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Corporate Gunslinger
Doug Engstrom imagines a future all too terrifying—and all too possible—in this eerie, dystopic speculative fiction debut about corporate greed, debt slavery, and gun violence that is as intense and dark as Stephen King’s The Long Walk.
Like many Americans in the middle of the 21st century, aspiring actress Kira Clark is in debt. She financed her drama education with loans secured by a “lifetime services contract.” If she defaults, her creditors will control every aspect of her life. Behind on her payments and facing foreclosure, Kira reluctantly accepts a large signing bonus to become a corporate gunfighter for TKC Insurance. After a year of training, she will take her place on the dueling fields that have become the final, lethal stop in the American legal system.
Putting her MFA in acting to work, Kira takes on the persona of a cold, intimidating gunslinger known as “Death’s Angel.” But just as she becomes the most feared gunfighter in TKC’s stable, she’s severely wounded during a duel on live video, shattering her aura of invincibility. A series of devastating setbacks follow, forcing Kira to face the truth about her life and what she’s become.
When the opportunity to fight another professional for a huge purse arises, Kira sees it as a chance to buy a new life . . . or die trying.
Structured around a chilling duel, Corporate Gunslinger is a modern satire that forces us to confront the growing inequalities in our society and our penchant for guns and bloodshed, as well as offering a visceral look at where we may be heading—far sooner than we know.
Like many Americans in the middle of the 21st century, aspiring actress Kira Clark is in debt. She financed her drama education with loans secured by a “lifetime services contract.” If she defaults, her creditors will control every aspect of her life. Behind on her payments and facing foreclosure, Kira reluctantly accepts a large signing bonus to become a corporate gunfighter for TKC Insurance. After a year of training, she will take her place on the dueling fields that have become the final, lethal stop in the American legal system.
Putting her MFA in acting to work, Kira takes on the persona of a cold, intimidating gunslinger known as “Death’s Angel.” But just as she becomes the most feared gunfighter in TKC’s stable, she’s severely wounded during a duel on live video, shattering her aura of invincibility. A series of devastating setbacks follow, forcing Kira to face the truth about her life and what she’s become.
When the opportunity to fight another professional for a huge purse arises, Kira sees it as a chance to buy a new life . . . or die trying.
Structured around a chilling duel, Corporate Gunslinger is a modern satire that forces us to confront the growing inequalities in our society and our penchant for guns and bloodshed, as well as offering a visceral look at where we may be heading—far sooner than we know.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2020
22 people are currently reading
2055 people want to read
About the author
Doug Engstrom
7 books38 followersDoug Engstrom has been a farmer's son, a US Air Force officer, a technical writer, a computer support specialist, and a business analyst, as well as being a writer of speculative fiction. He lives near Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Catherine Engstrom.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 28, 2020
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Corporate Gunslinger by Doug Engstrom is a near future dystopian satire featuring corporate greed, crippling debt, and gun violence. I had no idea what to expect, but it's well-worth reading. There's a lot that happens in this fairly short book and I don't want to give anything important away with spoilers. I will say though that it's quite thought-provoking and feels freakishly all too plausible. If that isn't a depressing thought I don't know what is. Either way, it certainly offers quite the commentary on modern American society. I have a feeling you'll like Corporate Gunslinger if you enjoyed The Warehouse by Rob hart. Overall, this novel is an impressive debut and I'm excited to see what Doug Engstom will do next.
Corporate Gunslinger by Doug Engstrom is a near future dystopian satire featuring corporate greed, crippling debt, and gun violence. I had no idea what to expect, but it's well-worth reading. There's a lot that happens in this fairly short book and I don't want to give anything important away with spoilers. I will say though that it's quite thought-provoking and feels freakishly all too plausible. If that isn't a depressing thought I don't know what is. Either way, it certainly offers quite the commentary on modern American society. I have a feeling you'll like Corporate Gunslinger if you enjoyed The Warehouse by Rob hart. Overall, this novel is an impressive debut and I'm excited to see what Doug Engstom will do next.
June 8, 2020
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: A tense, fast-paced futuristic thriller that was almost impossible to put down.
I love finding well written debuts, and I’m happy to say that Corporate Gunslinger is now on my list of favorites. I don’t usually make “blank meets blank” comparisons when I’m reviewing books, but in this case I have to go with “ Docile meets The Hunger Games ,” although Corporate Gunslinge r feels unique and has its own voice. However, if you are looking for a hopeful story about America’s future, this might not be the right book for you at this time. This is a grim look at corporate greed and the consequences of being in debt and losing your freedom. Add in a cavalier, nonchalant attitude towards gun violence and you have a tense, anxiety-inducing futuristic story.
Kira Clark is a twenty-six year old actor with an MFA from a prestigious college, but she can’t find a job that will pay her enough to stay on top of her student loans. When she hears about an opening in the gunfighter’s academy—which includes a big signing bonus—Kira takes a chance and joins, hoping she’ll score a job with a top insurance agency as a gunfighter once she graduates. Kira does well and attracts the attention of Diana Reynolds, a former gunfighter who now trains and mentors new recruits. She knows that having Diana on her side is a sure fire way to rise in the ranks. But what she doesn’t count on is the toll that becoming a killing machine will take on her mental state.
As the stakes continue to rise, Kira must make some tough decisions: risk her life for a huge payday, or walk away and lose everything.
Corporate Gunslinger is set in a future where large insurance companies employ gunfighters to ensure people keep up with their premiums. Those who are unable to pay or who have defaulted on a loan are forced to make a decision: enter a duel against one of the company’s professional gunfighters, or face losing everything and become little more than a slave. Those who actually win the duel will have their debts erased and can claim freedom. But many are injured or die in the ring, so as you can imagine, life in this dystopian world is harsh and dangerous. Even Kira’s role as a gunfighter doesn’t mean her life is easy. Every time she steps into the ring, she faces mortal injury or death, but the lure of money and freedom means she doesn’t have much of a choice. When Kira graduates from training, she’s offered a contract with TKC Insurance, but in order to fulfill that contract, she must complete twenty-six matches as a gunfighter. Engstrom asks lots of moral questions like which is the lesser of two evils—dying in a duel or becoming a government slave?
Once the recruits finish their training—where they practice simulated gunfights against bots—then the real fights begin, and the author doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to describing gunshot wounds and the emotional repercussions of having to kill another person. Just like duels in the old West, duelists start back to back and walk away from each other a certain number of paces, then quickly turn and shoot, although Engstrom gives the duels in this story a futuristic twist. Entrants are awarded points based on what kind of shot they are able to complete. An outright kill earns 100 points, a grave injury less, and anyone who falls over after being shot automatically loses the duel. There are some graphic descriptions of gunshot wounds, so if that’s a trigger for you, do consider before picking up this book.
Engstrom uses an unusual hook to compel his story forward. He opens the story with Kira about to enter the gunfighting ring for what we presume is a high stakes gunfight, and breaks up this scene into short chapters scattered throughout the book. In the first chapter, the reader doesn’t know what’s happening, as we haven’t yet been introduced to Kira and this world. But as these chapters progress, we discover that Kira is engaging in the fight of her life. I don’t want to tell you much more than that and ruin the story, but I will say that this device worked brilliantly, and it compelled me to keep turning pages, even when I knew I should put down the book and go to bed. When we get to the second chapter, Engstrom goes back to the beginning and describes Kira’s first day at the academy, and the story spirals outward from there. Readers who like to be hand fed world-building details might struggle with this method of storytelling, but personally I enjoy putting all the pieces together for myself.
Kira was an interesting character, and I loved that Engstrom made her an actor, which she uses to her advantage to psyche out her opponents before the duels. She develops a close relationship with her roommate Chloe, the only other female recruit at the academy, as well as her mentor Diana, who becomes almost a mother figure to Kira. I loved how the author handled her mental state as she realizes that this is a “kill or be killed” situation that doesn’t have a happy ending no matter which way it goes. One reason this story is so suspenseful is that we’re never certain what Kira is going to do in any given situation, and I have to admit I was surprised more than once.
Granted, this is a fairly short book and Engstrom doesn’t waste a lot of time with detailed world-building, so some of the specifics about why TKC and other insurance companies need gunfighters to do their dirty work are lost. But I honestly didn’t mind. The driving force of this story is Kira’s final gunfight, and I wasn’t thinking about those details at all while I frantically turned pages to get to the end. And wow that ending! I’m still not sure how I feel about it, but I'm trying to imagine a different ending and I can't, so kudos to Mr. Engstrom for doing something so unexpected.
I really had fun with this story and I can’t wait to see what Doug Engstrom writes next.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
I love finding well written debuts, and I’m happy to say that Corporate Gunslinger is now on my list of favorites. I don’t usually make “blank meets blank” comparisons when I’m reviewing books, but in this case I have to go with “ Docile meets The Hunger Games ,” although Corporate Gunslinge r feels unique and has its own voice. However, if you are looking for a hopeful story about America’s future, this might not be the right book for you at this time. This is a grim look at corporate greed and the consequences of being in debt and losing your freedom. Add in a cavalier, nonchalant attitude towards gun violence and you have a tense, anxiety-inducing futuristic story.
Kira Clark is a twenty-six year old actor with an MFA from a prestigious college, but she can’t find a job that will pay her enough to stay on top of her student loans. When she hears about an opening in the gunfighter’s academy—which includes a big signing bonus—Kira takes a chance and joins, hoping she’ll score a job with a top insurance agency as a gunfighter once she graduates. Kira does well and attracts the attention of Diana Reynolds, a former gunfighter who now trains and mentors new recruits. She knows that having Diana on her side is a sure fire way to rise in the ranks. But what she doesn’t count on is the toll that becoming a killing machine will take on her mental state.
As the stakes continue to rise, Kira must make some tough decisions: risk her life for a huge payday, or walk away and lose everything.
Corporate Gunslinger is set in a future where large insurance companies employ gunfighters to ensure people keep up with their premiums. Those who are unable to pay or who have defaulted on a loan are forced to make a decision: enter a duel against one of the company’s professional gunfighters, or face losing everything and become little more than a slave. Those who actually win the duel will have their debts erased and can claim freedom. But many are injured or die in the ring, so as you can imagine, life in this dystopian world is harsh and dangerous. Even Kira’s role as a gunfighter doesn’t mean her life is easy. Every time she steps into the ring, she faces mortal injury or death, but the lure of money and freedom means she doesn’t have much of a choice. When Kira graduates from training, she’s offered a contract with TKC Insurance, but in order to fulfill that contract, she must complete twenty-six matches as a gunfighter. Engstrom asks lots of moral questions like which is the lesser of two evils—dying in a duel or becoming a government slave?
Once the recruits finish their training—where they practice simulated gunfights against bots—then the real fights begin, and the author doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to describing gunshot wounds and the emotional repercussions of having to kill another person. Just like duels in the old West, duelists start back to back and walk away from each other a certain number of paces, then quickly turn and shoot, although Engstrom gives the duels in this story a futuristic twist. Entrants are awarded points based on what kind of shot they are able to complete. An outright kill earns 100 points, a grave injury less, and anyone who falls over after being shot automatically loses the duel. There are some graphic descriptions of gunshot wounds, so if that’s a trigger for you, do consider before picking up this book.
Engstrom uses an unusual hook to compel his story forward. He opens the story with Kira about to enter the gunfighting ring for what we presume is a high stakes gunfight, and breaks up this scene into short chapters scattered throughout the book. In the first chapter, the reader doesn’t know what’s happening, as we haven’t yet been introduced to Kira and this world. But as these chapters progress, we discover that Kira is engaging in the fight of her life. I don’t want to tell you much more than that and ruin the story, but I will say that this device worked brilliantly, and it compelled me to keep turning pages, even when I knew I should put down the book and go to bed. When we get to the second chapter, Engstrom goes back to the beginning and describes Kira’s first day at the academy, and the story spirals outward from there. Readers who like to be hand fed world-building details might struggle with this method of storytelling, but personally I enjoy putting all the pieces together for myself.
Kira was an interesting character, and I loved that Engstrom made her an actor, which she uses to her advantage to psyche out her opponents before the duels. She develops a close relationship with her roommate Chloe, the only other female recruit at the academy, as well as her mentor Diana, who becomes almost a mother figure to Kira. I loved how the author handled her mental state as she realizes that this is a “kill or be killed” situation that doesn’t have a happy ending no matter which way it goes. One reason this story is so suspenseful is that we’re never certain what Kira is going to do in any given situation, and I have to admit I was surprised more than once.
Granted, this is a fairly short book and Engstrom doesn’t waste a lot of time with detailed world-building, so some of the specifics about why TKC and other insurance companies need gunfighters to do their dirty work are lost. But I honestly didn’t mind. The driving force of this story is Kira’s final gunfight, and I wasn’t thinking about those details at all while I frantically turned pages to get to the end. And wow that ending! I’m still not sure how I feel about it, but I'm trying to imagine a different ending and I can't, so kudos to Mr. Engstrom for doing something so unexpected.
I really had fun with this story and I can’t wait to see what Doug Engstrom writes next.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
Want to read
June 13, 2020Corporate Gunslinger is a different take on a dystopia ruled by greed and debt slavery. The scary thing is for most of the novel everything seems within the realms of possibility except the extraordinary thing, and that is the gun-fighting part. Our main character Kira is in debt, and she's left with the same choices as many in this novel: slavery, death, or killing. They train with robots and then on behalf of the same company they're indebted to start killing others. Yeah... so since she's not a sociopath there's a lot of inner conflict as she struggles through this new life always looking to survive long enough to find her way out. It's entertaining and dark and thought provoking and I recommend it.
November 10, 2020
Ending isn't an ending
Book isn't bad. I greatly enjoyed everything until the ending. No spoilers, but there's no resolution to the story and I hate books like that.
Book isn't bad. I greatly enjoyed everything until the ending. No spoilers, but there's no resolution to the story and I hate books like that.
June 14, 2020
This book, is wonderful. The character of Kira is extremely well written and the way the plot unfolds between the present and the events leading up to it serves to hold the tension extremely well. I had to deduct a star from my rating simply because I wish a little more time had been devoted to world-building. How did insurance companies become so powerful? When did debt slavery become a thing? And why resort to dueling in order to finalize an insurance outcome? While its obvious these scenarios, particularly the stranglehold insurance has on common citizens is a direct indictment of our current insurance situation, it would have been nice to have some background as to how they became pseudo overlords, rather than just a faceless entity. Not fully understanding when, why, or how any of this came to be is a detractor for me because its obvious that this is a bit futuristic (the technology is nothing we have, the monetary system is completely different, literal debt slaves dont exist...) but allowing the plot to hang in the ether without some grounding details, to me, serves as a disservice. like other dystopic novels that come before it (handmaid's tale, hunger games, etc) we know something has happened, but unlike those novels, we have zero context as to what. it would have elevated the plot and the stakes to understand how this world that Kira lives in works a little better.
framing the plot around kira's most dangerous battle and her road TO that battle, works well. knowing she's in a very dangerous situation makes the reader want to know how she got there. it was a little let down to find out it was a "professional" match and not kira coming up against Chloe's ex boyfriend in a more natural way. but the stakes, being as high as they were, remained interesting enough to look past that point. Speaking of chloe, i'm still not sure WHY she was killed, if not to spur on this final battle for kira. its obvious that its meant to highlight just how dangerous their jobs are, but that emotional hit could have been better served in a more direct manner.
framing the plot around kira's most dangerous battle and her road TO that battle, works well. knowing she's in a very dangerous situation makes the reader want to know how she got there. it was a little let down to find out it was a "professional" match and not kira coming up against Chloe's ex boyfriend in a more natural way. but the stakes, being as high as they were, remained interesting enough to look past that point. Speaking of chloe, i'm still not sure WHY she was killed, if not to spur on this final battle for kira. its obvious that its meant to highlight just how dangerous their jobs are, but that emotional hit could have been better served in a more direct manner.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2024
Poignant retelling of debt in an injust society where corporations make all the rules. Have insurance, faithfully pay. Unfortunately need the payout? The terms and conditions and wily lawyers will ensure that doesn't happen.
What is a citizen's recourse, why a duel with the company's Gunslinger. If arbitration doesn't work it's a fight to the death to get what's yours. Obviously a corporate gunslinger is a trained professional and a citizen is generally not. Let's estimate the odds of survival for the general public. Slim to none is about right.
The story follows Kira who needs this job to ensure she's not foreclosed on. A lifetime contract and you miss a few payments, welcome to a lifetime of servitude! Killing people is not what she planned for the future but if she wants to have any agency over her life this is the only option.
I keep on saying this but this futuristic world is too much like our present one. It isn't a stretch to think that some of the elements of this book around debt management, isn't farfetched.
A thoughtful read even the second time around; I was choked up in places. When the opportunities available are slim, when the odds are stacked against the majority desperation comes into play. Life is a grind and you have to make the most of it.
As much as I've protrayed it, Corporate Gunslinger isn't a pessimistic book to read or without hope. Primarily because of the relationships within. And that illustrates that life is about the connections we have. Yes being rich or at least comfortable enough not to scramble to pay bills is a bonus but if you're doing it alone, existing then why? Life is for living and sharing parts of your day with another breathing being is what makes it worth it.
What is a citizen's recourse, why a duel with the company's Gunslinger. If arbitration doesn't work it's a fight to the death to get what's yours. Obviously a corporate gunslinger is a trained professional and a citizen is generally not. Let's estimate the odds of survival for the general public. Slim to none is about right.
The story follows Kira who needs this job to ensure she's not foreclosed on. A lifetime contract and you miss a few payments, welcome to a lifetime of servitude! Killing people is not what she planned for the future but if she wants to have any agency over her life this is the only option.
I keep on saying this but this futuristic world is too much like our present one. It isn't a stretch to think that some of the elements of this book around debt management, isn't farfetched.
A thoughtful read even the second time around; I was choked up in places. When the opportunities available are slim, when the odds are stacked against the majority desperation comes into play. Life is a grind and you have to make the most of it.
As much as I've protrayed it, Corporate Gunslinger isn't a pessimistic book to read or without hope. Primarily because of the relationships within. And that illustrates that life is about the connections we have. Yes being rich or at least comfortable enough not to scramble to pay bills is a bonus but if you're doing it alone, existing then why? Life is for living and sharing parts of your day with another breathing being is what makes it worth it.
June 4, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. This was about as bleak as you'd expect, but still somewhat enjoyable. I really wish there would've been more philosophy to the book. Eh philosophy isn't the exact word. It's just the ideas are interesting, you have the corporate servitude stuff and the death sport stuff, but I was left kind of wishing the author would've expounded on the ideas a little more. I think Emma Newman handled the corporate life debt stuff better in After Atlas. The main character was well developed, and I liked the pacing. I'm kind of a sucker for when two timelines are interwoven like they were in this book. Overall it was a solid 3.5 stars. Pretty good, but not great. I'd read something else by this author, but wouldn't reread this book.
September 1, 2020
I'm rounding up a little.
The premise of this novel is, IMHO, highly implausible. However, when I put that issue aside, I liked this book very much. The alternating, converging timelines were quite effective, simultaneously keeping suspense high while showing step by step what brought Kira into this world, what it did to her, and how she dealt with those effects.
Several other characters -- in particular Chloe, Kira's roommate, and Diana, her mentor -- were well developed. Only antagonist Nils is less nuanced, though not necessarily unrealistic.
The ending took me aback, but I quickly realized it was just right.
The premise of this novel is, IMHO, highly implausible. However, when I put that issue aside, I liked this book very much. The alternating, converging timelines were quite effective, simultaneously keeping suspense high while showing step by step what brought Kira into this world, what it did to her, and how she dealt with those effects.
Several other characters -- in particular Chloe, Kira's roommate, and Diana, her mentor -- were well developed. Only antagonist Nils is less nuanced, though not necessarily unrealistic.
The ending took me aback, but I quickly realized it was just right.
March 23, 2020
Corporate Gunslinger is a great example of a SF novel that adds one tweak to modern society as commentary. Engstrom does a great job of normalizing the actions of the gunslingers, walking you step by step through the training (and indoctrination) of his protagonist, Kira. The world around her slowly fills in, as she sees more and more how the actions of the gunslingers and the corporations they protect shift the societal narrative. There aren't any points at which the reader couldn't imagine the world slowly turning to this future; there are no giant space overlords or psychic abilities forcing citizens to shoot each other. Instead, Engstrom builds a world in which corporations are able to exert more and more power, from the lifetime services contract (if you don't repay the loan, they own your life) to the gunslingers trained to duel in the corporations' stead. Corporate Gunslinger reminds me of the story of the boiling frog; as long as the temperature is only raised a little at a time, the frog won't hop out. In this novel, society is already starting to boil, but they've accepted it and are beginning to cook.
September 8, 2024
Not exactly mind-blowing or outstanding, but it's a decent+ (if the beats do seem a trifle predictable) story about personal freedoms, corporate abuses, and all the stuff we love capitalism for. With pistol duels at thirty paces, give or take.
August 1, 2024
While I liked this book, a lot of things about it were pretty frustrating. For one, Kira, the main character, isn’t all that interesting. She doesn’t really grow throughout the book, and her backstory, the whole reason she’s a gunslinger, is told in like 3 sentences in the last 75% of the book. The only decent supporting character is Diana, which luckily she’s in most of the book. Chloe was okay and her background was more interesting, but the conflict between her religion and dueling should’ve been emphasized more. The whole concept of the corporate dueling also doesn’t make much sense; is it only insurance companies? Why was dueling even allowed to be legal if the disputes already go through arbitration? Are random civilians really ever going to have a chance against trained duelists? The concept was there but the implementation could’ve been better. Also the ending was very unsatisfactory, you spend a good portion of the book flashing forward to this final duel only to have no resolution. I get that its “not supposed to matter” because they’re both killing for a company, but if you spend an entire book making us care for the main character and her inner conflict of killing vs quitting and resolving herself to finish the duel, then there should be a resolution. It was an entertaining read and a page turner, but this is a good book that could’ve been great.
September 7, 2022
Another one of my dollar tree risks and I enjoyed this one a lot more. I almost gave it four stars.
It was an enjoyable read and I had fun, but I don't think it was the biting critique it was meant to be. I didn't find Kira to be overly sympathetic nor did I dislike what she became to pay her debts. Trying to explain that it was desperation that drove Kira to killing didn't work when it was all tell and no show. Removing her debt to a fake currency of unidollars also made it feel less daunting because I didn't have a concept of how bad it really was.
I didn't fully comprehend some of the important aspects of the book until too long in the book. Maybe it was done to slowly integrate you into the culture of the world, but it also made the whole concept of the gunslingers confusing for a long time.
I can't decide how I feel about the ending. In some ways, I like the possibility that it was inconclusive in order to turn the mirror back on the reader into saying " You only care about the violence and death and not the person " but it didn't feel earned. Kira felt pretty meh for me so I couldn't get attached to her (I did like Chloe and her struggle with faith - wish that had been explained more).
3.5 stars. It's a good read for fun, but is disappointing in terms of its lessons.
It was an enjoyable read and I had fun, but I don't think it was the biting critique it was meant to be. I didn't find Kira to be overly sympathetic nor did I dislike what she became to pay her debts. Trying to explain that it was desperation that drove Kira to killing didn't work when it was all tell and no show. Removing her debt to a fake currency of unidollars also made it feel less daunting because I didn't have a concept of how bad it really was.
I didn't fully comprehend some of the important aspects of the book until too long in the book. Maybe it was done to slowly integrate you into the culture of the world, but it also made the whole concept of the gunslingers confusing for a long time.
I can't decide how I feel about the ending. In some ways, I like the possibility that it was inconclusive in order to turn the mirror back on the reader into saying " You only care about the violence and death and not the person " but it didn't feel earned. Kira felt pretty meh for me so I couldn't get attached to her (I did like Chloe and her struggle with faith - wish that had been explained more).
3.5 stars. It's a good read for fun, but is disappointing in terms of its lessons.
February 10, 2021
An engaging world and great lead characters are dragged down by missing pieces. The plot flashes forward every other chapter to a fateful duel, which eventually loses its tension as the scene keeps pausing, and the story continually skips forward in time with no explanation. The leads develop and reveal their backstories, which are well done, but don't feel earned because we've barely spent time with them. And it's all capped off with a disappointing ending.
August 18, 2020
This review originally published in Looking For a Good book. Rated 5.0 of 5
Thank you, Doug Engstrom! Corporate Gunslinger is a tremendously unique, remarkable literary experience.
Kira Clark is an aspiring actress. She has financed her education through loans. And with acting being what it is, she borrowed just to pay rent or to pay the premium on her school loans. with debt compounding, Kira faces a grim reality. Her loans were secured with a 'lifetime services contract' - meaning if she defaults, the bank will control every aspect of her life. With her debt now out of control and no means to pay it back, Kira resorts to the only option left open to her ... she becomes a corporate gunfighter.
In this world - not so much a future world, but an alternate reality (and sadly not so far-fetched) from our own - there is no Judge Judy or small claims court, filled with lawyers trying to make deals so that they can claim a share of the payout. no, the final legal recourse is a duel, old west style.
After a solid year of training, Kira goes to work for TKC Insurance. Anyone challenging a claim against TKC Insurance - if they decide not to payout for instance - the legal recourse is to fight a one-against-one gunfight duel against the insurance company's representative.
How it works is that the two fighters go into a single changing area to prepare for the fight. If either does not come out of the changing room and onto the dueling field by a specified time, the duel is forfeited and the standing fighter on the field is declared winner. If both face off, the last fighter standing is declared winner. The duel is generally skewed toward the insurance companies, of course, since they have trained and prepared their agents.
Kira quickly rises up the ranks of successful duelists, though admittedly in large part by psyching out her opponents who will often not even show up to the field. But even in an actual duel, the safest way to ensure a win is to score a kill shot, guaranteeing that the opponent goes down. But killing people, even though it's legal, it's her job, and those people always have an out, takes its toll on Kira. Unfortunately, her debt is deep and she'll be doing this a long time, or until someone kills her.
How do I describe to you how utterly fantastic this is? The commentary on our culture is so spot on. We are a nation obsessed with greed and with violence (just note the rise in interest in MMA-style fighting). How far-fetched is it, really, that those in control of both (greed and violence) combine them? We've done it before (the gladiator games of ancient Rome) so it seems likely that it's only a matter of time before we do something similar again.
Regular readers of my reviews will know that I often talk about how much I prefer character-driven stories, and while I've extolled on this concept, the character of Kira is just great. She sees her role as a gunslinger as just an act - a part to play, just like any other she might, using her theatre training. But some of her kills get under the facade and she questions what she does.
Kira's professional 'Second,' Diana Reynolds - who personally trained Kira and saw something unique in her - is a wonderful balance for Kira, both in the story as a character, as well as for the reader to not constantly have Kira's personality at the forefront.
While I am a male and my viewpoint is clearly skewed, I thought that these three leading female characters (Kira's closest friend is Chloe) were written with warmth, strength, and integrity. It takes some courage for a male author to decide that his three central figures will be female and Engstrom handles with grace.
Finally, it certainly helped my enjoyment of the book that this is set primarily in the U.S. Midwest and I could recognize the basic landscape.
Looking for a good book? Corporate Gunslinger by Doug Engstrom is a powerful, well-written tale. The copywriter for the book cover lays it out perfectly: "Greed means debt means violence."
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, Doug Engstrom! Corporate Gunslinger is a tremendously unique, remarkable literary experience.
Kira Clark is an aspiring actress. She has financed her education through loans. And with acting being what it is, she borrowed just to pay rent or to pay the premium on her school loans. with debt compounding, Kira faces a grim reality. Her loans were secured with a 'lifetime services contract' - meaning if she defaults, the bank will control every aspect of her life. With her debt now out of control and no means to pay it back, Kira resorts to the only option left open to her ... she becomes a corporate gunfighter.
In this world - not so much a future world, but an alternate reality (and sadly not so far-fetched) from our own - there is no Judge Judy or small claims court, filled with lawyers trying to make deals so that they can claim a share of the payout. no, the final legal recourse is a duel, old west style.
After a solid year of training, Kira goes to work for TKC Insurance. Anyone challenging a claim against TKC Insurance - if they decide not to payout for instance - the legal recourse is to fight a one-against-one gunfight duel against the insurance company's representative.
How it works is that the two fighters go into a single changing area to prepare for the fight. If either does not come out of the changing room and onto the dueling field by a specified time, the duel is forfeited and the standing fighter on the field is declared winner. If both face off, the last fighter standing is declared winner. The duel is generally skewed toward the insurance companies, of course, since they have trained and prepared their agents.
Kira quickly rises up the ranks of successful duelists, though admittedly in large part by psyching out her opponents who will often not even show up to the field. But even in an actual duel, the safest way to ensure a win is to score a kill shot, guaranteeing that the opponent goes down. But killing people, even though it's legal, it's her job, and those people always have an out, takes its toll on Kira. Unfortunately, her debt is deep and she'll be doing this a long time, or until someone kills her.
