My Review of Blackfoot Dawn by John Legg

Blackfoot Dawn by John Legg is Book 2 of the Mountain Times trilogy, a western series set in the days of the mountain men (1830s/40s). The main character is a big, burly mountain guide and trapper named Squire. He’s got a mean streak a mile wide and is called L’on Farouche (the Fierce) by his enemies, the Blackfeet Indians.

This novel is a standalone, but picks up where Book 1, Winter Rage, ends. Hired by an outfitter to trap beaver in the Rockies, Squire and his crew face all the challenges one would expect in the wilderness – wild animals, extreme weather, Indians on the warpath, conniving competitors.

Through it all, the author offers a generally exciting and interesting series of adventures. Squire is a bit unlikeable, imo, but the secondary characters are well-drawn and have stories of their own to tell, so it’s pretty solid writing overall.

Plot: At the annual Rendezvous, Squire sees a long-time foe whom he suspects knows the location of his long-lost son, stolen by the Blackfeet some 16 years prior. The story then flashes back to Squire’s origin story (as a boy, how he became so violent, and then as a young man) and how he lost his first wife and child in an Indian raid coordinated by some by a man named Carney, his nemesis.

The narrative is gritty, ugly, raw, full of violence, torture, scalpings, rape, foul language (too many GD’s and n-words for my taste), and general mayhem. If you like strong, uncensored and unfiltered action, this series might be for you. I skimmed quite a bit of those scenes and the novel seemed a bit long to me, but again pretty engrossing at times.

I was probably overly harsh with my review of the first book in the series, Winter Rage. I rated that novel at just under 3 stars. But together, I would put the series at 3.25 stars so far. I’ll eventually finish the trilogy (Book 3 is Mountain Rage), but I need a break from all the violence.

This is my 9th book I've finished this year and below I'm listing the books read and am linking to my reviews of each book - a 52 week challenge. I'm a bit behind but may catch up in a few weeks. I'm usually reading 4 or 5 books at a time and sometimes finish a few within a few days of each other. (grin)

~*~

My 52 Week Challenge: Read and Review 52 Books in 2023
(Books listed in reading order, not review order, lol.)

1. Razored Land by Charles Gramlich - post-apocalypse (review TBD)
2. The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb - mystery (reviewed Jan 11)
3. Feast of Fools and Other Tales - S&S anthology (reviewed Jan 19)
4. Clovel Sword Saga (Vol 1&2) by Gordon Brewer - S&S (review TBD)
5. The Hike by Susi Holliday - mystery/thriller (reviewed March 7)
6. Valengetrix: Ghost of Aratania by J.R. Cason - sword & sorcery (reviewed Feb 25)
7. Swords & Heroes - Sword & Sorcery Anthology (edited by me! review TBD)
8. The Viking Gael Saga by J.T.T. Ryder - historical fiction (reviewed March 9)
9. Blackfoot Dawn by John Legg - a mountain man western (reviewed above)

My Review of "The Hike" by Susi Holliday

A 'Thrilling' Book Review 

Hoping to make some new friends here in Puerto Rico, I decided to start a book club at our apartment complex. In English, since mi español es muy malo. Most of the residents in our condo community are not from the states and so speak Spanish, but I would say most people in PR are bilingual.

So I posted a message on our group’s FB page and five or six expressed interest. I brewed a whole pot of coffee (10 cups worth!) and one retired gentleman showed up. But he brought cake! We had a wonderful time getting to know one another and had a great discussion about this novel:

The Hike by Susi Holliday (Amazon affiliate link)

It’s a mystery/thriller and a pretty good one at that. I had a few selfish reasons for picking it for our first discussion. One, I like thrillers (yes, yes, I like fantasy, science fiction, westerns, romance, cozies, and a few other genres, but thrillers are regular reads for me). And two, it was already on my Kindle because it was an Amazon Prime pick however many months ago it was offered. I’m cheap like that. (grin)

To set the tone, here’s the relevant part of the blurb that pulled me in: “Sisters Cat and Ginny travel with their husbands to the idyllic Swiss Alps for a hiking holiday…only two of the four hikers make it down from the mountain.” Secrets, intrigue, back-stabbing, and murder are involved. And plot twists.

A lot of good elements – solid writing, descriptive scenes (I was right there in the Alps with the two couples even though I’ve never been), and good characterization. There were only a few situations that pushed the boundaries of believability. But as a reader, sometimes you just have to go with it.

The hardest hurdle for the author to overcome – and she did it well – was writing about four unlikable and non-sympathetic main characters. This is a tough sell because readers usually like to cheer for a sympathetic hero, someone they can relate to who is essentially a good person. Sure, that MC can have flaws and such, but generally we’re on the side of a character ‘trying to do good.’

