Matt McAvoy Book Review

Looking for a quick read with an hour or so to kill, I thought I’d sneak in this novella, which I thought looked intriguing.  It was okay, though I wouldn’t really say much more; engaging in places, but not really optimizing these moments – though not in any way bad, either.  That it turns out to be the first in a series is surprising, as I felt it didn’t particularly grab the reader in any of the ways a novella should, in no way gripping or emotive; the action scenes are few and far between, the syntax in these moments concise and matter-of-fact.  Predominantly this is a dialogue-led narrative, intended to empower an unlikely female hero, but nor in that respect does it delve too deeply, either.  The story isn’t intricate or involved, but a simple A to B tale, which might otherwise present no more than a single element in a bigger alternative book; as it is – a standalone story – it is difficult to see the objective, the arc, the intended reader or even the genre.  When I opened it and saw the interior matter art of a gunslinging undead phantom, I have to say that I perked up and expected something totally different to what this book delivered; sadly there was no relevance to it, which felt like a disappointment.

The book does need some polishing for publication, particularly the punctuation throughout, as well as some more crisp sentence construction.  It would be interesting to see where Sarah takes this character; with the ingredients there – Wild West politics, gunslingers, explosive action sequences and a tough female lead – the possibilities are endless, though I hope she avoids going down the familiar romance route, which I felt was loitering close by at times in this story; I’m sure she won’t.  But I would like to see a little less talking and a bit more creative building – because, if the right formula is found, then what’s not to look forward to about this western series?