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Gunslinger: The Dragon of Yellowstone
They say girls can't be gunslingers. Beth's gonna prove 'em wrong. Even if she has to fight a dragon to do it. The ghost of Calamity Jane gave her the gun. Wild Bill Hickok taught her to shoot. And at sixteen, she's ready to make a name of her own. So when strange assailants murder a visiting Arapaho shaman, Beth straps on her Colt .45. She must find the killers, defeat their dragon, and prevent the destruction of the West.
Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2021
3 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Edward J. Knight
13 books1 followerA fourth generation Coloradoan, Edward J. Knight only left the Denver-Boulder area long enough to learn how to put a satellite into orbit. Four satellites (and counting) later, he’s returned to both the mountains and writing fantastical fiction. Along the way, he met the love of his life and became the father of two wonderfully curious kids. He’s a huge fan of tightly constructed universes and smart plots. He’s also recently become a fan of historical “what ifs”. Sometimes that detail is “magical,” such as in his Mythic West novels. More of his work can be found at edwardjknight.com.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 14, 2021
Published in April of 2021 by WordFire Press.
Gunslinger: The Dragon of Yellowstone is part of a series of books set in post-Civil War years, but with a major twist - the giants from Norse mythology crossed through a thin spot between their reality and Earth in an attempt to conquer Earth.
The fighting began in Andersonville, Georgia. It interrupted the Civil War but everything East of the Mississippi was basically lost. As the army of the giants pushed west, they were finally stopped in an epic battle featuring a number of names that were big names in the normal timeline of the Old West and an uneasy truce is in place, mostly because both sides have exhausted themselves.
This book features a threat to end that uneasy truce that is investigated by a minor character from other books in the series, a teenaged gunslinger named Beth who was trained by none other than Wild Bill Hickock himself.
I really appreciate the world building that went into this series. This reminds me of the kind of work that Harry Turtledove does (with a little extra oomph) and I liked the combination of Norse myths and American history.
I also liked the way that characters just didn't simply shake off injuries. When a character got hurt, they had to deal with the injuries for an appropriate amount of time.
However, I kept feeling like I was reading a story where the best parts were being hidden from me. I was getting a little tiny story when I really wanted to know about the bigger story. Did Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln decide to join forces? Did Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant make a mega army? How hard was it for the two sides to put aside their differences, or did they just fight independently and maybe even continue to fight one another? How badly did those Civil War armies maul the invading giant army? How was the entire East lost? From what I can tell, those stories have not been told in this series, which is too bad.
I rate this book 3 stars out of 5.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2021...
Gunslinger: The Dragon of Yellowstone is part of a series of books set in post-Civil War years, but with a major twist - the giants from Norse mythology crossed through a thin spot between their reality and Earth in an attempt to conquer Earth.
The fighting began in Andersonville, Georgia. It interrupted the Civil War but everything East of the Mississippi was basically lost. As the army of the giants pushed west, they were finally stopped in an epic battle featuring a number of names that were big names in the normal timeline of the Old West and an uneasy truce is in place, mostly because both sides have exhausted themselves.
This book features a threat to end that uneasy truce that is investigated by a minor character from other books in the series, a teenaged gunslinger named Beth who was trained by none other than Wild Bill Hickock himself.
I really appreciate the world building that went into this series. This reminds me of the kind of work that Harry Turtledove does (with a little extra oomph) and I liked the combination of Norse myths and American history.
I also liked the way that characters just didn't simply shake off injuries. When a character got hurt, they had to deal with the injuries for an appropriate amount of time.
However, I kept feeling like I was reading a story where the best parts were being hidden from me. I was getting a little tiny story when I really wanted to know about the bigger story. Did Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln decide to join forces? Did Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant make a mega army? How hard was it for the two sides to put aside their differences, or did they just fight independently and maybe even continue to fight one another? How badly did those Civil War armies maul the invading giant army? How was the entire East lost? From what I can tell, those stories have not been told in this series, which is too bad.
I rate this book 3 stars out of 5.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2021...
February 1, 2025
A classic slay the dragon quest wrapped in a western, or perhaps vice versa. I'm not really sure.
I enjoyed the story and the characters, though the fantastical elements seemed a bit random at times.
MC is young female prodigy of Wild Bill Hickock who acquired Calamity Jane's gun with her ghost's blessing? Tangential references to other western characters seemed superfluous (Billy the Kid).
Only some humans can see ghosts, but all dwarves can? Ghosts are used for scouting and surveillance.
There is a war (maybe) with trolls. These creatures came through a rift or something, but their magic doesn't work here for some reason. But dragon can still fly by filling itself with hot air.
A lot going on and a lot not fully explained.
Lots of death, either happens in plot or is referenced (e.g. experiencing aftermath of a massacre). By the end, the MC's body count is into double figures. Still way behind the dragon.
One scene with partial nudity (topless female changing clothes when male stumbles in) and several others with chaste pecks on cheeks. Otherwise, no adult situations.
Good for YA reader interested in mashing up western and fantasy who isn't particular about everything making complete sense. Probably could have been a bit shorter too.
I enjoyed the story and the characters, though the fantastical elements seemed a bit random at times.
MC is young female prodigy of Wild Bill Hickock who acquired Calamity Jane's gun with her ghost's blessing? Tangential references to other western characters seemed superfluous (Billy the Kid).
Only some humans can see ghosts, but all dwarves can? Ghosts are used for scouting and surveillance.
There is a war (maybe) with trolls. These creatures came through a rift or something, but their magic doesn't work here for some reason. But dragon can still fly by filling itself with hot air.
A lot going on and a lot not fully explained.
Lots of death, either happens in plot or is referenced (e.g. experiencing aftermath of a massacre). By the end, the MC's body count is into double figures. Still way behind the dragon.
One scene with partial nudity (topless female changing clothes when male stumbles in) and several others with chaste pecks on cheeks. Otherwise, no adult situations.
Good for YA reader interested in mashing up western and fantasy who isn't particular about everything making complete sense. Probably could have been a bit shorter too.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews