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Arcane West #1
Peacemaker
Caleb Marcus is a Peacemaker, a roving lawman tasked with maintaining the peace and bringing control to magic users on the frontier. A Peacemaker isn’t supposed to take a life—but sometimes, it’s kill or be killed…
After a war injury left him half-scoured of his power, Caleb and his jackalope familiar have been shipped out West, keeping them out of sight and out of the way of more useful agents. And while life in the wild isn’t exactly Caleb’s cup of tea, he can’t deny that being amongst folk who aren’t as powerful as he is, even in his poor shape, is a bit of a relief.
But Hope isn’t like the other small towns he’s visited. The children are being mysteriously robbed of their magical capabilities. There’s something strange and dark about the local land baron who runs the school. Cheyenne tribes are raiding the outlying homesteads with increasing frequency and strange earthquakes keep shaking the very ground Hope stands on.
Something’s gone very wrong in the Wild West, and it’s up to Caleb to figure out what’s awry before he ends up at the end of the noose—or something far worse…
After a war injury left him half-scoured of his power, Caleb and his jackalope familiar have been shipped out West, keeping them out of sight and out of the way of more useful agents. And while life in the wild isn’t exactly Caleb’s cup of tea, he can’t deny that being amongst folk who aren’t as powerful as he is, even in his poor shape, is a bit of a relief.
But Hope isn’t like the other small towns he’s visited. The children are being mysteriously robbed of their magical capabilities. There’s something strange and dark about the local land baron who runs the school. Cheyenne tribes are raiding the outlying homesteads with increasing frequency and strange earthquakes keep shaking the very ground Hope stands on.
Something’s gone very wrong in the Wild West, and it’s up to Caleb to figure out what’s awry before he ends up at the end of the noose—or something far worse…
262 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 10, 2024
I received an eArc copy of this from NetGalley.
3 stars, almost 3.5.
Here is a nicely structured novel of the Weird West. It made for a quick, enjoyable read if you like a bit of magic added to your Westerns. Lawman (Peacemaker) Caleb Marcus and his trusty familiar Ernst travel out west on their new assignment and realize that something isn’t right in the small town of Hope, somewhere in Kansas.
That said, I couldn’t rate it higher than that. While there was a huge amount of potential here, most of that wasn’t quite realized. I’ll start on the positives though:
The magic system is very impressive. Stewart explains the basics of Arcane powers as used by Caleb and the characters that aren’t either Barren (born without ability) or Scoured (the power burnt out of them). There is mystery with it, but we get to see how Caleb uses it and how an old war wounding has left him partially hampered. The magic employed by the Cheyenne is similar, but different. Caleb himself is even mystified by how it works, and I felt that was a great twist to the Arcane system and the lack of understanding between the cultures.
Caleb’s backstory and the alt-history that includes the Arcane are very interesting. Not only does this form the backbone of the story background, but it sets up nicely for a longer series set in this Weird West. I’m looking forward to what Stewart can do with this material in future installments.
Now for the negatives:
The idea of “Agent” Caleb Marcus was intriguing. He seemed like Harry Dresden with a badge (and an actual hat!) at first glance. The problem is, he didn’t have much personality. He was polite. That’s the one characteristic we can gather as he shows very little else. He had no wit, and despite having such a grim backstory, he wasn’t really very dark. He was a “good man” but didn’t seem driven to do anything for any reason except that it was the right thing to do. Flat out, he was boring.
His side-kick familiar was a little more interesting. Ernst seemed at first like Bugs Bunny with antlers, as he’s described as taking the shape of a jackalope. While Ernst does have some wit and the dynamic between him and Caleb is something to build a story around, I feel like potential was lost. There was a little banter between them, but not a lot. This is an area that could have really lifted the overall feeling of enjoyment with this book, and it just didn’t.
Also, while well-constructed and written, the story didn’t overly impress. Most of it was fairly standard Western flair: lawman stranger, corrupt rancher, down-trodden and victimized Indians, scared townspeople, strong willed schoolteacher, orphan boy with the heart of gold but rough manners, etc.( I did really like the Scottish bartender though.) The storyline was predictable for the most part, though executed without any problem. But except for the Arcane elements, there just weren’t a lot of surprises.
So overall, I’d say it was an enjoyable novel. But I just felt it could have been excellent. There is awesome potential for the series still, and I’m hoping that as she finds her groove with it, Stewart will realize this potential in future installments. Definitely one to watch.
3 stars, almost 3.5.
Here is a nicely structured novel of the Weird West. It made for a quick, enjoyable read if you like a bit of magic added to your Westerns. Lawman (Peacemaker) Caleb Marcus and his trusty familiar Ernst travel out west on their new assignment and realize that something isn’t right in the small town of Hope, somewhere in Kansas.
That said, I couldn’t rate it higher than that. While there was a huge amount of potential here, most of that wasn’t quite realized. I’ll start on the positives though:
The magic system is very impressive. Stewart explains the basics of Arcane powers as used by Caleb and the characters that aren’t either Barren (born without ability) or Scoured (the power burnt out of them). There is mystery with it, but we get to see how Caleb uses it and how an old war wounding has left him partially hampered. The magic employed by the Cheyenne is similar, but different. Caleb himself is even mystified by how it works, and I felt that was a great twist to the Arcane system and the lack of understanding between the cultures.