How do I describe to you how utterly fantastic this is? The commentary on our culture is so spot on. We are a nation obsessed with greed and with violence (just note the rise in interest in MMA-style fighting). How far-fetched is it, really, that those in control of both (greed and violence) combine them? We've done it before (the gladiator games of ancient Rome) so it seems likely that it's only a matter of time before we do something similar again.
Regular readers of my reviews will know that I often talk about how much I prefer character-driven stories, and while I've extolled on this concept, the character of Kira is just great. She sees her role as a gunslinger as just an act - a part to play, just like any other she might, using her theatre training. But some of her kills get under the facade and she questions what she does.
Kira's professional 'Second,' Diana Reynolds - who personally trained Kira and saw something unique in her - is a wonderful balance for Kira, both in the story as a character, as well as for the reader to not constantly have Kira's personality at the forefront.
While I am a male and my viewpoint is clearly skewed, I thought that these three leading female characters (Kira's closest friend is Chloe) were written with warmth, strength, and integrity. It takes some courage for a male author to decide that his three central figures will be female and Engstrom handles with grace.
Finally, it certainly helped my enjoyment of the book that this is set primarily in the U.S. Midwest and I could recognize the basic landscape.
Looking for a good book? Corporate Gunslinger by Doug Engstrom is a powerful, well-written tale. The copywriter for the book cover lays it out perfectly: "Greed means debt means violence."
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2020
One of the Best Books I’ve Read This Year!
This review really took me some time to digest what to say after finishing this book! There is just so much going on in this book that I would say that is a not too far fetched near future social commentary. Doug Engstrom knocked this debut out of the park!
I really do not want to divulge or say too much pertaining the book in order not to dole out spoilers. However, the setting takes place in a near future-like society where the rich thrive, and the ones in debt are slaves to the system. (Literally). Kira is our main protagonist, and an amazingly strong female lead! She has bitten off more than she can chew, is drowning in loan debt, and faces foreclosure. If she doesn’t take a deal with TKC Insurance company and become a gunslinger she faces losing everything. Including her right to her life of choice.
The gunslingers do the dirty work for a corrupt system, and every citizen with a dispute against a ruling has a chance to take on a gunslinger in a duel to have it over ridden. Many loathe the duelists, many admire them. It’s a blood sport to most. Televised and relished by the public.
Kira faces many tough decisions alongside her best friend Chloe who also is a duelist. All they both want is a chance at a better life, but is being a Corporate Gunslinger really just a cleaver trap?
This was written in such a manner I would love to see a movie adaptation! With the likes of Blade Runner, The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Running Man, Minority Report, and many more I can see it being a major possibility! Engtrom’s writing is very smooth like a nicely aged bourbon. It burns to swallow, but sends a euphoric tingling buzz throughout your body and brain.
All I can say pertaining this book is it is a fantastic read! Quick paced, thought provoking, scary that it feels like it could actually come to fruition (or something similar), and Engstrom delivers exceptionally! What a debut! A very nasty, gritty, and realistic social commentary, but very intriguing! I was drawn in and couldn’t put it down!
Overall, I give Corporate Gunslinger 5 shiny 🌟‘a out of 5 🌟‘a! Doug delivers an exceptional debut, keeps you interested, keeps you guessing, and most importantly makes you think a little. I have to say this is a must read you must pick up this June!
This review really took me some time to digest what to say after finishing this book! There is just so much going on in this book that I would say that is a not too far fetched near future social commentary. Doug Engstrom knocked this debut out of the park!
I really do not want to divulge or say too much pertaining the book in order not to dole out spoilers. However, the setting takes place in a near future-like society where the rich thrive, and the ones in debt are slaves to the system. (Literally). Kira is our main protagonist, and an amazingly strong female lead! She has bitten off more than she can chew, is drowning in loan debt, and faces foreclosure. If she doesn’t take a deal with TKC Insurance company and become a gunslinger she faces losing everything. Including her right to her life of choice.
The gunslingers do the dirty work for a corrupt system, and every citizen with a dispute against a ruling has a chance to take on a gunslinger in a duel to have it over ridden. Many loathe the duelists, many admire them. It’s a blood sport to most. Televised and relished by the public.
Kira faces many tough decisions alongside her best friend Chloe who also is a duelist. All they both want is a chance at a better life, but is being a Corporate Gunslinger really just a cleaver trap?
This was written in such a manner I would love to see a movie adaptation! With the likes of Blade Runner, The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Running Man, Minority Report, and many more I can see it being a major possibility! Engtrom’s writing is very smooth like a nicely aged bourbon. It burns to swallow, but sends a euphoric tingling buzz throughout your body and brain.
All I can say pertaining this book is it is a fantastic read! Quick paced, thought provoking, scary that it feels like it could actually come to fruition (or something similar), and Engstrom delivers exceptionally! What a debut! A very nasty, gritty, and realistic social commentary, but very intriguing! I was drawn in and couldn’t put it down!
Overall, I give Corporate Gunslinger 5 shiny 🌟‘a out of 5 🌟‘a! Doug delivers an exceptional debut, keeps you interested, keeps you guessing, and most importantly makes you think a little. I have to say this is a must read you must pick up this June!
May 9, 2020
One of the Best Books I’ve Read This Year!
This review really took me some time to digest what to say after finishing this book! There is just so much going on in this book that I would say that is a not too far fetched near future social commentary. Doug Engstrom knocked this debut out of the park!
I really do not want to divulge or say too much pertaining the book in order not to dole out spoilers. However, the setting takes place in a near future-like society where the rich thrive, and the ones in debt are slaves to the system. (Literally). Kira is our main protagonist, and an amazingly strong female lead! She has bitten off more than she can chew, is drowning in loan debt, and faces foreclosure. If she doesn’t take a deal with TKC Insurance company and become a gunslinger she faces losing everything. Including her right to her life of choice.
The gunslingers do the dirty work for a corrupt system, and every citizen with a dispute against a ruling has a chance to take on a gunslinger in a duel to have it over ridden. Many loathe the duelists, many admire them. It’s a blood sport to most. Televised and relished by the public.
Kira faces many tough decisions alongside her best friend Chloe who also is a duelist. All they both want is a chance at a better life, but is being a Corporate Gunslinger really just a cleaver trap?
This was written in such a manner I would love to see a movie adaptation! With the likes of Blade Runner, The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Running Man, Minority Report, and many more I can see it being a major possibility! Engtrom’s writing is very smooth like a nicely aged bourbon. It burns to swallow, but sends a euphoric tingling buzz throughout your body and brain.
All I can say pertaining this book is it is a fantastic read! Quick paced, thought provoking, scary that it feels like it could actually come to fruition (or something similar), and Engstrom delivers exceptionally! What a debut! A very nasty, gritty, and realistic social commentary, but very intriguing! I was drawn in and couldn’t put it down!
Overall, I give Corporate Gunslinger 5 shiny 🌟‘a out of 5 🌟‘a! Doug delivers an exceptional debut, keeps you interested, keeps you guessing, and most importantly makes you think a little. I have to say this is a must read you must pick up this June!
This review really took me some time to digest what to say after finishing this book! There is just so much going on in this book that I would say that is a not too far fetched near future social commentary. Doug Engstrom knocked this debut out of the park!