Well, no one was a ‘good guy’ in this novel – and yet I was still interested in the outcome! In fact, all four main characters were annoying (and yes, there were four POVs here - actually six!), but the main two narratives were the sisters, Cat and Ginny. None of the foursome were wholesome.

Still, I was hooked and had to hike along with them to find out which one thought they were the most aggrieved ‘victim’ of past hurts and slights…and who was thus motivated to kill whom. (Not a spoiler – the prologue sets the basic plot.)

Now about a third of the way in I was done with the sisters’ bickering, but then the author threw in a bit of a twist and moved on to the second act. Like I said, pretty solid writing. Structurally, there’s a prologue that I thought was unnecessary, and then some flash-forwards and POV changes. So caution warning if you don't like a lot of narrative tricks and wiggles. A strong language warning as well, but more occasional for spice, I suppose.

Overall, it worked, at least for me. And for thousands of others, evidently, given all the reviews. The Hike was released last October and is still in the top three or four thousand on Amazon. If you’re a fan of Gone Girl, The Girl on a Train, and The Woman in Cabin 10, then you’ll like The Hike, I’m pretty sure. 4.5 Stars. (This review is also on Goodreads. Follow my reviews there if you want.)

~*~

My 52 Week Challenge: Read and Review 52 Books in 2023
(Books listed in reading order, not review order, lol.)

1. Razored Land by Charles Gramlich - post-apocalypse (review TBD)
2. The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb - mystery (reviewed Jan 11)
3. Feast of Fools and Other Tales - S&S anthology (reviewed Jan 18)
4. Clovel Sword Saga (Vol 1&2) by Gordon Brewer - sword & sorcery (review TBD)
5. The Hike by Susi Holliday - mystery/thriller (reviewed above)
6. Valengetrix: Ghost of Aratania by J.R. Cason - sword & sorcery (reviewed Feb 25)
7. Swords & Heroes - A Sword & Sorcery Anthology (edited by me!, review TBD)

Sunday/Monday Post

My 52 Week Challenge: 

Read and Review 52 Books in 2023...

1. Razored Land by Charles Gramlich - post-apocalypse (not yet published, review forthcoming)

2. The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb - mystery (reviewed Jan 11)

3. Feast of Fools and Other Tales - S&S anthology (reviewed Jan 18)

4. Clovel Sword Saga (Vol 1&2) by Gordon Brewer - sword & sorcery (review forthcoming)

5. The Hike by Susi Holliday - mystery/thriller (will review this novel next week)

6. Valengetrix: Ghost of Aratania by J.R. Cason - sword & sorcery (reviewed below)

(I'm a little behind schedule. We're starting Week #9 of the year and I've only read 6 books!)

Welcome to Book Date Monday (even though it's Saturday when I posted this). I think this is Book Date Monday #10 for me (over a period of a few years - I'm very inconsistent, lol). If you want to join the fun, be sure to link to your book reviews and reading updats at some of the following blog hops:

• Sunday Post from Caffeinated Reviewer
• Sunday Salon from Readerbuzz
• Stacking the Shelves from Reading Reality
• And Book Date Monday from The Book Date

Currently Reading...

+ Laws and Prophecies by L. S. King - sword and planet, book 3 in Sword's Edge Chronicles. I"m just getting started but enjoying getting reacquainted with the characters I met in books 1 and 2. Solid writing and storytelling. She's a friend and you can visit her website here.

+ Back to Zero by Franklin Ard - YA coming of age novel with a bit of supernatural? Backed this project from Kickstarter last year but forgot to read it! I'm about 1/3 of the way in and it's pretty good so far. Content warning, though - a bit too mature for middle grade readers.

+ Reaper Walks the Garden by Gordon Brewer - hardboiled crime mystery. I just read Brewer's "Ray Irish Mystery Case File #1" - Death Stalks the Runway. This is case file #2. I will review them together as they are both novellas. I enjoyed the first one very much, but it's a bit gritty.

+ Also, still reading Blackfoot Dawn by John Legg - western, book 2 in Mountain Times trilogy. I'm about half-way through and it's pretty rough and violent. Language warning as well, which is what I didn't care for in book 1, Winter Rage (reviewed on Goodreads here).

In my TBR Pile...

+ The Song of Sangr by Gustavo Bondoni - sword and sorcery novel. I also want to get to a few other S&S projects in the next few months, including: With a Silken Fist by Tom Doolan; Sinbad and the Great Old Ones by Gavin Chappell; Skallagrim by Stephen R. Babb, along with a few others. My  sword and sorcery plate is full!

+ Point of View - Better Writing through Stronger Narrative: Drake's Brutal Writing Advice by Maxwell Alexander Drake - non-fiction book on writing. I actually started this - so I guess it should be in my "currently reading" pile - but I'm putting it on hold for a bit as I have too many books going!. 

What tomes are currently taking up space in your house? Drop me a comment.

Now for the review...

Valengetrix: Ghost of Aratania by J.R. Cason (August, 2022, about 140 pages, Amazon affiliate link)

This book is a collection of 5 short stories (or novelets, introduced by an opening epic poem called “The Lay of Auropia”) that form a loose story arc, giving the individual adventures context as Valengetrix makes his way back to his homeland. He was exiled at some point prior to these tales and seeks vengeance against his enemies. Assumed dead, his return is like that of a ghost as he prepares to enter his home city and confront the emperor who has driven out the more noble families of the realm.

Assisting Val in his quest is a ‘soul’ (ancestral spirit) that lives in the jeweled hilt of the sword he carries. This spirit being, Ashren by name, needs to ‘feed’ in battle, and when it strikes it sucks out the life source of those it defeats, turning the dead opponent into a pile of ashes. This makes for some great action and exciting situations. These are buddy tales, after a fashion, and the dialog between Val and Ashren is sly, witty, and humorous. Some great chemistry between the two.

As for the stories themselves, there’s a nice variety of sword and sorcerous encounters in this short volume – from stealing back a precious medallion from a cannibal chief who worships a snake god to confronting an arctic giant while accompanying a shape-shifter unawares, then on to a pirate fight on the high seas while facing monsters from the deep, before finally arriving back to his homeland in Aratania.

Here’s a quick summary from the book’s blurb, which is quite descriptive and enticing:

In the savage realm of Auropia, lurks a ghost in the form of a man. Valengetrix, exiled from his mysterious homeland, seeks redemption in the eyes of his people as he sets out to retrieve lost relics of the once renowned empire of Aratania. Accompanied by a sentient blade, forged from the soul of an ancient warrior of his race, Valengetrix begins to understand that the price for returning home must be paid in blood and treasure.

…With the aid of his ancestral blade, and the various peoples of this world he encounters along the way, the name of Valengetrix becomes a name widely revered by his allies, and feared by his many adversaries. (According to the author’s notes on Amazon, “this short story series [is] set nearly two millennia before the events in the Legends of Atlameria: Harbinger of World's End.”)

Overall, I enjoyed these serial tales (kind of like an ‘episodic novel’), especially “Blood in the Snow” and “Caught in the Undertow.” The action was strong, the characters well-drawn, the individual plots and monsters and crises were exciting and intriguing. A few of the stories began with a lot of world-building and descriptive set-up, so I had to adjust my expectations a bit and ‘get into’ the setting before being rewarded with the action I was looking for. So I might say some parts were a little slow for me. But again, in general, the collection was a fun and fulfilling find.

Plus, as mentioned, the rest of the characters are well-described. Although the storytelling is a bit ‘pulpy’ at times, the players aren’t cardboard characters, especially some of the females that make an appearance. 

As one reviewer on Goodreads notes: “The leading ladies aren't particularly awed by our barbarian hero and have agency other than being love interests. Yes, [this collection has] its share of friendly tavern maids…and gleaming manly thews….” But, it is sword & sorcery after all.

“Ghost of Aratania” ends with Val and Ashren at the city gates of his homeland, and I assume book 2 in this series, “Valengetrix: Lion of Auropia”, will provide continued adventures and wrap up the storyline of vengeance and redemption. 

I look forward to reading the second series of stories. I recommend this collection to other S&S fans – or really any fantasy pulp readers who like discovering new worlds and heroes and diving into the high adventures they provide. 

We're Live on Kickstarter!

 Swords and Heroes - an anthology of sword and sorcery - has launched!

Check out the project at my Kickstarter Campaign page here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lyndonperry/swords-and-heroes

12 exciting stories of heroic adventure!

This project launched yesterday and has already funded to the half-way point - w00t! Very excited. Lots of reward tiers to choose from and add-on options. Thanks for checking it out and backing it if you like  tales of epic fantasy.

Review of Feast of Fools Anthology

Feast of Fools and Other Tales

Edited by Robert Poyton, an Innsmouth Gold Book (Nov 2022, 250 pages). Includes 11 stories of sword and sorcery.

I'm in this antho (my story is “To Tame a Demon”) so I won't review it as I would a collection that I have no connection with, but I will share a few thoughts on the stories and authors in the ToC. (For a blow-by-blow, see my Goodreads review.)

Overall, I enjoyed these 11 tales and would recommend the e-book or paperback for fantasy fans in general and sword and sorcery fans in particular. (Amazon affiliate link, btw.)

I had a couple favorites, including “The Horn of Tur” by H. R. Laurence; “The Rotting Goddess” by B. Harlan Crawford; and “The Lucky Thief” by Tim Mendees. Though I enjoyed them all. Oh, and “Wind” by Russell Smeaton.

Overall impression: editor Robert Poyton pulls together an enjoyable collection of heroic adventures that will likely appeal to fans of the wider genre of fantasy fiction. Not all the entries are tales of sword and sorcery, strictly speaking (mine certainly wasn’t), but the storytelling is fairly solid throughout and most authors wrap up their tales in a satisfying manner. 

Quite a few of these adventures showcase an endearing anti-hero mercenary who deigns to guide his charges on some dangerous quest. And while there are similarities in trope among many stories in this antho, each tale has its own unique take on the plot's direction and conclusion.

While I won't rate this antho, I will say I'm proud to be a part of it!

Now, on to Book Date Monday. (Even though it's Wednesday - I just can't get it together by the first of the week! lol Click the link for more blogs that showcase what's on their TBR pile.)

My 52 Week Challenge: 3 of 52 books read/reviewed so far.

1. Razored Land by Charles Gramlich - post-apocalypse (not yet published, review forthcoming)

2. The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb - mystery (reviewed Jan 11)

3. Feast of Fools and Other Tales - S&S anthology (reviewed Jan 18)

Currently Reading...

+ Clovel Sword Saga by Gordon Brewer - 2 S&S novellas ("The Clovel Destroyer" and "Trail to Omcuur"). Third of the way through and enjoying the story so far.

+ Blackfoot Dawn by John Legg - western, book 2 in Mountain Times trilogy. I'm about a quarter of the way in and it's dragging a bit, haven't really gotten to the plot yet, I don't think.

Still in my TBR Pile...

+ Laws and Prophecies by L. S. King - sword and planet, book 3 in Sword's Edge Chronicles

+ Point of View - Better Writing through Stronger Narrative: Drake's Brutal Writing Advice by Maxwell Alexander Drake - non-fiction book on writing. I've actually started this, so I guess it should be in my "currently reading" pile. So far, good info and humourously communicated.

What tomes are currently taking up space in your house? Drop me a comment and happy reading!

Swords & Heroes on Kickstarter

Swords & Heroes is a new anthology of sword and sorcery coming to Kickstarter on January 31. Click the "Notify me on launch" button to keep up-to-date on this exciting project featuring 12 great stories of heroic fantasy adventure, including tales by Adrian Cole, Charles Gramlich, and Gustavo Bondoni.

The ToC is complete and will be announced soon. Back the campaign and be the first to receive a copy of this antho before it hits the shelves later this year. Plenty of reward options starting at only $5.

First Review of the Year - A Mystery

The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb

A slow burning mystery / ghost story / haunted house story with elements of romance, small town charm, and dark family secrets. A bit draggy in places, the story doesn't really get going until close to halfway through. No huge climax but the final few chapters do wrap it all up.

This is basically a cozy but with an undercurrent of evil. (Future bed and breakfast setting, a couple quirky characters, foodie references...all that's missing are a few recipes at the end.) For fans of supernatural mysteries. 3.5 stars for me. Got it free as a Prime book of the month offering.

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This is my first review of the year (posted on Goodreads) in my quest to review 52 books in 2023. Here's the list so far...will update for each book read and reviewed. For the most recent post, click the label: book review (below this post, I think). I'll try to include links to my short reviews as I progress.

Books Read in 2023 (posted in order, plus review date)

• Razored Land by Charles Gramlich - post-apocalypse (not yet published, not reviewed)
• The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb - mystery (reviewed Jan 11)

Currently Reading

• Feast of Fools, edited by Robert Poyton - an anthology of sword & sorcery
• Blackfoot Dawn by John Legg - western, book 2 in Mountain Times trilogy

In my TBR Pile

• Laws and Prophecies by L. S. King - sword and planet, book 3 in Sword's Edge Chronicles
• Point of View - Better Writing through Stronger Narrative: Drake's Brutal Writing Advice by Maxwell Alexander Drake - non-fiction book on writing

For more booky blogs and reviews, head over to Book Date Monday - and yes, today's Wednesday, so I'm a little slow off the mark this week. What pages are turning in your household? Comment below.