Caleb’s backstory and the alt-history that includes the Arcane are very interesting. Not only does this form the backbone of the story background, but it sets up nicely for a longer series set in this Weird West. I’m looking forward to what Stewart can do with this material in future installments.
Now for the negatives:
The idea of “Agent” Caleb Marcus was intriguing. He seemed like Harry Dresden with a badge (and an actual hat!) at first glance. The problem is, he didn’t have much personality. He was polite. That’s the one characteristic we can gather as he shows very little else. He had no wit, and despite having such a grim backstory, he wasn’t really very dark. He was a “good man” but didn’t seem driven to do anything for any reason except that it was the right thing to do. Flat out, he was boring.
His side-kick familiar was a little more interesting. Ernst seemed at first like Bugs Bunny with antlers, as he’s described as taking the shape of a jackalope. While Ernst does have some wit and the dynamic between him and Caleb is something to build a story around, I feel like potential was lost. There was a little banter between them, but not a lot. This is an area that could have really lifted the overall feeling of enjoyment with this book, and it just didn’t.
Also, while well-constructed and written, the story didn’t overly impress. Most of it was fairly standard Western flair: lawman stranger, corrupt rancher, down-trodden and victimized Indians, scared townspeople, strong willed schoolteacher, orphan boy with the heart of gold but rough manners, etc.( I did really like the Scottish bartender though.) The storyline was predictable for the most part, though executed without any problem. But except for the Arcane elements, there just weren’t a lot of surprises.
So overall, I’d say it was an enjoyable novel. But I just felt it could have been excellent. There is awesome potential for the series still, and I’m hoping that as she finds her groove with it, Stewart will realize this potential in future installments. Definitely one to watch.
January 9, 2014
2.5 STARS
This wasn't necessarily bad. But it was definitely not for me. For reasons that surprised me.
Coming form someone who still needs a lot of bribing to eat her vegetables, see the dentist for her annual and get out of bed on weekends, I'm a little bit ashamed to call something as too young for me. Because certainly, in the Pixar Age, is anything really too young for anybody anymore? Initially, I thought it was the Steampunk aspect of this book, because while I'm an adventurous reader, there are two things I can't seem to voluntarily subject myself into: Westerns and pirates. I don't know, I think I'm too much of a girl to enjoy these kinds of stories without getting bribed by cute half-naked cowboys or cute half-naked swashbuckling pirates.
Peacemaker had neither but I still found it an easy read with a serviceably interesting story that I didn't find the least bit enjoyable. And I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I'm not a ten year old boy.
From what I gleaned, Peacemakers are traveling sheriffs who jump from one town to another enforcing the Aboriginal Peace Accords of 1874, which I suppose means to keep the peace between the Indians and the Americans in certain disputed border territories. Now before I go on, I did not have a Western primary education, what I know of American History and the Wild Wild West, I learned from Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood movies. In that aspect, I'd have to say this did a pretty good job in cutting the story and geo-political climate across. Though this being a fantastical Alternate Universe may have helped some in keeping this interesting enough for someone like me to finish.
Because in this America, people have powers. Like pew-pew wizardy powers borne out of a source, the fuzzily logic-ed arcane. And just as there's a source for such powers, there are means to having these powers "scoured" rendering a person "barren". Caleb Marcus was a powerful soldier until he was partly scoured in battle, leading him to semi-retire as a Peacemaker.
Together with his familiar, Ernst, a powerful and cuddly hybrid between a bunny and antelope (a jackalope), they walk into the small town of Hope just when his transport breaks down. I'm not quite sure what a transport is because initially I thought it was a robot horse but then it has windows so we'll have to make do with "a robot horse with windows" imagery there. It seems perfectly timed too as the peaceful town has been suffering mysterious earthquakes and pillaging, allegedly in the hands of the ruthless Braves (Indian warriors), while more and more children grow into becoming barren of magic by some inexplicable means.
When I was younger, I used to watch this cartoon called BraveStarr, about a sheriff (with eyes of a hawk, strength of a bear etc.) and his talking, shotgun-wielding horse as they enforce the law and dole out sage advice on bullying, not doing drugs etc. This reminds me a lot of that show. Caleb's role as a wizard-like Peacemaker, toting a magical staff while wearing a duster was very action-figure material. He's the role model you want your son to learn of, extolling the very image of justice and righteousness. He's the kind of hero that used to populate our Saturday morning cartoon TV options...
…in the 80s. If this could still capture the interest of younger kids now, I don't know.
But I do wish I knew ahead this was that kind of book.
Because while I enjoyed Bravestarr as a child, I'm having a difficult time enjoying the simplistic story presented to me here in Peacemaker. It was too archaic with the barest character development focusing instead on a mystery that wasn't really a mystery. I wanted to be frustrated over the missed opportunities to make this more interesting, add some bells and whistles to the plot to make it less PSA-"after school special" and more attractive and engaging, but I don't think it was written with any of the current trends in mind. Which is actually ballsy from a certain standpoint. The lack of any romantic plot whatsoever alone was refreshingly brave.
