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Shadow Riders
Dal and Mac Traven left Texas young and idealistic. They came back from opposite sides of a living hell, a war that had torn the nation in two. They wanted only to reclaim their old lives...but one man held their future hostage.Colonel Henry T. Ashford had gathered an army of criminals and renegade soldiers, leading them on a path of destruction and kidnapping through Texas to the Gulf. Among Ashford's captives were the Travens' sister and Dal's tough-minded fiancee, Kate.Now Mac and Dal must take up arms once again and ride together against Ashford's army--ready to fight another war, if that's what it takes to win the freedom of the women they love.
176 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1982
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1199 people want to read
About the author
Louis L'Amour
995 books3,468 followersLouis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
April 17, 2021
3.5 stars
"Mac Traven spoke quietly, almost indifferently. 'If you boys are counting, I've got FOUR cartridges left in the pistol, and there's FIVE of you. As you've noticed, I hit what I shoot at. That means ONE of you might live.' He smiled . . . 'Now, who wants to be that lucky man?'" -- page 5
Set on the Texas frontier literally days after the end of the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), The Shadow Riders follows the ruggedly sharpshootin' Traven brothers - Mac, who served as a military officer for the Union; and the slightly younger Dal, who was a soldier for the Confederacy - as they reunite for the first time after those four long and heartbreaking years. (Curiously, the two men don't seem to have any sort of festering or on-going personal issues, although they chose to be on opposing sides in a divisive conflict.) Upon returning to the family homestead they find that it, plus the neighboring ranches and farms in the area, were raided by a former Confederate colonel and a ragtag group of his disgruntled men. A number of young women - including Gretchen, the teen sister of the Traven family; and Dal's would-be sweetheart Kate - have been taken hostage with the intent to sell them into slavery overseas. 'The boys' then team with their grizzled uncle and the gallop away in pursuit of the wagon train. Not a bad adventure story - written in L'Amour's usually dependable and concise style - although the first-half had a better tempo and seemed more interesting than later chapters.
"Mac Traven spoke quietly, almost indifferently. 'If you boys are counting, I've got FOUR cartridges left in the pistol, and there's FIVE of you. As you've noticed, I hit what I shoot at. That means ONE of you might live.' He smiled . . . 'Now, who wants to be that lucky man?'" -- page 5
Set on the Texas frontier literally days after the end of the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), The Shadow Riders follows the ruggedly sharpshootin' Traven brothers - Mac, who served as a military officer for the Union; and the slightly younger Dal, who was a soldier for the Confederacy - as they reunite for the first time after those four long and heartbreaking years. (Curiously, the two men don't seem to have any sort of festering or on-going personal issues, although they chose to be on opposing sides in a divisive conflict.) Upon returning to the family homestead they find that it, plus the neighboring ranches and farms in the area, were raided by a former Confederate colonel and a ragtag group of his disgruntled men. A number of young women - including Gretchen, the teen sister of the Traven family; and Dal's would-be sweetheart Kate - have been taken hostage with the intent to sell them into slavery overseas. 'The boys' then team with their grizzled uncle and the gallop away in pursuit of the wagon train. Not a bad adventure story - written in L'Amour's usually dependable and concise style - although the first-half had a better tempo and seemed more interesting than later chapters.
March 6, 2022
A second read and I again enjoyed this adventure in Texas. Major Mac Traven is returning from the war after fighting for the Union. He saves his brother Dal a confederate soldier from being hung. They then find his fiancée Kate has been kidnapped by confederate soldiers bent on selling her and other women they have taken as slaves
It then becomes a race against time to prevent them boarding a ship. Lots of gunfights, stormy weather and a battle against Ashford and his thirty killers. There is also Kate’s uncle an old pirate with his motley crew who add to the volatile mix.
I read there is also a movie that has been made with Tom Selleck. One I hope to watch.
It then becomes a race against time to prevent them boarding a ship. Lots of gunfights, stormy weather and a battle against Ashford and his thirty killers. There is also Kate’s uncle an old pirate with his motley crew who add to the volatile mix.
I read there is also a movie that has been made with Tom Selleck. One I hope to watch.
April 8, 2017
THE SHADOW RIDERS by Lois L'Amour follows Mac Travern and his brother Dal's return home from the Civil War, only to find that their family has suffered an attack that has resulted in the capture of the surviving members, who have been taken hostage. Mac unravels the story of what has taken place through a neighbor and from his uncle, and they set off to rescue their kin and punish those responsible. Determination and tenacity are required of the brothers on the difficult path they've chosen to follow, with no room for delays or failure to reach their kin in a short amount of time.
Lois L'Amour wrote an incredible amount of western novels, and there is a consistent level of quality of them making it easy to want to read most or all of what he's written. Several years ago I had read this book, and my remembrance was that it wasn't one of my favorites by him. Re-reading it as the monthly selection for the Goodreads group "American Westerns" gave me a chance to re-evaluate this novel, and I liked it this time around. Action was sufficient with storyline and characters well done, and had the unusual addition to a western L'Amour has occasionally used (not often, like everyone and his brother having been taught to box by Jeb Mace..) being that of a pirate who's now on dry land, but still a force to be reckoned with. Solid western story based on rescue and retribution.
4 stars.
Lois L'Amour wrote an incredible amount of western novels, and there is a consistent level of quality of them making it easy to want to read most or all of what he's written. Several years ago I had read this book, and my remembrance was that it wasn't one of my favorites by him. Re-reading it as the monthly selection for the Goodreads group "American Westerns" gave me a chance to re-evaluate this novel, and I liked it this time around. Action was sufficient with storyline and characters well done, and had the unusual addition to a western L'Amour has occasionally used (not often, like everyone and his brother having been taught to box by Jeb Mace..) being that of a pirate who's now on dry land, but still a force to be reckoned with. Solid western story based on rescue and retribution.
4 stars.
August 17, 2024
Surprisingly slow-moving with lots of second-guessing by the characters, which is unusual in a L'Amour story. I liked how this explored the post-Civil War ramifications, and I loved Kate, but the plot was too slow to be engaging. Except for that incredibly abrupt L'Amour ending! I really thought I had another chapter or two, but it was just a transcription of an interview with L'Amour from 1982. Parts of that turned out to be unexpectedly interesting, though. The interviewer commented on the strong sense of family in the Sackett and Traven novels, and L'Amour said, "That was much more common in the old days than it is now, although I think we're coming back to it. A lot of people think the family's going downhill. I don't think so at all. I think the very economic situation we're going into now, with electronics and everything of that kind, that people will be living more at home than they ever did. I venture to say that in ten years at least 40 percent of the workign force will be working at home and never leaving the home to go to work, and I think this will bring it all back together again." He was a bit premature, and we're still not at 40% (though perhaps we were during the worst of covid), but what a prediction to make in 1982!
April 10, 2017
A solid traditional Western that doesn't really stand out from some of L'Amour's best work. The story focuses mostly on the two Traven brothers, although Happy Jack and the heroic Kate Connery were probably the more interesting characters. The novel doesn't waste anytime getting into the story and then continues the fast pace to a satisfying climax and a perhaps somewhat abrupt ending.
April 11, 2017
I didn't really care for this one—it had an interesting enough setting and premise, but didn't live up to the potential involved. I think what put me off was the way it's written: a flat, dry, staccato style, and narration that jumps around among a large number of characters who were never fully described or fleshed out. Kate was the only one who came close to being a rounded character, but even then I never had any idea what she even looked like.
I notice a pattern with my reading L'Amour's books: I tend to like the earlier ones better. Many of the later ones just feel like they were written in a hurry, and even where there is interesting historical background involved, it's shoveled into the narration in chunks instead of woven throughout, which is somewhat the case in The Shadow Riders.
I notice a pattern with my reading L'Amour's books: I tend to like the earlier ones better. Many of the later ones just feel like they were written in a hurry, and even where there is interesting historical background involved, it's shoveled into the narration in chunks instead of woven throughout, which is somewhat the case in The Shadow Riders.
January 6, 2013
I like reading Louis L'Amour books because you will not find a more compact, precisely-written story. No words are wasted and the story flows quickly from one chapter to the next. Yes, L'Amour was formulaic. No, there are rarely any surprises in his books. They are stories about challenges, ethics, morals and hardships faced in the southwest and west from the period of just after the Civil War until the turn of the century. But, you don't always read L'Amour for depth and thoughtfulness, you read him first to be transported to a different time that is still very real to many a reader and captures the imagination. It is only after you're done reading that you begin to parse the lessons held within the book.
That said, there were points within this book that I found myself confused and having to re-read in order to determine what was being described. These parts seem to have been at either editing points (where he may have been asked to remove some material) or L'Amour was rushed in his writing. I found it to be a little jarring. It still didn't detract from it being a good yarn.
And yes, I saw the TV movie. I'm a huge fan of both Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott. They did justice to this book.
That said, there were points within this book that I found myself confused and having to re-read in order to determine what was being described. These parts seem to have been at either editing points (where he may have been asked to remove some material) or L'Amour was rushed in his writing. I found it to be a little jarring. It still didn't detract from it being a good yarn.
And yes, I saw the TV movie. I'm a huge fan of both Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott. They did justice to this book.
September 18, 2018
Quite possibly my favorite L'Amour western outside of the Sackett family saga. The book fires on all cylinders, meets every expectation, and tradition. Since this is Louis L'Amour, however, he breathes a life into them that few other writers except for maybe Max Brand and Tony Hillerman can match.
Two of the Traven brothers are returning home after the Civil War only to find their family has been attacked with two of them kidnapped and bound for Mexico. Dal and Mac are the hard-bitten cowboy / soldiers who still have their spirits intact, as many of the writer's best characters usually are. They regret the killing, but still step up to save their family and a group of other women the bandits plan to sell in Mexico.
Everything wraps perfectly with a single word.
Now go buy the book so you can read it for yourself!
Two of the Traven brothers are returning home after the Civil War only to find their family has been attacked with two of them kidnapped and bound for Mexico. Dal and Mac are the hard-bitten cowboy / soldiers who still have their spirits intact, as many of the writer's best characters usually are. They regret the killing, but still step up to save their family and a group of other women the bandits plan to sell in Mexico.
Everything wraps perfectly with a single word.
Now go buy the book so you can read it for yourself!
November 4, 2025
A fun little read and with Tom Selleck on the front I could never deny it. It did feel like the good guys were never in any real danger of losing but I suppose in an old western they aren’t supposed to!
June 20, 2022
A typical Loius L'Amour novel. As always, he gives great description of the area in which the story takes place. The good guys determined to accomplish their goal. They run into difficulties and setbacks along the way, but ultimately are triumphant. There are some shady characters along the way, but really aren't that bad. The bad guys are bad and are equally determined to fulfill their evil goals, but, in the end, they are stopped. Nothing new here, if you've read any of his other novels, but I still enjoy his ability to "spin a yarn". Some bad language (D & H). I appreciate that he makes his heroes, faithful, brave, determined, honorable and willing to sacrifice for what is good.
December 12, 2020
Set on the coast of post Civil War Texas, Mac Traven has plans to enter business with a wartime friend. But his friend is caught up in a blood feud while Traven's fiancee follows him to Texas. Add a hurricane to the mix.
April 21, 2017
Along with Conagher, the Shadow Riders are my two favorite books from Louis L'Amour.
The Shadow Riders starts with a bang, as two brothers Dal and Mac Traven return to Texas from fighting in the Civil War on opposite sides and are heading back to their family ranch.
L'Amour jumps right into this one, faster than other authors have, but that's why I always liked his Westerns and like that he got right into the action.
The Traven brothers discover that for former Confederate Colonel Henry T. Ashford the War isn't over, he leads a army of renegades and killers, as they cross Texas, they raid ranches, stealing horses, cattle, supplies, money and kidnapping any women they find.
Unfortunately Ashford makes two mistakes, first raiding the Traven ranch, shooting the brothers father, then take their younger Sister Delcie and their hurt younger brother Jessie and second they grab Dal's girlfriend Kate Connery, who is a tough minded lady.
The Traven brothers are hot on the trail following Ashford's group, when they meet up with their Uncle Happy Jack and team up with the goal to free the women.
To know the rest of the story, you'll just have to read, the Shadow Riders.
It's quite a good read, loaded with twist and twist, overloaded with action and all the ingredients a Western should have and it's one of L'Amour's best books.
The Shadow Riders starts with a bang, as two brothers Dal and Mac Traven return to Texas from fighting in the Civil War on opposite sides and are heading back to their family ranch.
L'Amour jumps right into this one, faster than other authors have, but that's why I always liked his Westerns and like that he got right into the action.
The Traven brothers discover that for former Confederate Colonel Henry T. Ashford the War isn't over, he leads a army of renegades and killers, as they cross Texas, they raid ranches, stealing horses, cattle, supplies, money and kidnapping any women they find.
Unfortunately Ashford makes two mistakes, first raiding the Traven ranch, shooting the brothers father, then take their younger Sister Delcie and their hurt younger brother Jessie and second they grab Dal's girlfriend Kate Connery, who is a tough minded lady.
The Traven brothers are hot on the trail following Ashford's group, when they meet up with their Uncle Happy Jack and team up with the goal to free the women.
To know the rest of the story, you'll just have to read, the Shadow Riders.
It's quite a good read, loaded with twist and twist, overloaded with action and all the ingredients a Western should have and it's one of L'Amour's best books.
April 20, 2017
It dawned on me just a few months ago that I had never read a proper western. I was familiar with Louis L'Amour, but had no idea what book to start with. I randomly picked this one from the assortment of L'Amour novels available in my library. It was definitely a fun, light read. There's not a ton of depth to the characters, but the story and action have that classic western feel that makes you crave coffee from a campfire and some good, old-fashioned frontier justice. The premise is solid: two brothers who fought on opposite sides of the civil war return home to find that a sore-loser Confederate had assembled a band of mercenaries and stolen their horses and women. From there, the story gallops along in pretty predictable fashion. I'd definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for a western.
June 23, 2022
The American Civil War split families over the clash in ideologies, but at the end one pair of brothers who fought for opposite sides reunite to track down a band of Rebel renegades and rescue their younger brother and sisters, Dal’s lady, and the other captured people. The odds are against them, but there’s no quit in the Traven brothers.
The Shadow Riders is one of L’Amour’s standalone westerns. It bursts with action and excitement with plenty of shooting and grit. Moving along swiftly, there is no lag in the pace since it is a chase from one end of Texas to the other to keep the people from getting sold for Ashford’s crazy scheme to fund his desire to keep the Civil War going. L’Amour’s gift of painting a picture of a specific western setting and situation, in this case post-Civil War Texas, the Traven family who faced hard frontier life before the war and now face more danger, and Ashford and his band of marauders brought the story to vivid life. In fact, it was a perfect choice to put on audio because of how well this medium showcased the story.
I enjoyed getting the story from Mac Traven’s perspective though he shares the narration with others after a while. Mac and Dal have different personalities and it was fun being on the trail with them and eventually their Uncle ‘Happy Jack’ Traven and younger brother Jesse. Mac is a former Texas Ranger and has a lot of frontier and fighting experience, but he’s good with people and a natural leader. Dal on the other hand is a good hard worker and tough fighter, but he is quiet and not that great at the social skills. It was a lighter tone in the story how Mac was advising Dal about how he’d messed up his love life and what he needed to do if had a prayer’s chance with Kate a second time. Kate was a fierce and strong frontier gal whom I admired, but I have to spoiler a tad and say the surprise of her relationship to pirates was a hoot.
One of the many elements I love besides the excellent backdrop and action in a Louis L’Amour story is he always give the good guys a worthy antagonist. Ashford and his ilk were brutal and were prepared to do some human trafficking and had burned and pillaged on their trail south – this was poignantly shown in the scared little girl’s story of her mother’s capture- so I really wanted them to come to a messy end. This sure was an example of how some of the worst sort can actually thrive during a time of war and like the protection an official war gives their killing and other otherwise criminal tendencies.
The narrator is one of my favorite narrator of L’Amour stories, Jason Culp. He does a wonderful job matching the tone of the story, voicing the characters, and pulling the listener into the story.
All in all, my craving for a solid western with good action, engaging characters, and well-drawn backdrop was fulfilled once again. If one loves the western genre, this is one I definitely recommend and, especially, in audio.
I rec'd a digital audio copy from Penguin Random House Audio to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
The Shadow Riders is one of L’Amour’s standalone westerns. It bursts with action and excitement with plenty of shooting and grit. Moving along swiftly, there is no lag in the pace since it is a chase from one end of Texas to the other to keep the people from getting sold for Ashford’s crazy scheme to fund his desire to keep the Civil War going. L’Amour’s gift of painting a picture of a specific western setting and situation, in this case post-Civil War Texas, the Traven family who faced hard frontier life before the war and now face more danger, and Ashford and his band of marauders brought the story to vivid life. In fact, it was a perfect choice to put on audio because of how well this medium showcased the story.
I enjoyed getting the story from Mac Traven’s perspective though he shares the narration with others after a while. Mac and Dal have different personalities and it was fun being on the trail with them and eventually their Uncle ‘Happy Jack’ Traven and younger brother Jesse. Mac is a former Texas Ranger and has a lot of frontier and fighting experience, but he’s good with people and a natural leader. Dal on the other hand is a good hard worker and tough fighter, but he is quiet and not that great at the social skills. It was a lighter tone in the story how Mac was advising Dal about how he’d messed up his love life and what he needed to do if had a prayer’s chance with Kate a second time. Kate was a fierce and strong frontier gal whom I admired, but I have to spoiler a tad and say the surprise of her relationship to pirates was a hoot.
One of the many elements I love besides the excellent backdrop and action in a Louis L’Amour story is he always give the good guys a worthy antagonist. Ashford and his ilk were brutal and were prepared to do some human trafficking and had burned and pillaged on their trail south – this was poignantly shown in the scared little girl’s story of her mother’s capture- so I really wanted them to come to a messy end. This sure was an example of how some of the worst sort can actually thrive during a time of war and like the protection an official war gives their killing and other otherwise criminal tendencies.
The narrator is one of my favorite narrator of L’Amour stories, Jason Culp. He does a wonderful job matching the tone of the story, voicing the characters, and pulling the listener into the story.
All in all, my craving for a solid western with good action, engaging characters, and well-drawn backdrop was fulfilled once again. If one loves the western genre, this is one I definitely recommend and, especially, in audio.
I rec'd a digital audio copy from Penguin Random House Audio to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2013
Not quite as good as many of his books, though I can see why this one was chosen for Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott. It is a solid plot for a screenplay. I like some of his other books better for content.
April 5, 2024
Shadow Riders by Louis is exactly what you expect from LAmour. Good western . Prettty easy read. Good storyline with bouts of good actions. saving some women and a strong woman who saves herself as well. SOLID 4 stars. Bought this used book at the library for 25 cents.
July 26, 2010
Maybe I'd rate this around 3 and a half stars. They made a TV movie out of this starring Tom Selleck. Pretty good book.
My cover is the older version.
My cover is the older version.
September 6, 2016
Not a great book. Maybe the movie is better?
March 16, 2024
Call it a 3.5, although you can't give half-star ratings (come on, Goodreads...)
A very quick read, started and finished in the same day.
Louis L'Amour was one of the most prolific of the "pulp" writers of the mid-20th century. Although mostly remembered now for his Western fiction, he actually wrote in all of the "adventure" genres of the pulps, stories about globe-trotting pilots and tramp steamer captains in the South Seas as well as his more famous ones about cowboys, lawmen, outlaws and settlers. While I would consider L'Amour to be a decidedly above-average writer when compared to the majority of pulp authors (and many authors of popular fiction in general, for that matter), some of the pluses and minuses of that particular style of writing are obvious in his work. On the plus side, his plots are tight, and the stories are well paced and clearly told. His characters behave in reasonable, relatively intelligent ways, he avoids falling into the trap of of having a character do something stupid for the sake of moving the plot forward. And his descriptions of the landscape and physical features are quite good, giving a real sense of place to his stories.
His descriptions of most other things, however, leave a bit to be desired. He rarely gives much in the way of a physical description of his characters, or of much of anything other than the landscape. In this particular novel, for example, about three quarters of the way through he mentions one of the main characters trimming his mustache and I went "Wait, that guy has a mustache? Oh. Huh." Speaking of characters...in some of his earlier novels, Mr. L'Amour does manage to create what feel like fully realized, fleshed out people, but that's by no means the case most of the time, and it certainly isn't in this novel. Two of the main characters are brothers who fought on opposite sides of the Civil War. Which one fought for which side? Doesn't matter, you could interchange it, since aside from it being mentioned, it has no bearing on the story. In fact is seems to have no bearing on the brothers, either. What could have been a truly interesting interaction, the family dynamics of brothers returning from a war where they were on opposite sides, is instead relegated to the thinnest bit of "told to the reader in the narration" backstory. This is the case in much of L'Amour's writing...characters range from pretty one-dimensional to occasionally almost ciphers. They serve the plot and the action, not the other way around. The main antagonist, a Confederate officer outraged by Lee's surrender who is rather desperately attempting to maintain some kind of fighting force and reach Mexico with the intention of re-organizing, re-arming and carrying on the war, could have been a truly interesting character, but unfortunately not nearly enough time is spent with him. We're given a frustrating glimpse of what might have been, but as with so many other characters written by this author, he's there to move the plot along, and that's kind of it.
This is very in keeping with a writer who cut his chops in the "pulp school", where the emphasis was on fast moving action and straightforward but engaging plots. This was "adventure fiction", whatever the setting, and there generally wasn't page space for detailed description or deep character development. Pulps were meant to be quick exciting reads with suspense and/or action being paramount. L'Amour was a cut above the average in that he did give some fine description of the landscapes and at least made an effort at making his characters distinctive. The "pulp formula" does shine through quite often, though, and many of L'Amour's works could well be described as "formulaic". I've read a number of his novels and short stories, and honestly many of them end up blending together in my mind. Very few of the characters stand out in memory...lots of square-jawed straight shooting "tough as the country they live in" men, hardy but still feminine women, and low-down varmint "bad men". They all blur together a bit, and in many of his stories are honestly completely interchangeable.
As a last note, I will point out that L'Amour was a remarkably prolific author, and as with all such, the quality of his content varied quite considerably...nobody gets on base every single time they're at bat. Some of his early full-length novels, "Hondo" and "The Lonesome Gods", for example, are excellent. This novel, however, as with many of his, is like a very average cheeseburger...enjoyable enough in the moment, but quickly forgotten after it's been consumed.
A very quick read, started and finished in the same day.
Louis L'Amour was one of the most prolific of the "pulp" writers of the mid-20th century. Although mostly remembered now for his Western fiction, he actually wrote in all of the "adventure" genres of the pulps, stories about globe-trotting pilots and tramp steamer captains in the South Seas as well as his more famous ones about cowboys, lawmen, outlaws and settlers. While I would consider L'Amour to be a decidedly above-average writer when compared to the majority of pulp authors (and many authors of popular fiction in general, for that matter), some of the pluses and minuses of that particular style of writing are obvious in his work. On the plus side, his plots are tight, and the stories are well paced and clearly told. His characters behave in reasonable, relatively intelligent ways, he avoids falling into the trap of of having a character do something stupid for the sake of moving the plot forward. And his descriptions of the landscape and physical features are quite good, giving a real sense of place to his stories.
His descriptions of most other things, however, leave a bit to be desired. He rarely gives much in the way of a physical description of his characters, or of much of anything other than the landscape. In this particular novel, for example, about three quarters of the way through he mentions one of the main characters trimming his mustache and I went "Wait, that guy has a mustache? Oh. Huh." Speaking of characters...in some of his earlier novels, Mr. L'Amour does manage to create what feel like fully realized, fleshed out people, but that's by no means the case most of the time, and it certainly isn't in this novel. Two of the main characters are brothers who fought on opposite sides of the Civil War. Which one fought for which side? Doesn't matter, you could interchange it, since aside from it being mentioned, it has no bearing on the story. In fact is seems to have no bearing on the brothers, either. What could have been a truly interesting interaction, the family dynamics of brothers returning from a war where they were on opposite sides, is instead relegated to the thinnest bit of "told to the reader in the narration" backstory. This is the case in much of L'Amour's writing...characters range from pretty one-dimensional to occasionally almost ciphers. They serve the plot and the action, not the other way around. The main antagonist, a Confederate officer outraged by Lee's surrender who is rather desperately attempting to maintain some kind of fighting force and reach Mexico with the intention of re-organizing, re-arming and carrying on the war, could have been a truly interesting character, but unfortunately not nearly enough time is spent with him. We're given a frustrating glimpse of what might have been, but as with so many other characters written by this author, he's there to move the plot along, and that's kind of it.
This is very in keeping with a writer who cut his chops in the "pulp school", where the emphasis was on fast moving action and straightforward but engaging plots. This was "adventure fiction", whatever the setting, and there generally wasn't page space for detailed description or deep character development. Pulps were meant to be quick exciting reads with suspense and/or action being paramount. L'Amour was a cut above the average in that he did give some fine description of the landscapes and at least made an effort at making his characters distinctive. The "pulp formula" does shine through quite often, though, and many of L'Amour's works could well be described as "formulaic". I've read a number of his novels and short stories, and honestly many of them end up blending together in my mind. Very few of the characters stand out in memory...lots of square-jawed straight shooting "tough as the country they live in" men, hardy but still feminine women, and low-down varmint "bad men". They all blur together a bit, and in many of his stories are honestly completely interchangeable.
As a last note, I will point out that L'Amour was a remarkably prolific author, and as with all such, the quality of his content varied quite considerably...nobody gets on base every single time they're at bat. Some of his early full-length novels, "Hondo" and "The Lonesome Gods", for example, are excellent. This novel, however, as with many of his, is like a very average cheeseburger...enjoyable enough in the moment, but quickly forgotten after it's been consumed.
December 11, 2017
The story is about brothers who fought on opposite sides during the Civil War. They now ride home together and have to fight off groups of raiders. They were good men that both went off to fight for what they believed in. You can really admire someone that can sacrifice everything and tries to be their best, and come home from something that they may not have wanted to be apart of, and rebuild from where they were. They brothers had to now follow raiders as they posed a threat to their family and the way they lived.
I could really connect with Mac Travern. He fought for the North and stood for what was right. In times of distress and questionable action, Mac would always choose the path that was morally right. He was a strong man with a handlebar mustache, who rode tall on horseback. The image of Mac just portrays a heroic figure to the story. Mac was a great shot and would do anything to protect his loved ones. Mac is a man that you could connect with on a personal level.
I really enjoyed the book for the adventure and plot. My favorite part was when four men trailed out to stop a group of murderers and their path of blood. Four men went against a group of 30 men, that no force has been able to stop before. I would strongly recommend this book for the adventure and attention drawing it has throughout the whole story.
I could really connect with Mac Travern. He fought for the North and stood for what was right. In times of distress and questionable action, Mac would always choose the path that was morally right. He was a strong man with a handlebar mustache, who rode tall on horseback. The image of Mac just portrays a heroic figure to the story. Mac was a great shot and would do anything to protect his loved ones. Mac is a man that you could connect with on a personal level.
I really enjoyed the book for the adventure and plot. My favorite part was when four men trailed out to stop a group of murderers and their path of blood. Four men went against a group of 30 men, that no force has been able to stop before. I would strongly recommend this book for the adventure and attention drawing it has throughout the whole story.
May 25, 2024
I walked into a bookstore one day and spent about 45 minutes looking for a book. I came up empty and felt like my trip was a bit of a waste so I gave the shelves another look and ended up in the very large western section of the shop. I’ve always seen Louie L’amour books around but have never given one a shot, so on an impulse I chose the one with the coolest name to give a try. I wanted to see if I was missing out on some good reading in the western genre. My conclusion is that the genre is largely not to be one of the main genres, however I am glad I gave it a try!
I enjoyed the characters that were crafted in such a short novel. The frontier lifestyle is interesting and the Travens were fun to read about. Overall I did struggle to spend long periods of time reading the book and had to grit my teeth on occasion to read a chapter. Once I got through the first 3/4 of scene setting and such it became a bit easier and I finished the last 1/4 in a sitting. If say the first portion was a personal 2.5-3 experience and the last 1/4 was a 3-3.5 which isn’t bad! I don’t think it is to be a consistent genre for me but I respect what Mr L’amour has done with his writing and I would not be opposed to reading more in the future should I need a good palate cleanser, or just want to read about some frontier fighting men.
I enjoyed the characters that were crafted in such a short novel. The frontier lifestyle is interesting and the Travens were fun to read about. Overall I did struggle to spend long periods of time reading the book and had to grit my teeth on occasion to read a chapter. Once I got through the first 3/4 of scene setting and such it became a bit easier and I finished the last 1/4 in a sitting. If say the first portion was a personal 2.5-3 experience and the last 1/4 was a 3-3.5 which isn’t bad! I don’t think it is to be a consistent genre for me but I respect what Mr L’amour has done with his writing and I would not be opposed to reading more in the future should I need a good palate cleanser, or just want to read about some frontier fighting men.
August 27, 2021
Standard Issue L’Amour
Louis L’Amour readers will get their money’s worth, but “The Shadow Riders” is no “Hondo” or “Shalako.” A Confederate Colonel and his renegade riders have terrorized the land and abducted women and wounded men as they hightail it to Mexico. The leader is a disgruntled rebel who refuses to surrender and holds Robert E. Lee in contempt for surrendering to Union General Grant. The villainous Colonel Ashford has kidnapped several women and plans to sell them into slavery in Mexico so he can equip his army to fight on in defiance. Meantime, two brothers who fought on opposite sides have thrown in together and are following Ashford and his rabble. We meet a self-reliant female named Kate Connery. She has been taken hostage by Ashford and his men along with some girls and another women. The two heroes Mac Traven and Dal Traven whittle down the number of Ashford’s men. Unfortunately, after spending an entire novel building up Ashford’s villainy, L’Amour let’s him drift out of the action and replaced him with another less memorable villain. The novel ends very abruptly, too.
Louis L’Amour readers will get their money’s worth, but “The Shadow Riders” is no “Hondo” or “Shalako.” A Confederate Colonel and his renegade riders have terrorized the land and abducted women and wounded men as they hightail it to Mexico. The leader is a disgruntled rebel who refuses to surrender and holds Robert E. Lee in contempt for surrendering to Union General Grant. The villainous Colonel Ashford has kidnapped several women and plans to sell them into slavery in Mexico so he can equip his army to fight on in defiance. Meantime, two brothers who fought on opposite sides have thrown in together and are following Ashford and his rabble. We meet a self-reliant female named Kate Connery. She has been taken hostage by Ashford and his men along with some girls and another women. The two heroes Mac Traven and Dal Traven whittle down the number of Ashford’s men. Unfortunately, after spending an entire novel building up Ashford’s villainy, L’Amour let’s him drift out of the action and replaced him with another less memorable villain. The novel ends very abruptly, too.
April 8, 2019
This one ends u a favorite.
Simply due to the movie adaptation that was done.
Like any book done into a film.
Some of the main plots, or characters changed.
One family character, not even used in the movie.
At the same time, the movie character played by Ben Johnson.
Seems to be a joining of Uncle Jack and the black sheep uncle of Kate's character.
Coming home from the civil war.
Brothers meet up. Finding their home raided, and sisters taken captive.
Confederate renegades stealing women.
To take for slave selling, to arm themselves once more for war.
That has already been lost.
The chase is on.
Kate the friend of family and sweetheart of Dal. Also taken.
Her uncle Connery, maybe the most dangerous man, of the story.
Looking to aid her, barely knowing her.
Just that she is kin.
This was a fast read. Even with different plot elements.
As I could picture the movie cast. Playing out and speaking the roles.
One of L'amours classics.
Simply due to the movie adaptation that was done.
Like any book done into a film.
Some of the main plots, or characters changed.
One family character, not even used in the movie.
At the same time, the movie character played by Ben Johnson.
Seems to be a joining of Uncle Jack and the black sheep uncle of Kate's character.
Coming home from the civil war.
Brothers meet up. Finding their home raided, and sisters taken captive.
Confederate renegades stealing women.
To take for slave selling, to arm themselves once more for war.
That has already been lost.
The chase is on.
Kate the friend of family and sweetheart of Dal. Also taken.
Her uncle Connery, maybe the most dangerous man, of the story.
Looking to aid her, barely knowing her.
Just that she is kin.
This was a fast read. Even with different plot elements.
As I could picture the movie cast. Playing out and speaking the roles.
One of L'amours classics.
Read
March 9, 2025I don't know how to rate this book. It had two big flaws: it kept stopping to let a POV character think about their predicament, which was repetitive and annoying, and the second flaw is that the finale kept being dragged out. The problem is solved! ... no it's not! ... yes it is! ... no it's not! Up until the literal last page.
On the other hand, the book was a light and easy read with a fast-paced fairly intense action movie feel to it. It flew along, as our heroes rode after would-be slavers and tried to figure out how to rescue the hostages, and it even had time for a cool detour to see the heroine set up the circumstances for victory AND kill two men with a stick and a pond, which was awesome.
So like - I had a good time, I enjoyed the book, but those flaws marred it.
Ah well. It's a Louis L'Amour. You've heard of him, and if you like his stuff there's more and if you don't like this stuff, it's 98% westerns so you can avoid it easily.
On the other hand, the book was a light and easy read with a fast-paced fairly intense action movie feel to it. It flew along, as our heroes rode after would-be slavers and tried to figure out how to rescue the hostages, and it even had time for a cool detour to see the heroine set up the circumstances for victory AND kill two men with a stick and a pond, which was awesome.
So like - I had a good time, I enjoyed the book, but those flaws marred it.
Ah well. It's a Louis L'Amour. You've heard of him, and if you like his stuff there's more and if you don't like this stuff, it's 98% westerns so you can avoid it easily.
October 14, 2023
A fairly enjoyable western adventure. It was my first time reading Louis L’amour, and I read it almost in one sitting. With my attention span being what it is these days, that’s high praise. There was plenty of action and adventure without too much emphasis on drawn out battle scenes. Not only that, but Kate and Mrs. Atherton added a nice touch of feminine grit to the story. My only complaint is that while the story was pleasantly succinct and no words were wasted, that also meant that the characters weren’t very fleshed out. We saw glimpses into each characters thoughts and viewpoints, but that meant that we didn’t get to know any one of them well. Kate and Mac were the most developed, but there were so many other interesting characters that I would have liked to know more about. All in all, it’s a book that left me with a fairly positive first impression of Louis L’amour.
April 4, 2025
I genuinely found the storyline interesting.
The problem I have, however, is that the ending seems rushed. I was left with questions unanswered about some of the side characters whose stories had been introduced throughout the book.
For example:
- What became of Pa Traven? Did he survive his wounds when Ma took him to the doctor?
- Where was the reunion of Mrs. Atherton and her daughter?
- Where was the wedding of Dal and Kate that they’d planned in Victoria?
- Did Martin Connery reestablish ties with his family?
- We know Colonel Ashburn and a few of his loyal men rode off, but we’re not even given an afterward about them.
While I enjoyed reading this book, I feel that there were too many loose ends not addressed. Sure, the author may be leaving it up to the imagination of the reader. That’s completely fine, but not my preference.
The problem I have, however, is that the ending seems rushed. I was left with questions unanswered about some of the side characters whose stories had been introduced throughout the book.
For example:
- What became of Pa Traven? Did he survive his wounds when Ma took him to the doctor?
- Where was the reunion of Mrs. Atherton and her daughter?
- Where was the wedding of Dal and Kate that they’d planned in Victoria?
- Did Martin Connery reestablish ties with his family?
- We know Colonel Ashburn and a few of his loyal men rode off, but we’re not even given an afterward about them.
While I enjoyed reading this book, I feel that there were too many loose ends not addressed. Sure, the author may be leaving it up to the imagination of the reader. That’s completely fine, but not my preference.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2025
L’Amour’s idea of himself as a storyteller above all is certainly apt. An engaging yarn is there that focuses far more on plot than character, and the glimmers of personality we get made me want more. Though, as I said, L’Amour writes to tell a fun story, not to create some type of artistic human masterpiece, in my mind.
That said, the book’s subtext and the author’s accompanying interview positively REEK of revisionist Confederate history; there is sanitization of who the traitors were, and that is something I do not appreciate. While it’s not necessarily blunt, there’s a lot of handwaving of what the South was actually doing and what characters who fought for the South believed in, and the interview further perpetuates the idea of a the “States Rights” mythology, avoiding real engagement with the horrors of slavery.
That said, the book’s subtext and the author’s accompanying interview positively REEK of revisionist Confederate history; there is sanitization of who the traitors were, and that is something I do not appreciate. While it’s not necessarily blunt, there’s a lot of handwaving of what the South was actually doing and what characters who fought for the South believed in, and the interview further perpetuates the idea of a the “States Rights” mythology, avoiding real engagement with the horrors of slavery.
November 14, 2019
Not sure why, but I have found myself wanting to read some of Mr. L'Amour's books so I read the novel that the movie 'The Shadow Riders' is based on. My husband really enjoys the film, but I had a sneaky suspicion that there would be differences because we all know that's what screenplays do. It was different, but what I found most surprising is his writing. He doesn't give you a lot of narrative while describing the area of the west that is the backdrop for the story, short paragraphs in between the dialogue. I suspect that my enjoyment comes from the fact that I have lived in the Southwest for 44 years and even though I was not born out West, it feels as if the land has become a part of me after so many years. All in all, a great read.
January 27, 2021
A short, fun book; the first I've ever read from Louis L'Amour. Very cinematic (there was a made for TV movie back in the 80s) and fast-paced. Two brothers who fought on opposite sides of the Civil War reunite as they return to Texas and face the chaos of the post-war world. A bitter Confederate colonel has gone rogue and decided to take slaves--white women!--and cattle to Mexico, where he will sell them and buy more guns. His goal? To reignite the war and restore the Confederacy.
This is a fast read, but I enjoyed it. L'Amour implied much of the terrible stuff (the threats of rape, for example) but still had enough on-page violence and action to make it seem realistic. The whole thing was a bit soap-operaish, but still satisfying.
This is a fast read, but I enjoyed it. L'Amour implied much of the terrible stuff (the threats of rape, for example) but still had enough on-page violence and action to make it seem realistic. The whole thing was a bit soap-operaish, but still satisfying.
December 4, 2025
Classic L’Amour
L’Amour books, to me, are like fantasy stories with Cowboys. I say that in a positive way. I had a female colleague who loved his books but described them
As romance books with cowboys. That probably gives you an idea about the type of stories he wrote. The click differently for different folks. I really enjoyed this one, which is set shortly after the Civil War. A modern comparison would be the movie Taken, except instead of Liam Neeson, you have two brothers, one fought for the North, the other the South. But they unite to try to rescue their loved ones. It has all the L’Amour trademarks. The only thing I didn’t like was the abrupt ending. It needed another chapter, a few paragraphs for its denouement. Otherwise, I was very pleased. 👍🏻🙂
L’Amour books, to me, are like fantasy stories with Cowboys. I say that in a positive way. I had a female colleague who loved his books but described them
As romance books with cowboys. That probably gives you an idea about the type of stories he wrote. The click differently for different folks. I really enjoyed this one, which is set shortly after the Civil War. A modern comparison would be the movie Taken, except instead of Liam Neeson, you have two brothers, one fought for the North, the other the South. But they unite to try to rescue their loved ones. It has all the L’Amour trademarks. The only thing I didn’t like was the abrupt ending. It needed another chapter, a few paragraphs for its denouement. Otherwise, I was very pleased. 👍🏻🙂
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