Blood Lands

by Ralph Cotton

When reputed killer Baines Meredith comes to her rescue after she is brutally victimized by a gang of outlaws, Julie Wilder, with his help, discovers the true identity of her attackers and exacts a deadly revenge. Original.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 6, 2006

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Cotton continues to present a captivating yarn. If you have enjoyed previous books by him, you will not be disappointed with this story. The characters are very well developed. The classic, good guys vs. bad guy. The difference with the story, is the gunfighter is actually a secondary character. It is the victim who the story centers around and the men who maurading and terrorizing the territory who are the characters you follow. The end is predicatble or anticipated, but the story is well written and keeps you emerished and interested. If you like westerns and/or you have enjoyed Mr. Cotton's stories, you will not be disappointed in this story.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay revenge western but was often unnecessarily violent. Young lady's father is killed and she gets professional training from a bounty hunter on how to protect herself and get her revenge. Plenty of action and the main character is a strong-willed woman. If it just didn't enjoy the blood and guts so much. Recommended only to western fans.

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts out incredibly slow, but gets super good further on in.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story reminded me of "Death Rides a Chestnut Mare." However Blood Lands is a standalone, where the other one is a series. Blood Lands was okay, nothing overly exciting.

[Lewis Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Maybe the title should be, "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold"!

[Barbara Lee Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE MISTREATED

This adventure reflects the life in the lawless west. The war between the North and South is about to end; there are groups of maruders riding the countryside killing, raping and robbing. They ride under the guise of Free Kansas Militia led by Captain Plantz(psychopath)who loves bullies,rapists. They've taken over a town Umberton and demand they pay protection money to his militants. They rape Julie Wilder, murder her father Colonel Bertrim Wilder and his Sergeant Shep Watson were ambushed by Captain Plantz and his militia. Julie is rescued by Bane Meredith, gun fighter, an authorized bounty hunter for the U.S. Government. Barnes brings her to Constance Whirly for treatment for her rape, she was almost beaten to death. And these men who raped her threatened her to keep her mouth closed and leave the County. The real reason that they threatened her was so they could take her father's house...what a great guy.
Well Julie gets well enough to ride and leaves Umberton to find Bane Meredith ranch. Once there he teaches her to shoot, knife throwing and the usage of the Spanish bolo..She has had a
hard life, her mother Sudre was a camp follower who had an affair with then a young Captain Wilder, he never knew about Julie's birth. Before her mother died she told her about her father and told her to find him. Which she did, he was very proud of her, since she was his only child he had papers drawn up leaving all his possessions to her, he also gave her his last name WILDER..you must read this segment, because it gives you a deeper understanding of how the West was settled and how people were judged..even the hero was a little grungy..

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was looking up books that won the Pulitzer Prize or were candidates for the Pulitzer I came across the name of Ralph Cotton. Mr. Cotton was a candidate for the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for the book “While Angel’s Dance”. I was surprised to find a man who is known as a prolific western writer to be on the Pulitzer list. He also writes in the fiction genre. I looked on Audible for books they have by Cotton and chose “Blood Lands” primarily because the protagonist is a women. The book begins toward the end of the Civil War with a band of outlaws who use the Union cause to justify their atrocities. Cotton takes time to introduce the readers to the main characters, drawing a clear line between good and bad. Action scenes come at regular intervals and are tough and brutal. Although this plot is not a new one in westerns; it is interesting to see the changes in the Julie Wilder (who is beaten, raped and her father and ranch hand killed) goes through, her life before she is attacked, her fear of her perpetrator, and then finding the strength and courage to face them. This book is also a bit different in that the gun fighter plays only a secondary role in the story. The book is very well written and Cotton proves to be an interesting storyteller. I read this as an audio book. Joel Leffert does a good job narrating the book. The book makes a nice change from more serious reading. If you enjoy western you will enjoy this book.

[Melissa Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. Easy reading and somewhat entertaining. I prefer Louis L'Amour. I always feel like I learned something when I finish a L'Amour western: history, geography, a survival skill, etc. . .

I enjoy learning in that environment with Mr. L'Amour. This novel by Mr. Cotton was a western without cowboys or western men; at least that's how it felt to me.
'

[Brendon Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same old tired story

this is the fourth book by cotton that I have read. In 3 of the 4 women get raped. why?? can you not come up with a better plot than roving packs of animals that need to be killed time and again?? I was hoping cotton would be a western author I could follow, but probably not.

[Stephen London · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book at random at the library. It is a basic story of revenge and frontier justice. The author did a good job of showing the darkness of the human heart. I thought the rape scene was a bit too graphic.

[Will Welton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was interesting. at times there were some places that made you wonder how it tied in to the main story however Ralph Cotton came through with another winner.

[Randy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not as good as some of the others I have read in the past.