Yep, a middle aged woman ripping off her clothes in front of our hero is as steamy as this Steampunk book got.
I really don't mind this, to be honest, but there has to be something in the story that would anchor my adult interest. I wanted it to be the relationship between Caleb and Ernst but it was just so rudimentary. I thought Ernst was a perfect excuse to introduce some Seth MacFarlane snark and humor in the story (he's a cuddly bunny with a drinking problem FFS!) but this was so trapped in its own old-fashioned plot it was heart-breaking to see all those missed opportunities. The whole Indian mysticism helping the noble but troubled White Man has been done to death in film and literature, and isn't something that particularly appeals to me either. Fact: Pocahontas was my least favorite Disney princess.
Seeing as this is set out to be a series, it didn't do well enough to encourage me to pursue Caleb Marcus' story beyond this one. I wasn't put off by the Steampunky-ness of the story as a whole so this might not be my last of that genre.
And fuck.
Because the biggest offense these adults committed, apart from being insufferably boring, was cussing with "Dammit!" I'm fairly uncomfortable enough with this and having been cheated out of the story that I was expecting, here have a "fuck".
And a couple of others.
Also on BookLikes.
ARC provided by Penguin Intermix thru NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Quotes may not appear in the final edition.
Peacemakers didn't kill. They weren't executioners; they were law men.
This wasn't necessarily bad. But it was definitely not for me. For reasons that surprised me.
Coming form someone who still needs a lot of bribing to eat her vegetables, see the dentist for her annual and get out of bed on weekends, I'm a little bit ashamed to call something as too young for me. Because certainly, in the Pixar Age, is anything really too young for anybody anymore? Initially, I thought it was the Steampunk aspect of this book, because while I'm an adventurous reader, there are two things I can't seem to voluntarily subject myself into: Westerns and pirates. I don't know, I think I'm too much of a girl to enjoy these kinds of stories without getting bribed by cute half-naked cowboys or cute half-naked swashbuckling pirates.
Peacemaker had neither but I still found it an easy read with a serviceably interesting story that I didn't find the least bit enjoyable. And I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I'm not a ten year old boy.
From what I gleaned, Peacemakers are traveling sheriffs who jump from one town to another enforcing the Aboriginal Peace Accords of 1874, which I suppose means to keep the peace between the Indians and the Americans in certain disputed border territories. Now before I go on, I did not have a Western primary education, what I know of American History and the Wild Wild West, I learned from Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood movies. In that aspect, I'd have to say this did a pretty good job in cutting the story and geo-political climate across. Though this being a fantastical Alternate Universe may have helped some in keeping this interesting enough for someone like me to finish.
Because in this America, people have powers. Like pew-pew wizardy powers borne out of a source, the fuzzily logic-ed arcane. And just as there's a source for such powers, there are means to having these powers "scoured" rendering a person "barren". Caleb Marcus was a powerful soldier until he was partly scoured in battle, leading him to semi-retire as a Peacemaker.
Together with his familiar, Ernst, a powerful and cuddly hybrid between a bunny and antelope (a jackalope), they walk into the small town of Hope just when his transport breaks down. I'm not quite sure what a transport is because initially I thought it was a robot horse but then it has windows so we'll have to make do with "a robot horse with windows" imagery there. It seems perfectly timed too as the peaceful town has been suffering mysterious earthquakes and pillaging, allegedly in the hands of the ruthless Braves (Indian warriors), while more and more children grow into becoming barren of magic by some inexplicable means.
When I was younger, I used to watch this cartoon called BraveStarr, about a sheriff (with eyes of a hawk, strength of a bear etc.) and his talking, shotgun-wielding horse as they enforce the law and dole out sage advice on bullying, not doing drugs etc. This reminds me a lot of that show. Caleb's role as a wizard-like Peacemaker, toting a magical staff while wearing a duster was very action-figure material. He's the role model you want your son to learn of, extolling the very image of justice and righteousness. He's the kind of hero that used to populate our Saturday morning cartoon TV options...
…in the 80s. If this could still capture the interest of younger kids now, I don't know.
But I do wish I knew ahead this was that kind of book.
Because while I enjoyed Bravestarr as a child, I'm having a difficult time enjoying the simplistic story presented to me here in Peacemaker. It was too archaic with the barest character development focusing instead on a mystery that wasn't really a mystery. I wanted to be frustrated over the missed opportunities to make this more interesting, add some bells and whistles to the plot to make it less PSA-"after school special" and more attractive and engaging, but I don't think it was written with any of the current trends in mind. Which is actually ballsy from a certain standpoint. The lack of any romantic plot whatsoever alone was refreshingly brave.
"We must bind this before you lose more blood."
"I appear to be fresh out of bandages."
Without hesitation the woman grasped her own blouse in both hands and ripped, buttons popping off in all directions. Caleb quickly averted his eyes.
Yep, a middle aged woman ripping off her clothes in front of our hero is as steamy as this Steampunk book got.
