complexity to the story’s unfolding mystery. The dynamics between these characters provide much of the emotional depth of the novel, as they struggle to stay united in the face of overwhelming, unseen threats.

Themes of Memory and Survival: At its core, Ten Sleep is about the past’s ability to haunt the present, and the novel deftly weaves themes of memory, guilt, and survival. The supernatural elements of the story are not just scary in the traditional sense but are deeply tied to the land’s history—its violent past, the blood that stains it, and the people who have been lost to it. This creates an unsettling atmosphere where the characters are not only at the mercy of external threats but are also forced to reckon with their own pasts, both personal and cultural.

Supernatural Horror: While Ten Sleep delves deeply into the supernatural, it does so in a way that feels grounded and authentic. The ghostly figures and strange occurrences are never overly flashy or gratuitous; instead, they slowly creep into the narrative, amplifying the novel's sense of dread and existential unease. The supernatural serves not just as a plot device, but as a metaphor for the unshakable weight of history, trauma, and the unknown forces that shape our lives.

Final Thoughts: Ten Sleep is a slow-burn, atmospheric horror novel that will appeal to fans of both Westerns and supernatural thrillers. Nicholas Belardes has crafted a compelling and eerie story that is as much about the environment and its deep, unsettling power as it is about the characters who must confront it. With its vivid descriptions of the Wyoming landscape, its richly developed characters, and its thoughtful exploration of themes like memory and survival, Ten Sleep offers a unique and haunting reading experience that will stay with readers long after the final page.

If you enjoy literature that blends the horrors of the unknown with rich, evocative landscapes, Ten Sleep is a must-read. It’s a novel that does not shy away from its dark themes and leaves readers reflecting on the cost of survival and the power of the land long after the story has ended.

I just could not get into this book. It seemed really interesting, but it just could not hold onto my attention.

*4.5 stars*

Ten Sleep is gritty Western horror with an eco-twist, and I loved it. If you are a fan of Western horror, this book needs to be on your radar!

Greta is doing a ten-day long cattle drive in Wyoming for some money before she shuffles off to her next odd job. When strange things begin happening on the first day, she shrugs it off, not realizing the bizarre events are only the beginning. Soon every day brings a new level of horror that turns the drive into a fight for not only their lives, but their sanity.

This book has a fantastic sense of place. As I was reading it, I felt isolated in the beautiful, empty wilds of Wyoming along with the characters, making the unsettling events of the story that much more disturbing. This is a disturbing book; it reads like a fever dream, with some truly creepy imagery and rambling sections that add another level of unease. It is also unlike any Western horror I’ve read before; there are more elements of the Weird mixed in, which I thought worked very well. The Weird Western genre always tends to lean scary anyway, so combining horror and weird makes sense to me, and as a fan of weird fiction, I really enjoyed it. If you haven’t read weird fiction before, but you’re a fan of horror, I think this book is a good entry into the almost-weird genre; it keeps you on your toes without pulling you into the deep end of weirdness. This book also has one of the more unique antagonists in any story I’ve read, which made the story very exciting; I genuinely wasn’t sure what was going to happen next at any point. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

I would recommend Ten Sleep to readers who love Western Horror or the Weird Western genre, as well as fans of isolated settings, strange eco-horror (not an exact comparison, but it most reminded me of the Southern Reach trilogy), and main characters fighting demons within and without.

Thank you to NetGalley & Kensington Publishing for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

Ten Sleep
By: Nicholas Belardes
Genre: Horror
3.5 ⭐️
Release Date: 6/24/25

Honestly, this book just didn’t do it for me. I really tried my best to get into it. I felt like the story was slow and didn’t go anywhere. It wasn’t horribly written, it’s just not my style. I did however appreciate the historical and cultural elements in this book and for that I would recommend it. Especially if you are into western horrors. Thank you Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book isn’t just horror, it’s a full blown nightmare. The supernatural elements weave through the story, becoming increasingly unsettling as the story progresses. The writing is breathless and urgent, with long winding sentences that can be confusing. It’s hard to tell where to pause or stop, and I found myself adding periods where they didn’t belong, which messed with the flow. But I also felt it portrayed Greta’s disjointed flow of thoughts and confusion she was experiencing. The chapters alternate between Greta’s POV and the perspective of various animals, which I enjoyed. It made the horror feel more expansive, although some of the animal POVs were just flat out sad. Some scenes are seriously grotesque however, especially with the taxidermy angle. The death scenes? Graphic and disturbing, so maybe skip the snacks while reading.

Still, I did appreciate the historical, animal, and paleontology facts scattered throughout. It was nice to learn something new while being traumatized.

The book had me until about 80%, when it started to drag and unravel. The ending felt incredibly rushed, with everything wrapping up abruptly. Some plot points that had been there from the start were either rushed through or just disappeared, which didn’t make sense to me. I loved the concept of a horror story set story set during a cattle run in Wyoming. Especially with the region’s rich prehistoric and cultural history. It had a lot of potential, but I felt the execution was confusing and incomplete by the end. Several parts of the plot wandered, and I finished the book with more questions than answers.

Thank you to NetGallley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC!

The writing style just didn't work for me, so DNF. I'm sure it will be terrific for others and I may try to reread in the future to see if it was simply my mood.

This evocative novel takes place in the modern day west as a group of three people embark on a ten day cattle drive across the Wyoming landscape.

This is part eco horror and part supernatural horror as the monsters which haunt the land are formed from microbes, fossils, and blood from millions of years in the past. The secrets of how this can be are supernaturally spiked with a pact between a bloodline and the goddess of a canyon.

Greta is a Mexican American and is the main protagonist. Her thoughts are to simply complete this drive and get paid. We'll learn about her father and ex girlfriend and they're presented as almost ghosts themselves in Greta's thoughts.

But as this group delves deeper into the landscape, monsters begin to appear, both literally and otherwise. Taxidermied animals come to life, a giant and terrifying prehistoric bird is blood thirsty, and things don't always stay dead.

Part of the terror is in the setting itself. A harsh sometimes unforgiving land which demands it's share of blood. You can sometimes feel the dread as you're reading. Secrets abound between the three main characters as well, giving you the sense that not everything is as it seems and might not turn out okay for them.

This book also lets us know about the inherent violence in nature, that nature itself lives because of this violence. The crimes of man against man and nature fighting against them is fantastically realized.

The novel never dawdles yet still eases you into the more horrific aspects. And it's a great story of Greta's redemption and attempting to right some wrongs while finding herself in the process.

I highly recommend this novel.

TEN SLEEP is a story suited to be told and read in the belly of a valley by the low light of a fire or on a porch in the evening when the sun is bleeding out. This western and naturalistic multi-perspective novel tackles themes of ecology through memories held within the broken and dead bodies that remain, and is perfect for fans of slow burn, haunting histories that unravel like hidden taxidermy stitches.