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Brules
In a tale that captures the brutality, heroism, and hardships of the Old West, Cat Brules, a tough plainsman, pursues a one-man battle for revenge against the Comanches. A first novel. 60,000 first printing. $60,000 ad/promo. Tour.
598 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 14, 2025
Of late I've had a difficult time getting into contemporary books. The current fad in structure just doesn't float my boat. How every chapter is in a different point of view. This makes the book episodic and more a string of short stories. All fads change and move on this one will too. Eventually.
So in the meantime I am ordering books (based on memory) that I really enjoyed. I read Brules thirty years ago after attending a writer's conference in San Diego. The author's agent was there and really touted this book. The had free copies for the attendees. I started reading this one and couldn't put it down.
Now my favorite book of all time is Lonesome Dove not because it is a western and not because it won the Pulitzer Prize. I loved it because its not about a cattle drive but about the relationship between two people and how that relationship weathers severe adversity. The cattle drive is just the vehicle to tell this story. The author is so adept in his craft he seamlessly shifts from one point of view to another on the same page. Truly amazing.
Anyway, I digress (you can plainly see I'm a big Lonesome Dove fan).
Brules is not a Lonesome Dove. Its the story of one man who weathers severe adversity all alone. But this is one heck of a story.
By my reckoning there are three parts of voice. Voice is the big Kahuna in writing its the everything in writing (This is where Lonesome Dove excels above many many other books). If the author can conquer the intricacies of voice he/she and flub on some of the other precepts and still write a heck of a book.
In Brules the story is excellent, the character is great (even though he at times walks the line of bad-good guy--okay by me I love a diverse character), the scene sequencing is excellent but where the author excels is in his MAR, motivation action reaction. Every scene is perfectly Motivated to support the Action. He blends the Action with the transitions. This is the author's first book and he really hit the nail on the head (sorry for the cliche').
Anyway, back to the three parts of voice (teach, and preach, my own 16 precepts of writing a novel). The first part is language and syntax. This is the only part of the book structure I kinda took exception too. The author, in my humble opinion overuses the language and syntax of the time period. I appreciated the authenticity this method lends to the story but it did slow down my reading speed.
The book is also written in a common structure called a "Frame." Where in current day character sits down with the main character and asks him to tell the story. The author does this to justify the use of the reminiscent voice that periodically pops up on the prose. This voice tends to (almost always) disrupts the fictive-dream for the reader. There is also another aspect of the frame story structure that tamps down the suspense as the story unfolds. The reader knows the character survives to tell the story decades later.
Even with these minor blivets, the Rem voice, the language and syntax, frame story, I still absolutely loved this book. It is a great western romp and highly recommend it.
Side note: This book reminded me of another great book by a great author. This one is written similarly with a frame story and one character traveling through the west and dealing with every kind of pitfall, The Little Big Man. I just ordered it and it will be the next novel I reread thirty years later to see if it holds up. I also ordered Centennial by Mitchener but as I recall I had a difficult time with that one dropping down into the fictive dream. But once I did it turned int a page turner.
Other books I just ordered, The First Deadly Sin, The Godfather, Clockers, Winds of War and Young Blood Hawk. The only wonderful thing about an aging memory is that I can enjoy a previously read book like it's brand spanking new.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series, the Dave Beckett series and the Imogene Taylor series.
So in the meantime I am ordering books (based on memory) that I really enjoyed. I read Brules thirty years ago after attending a writer's conference in San Diego. The author's agent was there and really touted this book. The had free copies for the attendees. I started reading this one and couldn't put it down.
Now my favorite book of all time is Lonesome Dove not because it is a western and not because it won the Pulitzer Prize. I loved it because its not about a cattle drive but about the relationship between two people and how that relationship weathers severe adversity. The cattle drive is just the vehicle to tell this story. The author is so adept in his craft he seamlessly shifts from one point of view to another on the same page. Truly amazing.
Anyway, I digress (you can plainly see I'm a big Lonesome Dove fan).
Brules is not a Lonesome Dove. Its the story of one man who weathers severe adversity all alone. But this is one heck of a story.