I really don't mind this, to be honest, but there has to be something in the story that would anchor my adult interest. I wanted it to be the relationship between Caleb and Ernst but it was just so rudimentary. I thought Ernst was a perfect excuse to introduce some Seth MacFarlane snark and humor in the story (he's a cuddly bunny with a drinking problem FFS!) but this was so trapped in its own old-fashioned plot it was heart-breaking to see all those missed opportunities. The whole Indian mysticism helping the noble but troubled White Man has been done to death in film and literature, and isn't something that particularly appeals to me either. Fact: Pocahontas was my least favorite Disney princess.
Seeing as this is set out to be a series, it didn't do well enough to encourage me to pursue Caleb Marcus' story beyond this one. I wasn't put off by the Steampunky-ness of the story as a whole so this might not be my last of that genre.
And fuck.
Because the biggest offense these adults committed, apart from being insufferably boring, was cussing with "Dammit!" I'm fairly uncomfortable enough with this and having been cheated out of the story that I was expecting, here have a "fuck".
And a couple of others.
Also on BookLikes.
ARC provided by Penguin Intermix thru NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Quotes may not appear in the final edition.
January 15, 2014
3.5-4.0 stars
I liked this steampunk fantasy twist on the Wild West. There's plenty of action, mystery and the typical bad guy who appears to be a good guy, at least at first, until you start digging deeper (literally). I hope Stewart plans to write more adventures for Caleb and Ernst (his jackalope familiar), as I want to learn more about the Native Americans and their mysterious magical ways.
I love watching westerns but I don't read them very often. That being said, I did participate in the Kansas City Public Library's Big Read last fall and read True Grit, which had some of the best dialogue I've ever had the pleasure to read. If Peacemaker has any weak point, it's the dialogue. I kept hoping for just a bit more wit or sarcasm, some catchy new would-be western or tough guy cliche. Occasionally, a diamond sparkled through the dusty dialogue, so I know the potential is there.
One other minor quibble: If this is an Alternate History version of Kansas and Colorado, I'm a bit confused about the state boundaries. When Kansas was a territory (before it became a state in 1854), it stretched west almost to the Rocky Mountains. Since Caleb is a Civil War Vet, Kansas is a state (or would have been in our world) and its western border is not near enough to the Rocky Mountains for you to see them on the horizon. A little more clarification in the world building portion of the story would have helped ease my native-born Kansas pride.
My thanks to Penguin Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review Peacemaker prior to publication (look for it on sale next Tuesday, January 21, 2014).
I liked this steampunk fantasy twist on the Wild West. There's plenty of action, mystery and the typical bad guy who appears to be a good guy, at least at first, until you start digging deeper (literally). I hope Stewart plans to write more adventures for Caleb and Ernst (his jackalope familiar), as I want to learn more about the Native Americans and their mysterious magical ways.
I love watching westerns but I don't read them very often. That being said, I did participate in the Kansas City Public Library's Big Read last fall and read True Grit, which had some of the best dialogue I've ever had the pleasure to read. If Peacemaker has any weak point, it's the dialogue. I kept hoping for just a bit more wit or sarcasm, some catchy new would-be western or tough guy cliche. Occasionally, a diamond sparkled through the dusty dialogue, so I know the potential is there.
One other minor quibble: If this is an Alternate History version of Kansas and Colorado, I'm a bit confused about the state boundaries. When Kansas was a territory (before it became a state in 1854), it stretched west almost to the Rocky Mountains. Since Caleb is a Civil War Vet, Kansas is a state (or would have been in our world) and its western border is not near enough to the Rocky Mountains for you to see them on the horizon. A little more clarification in the world building portion of the story would have helped ease my native-born Kansas pride.
My thanks to Penguin Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review Peacemaker prior to publication (look for it on sale next Tuesday, January 21, 2014).
September 8, 2016
Disappointed. As good as her Jesse James Dawson stories were, I expected better from K. A. Stewart. This series follows a magic wielding, but crippled Civil War veteran with a jackalope familiar into Fistful of Dollars territory. But it doesn't work for me.
What's missing? The humor. Dawson didn't take himself too seriously, and Stewart obviously was having fun with the stories. Not so with Peacemaker. Caleb is deep seriously and this tale of the Old West that wasn't generated neither awe or aw-shucks.
Quibble: There's no place in Kansas from which you can see the Rockies, certainly nowhere to can ride to them and back--by horse--in a day. Since this seems to be an alternate reality earth, perhaps the states borders are different.
What's missing? The humor. Dawson didn't take himself too seriously, and Stewart obviously was having fun with the stories. Not so with Peacemaker. Caleb is deep seriously and this tale of the Old West that wasn't generated neither awe or aw-shucks.
Quibble: There's no place in Kansas from which you can see the Rockies, certainly nowhere to can ride to them and back--by horse--in a day. Since this seems to be an alternate reality earth, perhaps the states borders are different.
November 6, 2014
Fairly entertaining - steampunk Western with magic and stuff. Not awfully substantial in either plot or character, but I kind of liked it well enough.
January 16, 2014
Caleb is a travelling law man, following his patrol route through towns in the west; and he’s not too happy about it. But there’s not much place for him in the east, not after the war when most of his power was burned out of him, his old skill reduced to a fraction of what he was. Now almost an embarrassment, he is shunted off to the edge of the country.
But things are not peaceful on the outskirts, tensions are rising between the Cheyenne and the local town, there’s a rash of children with strangely weakened magic, towns being destroyed an a local land owner almost ruling the town. Something is up and it’s Caleb’s job to find out what.
I’m rapidly developing a love for paranormal westerns – which is odd, because I Ioathe westerns generally – but if they keep being this good then I’m hooked.
The world building of this book is fascinating and incredibly different. This isn’t a world where some people have magic – this is a world where everyone has magic. Everyone has powers within them and those powers in turn are used near constantly to power the world around them. From the arcane mechanical horses, to electric fences to basic smithing and most certainly in war. The way the arcane ability is integrated into just about every aspect of society is fascinating and really smoothly done – creating a world that is so very like our own but with this constant thread of difference that twists everything. It’s an excellent, rich, fun world that I just desperately want to explore more. Especially since the world building was excellently written with all the information we need to be fully immersed but no long, dry explanations and lectures to tell us exactly how it works. I can see the framework of it but desperately want to know more – but it was and it’s going to be given in increments – after all, if everyone in society knows how to use magic, why would we need lectures on how to use that magic? It would be like random characters deciding to lecture us on how to read.
Also, some magic users have familiars. And Caleb has a jackalope and he’s cute and funny and I love the addition to the world, he lightens things without being ridiculous, is amusing without being slapstick and fits into the world rather than being an odd add-on
This is all really helped by a wonderful writing style. Detailed and evocative when necessary – such as Caleb’s reminiscing of the war – with some excellently written action scenes (with magic and some really novel uses of that power and integrating it with the weapons of the time) that cross the line into amazingly epic at times. The pacing is perfect, that balance between development and action, between moving the story forwards while preserving the mystery really works.
Then we have those people who have, either from birth or with an accident with their magic, been drained of their ability. They’re burned out and nulled and, in a society where everyone else does have magic, they’re considered disabled. Now, we do have a bad record in fiction of marginalised issues being appropriated poorly for fiction, but this is an excellent example of it being done. If magical ability is considered the default state of humanity, if the majority of jobs regularly use magical ability then those without magical ability are very much disabled and disenfranchised. The way they are regarded by the other characters is an extremely good representation of how the disabled are treated in general – pitied, a kind of fawning, horrified pity mixed with a cautionary tale (since it could happen to them as well), but at the same time condescended too and assumed to be lesser and weaker – there’s an inherent superiority assumed by anyone with magic over them. Caleb also talks about the lack of opportunities for them, of the magic-less being forced to become homeless beggars and everyone assumes they cannot work. The blacksmith in the town has no magic, but with simple accommodations he does apparently good work – yet people still hesitate to rely on, assuming that his in-world disability means he cannot do his job properly.
Then there’s Caleb himself, injured in the war and having his own incredible magical talent reduced to a fraction he once had. His adaptation to his reduced state, his anger, shame and almost mourning as well as the pity of others all come together in an excellent portrayal of transition and conflict.
Read More
But things are not peaceful on the outskirts, tensions are rising between the Cheyenne and the local town, there’s a rash of children with strangely weakened magic, towns being destroyed an a local land owner almost ruling the town. Something is up and it’s Caleb’s job to find out what.
I’m rapidly developing a love for paranormal westerns – which is odd, because I Ioathe westerns generally – but if they keep being this good then I’m hooked.
The world building of this book is fascinating and incredibly different. This isn’t a world where some people have magic – this is a world where everyone has magic. Everyone has powers within them and those powers in turn are used near constantly to power the world around them. From the arcane mechanical horses, to electric fences to basic smithing and most certainly in war. The way the arcane ability is integrated into just about every aspect of society is fascinating and really smoothly done – creating a world that is so very like our own but with this constant thread of difference that twists everything. It’s an excellent, rich, fun world that I just desperately want to explore more. Especially since the world building was excellently written with all the information we need to be fully immersed but no long, dry explanations and lectures to tell us exactly how it works. I can see the framework of it but desperately want to know more – but it was and it’s going to be given in increments – after all, if everyone in society knows how to use magic, why would we need lectures on how to use that magic? It would be like random characters deciding to lecture us on how to read.
Also, some magic users have familiars. And Caleb has a jackalope and he’s cute and funny and I love the addition to the world, he lightens things without being ridiculous, is amusing without being slapstick and fits into the world rather than being an odd add-on
This is all really helped by a wonderful writing style. Detailed and evocative when necessary – such as Caleb’s reminiscing of the war – with some excellently written action scenes (with magic and some really novel uses of that power and integrating it with the weapons of the time) that cross the line into amazingly epic at times. The pacing is perfect, that balance between development and action, between moving the story forwards while preserving the mystery really works.
Then we have those people who have, either from birth or with an accident with their magic, been drained of their ability. They’re burned out and nulled and, in a society where everyone else does have magic, they’re considered disabled. Now, we do have a bad record in fiction of marginalised issues being appropriated poorly for fiction, but this is an excellent example of it being done. If magical ability is considered the default state of humanity, if the majority of jobs regularly use magical ability then those without magical ability are very much disabled and disenfranchised. The way they are regarded by the other characters is an extremely good representation of how the disabled are treated in general – pitied, a kind of fawning, horrified pity mixed with a cautionary tale (since it could happen to them as well), but at the same time condescended too and assumed to be lesser and weaker – there’s an inherent superiority assumed by anyone with magic over them. Caleb also talks about the lack of opportunities for them, of the magic-less being forced to become homeless beggars and everyone assumes they cannot work. The blacksmith in the town has no magic, but with simple accommodations he does apparently good work – yet people still hesitate to rely on, assuming that his in-world disability means he cannot do his job properly.