I really do not want to divulge or say too much pertaining the book in order not to dole out spoilers. However, the setting takes place in a near future-like society where the rich thrive, and the ones in debt are slaves to the system. (Literally). Kira is our main protagonist, and an amazingly strong female lead! She has bitten off more than she can chew, is drowning in loan debt, and faces foreclosure. If she doesn’t take a deal with TKC Insurance company and become a gunslinger she faces losing everything. Including her right to her life of choice.
The gunslingers do the dirty work for a corrupt system, and every citizen with a dispute against a ruling has a chance to take on a gunslinger in a duel to have it over ridden. Many loathe the duelists, many admire them. It’s a blood sport to most. Televised and relished by the public.
Kira faces many tough decisions alongside her best friend Chloe who also is a duelist. All they both want is a chance at a better life, but is being a Corporate Gunslinger really just a cleaver trap?
This was written in such a manner I would love to see a movie adaptation! With the likes of Blade Runner, The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Running Man, Minority Report, and many more I can see it being a major possibility! Engtrom’s writing is very smooth like a nicely aged bourbon. It burns to swallow, but sends a euphoric tingling buzz throughout your body and brain.
All I can say pertaining this book is it is a fantastic read! Quick paced, thought provoking, scary that it feels like it could actually come to fruition (or something similar), and Engstrom delivers exceptionally! What a debut! A very nasty, gritty, and realistic social commentary, but very intriguing! I was drawn in and couldn’t put it down!
Overall, I give Corporate Gunslinger 5 shiny 🌟‘a out of 5 🌟‘a! Doug delivers an exceptional debut, keeps you interested, keeps you guessing, and most importantly makes you think a little. I have to say this is a must read you must pick up this June!
July 7, 2021
Abstract
In the 21st century, nothing is affordable, and insurance is a farcical mirage. Claimants either succumb to debt traps—having binders installed over their spines—or they dispute arbitration in state-sanctioned gun duels.
Corporations train and employ professional gunfighters to represent them against these desperate citizens.
Kira Clark enters a gunfighter training program to manage a lifetime services contract. If she graduates and completes a 36-kill contract for TKC Insurance, she can pay off her debt—if she doesn't die on the dueling floor.
The narrative is threaded with Kira's duel with Niles LeBlanc with United Reinsurance—the first professional duel in three years—and her life's arc, from training to competing to be a finalist.
Weaknesses
I struggled to engage with the primary cast, initially. Stamping of concept had to wait out some awkward character development.
It plodded before the characters found their routines.
The story developed unevenly at points. Rated training progress, growing fandom, and psychological deterioration were more burped than dripped.
Strengths
Engstrom has a battle school, Hunger Games thing going on. Once established, the gunfighting duels become a reliably exciting feature of the novel. There's enough variety of woeful circumstance, tactical approach, and grisly outcome to compel interest.
The relationship with her second Diana Reynolds shapes Kira's progress as much as the death-defying gunfights she survives. Diana's intentions and regard for her clients, Kira in particular, are slowly revealed by their shared experiences.
CORPORATE GUNSLINGER hits its stride about 40% of the way in. In a time of rising global inequality, you can't not see a little of yourself in Kira's predicament. Shootouts with corporate agents and winning the lottery are potent fantasies for debt slaves.
In the 21st century, nothing is affordable, and insurance is a farcical mirage. Claimants either succumb to debt traps—having binders installed over their spines—or they dispute arbitration in state-sanctioned gun duels.
Corporations train and employ professional gunfighters to represent them against these desperate citizens.
Kira Clark enters a gunfighter training program to manage a lifetime services contract. If she graduates and completes a 36-kill contract for TKC Insurance, she can pay off her debt—if she doesn't die on the dueling floor.
The narrative is threaded with Kira's duel with Niles LeBlanc with United Reinsurance—the first professional duel in three years—and her life's arc, from training to competing to be a finalist.
Weaknesses
I struggled to engage with the primary cast, initially. Stamping of concept had to wait out some awkward character development.
It plodded before the characters found their routines.
The story developed unevenly at points. Rated training progress, growing fandom, and psychological deterioration were more burped than dripped.
Strengths
Engstrom has a battle school, Hunger Games thing going on. Once established, the gunfighting duels become a reliably exciting feature of the novel. There's enough variety of woeful circumstance, tactical approach, and grisly outcome to compel interest.
The relationship with her second Diana Reynolds shapes Kira's progress as much as the death-defying gunfights she survives. Diana's intentions and regard for her clients, Kira in particular, are slowly revealed by their shared experiences.
CORPORATE GUNSLINGER hits its stride about 40% of the way in. In a time of rising global inequality, you can't not see a little of yourself in Kira's predicament. Shootouts with corporate agents and winning the lottery are potent fantasies for debt slaves.
May 20, 2020
In this, not too distant future, being in over your head in student debt could lead to a lifetime of servitude, which is what Kira Clark's MFA in the theater was going to do for her. Signing up for training as a corporate gunslinger, in a world where customer service is handled on a dueling field, seems like the lesser of two evils, thanks to a signing bonus that keeps her out of slavery.
The staying alive part is more problematic.
Kiri's acting comes in handy, as she throws herself into the role of a cold-blooded killer until the odds catch up with her. Now she's got one last chance to score big, clear her debts and live happily ever after, or die trying. What she doesn't realize is that every time you kill, a piece of you dies as well.
The story is told in two timeframes, with a tantalizing bit leading up to her ultimate fight against another pro starting most chapters before settling in to take her from trainee to blooded gunfighter. The challenge to the reader is to not zoom ahead to find out how the fight ends, but you'll want to stick with the character to find out who she is when she steps onto that dueling field.
I wish the protagonist was more likable, but her chameleon nature and "Death's Angel" persona put me off a bit. as it's all about herself. She is in a dire fix, facing down a debt that keeps growing, and she does get there in the end.
There's little future tech here to make this science fiction, which makes it the best sort of science fiction, one about using the future to explore ideas society and the individual. Corporate duelists as an alternative to binding arbitration may not be in our literal future, but as a mirror to our society, it's not far off.
The staying alive part is more problematic.
Kiri's acting comes in handy, as she throws herself into the role of a cold-blooded killer until the odds catch up with her. Now she's got one last chance to score big, clear her debts and live happily ever after, or die trying. What she doesn't realize is that every time you kill, a piece of you dies as well.
The story is told in two timeframes, with a tantalizing bit leading up to her ultimate fight against another pro starting most chapters before settling in to take her from trainee to blooded gunfighter. The challenge to the reader is to not zoom ahead to find out how the fight ends, but you'll want to stick with the character to find out who she is when she steps onto that dueling field.
I wish the protagonist was more likable, but her chameleon nature and "Death's Angel" persona put me off a bit. as it's all about herself. She is in a dire fix, facing down a debt that keeps growing, and she does get there in the end.
There's little future tech here to make this science fiction, which makes it the best sort of science fiction, one about using the future to explore ideas society and the individual. Corporate duelists as an alternative to binding arbitration may not be in our literal future, but as a mirror to our society, it's not far off.
October 20, 2020
I should clear the air by mentioning that I received a copy from this author because I know him.
Engstrom's Corporate Gunslinger is a treatise on capitalism run rampant in the Iowa insurance industry of the near future. For those of you who don't know, Des Moines, Iowa is one of the insurance capitols of the western world, and the political commentary of something this nuanced is significant. In the dystopian world Engstrom creates gunslingers who solve problems for corporations against claimants by showdown. In short, if you don't agree with the settlement of the company, you can choose to fight for your life against a representative of the company.
Enter our main character Kyra. Kyra has chosen the life of a gunslinger because she is in over her head with debt. Student loans and compound interest has put Kyra on the edge of becoming a wage slave, a literal slave whose life will be spent in the service of others as human collateral, to do with what someone pleases. After all, if you fail in capitalism, you get what you deserve, right?
Kyra grapples with the morality of gunslinging while doing the job. The internal tension of the book demands you pay attention. Engstrom's book is a commentary not only on capitalism's effect on the individual, but also on the entirety of society. There's a lot in this book: real friendship, skill and pride at expertise, but undercutting it all is the false and hollow system that devalues human life and worships the all might dollar.
I'd say this might be one of the most important science fiction books to come out at this time, given its savvy sense of perspective as we teeter on the edge of our own version of systemic failure.
Engstrom's Corporate Gunslinger is a treatise on capitalism run rampant in the Iowa insurance industry of the near future. For those of you who don't know, Des Moines, Iowa is one of the insurance capitols of the western world, and the political commentary of something this nuanced is significant. In the dystopian world Engstrom creates gunslingers who solve problems for corporations against claimants by showdown. In short, if you don't agree with the settlement of the company, you can choose to fight for your life against a representative of the company.
Enter our main character Kyra. Kyra has chosen the life of a gunslinger because she is in over her head with debt. Student loans and compound interest has put Kyra on the edge of becoming a wage slave, a literal slave whose life will be spent in the service of others as human collateral, to do with what someone pleases. After all, if you fail in capitalism, you get what you deserve, right?
Kyra grapples with the morality of gunslinging while doing the job. The internal tension of the book demands you pay attention. Engstrom's book is a commentary not only on capitalism's effect on the individual, but also on the entirety of society. There's a lot in this book: real friendship, skill and pride at expertise, but undercutting it all is the false and hollow system that devalues human life and worships the all might dollar.
I'd say this might be one of the most important science fiction books to come out at this time, given its savvy sense of perspective as we teeter on the edge of our own version of systemic failure.
October 26, 2025
This is pretty good, undercut by a self-inflicted wound. It reminds me of a lesser version of Jennifer Government by Max Barry or Crowded, Vol. 1 by Christopher Sebela: a satire extrapolating from current trends. Crowded takes the gig economy to absurdist extremes while Jennifer Government anticipated rulings such as Citizens United, which gave corporations the ability to funnel unlimited funds to politicians.
Here we have duels sanctioned by the government where people can engage in televised shootouts with insurance companies. Of course insurance companies have the edge, recruiting top talent and giving them the best training. It’s basically the situation we have currently, except in our world its lawyers. The really aggressive assholes who’ve done things like crash the global economy in 2008 fancy themselves “corporate gunslingers”, a phrase Engstrom makes literal.
Overall I think this slots alongside stories of extreme capitalism and spectator sports like The Running Man and Rollerball where the most vulnerable are taken advantage of. The downside here is that the story doesn’t have a proper ending. It’s open-ended, which doesn’t fit with the rest of the book.
Other than that, I quite liked it, and the bulk of it is better than the beginning and ending.
Here we have duels sanctioned by the government where people can engage in televised shootouts with insurance companies. Of course insurance companies have the edge, recruiting top talent and giving them the best training. It’s basically the situation we have currently, except in our world its lawyers. The really aggressive assholes who’ve done things like crash the global economy in 2008 fancy themselves “corporate gunslingers”, a phrase Engstrom makes literal.
Overall I think this slots alongside stories of extreme capitalism and spectator sports like The Running Man and Rollerball where the most vulnerable are taken advantage of. The downside here is that the story doesn’t have a proper ending. It’s open-ended, which doesn’t fit with the rest of the book.
Other than that, I quite liked it, and the bulk of it is better than the beginning and ending.
September 29, 2021
I have never read speculative fiction before, at least I don't think I have. First, the good. This book was very well written, words were not wasted here and the plot moved along at a good clip.
However, it suffered what I have come to think of as the "Municipal Darwinism" problem. In Mortal Engines, every time someone said "Municipal Darwinism", it threw me right out of my suspension of disbelief. I continued reading that because it amused me to no end, but still. It was something that I just couldn't believe anyone in their right mind would believe. Corporate Gunslinger presented me with the same problem, the crux of the way for the main character was that it was either being a gunslinger or becoming a slave. First of all, it was hard for me to picture an America that apparently went back to legal slavery because someone couldn't pay off debts. Secondly, that average Americans would rather kill or be killed by someone because their insurance weaseled out of paying them what they were rightfully owed? Maybe it's my own beliefs, but odds are you're going to die. And then you still have no payout. You're just dead. And now your family has funeral expenses on top of everything else. Sheesh.
The ending was ambiguous, which is fine if you like that sort of thing. I find my life has enough ambiguity that I need a book with a more solid ending. That said, I don't think this book was poorly written, and if you can buy into the premise, there is nothing wrong with the characters, their motivations, or their choices.
However, it suffered what I have come to think of as the "Municipal Darwinism" problem. In Mortal Engines, every time someone said "Municipal Darwinism", it threw me right out of my suspension of disbelief. I continued reading that because it amused me to no end, but still. It was something that I just couldn't believe anyone in their right mind would believe. Corporate Gunslinger presented me with the same problem, the crux of the way for the main character was that it was either being a gunslinger or becoming a slave. First of all, it was hard for me to picture an America that apparently went back to legal slavery because someone couldn't pay off debts. Secondly, that average Americans would rather kill or be killed by someone because their insurance weaseled out of paying them what they were rightfully owed? Maybe it's my own beliefs, but odds are you're going to die. And then you still have no payout. You're just dead. And now your family has funeral expenses on top of everything else. Sheesh.
The ending was ambiguous, which is fine if you like that sort of thing. I find my life has enough ambiguity that I need a book with a more solid ending. That said, I don't think this book was poorly written, and if you can buy into the premise, there is nothing wrong with the characters, their motivations, or their choices.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2020
This near-future thriller was a pleasant surprise! Engstrom jumps right into the action, feeding us the story's final scene in short chapters spliced throughout the book with gunslinger Kira's story from her first day of training. This fast-moving, suspenseful read doesn't pause to deliver exposition, but it's not difficult to imagine how society could develop to the extremes Kira struggles through, especially if the reader has ever been in high-interest credit card debt or financially wiped out by medical expenses. Engstrom imagines debt so inescapable that people end up as slaves to corporations and banks; their only escape is a form of duelling not unlike the Hamilton-Burr pistol duel, but the high-tech, tightly regulated one-shot-each battles are fought against trained corporate representatives who seldom miss. The spectacles are televised, and become a sport beyond financial disputes; occasionally, corporations' best gunfighters will square off for high stakes. A few more years of Trump de-regulating everything could take us to this point. Kira is an engaging character, and her story kept me in suspense until the end -- I actually had to cover the page to stop myself from skipping to the bottom to see the resolution! I found the physical duelling rules a little difficult to visualize, but when this story becomes a film -- it really ought to -- we'll get to see it in action. I received a free uncorrected proof through Goodreads and appreciate the opportunity!
July 29, 2020
Hi, I wish I did have a spoiler to tell me the end. It was so vague, it left me disappointed. The author used a style of writing that I'm not to comfortable with. He would italicize conversations that I thought were dreams of Kira's the main character. Then I thought maybe it was something else. I hate to be confused when I'm really trying hard to give a book a chance. I didn't really want to read the book as I'm scared of guns, however it looked short enought that it would not take too much time, so I perservered. I did like most of the characters Kira, Chloe, Diane. They seemed to be genuine people that were transparent, which is what I respect. Also, women stepping up in a man's world is always a positive read for me a woman. The idea that people play these games for high stakes financially and risking their lives seems to be an age old reality; not something that I would ever condone or do, however this human world we live in is bitter sweet and the reality of bahaviors perpetuates our suffering. Nonetheless, I'm still going to keep an optimistic rosy colored glasses perspective on life and give thanks and praise to the most high, whomever he or she may be. Thanks for listening.
December 17, 2020
Corporate Gunslinger is described as dystopian satire. The book is set in Iowa sometime in the middle of the 21st century, roughly 20 to 40 years from now. The dystopian elements are not far removed from current American society: individuals can secure debt by entering into ‘personal services’ contracts, putting every aspect of their lives under corporate control if they default on the debt. If legal disputes cannot be resolved in arbitration, the parties settle matters via gunfight. Leaving little to chance, insurance companies and other corporations hire and train professional gunfighters to handle the dueling for them.
Kira Clark is a newly hired gunfighter trainee, taking the job to avoid defaulting on student loan debt. An actress, she creates her own role as ‘Death’s Angel’ as she ascends through the ranks to become one of the best gunslingers and battles with her own conscience after killing people whose situations were not all that different from her own.
I gave Corporate Gunslinger five stars on Goodreads. I wasn’t that fond of the ending, but the book’s premise is so intriguing and it’s so well written.
Kira Clark is a newly hired gunfighter trainee, taking the job to avoid defaulting on student loan debt. An actress, she creates her own role as ‘Death’s Angel’ as she ascends through the ranks to become one of the best gunslingers and battles with her own conscience after killing people whose situations were not all that different from her own.
I gave Corporate Gunslinger five stars on Goodreads. I wasn’t that fond of the ending, but the book’s premise is so intriguing and it’s so well written.
June 26, 2020
I'm a Canadian with a rudimentary understanding of guns and gun culture. I don't know why people like them, I've never engaged in any kind of sport shooting, and I find myself baffled by people who consider gun ownership to be an essential contributor to their quality of life. I don't necessarily judge them for it, but it's always mystified me.
With that in mind, I probably missed a lot of the nuance in "Corporate Gunslinger," because it was satirizing a culture I don't know very well. I'm sure there was a lot of context that went over my head. Still, it's a slow-acting, subtle story that gets under your skin when you're not paying attention, and before you know it, you are torn between loving the high-stakes action and hating yourself for enjoying it. Maybe that's the point?
So, whether you are a gun enthusiast, a gun control advocate, or a person who has no idea either way, I suspect you'll enjoy the expert pacing and interesting flash-forward-flash-back structure of the book. However, if you're not a fan of ambiguous endings, give this one a miss.
With that in mind, I probably missed a lot of the nuance in "Corporate Gunslinger," because it was satirizing a culture I don't know very well. I'm sure there was a lot of context that went over my head. Still, it's a slow-acting, subtle story that gets under your skin when you're not paying attention, and before you know it, you are torn between loving the high-stakes action and hating yourself for enjoying it. Maybe that's the point?
So, whether you are a gun enthusiast, a gun control advocate, or a person who has no idea either way, I suspect you'll enjoy the expert pacing and interesting flash-forward-flash-back structure of the book. However, if you're not a fan of ambiguous endings, give this one a miss.
January 1, 2021
Wow, this is quite a grim book. A futuristic America lives by corporate greed, crippling personal debt that consists of literally signing up for slavery to get a loan, legalized gunfights, and casual violence. Kara had gotten a loan to pay for her college and old medical debt on her parents and now she can’t pay. She can either become a slave or become a gunslinger fighting for insurance companies against citizens who refuse to accept arbitration (which pretty means the insurance company refuses to pay the policy). She chooses becoming a corporate gunslinger and that means shooting people in cold blood. This book rocks back and forth between Kara’s last gun battle and her past training and career as a gunslinger. This is a fictional story now but is a path that America could end up on with our gun culture and acceptance of extreme capitalism. Great story, excellent writing, fascinating characters. Definitely a top book!! (I waited a long time for this book to come out and it was well worth my wait!)
June 13, 2020
Interesting. Kira, mired in student debt, takes a job as a gunslinger for an instance company. In this dystopian scenario, those who can't pay their debts have the option of a duel- if they win, they win, if they lose, well, they're dead. You could compare this to Hunger Games but it's not that at all. Kira, who has an MFA, finds a mentor in Diana at the training academy and creates a menacing personal. That doesn't prepare her, however, for the reality of what she's doing. Engstrom has set this up with a duel running throughout the novel, and you're not sure what's going to happen, which, of course, keeps you turning the pages. It's well plotted, Kira's interesting, and it's definitely thought provoking. To be honest, however, I suspect I would have appreciated this more if world events weren't so dark at the moment. Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC. Let's hope we don't come to this.
October 8, 2020
This fast paced, excellently written novel would’ve been a 5 star rating for me, but the ending was so ambiguous that it ruined it. The book is set in the not so far away future where debts are settled either by debt slavery or going up against a professional gunslinger to settle the score. While there were parts that were graphic, a warning at the start of the book was sufficient. Kira is a young woman in tremendous debt who decides to become a gunslinger herself to help pay off her debt. The difference between Kira & many other gunslingers is that she actually has a conscience & tries to talk these people going up against her not to try. She also happens to excel at her job. Italicized chapters hint that Kira is going to go up against another professional gunslinger from another company for big, big dollars. The reader knows one of them will die in the end, and this is where a lot of the vagueness lies. A great read with a not so great ending.
May 22, 2022
This book was so good, and I'm not even sure why. :) I loved the perspective we got on corporations and how they seem to not care about the individual and just make policies that only benefit themselves, and I loved the point of view of the individual who finds herself so far in debt that she can't envision a life past the payments and who has no choice but to go work in a job she doesn't want for a company she disagrees with because she feels like she has no other choice. All of that is in this book and it isn't boring at all like I just made it sound. :) Insurance companies hire (and train) gunslingers who then duel the citizens who feel the insurance company has wronged them in some way. This book has tons of gunfights, lots of gun training, and plenty of bravado. Somehow all of it worked together and made a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The ending was unsatisfying and brought it down just a bit for me, but otherwise, a good, solid book.
August 17, 2022
I can see where the author was going with this book I really can… but I just didn’t care much for it. Now that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. I received the book from a blind date with a book package, dystopian worlds just aren’t my thing and I still gave it a shot. The book itself was fine the characters developed slowly throughout the entire story and some things didn’t get answered til the end. I wasn’t fond of the cliff hanger ending considering this book was a novel but I guess you as the reader could fill in the blanks as you see fit. Now just because I didn’t care for this story does not mean I wouldn’t recommend it to someone I know would enjoy it. The book was interesting and I would gladly lend it to anyone I know for a fact would appreciate it for what it is; a story about a girl who joined a corrupt business because of a corrupted world because she had no other options available to her.
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