By my reckoning there are three parts of voice. Voice is the big Kahuna in writing its the everything in writing (This is where Lonesome Dove excels above many many other books). If the author can conquer the intricacies of voice he/she and flub on some of the other precepts and still write a heck of a book.
In Brules the story is excellent, the character is great (even though he at times walks the line of bad-good guy--okay by me I love a diverse character), the scene sequencing is excellent but where the author excels is in his MAR, motivation action reaction. Every scene is perfectly Motivated to support the Action. He blends the Action with the transitions. This is the author's first book and he really hit the nail on the head (sorry for the cliche').
Anyway, back to the three parts of voice (teach, and preach, my own 16 precepts of writing a novel). The first part is language and syntax. This is the only part of the book structure I kinda took exception too. The author, in my humble opinion overuses the language and syntax of the time period. I appreciated the authenticity this method lends to the story but it did slow down my reading speed.
The book is also written in a common structure called a "Frame." Where in current day character sits down with the main character and asks him to tell the story. The author does this to justify the use of the reminiscent voice that periodically pops up on the prose. This voice tends to (almost always) disrupts the fictive-dream for the reader. There is also another aspect of the frame story structure that tamps down the suspense as the story unfolds. The reader knows the character survives to tell the story decades later.
Even with these minor blivets, the Rem voice, the language and syntax, frame story, I still absolutely loved this book. It is a great western romp and highly recommend it.
Side note: This book reminded me of another great book by a great author. This one is written similarly with a frame story and one character traveling through the west and dealing with every kind of pitfall, The Little Big Man. I just ordered it and it will be the next novel I reread thirty years later to see if it holds up. I also ordered Centennial by Mitchener but as I recall I had a difficult time with that one dropping down into the fictive dream. But once I did it turned int a page turner.
Other books I just ordered, The First Deadly Sin, The Godfather, Clockers, Winds of War and Young Blood Hawk. The only wonderful thing about an aging memory is that I can enjoy a previously read book like it's brand spanking new.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series, the Dave Beckett series and the Imogene Taylor series.
July 7, 2020
A great western. The story starts with a man narrating memories as a boy meeting this mountain man who lives in a cabin near their ranch. Then the mountain man takes over the narration of his life as an explorer/ mountain man/ Indian fighter and friend/ adventurer. The man's life story is remarkable and reads as great fiction. The tales are very exciting. The nature is brilliant. If you loike westerns I think you would really like this book. I have read Lonesome Dove and the prequel and sequels and they are better, but this is just a notch or two below them. I think better than Louie Lamour. The book was a gift from my brother who I am thankful for.
October 25, 2021
This was a delightful read of the Old West. I have only read two books by Harry Combs and really liked both. This particular tale is structured as a man named Cat Brules narrates his life story to another person. The period of Brule's life under scrutiny is roughly just after the Civil War up into the 1880s - a time when American Indians were still a presence in the Old West, and when the West was still more of a frontier.
While this book is a novel by any reckoning, much of the history presented in the background is accurate so the narrative feels more like fictionalized history. The storyline through the 20 some years presented is interesting and engaging, and is very much a Cowboys and Indians story. So if the reader likes stories of the Old West and of Cowboys and Indians, this will be a treat. While this is a long book weighing in around 600 pages, it draws you in and keeps your interest. Recommended.
While this book is a novel by any reckoning, much of the history presented in the background is accurate so the narrative feels more like fictionalized history. The storyline through the 20 some years presented is interesting and engaging, and is very much a Cowboys and Indians story. So if the reader likes stories of the Old West and of Cowboys and Indians, this will be a treat. While this is a long book weighing in around 600 pages, it draws you in and keeps your interest. Recommended.
June 19, 2008
This is a sprawling, detailed (at times painfully so), entertaining Western. Harry Combs, 80 years young when he wrote this, did his homework on this debut novel. He and his character, mountain man Cat Brules, seem to know everything about anything to do with the old West, whether it’s journeying from New Mexico to Wyoming, making moccasins from buffalo hide, or outwitting and killing Comanche Indians. Sometimes, the action bogs down amidst the quicksand of such minutiae, but other than that, this is a great book.