Then there’s Caleb himself, injured in the war and having his own incredible magical talent reduced to a fraction he once had. His adaptation to his reduced state, his anger, shame and almost mourning as well as the pity of others all come together in an excellent portrayal of transition and conflict.
Read More
June 5, 2018
A little light on the backstory, and I would have liked a little more world building, but an enjoyable read. A likable main character - not always a given these days - and a great Jackalope sidekick (how cool is that) make the somewhat cliched story more interesting and fun.
I do hope there are more books to come.
I do hope there are more books to come.
August 28, 2014
First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you netgalley and Penguin Group for this opportunity.
This is a prime example of fun and simplistic fantasy done with a well tested setting; mixing up fantasy with the generic tropes of good and bad guys and natives of western setting was a good read. Quite nice were the world building and magic system which really used some inventiveness. Specially interesting is the fact that it really left a nice ground for improvement for future ventures into this world.
Peacemaker tells the story of traveling peacemaker Caleb Marcus, who has the job of maintaining peace in a magic infused version of wild west, where people are born with latent magic and people use technology infused with arcane magic. Caleb also has a troubled past from fighting in a war which has left him with an injury which made him half-scoured of his power. Caleb with his jackalope familiar Ernst reaches the town of Hope; which is not as peaceful as it first seems and gets mixed with a conspiracy involving local land owner and native indians. As per as plot goes it is quite generic and predictable at times. The action on the other hand was quite enjoyable especially with magic infused bullets and vehicles and was a driving force for the story.
As for the characters, it suffered from generic characters with a protagonist who never really had any depth other than the war and the antagonist who is even more one dimensional with his hunger for power. The most interesting character by far was the familiar of Caleb who had some interesting habits and quirky dialogue which gives some new life into the progression. The native indians on the other hand were once again dealt with a formula well tried before, having a tragic misunderstood troupe as its basis.
The most impressive bit about the book was its interesting magic system and world building. the author used a wild west basis and introduced magic into it in a unique way. From using magic to augment vehicles, to using arcane magic to make powerful bullets, to the concept of familiars and null-stones, everything was fascinating in imagination and detailed and kept me turning page after page just to find more details of the world.
Hopefully if there are more books in the future the author will give further details upon the imagined world while also focusing on strengthening the characters and introducing interesting plot-lines.
This one gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
This is a prime example of fun and simplistic fantasy done with a well tested setting; mixing up fantasy with the generic tropes of good and bad guys and natives of western setting was a good read. Quite nice were the world building and magic system which really used some inventiveness. Specially interesting is the fact that it really left a nice ground for improvement for future ventures into this world.
Peacemaker tells the story of traveling peacemaker Caleb Marcus, who has the job of maintaining peace in a magic infused version of wild west, where people are born with latent magic and people use technology infused with arcane magic. Caleb also has a troubled past from fighting in a war which has left him with an injury which made him half-scoured of his power. Caleb with his jackalope familiar Ernst reaches the town of Hope; which is not as peaceful as it first seems and gets mixed with a conspiracy involving local land owner and native indians. As per as plot goes it is quite generic and predictable at times. The action on the other hand was quite enjoyable especially with magic infused bullets and vehicles and was a driving force for the story.
As for the characters, it suffered from generic characters with a protagonist who never really had any depth other than the war and the antagonist who is even more one dimensional with his hunger for power. The most interesting character by far was the familiar of Caleb who had some interesting habits and quirky dialogue which gives some new life into the progression. The native indians on the other hand were once again dealt with a formula well tried before, having a tragic misunderstood troupe as its basis.
The most impressive bit about the book was its interesting magic system and world building. the author used a wild west basis and introduced magic into it in a unique way. From using magic to augment vehicles, to using arcane magic to make powerful bullets, to the concept of familiars and null-stones, everything was fascinating in imagination and detailed and kept me turning page after page just to find more details of the world.
Hopefully if there are more books in the future the author will give further details upon the imagined world while also focusing on strengthening the characters and introducing interesting plot-lines.
This one gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
December 16, 2013
http://koeur.wordpress.com/2013/12/16...
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW
Publishing Date: Jan 2014
ISBN: 9780698140820
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.6/5.0
Publisher Description: Caleb Marcus is a Peacemaker, a man who rides a circuit of small towns, bringing law to the frontier.
Armed with only his badge, his Arcane staff, and his trusty six-gun, Caleb and his jackalope familiar ride into Hope. It seems like every other border town he’s visited in his role as itinerant Peacemaker. But the children of Hope are being mysteriously robbed of their magical abilities, a charming land baron is running most of the town with an armed force of men at his back, and the nearby Cheyenne tribe is raiding the outlying homesteads with increasing frequency as earthquakes shake the very ground under their feet.
