V. S. McGrath

Real rating 4.5

*A thank you to Edelweiss, The Author and Publisher for giving me a copy of this book for a fair and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

So Westerns have really been my thing lately, move over Non-Fiction science books I think I may be finding my new favorite genre. So what do I say about this book. Well, let's start with the cover that I absolutely love, I think it's visually stunning. Secondly Hettie was a great female character, flaws and all. While yes she was brash and hotheaded, not to mention more stubborn in than a mule, she was also compassionate and thoughtful.

Over the course of the book we see a lot of changes in Hettie, but I guess that's what happens when you escape death and start on a path of vengeance. Plus, she is the owner of one demonic gun named Diablo, so changes do happen. There is a lot of murder and the fact that Hettie killed so easily makes me a bit wary, but you can tell that it is a side effect of her bond with this Devil's Revolver. I like that McGrath didn't come right out and say it but it's hinted at in her writing and Hettie's actions.

I loved the side characters, including that old geezer Uncle, and while I was a bit disappointed in a revelation about one of them, it didn't diminish the fact that McGrath really thought them through. There was a bit of a romance, and what I thought was the start of a Love-Triangle, but it seemed almost as a after thought and the story was not focused around it. I honestly don't know how I would feel if a romance developed between the two characters that I think will be romantically linked, I would have to see how McGrath handles it.

The inclusion of Native American and Chinese traditions, magic and the historical brutality was amazing and I wish more books would explore more cultures like McGrath did. Lastly, I love the fact that there are consequence. The actions that Hettie and crew did throughout the course of the book was not just immediately forgiven and forgotten. No, people died and I think that is where we are headed for the second book, Which I honestly cannot wait for.… (mere)

Real rating 4.5

*A thank you to Edelweiss, The Author and Publisher for giving me a copy of this book for a fair and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

So Westerns have really been my thing lately, move over Non-Fiction science books I think I may be finding my new favorite genre. So what do I say about this book. Well, let's start with the cover that I absolutely love, I think it's visually stunning. Secondly Hettie was a great female character, flaws and all. While yes she was brash and hotheaded, not to mention more stubborn in than a mule, she was also compassionate and thoughtful.

Over the course of the book we see a lot of changes in Hettie, but I guess that's what happens when you escape death and start on a path of vengeance. Plus, she is the owner of one demonic gun named Diablo, so changes do happen. There is a lot of murder and the fact that Hettie killed so easily makes me a bit wary, but you can tell that it is a side effect of her bond with this Devil's Revolver. I like that McGrath didn't come right out and say it but it's hinted at in her writing and Hettie's actions.

I loved the side characters, including that old geezer Uncle, and while I was a bit disappointed in a revelation about one of them, it didn't diminish the fact that McGrath really thought them through. There was a bit of a romance, and what I thought was the start of a Love-Triangle, but it seemed almost as a after thought and the story was not focused around it. I honestly don't know how I would feel if a romance developed between the two characters that I think will be romantically linked, I would have to see how McGrath handles it.

The inclusion of Native American and Chinese traditions, magic and the historical brutality was amazing and I wish more books would explore more cultures like McGrath did. Lastly, I love the fact that there are consequence. The actions that Hettie and crew did throughout the course of the book was not just immediately forgiven and forgotten. No, people died and I think that is where we are headed for the second book, Which I honestly cannot wait for.… (mere)

This is a Wild-West-With-Magic book that starts at 100mph and doesn't let up. Two chapters in, I was already hooked.

There're enough things here that are familiar from Westerns that you slide into the world easy but enough that's different or unknown that your curiosity stirs itself, sniffs the air and says "Feed me."

The protagonist, Hettie Alabama is an easy to like seventeen-year-old girl with grit and a tomboy attitude. The baddies deserve to die. And there's a shadow of menace that I could feel from the start.

I liked that the challenges that Hettie meets and the things she learns about her family's past change her in believable ways. She was always tough and brave. She becomes more ruthless and less trusting. I also liked that her only focus was rescuing her sister. Hettie has no interest in romance.

The Weird West world-building is very well done. This is a West were magic, charms, amulets, sorcery of different types, is an everyday thing. The use of magic is taken for granted and become as much a part of the West as the railroad and the telegraph. This version of the West is not a nostalgic one. It's filled with violence, corruption, racism, misogyny and the routine abuse of power. I liked the I built up a clear picture of the world as I read the book but that I know there's more for me to learn in the rest of the series.

The baddies in this book are truly terrible people. The merciless brutal violence they meted out by the main gang at the start of the book is eclipsed only by the scale of the evil the man the gang works for is committing. These weren't the kind of pantomime baddies that you hiss and boo at. They were the sort of people you hope you never have to meet.

The demonic revolver that sits at the heart of the story is a great concept. It's not as simple as it first sounds and Hettie's relationship with it is pleasingly ambiguous.

The plot keeps a fast pace throughout while throwing surprises and threats that kept the excitement high. The book was a bit like the Devil's Revolver - it wasn't nice but once I picked it up, I didn't want to let go of it.

I'll be back for the rest of Hettie Alabama series.… (mere)

The Devil's Standoff by VS McGrath finds Hettie and her companions in Mexico, at the village of Villa del Punta. They've come at the behest of Walker Woodroffe, to return Diablo to its creator, Javier Punta. He wishes to unmake his deadly creation. But Punta is in a coma, and a vicious cryptid is stalking the area around the village, perhaps drawn to the magical energy node there. The longer Hettie and her friends linger, the more in danger they become. Her sister, Abby, needs training to control her increasingly erratic magical gifts. She begins to learn from Raul, Walker's brother, and the resident sorcerer in charge of training the Village’s gifted children. But the threat of the chupas is growing, and they have human stalkers as well, intent on acquiring both Diablo and Abby.

This sequel was a fast paced thrill-ride that left me craving more. I love this world McGrath has introduced us to. It's full of magic, blended with the tech of the time. This story brought us to the wilds of Mexico, and introduced cryptids in the form of chupacabra. I love when stories make use of the more unusual cryptids out there! The village itself is a fascinating place, sheltered by a strong barrier spell, and flush with trapped magic used to help crops grow and gather water. It seemed harsh, yet peaceful. A place I wouldn't mind living actually.

I admit, I'm growing to dislike Abby. I know she's young, but she's old enough to understand responsibility. Her magic is dangerous in its wild, undisciplined form, and Hettie's misguided act of love made her even more of a threat. As for Hettie, she's experiencing all kinds of uncertainty, partially stemming from her accelerated aging. She's gone from a teenager to a twenty-something adult, with no time to process or appreciate the changes in body and physiology. Walker's brother Raul turned into a favourite, despite some of his own rather misguided actions. He did what he did for his people, to protect them. We also get to learn more about Zavi, whom we met in the previous book. His history was rather unexpected, to say the least. Diablo has become more defined as a character in its own right. I'm interested to see its end game. Diablo chose Hettie, and listens to her, going against its nature. Yet, for all that, she still wants free of it, and speaks of destroying it. I kinda felt bad for Diablo, knowing it's sentience, and willingness to go against its nature, giving Hettie more than any other who has wielded it.

I want the next one now!!!!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Brain Mill Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for XPresso Tours.… (mere)