Most of the novel covers Brules’ teenage years and early twenties. He and his first girlfriend are kidnapped by Comanches. The Indians torture them both and kill her, but Brules escapes before they kill him. This experience, unsurprisingly, leaves a deep and bitter hatred for all Comanches in Brules, and he dedicates the rest of his life to killing as many as he can before they get him.
He kills several Comanches, leaving a sign of a cat at each kill, and soon the superstitious Indians are mortified of this mysterious cat person. But then Brules decides he’s had enough, and travels to Colorado, gets mauled by a bear, and meets the true love of his life – a Shoshone Indian woman. They marry, have a kid, but don’t necessarily live happily ever after.
The one major fault of the book is the device Combs chose to tell us Brules’ story. He invents an eleven-year-old kid who, in 1909, meets an old hermit in the Colorado mountains: Cat Brules. The novel is actually Brules’ narrative to the kid. The problem with this is that since we know Brules is still alive in 1909, he obviously survives all the harrowing events Combs conjures for him, removing all suspense.
Nonetheless, it is a fine Western, packed with action and detail, and Brules is a memorable character.
Most of the novel covers Brules’ teenage years and early twenties. He and his first girlfriend are kidnapped by Comanches. The Indians torture them both and kill her, but Brules escapes before they kill him. This experience, unsurprisingly, leaves a deep and bitter hatred for all Comanches in Brules, and he dedicates the rest of his life to killing as many as he can before they get him.
He kills several Comanches, leaving a sign of a cat at each kill, and soon the superstitious Indians are mortified of this mysterious cat person. But then Brules decides he’s had enough, and travels to Colorado, gets mauled by a bear, and meets the true love of his life – a Shoshone Indian woman. They marry, have a kid, but don’t necessarily live happily ever after.
The one major fault of the book is the device Combs chose to tell us Brules’ story. He invents an eleven-year-old kid who, in 1909, meets an old hermit in the Colorado mountains: Cat Brules. The novel is actually Brules’ narrative to the kid. The problem with this is that since we know Brules is still alive in 1909, he obviously survives all the harrowing events Combs conjures for him, removing all suspense.
Nonetheless, it is a fine Western, packed with action and detail, and Brules is a memorable character.
October 25, 2019
Wow. Just plain wow. This book was magnificent and was hard to put down. You can envision yourself sitting there and listening to Brules tell his story. It was one I couldn't wait to get through as I wanted to see where it ended, but was disappointed when it did as it was over. This book is definitely a keeper to reread in a few years.
September 28, 2025
Guys I need to leave a review for this book 4 years late. I think about this book everyday. It’s actually phenomenal. That being said, it mostly takes place in Colorado. I might have some bias but this is the only book I’m considering reading twice. I love love love this book. A true masterpiece. Ordered a sign edition and it showed up unsigned and I cried.
October 22, 2013
An absolutely fantastic book. One that I didn’t want to end, and one that will stay with me for a long time. I’ve read a few Westerns in my life, and Brules is easily my favorite. I’ve seen a couple of people complain about the voice, but I loved it. Authentic and gritty. Just a seriously awesome book.
Bonus: I’m planning on moving to Colorado in the not-so-distant future, and the flavor and feel of this book got me more hyped than I already was lol.
Bonus: I’m planning on moving to Colorado in the not-so-distant future, and the flavor and feel of this book got me more hyped than I already was lol.
November 24, 2020
The best book I’ve read since finishing Where the Crawdads sing.
Mr. Combs has obviously spent a great deal of time out west. His ability to capture the beauty of the land out there with words amazing. I also learned about the cultures of the Native American tribes that roamed that part of the country as well.
I had to keep Google handy to understand exactly what he was describing. That drove an appreciation for the detail with which this story was crafted.
Mr. Combs has obviously spent a great deal of time out west. His ability to capture the beauty of the land out there with words amazing. I also learned about the cultures of the Native American tribes that roamed that part of the country as well.