Something isn’t right in the Wild West, and Caleb has to figure it out before he finds himself at the end of a noose or an arrow.
Review: This is a pretty cool take on the Wild West with a fair dose of magic thrown in. I really liked this novel. The characters were great and the story was a lot of fun to read. It was not compelling in any way, but it was not meant to be. The characters were humanistic in that they had flaws, especially Caleb the Peacemaker. A tattered past during the Great War, that left a hole in his magic, Caleb is a departmental embarrassment whom is relegated to patrolling the frontier. There was a fair amount of dream-scape flashback scenes that helped build Caleb’s character, that I thought were inventive. The visual scene descriptions are very well done and lend quite a bit to the story-line. I like the cover art, pretty cool.
I would have liked to have seen a romance develop between Caleb and any number of women that were a part of this story. Now that he has an Indian partner riding alongside in the form of River Falls, we will see if things develop in subsequent novels. A great read.
If you want to see a funny picture of the author go to http://www.amazon.com/K.-A.-Stewart/e... I really don't know how photographers talk people into certain poses.
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW
Publishing Date: Jan 2014
ISBN: 9780698140820
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.6/5.0
Publisher Description: Caleb Marcus is a Peacemaker, a man who rides a circuit of small towns, bringing law to the frontier.
Armed with only his badge, his Arcane staff, and his trusty six-gun, Caleb and his jackalope familiar ride into Hope. It seems like every other border town he’s visited in his role as itinerant Peacemaker. But the children of Hope are being mysteriously robbed of their magical abilities, a charming land baron is running most of the town with an armed force of men at his back, and the nearby Cheyenne tribe is raiding the outlying homesteads with increasing frequency as earthquakes shake the very ground under their feet.
Something isn’t right in the Wild West, and Caleb has to figure it out before he finds himself at the end of a noose or an arrow.
Review: This is a pretty cool take on the Wild West with a fair dose of magic thrown in. I really liked this novel. The characters were great and the story was a lot of fun to read. It was not compelling in any way, but it was not meant to be. The characters were humanistic in that they had flaws, especially Caleb the Peacemaker. A tattered past during the Great War, that left a hole in his magic, Caleb is a departmental embarrassment whom is relegated to patrolling the frontier. There was a fair amount of dream-scape flashback scenes that helped build Caleb’s character, that I thought were inventive. The visual scene descriptions are very well done and lend quite a bit to the story-line. I like the cover art, pretty cool.
I would have liked to have seen a romance develop between Caleb and any number of women that were a part of this story. Now that he has an Indian partner riding alongside in the form of River Falls, we will see if things develop in subsequent novels. A great read.
If you want to see a funny picture of the author go to http://www.amazon.com/K.-A.-Stewart/e... I really don't know how photographers talk people into certain poses.
September 3, 2016
A well-done bit of Weird West with a likeable protagonist.
This is America (Kansas, to be exact) in a world in which most people have magic, arcane-powered transports replace the horses they're modeled on, and Native American magic is strong enough that the USA stops at the Rockies. The eponymous Peacemaker (think US Marshal) brings his magic, his staff and his familiar (a cute jackalope named Ernst) to the town of Hope, where he has to deal with a Bad Wealthy Rancher.
I give that last phrase capitals because he's a trope, one of a number of tropish characters. The friendly saloonkeeper (who's Scottish), the helpful general store owner, the grumpy blacksmith (who's Swedish), the schoolmarm, the kid who's running a bit wild but has potential, the mysterious old Indian shaman. They do come through as individuals, though, not just chess pieces or cardboard cutouts (and, after all, there are a limited number of roles you can have in a Western).
The protagonist is the Wounded Veteran, something he struggles with through the course of the book, though it helps rather than hinders him when the chips are down. He fought for the Union in the Civil War and lost a chunk of his power, as well as gaining a nasty scar. He seems to have plenty of power left, though.
Although it doesn't break new ground particularly, this story puts a fun spin on some beloved tropes, and is told fluently and engagingly. It's well-edited; I found only six minor typos, which, if you follow my reviews, you'll know is a small number (I often get into double figures even with traditionally-published books). At the end is an excerpt from another series, an urban fantasy which I'll probably track down.
All in all, a good bit of entertainment.
(I received an advance reader copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
This is America (Kansas, to be exact) in a world in which most people have magic, arcane-powered transports replace the horses they're modeled on, and Native American magic is strong enough that the USA stops at the Rockies. The eponymous Peacemaker (think US Marshal) brings his magic, his staff and his familiar (a cute jackalope named Ernst) to the town of Hope, where he has to deal with a Bad Wealthy Rancher.
I give that last phrase capitals because he's a trope, one of a number of tropish characters. The friendly saloonkeeper (who's Scottish), the helpful general store owner, the grumpy blacksmith (who's Swedish), the schoolmarm, the kid who's running a bit wild but has potential, the mysterious old Indian shaman. They do come through as individuals, though, not just chess pieces or cardboard cutouts (and, after all, there are a limited number of roles you can have in a Western).
The protagonist is the Wounded Veteran, something he struggles with through the course of the book, though it helps rather than hinders him when the chips are down. He fought for the Union in the Civil War and lost a chunk of his power, as well as gaining a nasty scar. He seems to have plenty of power left, though.
Although it doesn't break new ground particularly, this story puts a fun spin on some beloved tropes, and is told fluently and engagingly. It's well-edited; I found only six minor typos, which, if you follow my reviews, you'll know is a small number (I often get into double figures even with traditionally-published books). At the end is an excerpt from another series, an urban fantasy which I'll probably track down.
All in all, a good bit of entertainment.
(I received an advance reader copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
January 23, 2014
K.A. Stewart builds a wild west built on Magic with artificial horses and two types of magic. Indian magic can’t be felt by the Americans, and vica-versa Caleb Marcus was a powerful magician able to alter the flight of cannon balls during the Civil war, but he was injured and lacks most of his power. He’s part of the Peacemaker (ebook from Intermix) corps. He and his jackalope familiar, Ernst have come to a small town with a rancher who has a small army. Children are losing their inborn magical powers, the land has dried up and earthquakes are coming more often. The Rancher, of course blames the red skins, but when Caleb goes for help he ambushed and tied up as food for the local predators. I really enjoyed this oddball mix of genres that somehow works. The sequel should be lots of fun.Review published in the Philadelphia Weekly Press
June 8, 2014
I love Stewart's Jesse James Dawson series, and was willing to take a chance and buy Peacemaker. I am glad I bought this book. I was hoping for a good fantasy in a Western setting with a lawman who was not a carbon copy of Jesse James. I got a great fantasy with an intriguing damaged hero who has an amusing sidekick and no experience in the western borderlands he must patrol. I may be permanently biased due to the westerns my father watched when I was a kid, as well as the ones I read growing up. In Peacemaker, I can have both fantasy and western, and there is nothing better than having your cake and eating it, too. By the way, I am not a 10 year old boy; I am a 50+ female veterinarian who has read Ilona Andrews, Deborah Harkness, Michelle Sagara, Karen Chance, and Seanan McGuire to name a few, and I love Peacemaker.
March 16, 2015
Overall I liked the book, and I think the series (if the author writes more) has potential. The mixing of steampunk, wild west, and arcane magic is fresh (at least to me.) It does fall into a couple of standard tropes (new sheriff vs evil white businessman/landowner), but the story was interesting and took a couple of turns I didn't quite foresee. My one peeve is that it needed a better copy editor -- there were several places where the wrong word was used (sleight, where he meant slight; and my personal pet peeve, using 'lead' as the past tense of the verb 'to lead', instead of the proper form 'led.') But I would recommend this book to someone looking for something a bit different in the fantasy/steam punk genres.
August 26, 2017
2.5 (story) / 3 (World-building)
Mmmmm, I had some conflicts rating this book: I love Stewart's Jesse James Dawson series and I expected something along that line when I picked up Peacemaker, problem was I found Peacemaker more for children/teenagers, at least the writing, and the pace was also too slow for my liking.
It wasn't a bad story, and I liked some parts (but then I have a soft spot for Westerns) and some characters, but having an sneak preview of book 2 whithout knowing when it is going to be published almost killed me.
I suppose I'll decide what to do about this trilogy when Iron Dragon is out.
Mmmmm, I had some conflicts rating this book: I love Stewart's Jesse James Dawson series and I expected something along that line when I picked up Peacemaker, problem was I found Peacemaker more for children/teenagers, at least the writing, and the pace was also too slow for my liking.
It wasn't a bad story, and I liked some parts (but then I have a soft spot for Westerns) and some characters, but having an sneak preview of book 2 whithout knowing when it is going to be published almost killed me.
I suppose I'll decide what to do about this trilogy when Iron Dragon is out.
February 11, 2014
Harry Dresden meets the Wild Wild West in this refreshingly different steampunk old west novel. Caleb is a war veteran and a hero with morals in a time that wasn't known for either morals or heroes. The author plunges us into an interesting, and oddly believable considering the elements of magic, world that is fascinating. With just the right amount of action, magic, and mystery, this novel quickly became a favorite for me.
February 27, 2014
The old west meets urban fantasy styling. Set in the post civil war territories pressed up against the Rocky Mountains in a alternate earth where magic is common there is still a need for law and order in the west. Even if it must come at the end of the pistol and the staff. A rather familiar story for anyone with a passing familiarity with westerns the first of this series still has a great cast of characters and a well done protagonist. I'm looking forward to the next one.
May 4, 2014
Arcane magic, the Old West plus a few steampunk elements made for a cool setting. An enjoyable adventure featuring travelling lawman Caleb, a wounded veteran of Little Bighorn, and his jackalope familiar Ernst. Good pacing and action scenes. Will definitely look for more in this series!
January 22, 2014
Full review here: http://www.bookspotcentral.com/2014/0.... But for the early birds - good stuff. Steampunk western, excellent familiar, good main and an interesting mystery.
July 15, 2014
I hope this is the beginning of a series. I loved this book and can't wait to see more of them.
Want to read
May 31, 2015I've enjoyed Stewart's Jesse James Dawson books, so it'll be interesting to check out this new series.
March 26, 2014
I mean, dude, a Steampunk Western with a talking jackalope - how can this go wrong? :D
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