I had to keep Google handy to understand exactly what he was describing. That drove an appreciation for the detail with which this story was crafted.
March 2, 2008
I have to thank my dad for recommending this book. It is just a fun read--definately something to take in during some down-time.
November 2, 2013
Awesome western with intense feeling and scenery. I wanted to be Brules.
September 28, 2023
Author Harry Combs has written a fine book with a couple of exceptions. What I like about the book is the perspective of old man Brules recounting his youth and adventures in the South West during the post-Civil War era. Author Combs has given us a really good vision of a young cowpuncher, straight off the trail coming into town looking for fun, a drink, a bath, a chance to scratch a few itches and thinking, as we all did back in that portion of our lives, that we were the "Cat's Pajamas". Of course, he runs afoul of his own desires when he crosses his trail boss, believes a bar girl's attentions are for him alone and ends up with a crush on her that leads him to commit murder and go on the run. In all this preliminary section we see the picture of youth's certainty that what they are doing is right, even though it is wrong. Kid Brules is saved several times through the fact that he is one of those truly fast gun prodigies, who can shoot from the hip with pistol or rifle and make it count. In addition, he's got a trail buddy, Pedro Gonzales, who has a strong head on his shouders, and a great plan to rob a bank out in Taos, New Mexicao Territory. So this section of the book moved fast, has the looks of a really interesting story and kept me wondering where it would lead next. Moving into the next section of the book, the escape from Hays City with his girl Michele is a bit contrived, but once on the trail our protagonist shows his mettle in covering his trail, thus eluding possible pursuit. I enjoyed the trail section with the Brules' managing to get his nightgown dressed girlfriend, Michele, some decent clothes and live off the land as they head toward, and then skirt, Dodge City. As all things appear to be headed toward an interesting relationship, the Comanches capture our two waifs and they end up in dire circumstances. After a dramatic escape, Brules turns to hunting Comanches for a living. in this section, I felt the author got into a repetition of sight quarry, stalk quarry, ambush quarry, hide, ambush, sight, stalk.... The scenarios all different, and the occasional buffalo hunt is good, but perhaps a hundred pages could have been cut out of this section to keep it a page turner. Loved the last section of the book, moving North into Shoshone country and the Grizzly Bear hunting and shades of Hugh Glass encounter which links Brules up with Wild Rose whom he courts, and eventually acquires a dowery sufficient for her father, Old Stoneface to agree to the wedding. A life in the wilderness then ensues, with it's love, trials and tragedies and ends on a really good note. So go for it, you'll have and enjoyable ride!
April 30, 2025
This was a Western that I remembered enjoying enough that I wanted to re-read it. Wanting to so much that I was willing to buy a paperback copy despite my distaste for paper books. I started reading the thing over a month ago, but I have read a couple other books which required returning to Libby in the meantime.
What surprises me about my reaction to a book I remember enjoying so much in the early 90s is how much more sensitive I’ve become to the racial and environmental attitudes Combs expresses. In Brules, the Comanche tribe of the late 1800s is a violent, sub-human species. (The Shoshone tribe comes off much better - they at least have some sympathetic individuals.) Brules’s relentless revenge-seeking hunting of the Comanche, purposely and guiltlessly killing dozens after a female companion was killed and he was tortured, lacks any real sense of justice. And now it feels that Brules’s hunting of bison and bears for their hides is rather appalling.
What surprises me about my reaction to a book I remember enjoying so much in the early 90s is how much more sensitive I’ve become to the racial and environmental attitudes Combs expresses. In Brules, the Comanche tribe of the late 1800s is a violent, sub-human species. (The Shoshone tribe comes off much better - they at least have some sympathetic individuals.) Brules’s relentless revenge-seeking hunting of the Comanche, purposely and guiltlessly killing dozens after a female companion was killed and he was tortured, lacks any real sense of justice. And now it feels that Brules’s hunting of bison and bears for their hides is rather appalling.
May 3, 2023
A Western story that brings your imagination to life in the old American West. The writing of this book was easy to follow along on the adventure, romance, and hardship of Cat Brules.
A great read to reminisce on, after exploring those areas personally. Excellent description of life and historical events of that time.
Anyone who loves a good Western definitely needs to read this book.
A great read to reminisce on, after exploring those areas personally. Excellent description of life and historical events of that time.
Anyone who loves a good Western definitely needs to read this book.
September 1, 2024
Very long for a western but I enjoyed it quite a lot. I read it over about a month an episode at a time and that worked well to continually revisit Cat Brules. The most exciting part was when he's captured by Comanches but there are lots of other adventures and evocative prose descriptions.
November 29, 2018
Nope. Long winded, repetive and just plain boring. Somehow I gutted this out to the end.
January 14, 2019
Best western ever . Very well written discriptive
March 7, 2020
An excellent Western survival yarn I read in '96.
January 9, 2026
The best western book I've read. Every one of my friends who read it based on my review, loved it equally as much.
October 12, 2010
The book Brules by Harry Combs takes place in the American Wild West from about 1867 to 1888. The story follows the main character Cat Brules throughout Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The book is in first person point of view. Brules is a rugged mountain man/cowboy who was said to be the fastest gun in the West. He can’t read or write but knows everything about the outdoors. Brules is very straight forward when he talks and has a quick temper.
The story starts off in Hays City, Kansas. Brule just got off a long cattle drive and is meeting his Mexican friend Pedro. In an argument he shoots a man and grabbing the saloon girl he was with, he flees the town to avoid being charged with murder. A couple weeks into the tip they are jumped by Comanches. They are taken to the camp and are tortured he has to watch as his girlfriend is killed. The next night he barely escapes the camp and flees into the mountains killing 7 Comanches. Brules stumbles to a Mexican Ranch in which the people take him in. He stay for a while in till he runs into Pedro again. They decide to go on a big buffalo hunt. They went out and kill a lot of buffalo but run into trouble and have to send Pedro back with a load of hides. On the way he is ambushed and killed. After Brules gets tired of waiting for his return he tracks him and find his body which has been mauled by the Comanches. From then on Brules vows to take revenge on them for what they did. His first encounter he shoots down a war party of 30 single handedly. For the next 6 years he hunts the Comanches by stalking into they’re camp and ambushing them on the trails. He kills hundreds of them and becomes feared through the Indian world.
Once the Buffalo herds were thinned out and the Comanche were harder to find, Brules went into the mountains to hunt for grizzly bears. On his first hunt he slaughters the king but is badly injured in the process. He is able to skin and flesh the hide but his condition worsens he eventually passes out to be revived by a beautiful Shoshone Indian Squaw. Brules falls in love and when he recovers he goes back to her village and tries to court her from her father. He eventually ends up stealing a whole horse heard to give to her greedy father. Finally Brules gets the girl called Wild Rose. The wonder the mountains in happiness in till they come upon Lone Cone Peak. They decide it is a perfect spot to build a home and start a family. Wild rose becomes pregnant and they continue to build the house. Late in the pregnancy wild rose is hurt badly in a horse accident. She dies about a month after child birth. They call the baby morning star. With no mother Brules rode his heart out to find the baby another nursing women. He then took the baby back to the Shoshone reservation where a family adopts the baby. Brules scouts for the Army for a little bit before returning home to the cabin at Lone Cone Peak where he grew old.
I extremely enjoyed this book. There was lots of action and shooting. The Author did lots of research and all of the events and things are historically correct. The book was very detailed which helped picture the setting in your head. I would defiantly recommend this book to any body who likes westerns or shooters.
The story starts off in Hays City, Kansas. Brule just got off a long cattle drive and is meeting his Mexican friend Pedro. In an argument he shoots a man and grabbing the saloon girl he was with, he flees the town to avoid being charged with murder. A couple weeks into the tip they are jumped by Comanches. They are taken to the camp and are tortured he has to watch as his girlfriend is killed. The next night he barely escapes the camp and flees into the mountains killing 7 Comanches. Brules stumbles to a Mexican Ranch in which the people take him in. He stay for a while in till he runs into Pedro again. They decide to go on a big buffalo hunt. They went out and kill a lot of buffalo but run into trouble and have to send Pedro back with a load of hides. On the way he is ambushed and killed. After Brules gets tired of waiting for his return he tracks him and find his body which has been mauled by the Comanches. From then on Brules vows to take revenge on them for what they did. His first encounter he shoots down a war party of 30 single handedly. For the next 6 years he hunts the Comanches by stalking into they’re camp and ambushing them on the trails. He kills hundreds of them and becomes feared through the Indian world.
Once the Buffalo herds were thinned out and the Comanche were harder to find, Brules went into the mountains to hunt for grizzly bears. On his first hunt he slaughters the king but is badly injured in the process. He is able to skin and flesh the hide but his condition worsens he eventually passes out to be revived by a beautiful Shoshone Indian Squaw. Brules falls in love and when he recovers he goes back to her village and tries to court her from her father. He eventually ends up stealing a whole horse heard to give to her greedy father. Finally Brules gets the girl called Wild Rose. The wonder the mountains in happiness in till they come upon Lone Cone Peak. They decide it is a perfect spot to build a home and start a family. Wild rose becomes pregnant and they continue to build the house. Late in the pregnancy wild rose is hurt badly in a horse accident. She dies about a month after child birth. They call the baby morning star. With no mother Brules rode his heart out to find the baby another nursing women. He then took the baby back to the Shoshone reservation where a family adopts the baby. Brules scouts for the Army for a little bit before returning home to the cabin at Lone Cone Peak where he grew old.
I extremely enjoyed this book. There was lots of action and shooting. The Author did lots of research and all of the events and things are historically correct. The book was very detailed which helped picture the setting in your head. I would defiantly recommend this book to any body who likes westerns or shooters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2017
This was a REALLY long book, but a good story. It could have been much shorter.
March 14, 2013
Gritty, violent, heartbreaking. Other reviewers have called it "sprawling", which is probably the most accurate way to describe this book. However, I didn't really care for the redneck accented 1st person for 99% of the whole 700 pages. The narrative was a little too distracting to my ears. Also, knowing the fate of the main character from the beginning took the wind out of the story and made it feel like it dragged on too long. It probably should have been carved into 3 books, each centered around the following characters: Michelle, Pedro, and Wild Rose. Nonetheless, the story moved me and made me miss the sprawling West.
November 27, 2019
Nov 2019. Originally read this 17 years ago and might drop overall review to 4.5* from 5*. I really like the detail that went into the mental decision making of the escapes, hunting of Comanches and grizzly. You really feel like you're right there laying behind that rock making sure every shot counts and one wrong move means you'll suffer a long, slow torturous death. The rest of the book can be just a bit tedious and it has a bit of that Forrest Gump style where Brules is capable of anything and everything. Overall, very enjoyable and highly recommended reading.
February 26, 2008
Another of my older brother's books. I didn't like it, obviously--and I do like westerns. It was overly long, overly boring, and too much detail in unnecessary scenes for me. Try Louis L'Amour if you want a fun, always-the-good-guy-wins-and-gets-the-girl western and Elmer Kelton if you want a western where there is believable characters and a good story.
July 25, 2016
Didn't finish this one. It started off great, but about midway my interest dropped. There was nothing wrong with the novel itself, I think it was just that I wasn't in the mood to read a western like I thought I was. I'll probably pick it up and try again with it later on. If I do, I'll return and edit this review accordingly.
August 15, 2007
A good read about the 4-Corners area of Colorado.
January 27, 2008
My favorite western.
Read
March 3, 2009This is one of my favorite books. An incredible American story, and being from the West, (Kansas) I particularly enjoyed the western flavor. I've actually read it about 4 times
June 18, 2009
I remember thoroughly enjoying this book and looking for my by this author.
August 9, 2010
SUPERB...especially because I've lived in Colorado and New Mexico...just love this man
January 14, 2011
Never thought I'd like a cowboys 'n indians book... but this one was quite captivating!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews