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The Comanche Kid #1
The Comanche Kid
Out of nowhere Comanches attack—and sixteen year-old Jane narrowly survives the slaughter of her family and the kidnapping of her baby sister. Driven by grief and fury, she rides headlong into Indian territory, seeking vengeance. But the odds are stacked against a young girl on the trail, and Jane soon realizes she must disguise herself as a boy to join forces with a tough company of cowhands on a cattle drive to Dodge City. The harrowing trek pits her against tough drovers, raging rivers, ruthless soldiers, and ends in a bloody reckoning that forces Jane to discover her surprising capacity for love, survival—and revenge.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
January 1, 2023
💭 QUICK THOUGHTS 💭
All the stars in the sky for The Comanche Kid!!!
I have never read a Western, but OMG Y'ALL this was hands down one of the best books I have ever read!!!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Audiobook is the way to go with this one!
Julia Whelan's best performance ever!
Outstanding!!!!🎉
Brilliant book. Perfection. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Can't wait for the next in the series.
(Might post a real review some day)
All the stars in the sky for The Comanche Kid!!!
I have never read a Western, but OMG Y'ALL this was hands down one of the best books I have ever read!!!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Audiobook is the way to go with this one!
Julia Whelan's best performance ever!
Outstanding!!!!🎉
Brilliant book. Perfection. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Can't wait for the next in the series.
(Might post a real review some day)
June 29, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Comanche Kid" by James Robert Daniels. There was a casual nod to "True Grit" by featuring a tough young heroine. It was one 0f the most authentic westerns I've read in a long, long time. Daniels knows his horses, his cattle, his men, and apparently his history.
Jane's family is murdered by raiding Comanche Indians. Her youngest sister is taken hostage and young Jane pursues the raiding party and manages to kill a number of them. But her sister's kidnapper manages to elude her. She gathers the remainder of her father's herd and begins driving north with vengeance on her mind. Eventually, she meets up with another herd and they agree to work together. Of course, she has disguised herself as her twin brother and none of the other hands recognize that she is a member of the fairer sex. The reader is in for a lot of fun watching her try to hide her sex from the others. The other hands, after hearing of her exploits, christen her "The Comanche Kid." Jane does her best to live up to her new nickname.
The author does a bang-up job recreating a trail drive and its ever-present dangers. One can almost smell the cattle and the feel the dust from the trail, the heat from the sun, the cold nights, and a sore bottom from long days in the saddle. The camaraderie of the hands provide a truly cathartic experience as they go through the gamut of emotional interactions.
Jane's favorite among the hands is a young cowpoke nicknamed "Shakespeare." Of course, he has this name for a reason as he reads the bard aloud and outlines the plays of the great writer. When Shakespeare begins sharing a play about a woman masquerading as a man Jane begins to fear that her secret is no longer safe.
The Comanche Kid is quite an adventure. The one minor flaw was the anachronistic use of the dreaded "F-bomb" which did not see prevalent use until the 1900's... It dropped a couple of times too often to maintain the sense of reality so well captured in the rest of the story.
A fine robust western novel.
Jane's family is murdered by raiding Comanche Indians. Her youngest sister is taken hostage and young Jane pursues the raiding party and manages to kill a number of them. But her sister's kidnapper manages to elude her. She gathers the remainder of her father's herd and begins driving north with vengeance on her mind. Eventually, she meets up with another herd and they agree to work together. Of course, she has disguised herself as her twin brother and none of the other hands recognize that she is a member of the fairer sex. The reader is in for a lot of fun watching her try to hide her sex from the others. The other hands, after hearing of her exploits, christen her "The Comanche Kid." Jane does her best to live up to her new nickname.
The author does a bang-up job recreating a trail drive and its ever-present dangers. One can almost smell the cattle and the feel the dust from the trail, the heat from the sun, the cold nights, and a sore bottom from long days in the saddle. The camaraderie of the hands provide a truly cathartic experience as they go through the gamut of emotional interactions.
Jane's favorite among the hands is a young cowpoke nicknamed "Shakespeare." Of course, he has this name for a reason as he reads the bard aloud and outlines the plays of the great writer. When Shakespeare begins sharing a play about a woman masquerading as a man Jane begins to fear that her secret is no longer safe.
The Comanche Kid is quite an adventure. The one minor flaw was the anachronistic use of the dreaded "F-bomb" which did not see prevalent use until the 1900's... It dropped a couple of times too often to maintain the sense of reality so well captured in the rest of the story.
A fine robust western novel.
March 9, 2023
After her family is killed and her sister kidnapped by Comanches, Jane takes off to find her sister and take revenge on the men who killed her parents and brother. She dresses in her brother’s clothes to pass herself off as male while traveling alone. I need to warn away anyone who can’t read about brutality and atrocities. There was also way too much horse killing for my taste.
I liked the fact that the author was well acquainted with the details of this time period, and the characters were pretty well written. The scenery was well described, as well as the wonderful descriptions of Native villages, and both small and large old western towns.
Though most characters seemed authentic, one exception was the main character, Jane. I guess I just, as a rule, don’t like female characters written by males. (Maybe I just haven’t read the right books yet). This 16 year old character behaved like she was 12, losing her temper and hitting full grown men whenever she got angry. (Remember, she was dressed and looked like a male). How she kept from getting herself killed before the story even had a chance to progress is a miracle. She was annoying and at times obnoxious.
I can also think of a few problems a 16 year old female traveling for months on horseback among men may have that might blow her cover as a boy. I know, I’m no fun, but I can’t help but think of these things.
There was also a bit of a romance that I thought was very odd, not from the main character’s POV, but from the man she was attracted to. She was described as scrawny, looked just like a short haired young boy, and behaved like a foul mouthed brat, risking the lives of others with her outbursts. “Baby you’re the woman of my dreams”… not. Well to each their own, I guess.
This book was fast paced and interesting most of the time, but too much just seemed…unlikely. Three stars.
I liked the fact that the author was well acquainted with the details of this time period, and the characters were pretty well written. The scenery was well described, as well as the wonderful descriptions of Native villages, and both small and large old western towns.
Though most characters seemed authentic, one exception was the main character, Jane. I guess I just, as a rule, don’t like female characters written by males. (Maybe I just haven’t read the right books yet). This 16 year old character behaved like she was 12, losing her temper and hitting full grown men whenever she got angry. (Remember, she was dressed and looked like a male). How she kept from getting herself killed before the story even had a chance to progress is a miracle. She was annoying and at times obnoxious.
I can also think of a few problems a 16 year old female traveling for months on horseback among men may have that might blow her cover as a boy. I know, I’m no fun, but I can’t help but think of these things.
There was also a bit of a romance that I thought was very odd, not from the main character’s POV, but from the man she was attracted to. She was described as scrawny, looked just like a short haired young boy, and behaved like a foul mouthed brat, risking the lives of others with her outbursts. “Baby you’re the woman of my dreams”… not. Well to each their own, I guess.
This book was fast paced and interesting most of the time, but too much just seemed…unlikely. Three stars.
March 29, 2022
I found this tale to be fast-paced and chock full of cultural gold: livestock science, Indian mores, Shakespeare's lore, the bewildering mysteries of God's grace, to name a few. The author truly understands the human mind and the effects of trauma on the human psychic. Violent scenes will be graphic, but never reckless or irresponsible, for there is purpose in them, making the reader look deep into the characters while experiencing their pain and agony. The story offers a nice flow of highs and lows, and hits major and minor chords of realism and authenticity one appreciates in a good book. As a novice author myself (the Llano Kid series) I find Daniels's work inspirational and educational, which keeps me determined to better my own craft. I recommend The Comanche Kid for anyone who enjoys escaping to a bygone period on America's rugged and majestic frontier, ready to ride along with endearing and enduring characters! PKB
June 13, 2024
I love a good western and this fit the bill! But be warned - it is on the dark side and has some difficult and disturbing content. The story has a strong and explosive beginning and a powerful (though tragic) ending. It was the middle section where I struggled. The kid's "tantrums" were distracting to me and I felt they were overdone. I had a hard time buying into many of her choices and believing that she could earn the respect of the crew that eventually joined her crusade. But all in all, it successfully captured the essence of a western and was a captivating listen, expertly performed by Julia Whelan. I look forward to listening to the follow up book. 3.5 stars, rounding up.
July 17, 2022
Where to begin?
First, this book was a cracking good read. Some have compared it to True Grit and others to Lonesome Dove. It has, in good ways, elements of both. The description of the initial encounter with Comanches felt authentic to the point my hair stood on end. I loved the description of the day-to-day responsibilities of the cattle hands and the work done by various ones. As others have said, the stampede scenes left me with a feeling “I was there.” That the book did not end on the highest of possible notes also brought more authenticity to the story—let de was hard and often short on the frontier.
So, what are the downsides? Not many, really, but a few. For me, the book started to lose some steam about 60 percent of the way through afternoon Jane’s “big reveal.” The tension that drove the story line to that point had been palpable. But it lost some steam after the reveal. I also would like to have known more of the back story that caused the hands including big Mike to drop their work chasing after stragglers, etc. after the stampede to come to Jane’s rescue. Really? But in the final analysis, these are not serious flaws.
If you like historical fiction set in the frontier west, I strongly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.
First, this book was a cracking good read. Some have compared it to True Grit and others to Lonesome Dove. It has, in good ways, elements of both. The description of the initial encounter with Comanches felt authentic to the point my hair stood on end. I loved the description of the day-to-day responsibilities of the cattle hands and the work done by various ones. As others have said, the stampede scenes left me with a feeling “I was there.” That the book did not end on the highest of possible notes also brought more authenticity to the story—let de was hard and often short on the frontier.
So, what are the downsides? Not many, really, but a few. For me, the book started to lose some steam about 60 percent of the way through afternoon Jane’s “big reveal.” The tension that drove the story line to that point had been palpable. But it lost some steam after the reveal. I also would like to have known more of the back story that caused the hands including big Mike to drop their work chasing after stragglers, etc. after the stampede to come to Jane’s rescue. Really? But in the final analysis, these are not serious flaws.
If you like historical fiction set in the frontier west, I strongly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2023
Raw Poetry
I cried so much reading this book. The raw emotions are expressed so profoundly it is like poetry.
Even though everything works out in the end, it isn't what you expect. The plight, and losses, of the early settlers; and the plight and losses of the native Americans are expressed evenly. Both sides -- the cruelty of the natives, and the wasteful crudeness and cruelty of the invading whites, are given. Two cultures, who did not understand each other and passed deadly judgment on each other.
The book is very well written. There are a quantity of good stories on Kindle, but many are mediocre in the writing of them. This was a joy to read.
I think I need to read a few lightweight, mediocre books before I tackle the second book in the series. Give my tear ducts a break.
I would rate this story PG-17, or R. There is strong language, cruel violence, non-pornographic references to rape and sex.
I recommend this book for MATURE audiences.
(Read and listened to with Kindle Unlimited Subscription.)
I cried so much reading this book. The raw emotions are expressed so profoundly it is like poetry.
Even though everything works out in the end, it isn't what you expect. The plight, and losses, of the early settlers; and the plight and losses of the native Americans are expressed evenly. Both sides -- the cruelty of the natives, and the wasteful crudeness and cruelty of the invading whites, are given. Two cultures, who did not understand each other and passed deadly judgment on each other.
The book is very well written. There are a quantity of good stories on Kindle, but many are mediocre in the writing of them. This was a joy to read.
I think I need to read a few lightweight, mediocre books before I tackle the second book in the series. Give my tear ducts a break.
I would rate this story PG-17, or R. There is strong language, cruel violence, non-pornographic references to rape and sex.
I recommend this book for MATURE audiences.
(Read and listened to with Kindle Unlimited Subscription.)
June 28, 2021
The Comanche Kid
I love a book about a character who just has so much determination to do whatever he or she had to do to right a wrong. This girl had just lost everything that meant anything to her, her entire family was gone, in just a matter of minutes. Killed by a war party a d all her Pa's cattle were stolen. Well, she may be a girl, but that didn't mean that she was helpless, and those Indians would pay for what they did. Watch out the Kid was coming!!!!! Great Read!!!! I'd like to hear more from this author!
I love a book about a character who just has so much determination to do whatever he or she had to do to right a wrong. This girl had just lost everything that meant anything to her, her entire family was gone, in just a matter of minutes. Killed by a war party a d all her Pa's cattle were stolen. Well, she may be a girl, but that didn't mean that she was helpless, and those Indians would pay for what they did. Watch out the Kid was coming!!!!! Great Read!!!! I'd like to hear more from this author!
June 23, 2021
I've read a lot western books over almost 80 years and this is one of the rare
few that stands out created and told by a great story teller and writer.
THANK YOU YOU are one of the best
few that stands out created and told by a great story teller and writer.
THANK YOU YOU are one of the best
January 23, 2023
Surprisingly good. Westerns are a well trodden path but Daniels tells a good story and has created a solid character. I look forward to his next book!
February 26, 2023
This book put me off initially with its lack of exposition, but I grew to really enjoy it the more I read it. The author does a great job of painting a colorful cast of characters that become very endearing throughout the story. The protagonist is both incredible and incredibly infuriating at times, which felt true to her age and the trauma from her life experiences. It also offered a critique of the government’s treatment of indigenous peoples in an organic, evolving way which I appreciated. I enjoyed the many humorous situations, the descriptions of what it was like to be on a cattle drive, and the frequent references to William Shakespeare (as well as the character of Shakespeare) very much. After reading the author’s bio and experience in the theater, I can see why he excels at writing character interactions and dialogue more than setting descriptions. If you liked “These is my words” by Nancy E. Turner, I bet you’d appreciate this frontier story as well. There is some profanity, violence, and sexual encounters but they are written sparsely for the most part.
February 17, 2023
An unusual and valuable addition to the many books I have read about the evolution of the American West. Besides the deeply personal story of the main character, I learned about how the cattle’s drives were managed, the various roles of the people who took on this task and built their lives around them. Interesting to also hear about the very close and personal relationships and communication between individual horses and the men and women who depended on them. Also, a big awakening to the place of chance in individual survival, and the live-for-now attitude and simple bravery of many of these people, both new Americans and original native Americans. Brutality a feature of life, and death.
August 12, 2023
This book has a great Lonesome Dove feel to it. The story is very engaging and well written. Lots of action and drama. I really liked it.
August 17, 2023
This is the first Western I have read. It grabbed me from the first page. I will be looking for more of Mr. Daniels' work!
March 28, 2025
3.75🤣🤣
September 22, 2025
I love a good Western. This story has a tough girl and her will to avenge her family. Great plot. Some areas were a bit sappy. Good ending. Apparently book 1 of a series.
January 21, 2024
This was a moving experience! Impactful writing and, my goodness, an unbelievable performance by the narrator. Wow!!
August 7, 2021
Surprisingly enough, does deserve to be in class with "Lonsome Dove.
Characters are memorable and for the most part historically accurate in how they are presented. I just finished Charles Goodnight biography and think he would agree with authors description of both the cowhands and the Indians.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody that would love to read a great book about the American West.
Characters are memorable and for the most part historically accurate in how they are presented. I just finished Charles Goodnight biography and think he would agree with authors description of both the cowhands and the Indians.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody that would love to read a great book about the American West.
July 16, 2021
Good read about a young woman trying to deal with the loss of family.
Janie's folks andtwin brother were killed by Commanders. Spared, she joins cattle drive to Kansas posing as a boy. Later she goes searching for her three year old sister who was stolen by Commanches!
Janie's folks andtwin brother were killed by Commanders. Spared, she joins cattle drive to Kansas posing as a boy. Later she goes searching for her three year old sister who was stolen by Commanches!
July 14, 2021
A Terrific Story
This book just doesn’t quit. It’s action packed, a plausible story line, great character development and on and on. I like stories that are well researched and this one is......from the fate of the Comanches to the social and moral expectations of women in the 1800’s. Once you start this page turner hang onto your hat...you’re going for quite a ride.
This book just doesn’t quit. It’s action packed, a plausible story line, great character development and on and on. I like stories that are well researched and this one is......from the fate of the Comanches to the social and moral expectations of women in the 1800’s. Once you start this page turner hang onto your hat...you’re going for quite a ride.
January 7, 2023
It's been a long time since I've read a western , if this is what I've been missing then shame on me. This was so good, it was almost impossible to put down. The Kids family is wiped out by Indians and her baby sister kidnapped by them. The story is how she tried to get her back disguised as a boy. During their time blowing off steam, he newfound wranglers, still thinking she's just a young teen, takes her to a bordello. They take "him" to a special place to celebrate "his" first sexual conquest. They pair the protagonist with a gal that seems to be the same age. Once they're alone, the young wrangler spills the beans that he's really a she! She begs the prostitute to go along with the story after she tells why she's disguised as a boy. The prostitute agrees. After an hour, the Madam nocks on the door saying times up. When the door opens, the guys who brought her asks, "How he'd do?" Playing along, the prostitute lays it on thick about how great a lover 'he' was!
Read it, you'll like it.
Read it, you'll like it.
April 8, 2023
(4.5 stars) This is a really unusual book because you kind of expect it to be a "typical" western, and it is a western, but it became anything but "typical."
Take "The Comanche Kid" herself. She is a great character, a ball of fury who at the age of 16 is so angered by the comanches murder of her family (all but one three-year-old), she goes after them herself and kills five of them, but fails to get her sister back, thus the sobriquet "Comanche Kid."
She ends up living as a young man in order to trail north with her family's steers and concoct a plan to get back her sister.
What makes this book unusual, is its depth. We find Jane/the Comanche kid angry at God because he allowed her family to be killed—she knows the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress forward and backward, having been raised well by her believing parents. This sort of anger rings true with anyone who has experienced suffering and grief. Where is God ?
In this passage she wrestles with the very idea of God, anyone who has experienced tragedy will understand the inclination:
"I didn't like thinking of them as prayers because that would mean I thought there was a God and I didn't much believe in him anymore. If there was a God, then I thought he was pretty much useless if things happened as they did to God-fearing people like Ma."
Character-wise there is an absolutely brilliant scene (read the book) in which the Comanche Kid takes a hasty action in anger and seeking revenge and receives almost instant retribution to her horror. This brought to mind the many references in the book of Proverbs to the fool and to anger. Never do we see this play out so quickly as in the case of the Comanche Kid.
Eventually, Jane/Comanche Kid kinda-sorta makes peace with God.
"I was left alone and the other hands stayed away. I found myself thinking about Pilgrim's Progress and how Christian had made so many bad decisions on his journey to the Celestial City, and I tried to figure out which valley or slough or river I was in now, like Christian. But I did know I was talking to God again."
Her consequent behavior would lead one to think that she still has a ways to go to make it all the way back to God.
She eventually has a crisis over her sister Sally (read the book) and a quite eloquent reflection on the juxtaposition of God's ways and man's behavior:
"I wanted to blame God, but I was past being angry at Him. I figured even he must be bewildered about how everybody could be so cruel to one another and didn't it seem that given everyone free will had all been a disastrous mistake? But then I remembered the dove Maria holding me, and Big Mike coming to my rescue, and Abraham washing my face and holding his hand out to me, and I remembered the first kiss Shakespeare had given me, the touch and the kiss and the rescue. Maybe that's where the Lord was."
The book brings to mind the equally deep book (and second movie, not the John Wayne version which washed out the religions undertones) "True Grit."
Julia Whelan reads the audible version, and wow, you quickly realize why she is one of the best audible book readers out there. She's incredible.
This is a really good book, but it's also an adult book with adult themes, so let the reader beware.
Take "The Comanche Kid" herself. She is a great character, a ball of fury who at the age of 16 is so angered by the comanches murder of her family (all but one three-year-old), she goes after them herself and kills five of them, but fails to get her sister back, thus the sobriquet "Comanche Kid."
She ends up living as a young man in order to trail north with her family's steers and concoct a plan to get back her sister.
What makes this book unusual, is its depth. We find Jane/the Comanche kid angry at God because he allowed her family to be killed—she knows the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress forward and backward, having been raised well by her believing parents. This sort of anger rings true with anyone who has experienced suffering and grief. Where is God ?
In this passage she wrestles with the very idea of God, anyone who has experienced tragedy will understand the inclination:
"I didn't like thinking of them as prayers because that would mean I thought there was a God and I didn't much believe in him anymore. If there was a God, then I thought he was pretty much useless if things happened as they did to God-fearing people like Ma."
Character-wise there is an absolutely brilliant scene (read the book) in which the Comanche Kid takes a hasty action in anger and seeking revenge and receives almost instant retribution to her horror. This brought to mind the many references in the book of Proverbs to the fool and to anger. Never do we see this play out so quickly as in the case of the Comanche Kid.
Eventually, Jane/Comanche Kid kinda-sorta makes peace with God.
"I was left alone and the other hands stayed away. I found myself thinking about Pilgrim's Progress and how Christian had made so many bad decisions on his journey to the Celestial City, and I tried to figure out which valley or slough or river I was in now, like Christian. But I did know I was talking to God again."
Her consequent behavior would lead one to think that she still has a ways to go to make it all the way back to God.
She eventually has a crisis over her sister Sally (read the book) and a quite eloquent reflection on the juxtaposition of God's ways and man's behavior:
"I wanted to blame God, but I was past being angry at Him. I figured even he must be bewildered about how everybody could be so cruel to one another and didn't it seem that given everyone free will had all been a disastrous mistake? But then I remembered the dove Maria holding me, and Big Mike coming to my rescue, and Abraham washing my face and holding his hand out to me, and I remembered the first kiss Shakespeare had given me, the touch and the kiss and the rescue. Maybe that's where the Lord was."
The book brings to mind the equally deep book (and second movie, not the John Wayne version which washed out the religions undertones) "True Grit."
Julia Whelan reads the audible version, and wow, you quickly realize why she is one of the best audible book readers out there. She's incredible.
This is a really good book, but it's also an adult book with adult themes, so let the reader beware.
October 23, 2023
Jane Fury is just an ordinary teenage girl living on the Texas prairie with her family: Ma, Pa, twin brother Jamie, and her 3 y-o sister Sally. Commanche Indians raid their remote homestead, stealing their cattle and killing everyone except Sally, (taken captive), and Jane, (successfully concealed). Jane decides life isn’t much to live without her family so she sets out to rescue Sally and avenge her family by killing as many Comanches as possible, even unto her own death. She fails to rescue her sister but kills 5 warriors and steals 3 of their ponies. Jane swears to find Sally and return her home.
Daniels does a wonderful job with Jane’s teenage character. She does things that point to a strong-willed young woman determined to right a grievous wrong. She is fearless and resourceful. Later, she will do something foolish and immature, hardly being able to control her emotions, especially her temper. She has pie-in-the-sky ideas about horses and handsome men. She is roundly confused about God’s place in her raging desire for vengeance against a people that she eventually discovers are conclusively human. Good ones and bad ones and even the bad ones sometimes have good reasons for doing bad things.
Daniels is the king of the run-on sentence. But surprisingly, they are not irritating and they actually feel appropriate for the genre. The pace is also very good and though I figured the story would sag during the cattle drive. It didn’t at all, thanks to the many fascinating characters. Daniels spins a great tale that successfully highlights both the Indian atrocities and the whites’ hate-filled dehumanizing of an entire people. Sadly, neither group understands the other.
The reader must allow a bit of leeway for a girl masquerading as a boy for several months even though she/he is living and working with a number of rough, tough cowhands. Also know that this book is for more mature readers because of language and sexuality, but these are generally not frequent. Small allowances in order to reap the rewards this book delivers.
Daniels does a wonderful job with Jane’s teenage character. She does things that point to a strong-willed young woman determined to right a grievous wrong. She is fearless and resourceful. Later, she will do something foolish and immature, hardly being able to control her emotions, especially her temper. She has pie-in-the-sky ideas about horses and handsome men. She is roundly confused about God’s place in her raging desire for vengeance against a people that she eventually discovers are conclusively human. Good ones and bad ones and even the bad ones sometimes have good reasons for doing bad things.
Daniels is the king of the run-on sentence. But surprisingly, they are not irritating and they actually feel appropriate for the genre. The pace is also very good and though I figured the story would sag during the cattle drive. It didn’t at all, thanks to the many fascinating characters. Daniels spins a great tale that successfully highlights both the Indian atrocities and the whites’ hate-filled dehumanizing of an entire people. Sadly, neither group understands the other.
The reader must allow a bit of leeway for a girl masquerading as a boy for several months even though she/he is living and working with a number of rough, tough cowhands. Also know that this book is for more mature readers because of language and sexuality, but these are generally not frequent. Small allowances in order to reap the rewards this book delivers.
December 20, 2024
I happened upon this book while browsing Audible ... it had high reviews, and was narrated by Julia Whelan. It isn't one the local library has though (my main book dealer). The text is included in KindleUnlimited, and when I signed up for a month, and this was on sale w/Audible again, I decided to give it a go. Paid $3.50 or so for the audio.
In true Western tradition, LOTS of violence (to people and animals) as I'm sure was the case back in the day. Even more than Follow the River, which also starts with an Indian attack and has white captives. Here, the story is more on Jane, who survives the attack and is determined to avenge her family and rescue her little sister. She dresses as a boy to make this easier to accomplish. There is a character nicknamed Shakespeare, who quotes the bard, and tells the others the story of Twelfth Night ... where a girl pretends to be a boy (the irony). There are a few sticky situations (one of the fellows takes the MC to visit the "soiled doves" to get that experience).
While the story kept my attention, I wasn't overly pulled in ... until closer to the end. Then I had a bit of an emotional gut punch. I don't know that I'd really recommend this to others, maybe only to someone who wanted a western and could deal with the violence (also proFanity x 21 and some sex). Nothing really that I felt like highlighting. I feel like if this was for book club, or even if there were some discussion questions included, I might delve a little deeper, but none were included and I couldn't find any online with a quick Google search. There is a sequel, but I don't think I'll continue on.
Our MC - 16 year old Jane, says/thinks "he spoke Mexican to them" ... which just felt a little cringe, unPC, but I'm sure that IS how that character would have thought of things. The past wasn't PC.
In true Western tradition, LOTS of violence (to people and animals) as I'm sure was the case back in the day. Even more than Follow the River, which also starts with an Indian attack and has white captives. Here, the story is more on Jane, who survives the attack and is determined to avenge her family and rescue her little sister. She dresses as a boy to make this easier to accomplish. There is a character nicknamed Shakespeare, who quotes the bard, and tells the others the story of Twelfth Night ... where a girl pretends to be a boy (the irony). There are a few sticky situations (one of the fellows takes the MC to visit the "soiled doves" to get that experience).
While the story kept my attention, I wasn't overly pulled in ... until closer to the end. Then I had a bit of an emotional gut punch. I don't know that I'd really recommend this to others, maybe only to someone who wanted a western and could deal with the violence (also proFanity x 21 and some sex). Nothing really that I felt like highlighting. I feel like if this was for book club, or even if there were some discussion questions included, I might delve a little deeper, but none were included and I couldn't find any online with a quick Google search. There is a sequel, but I don't think I'll continue on.
Our MC - 16 year old Jane, says/thinks "he spoke Mexican to them" ... which just felt a little cringe, unPC, but I'm sure that IS how that character would have thought of things. The past wasn't PC.
March 25, 2023
Yeehaw! 5 Hooker Stars for The Comanche Kid!
What we loved: The action started off with a BANG in this one. Literally. We were sucked in from the very beginning and held captivated by the tale of a very strong heroine who was living through some heart wrenching and terrifying circumstances. The secondary characters felt believable, and this author clearly has done his homework and made the story come alive with his attention to detail and authenticity. There was action, laughter, and a sweet romance . . . basically all the things.
What we didn’t love so much: True to this book’s realism, there is some violence, which can be a bit hard to stomach, and it also doesn’t really hold true to the typical Hollywood happy-ever-after ending. Some of us also felt that while it opened with a bang and ended with a great final bang, there were some slow, lagging bits in the middle. And, as a group of women, the obvious lack of the more personal details of what it would really be like to be a girl riding with a bunch of men, pretending to be a boy, did not go unnoticed. (As in more than just binding your breasts!)
Overall, while several of us were hesitant to pick up a western novel at all, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed The Comanche Kid and its fast paced western fun!
What we loved: The action started off with a BANG in this one. Literally. We were sucked in from the very beginning and held captivated by the tale of a very strong heroine who was living through some heart wrenching and terrifying circumstances. The secondary characters felt believable, and this author clearly has done his homework and made the story come alive with his attention to detail and authenticity. There was action, laughter, and a sweet romance . . . basically all the things.
What we didn’t love so much: True to this book’s realism, there is some violence, which can be a bit hard to stomach, and it also doesn’t really hold true to the typical Hollywood happy-ever-after ending. Some of us also felt that while it opened with a bang and ended with a great final bang, there were some slow, lagging bits in the middle. And, as a group of women, the obvious lack of the more personal details of what it would really be like to be a girl riding with a bunch of men, pretending to be a boy, did not go unnoticed. (As in more than just binding your breasts!)
Overall, while several of us were hesitant to pick up a western novel at all, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed The Comanche Kid and its fast paced western fun!
September 4, 2022
Daniels does a proper job here. A playwright and actor, he has command of authentic dialogue, characterization, imagery and conflict and so on. In other words he knows how to tell a rich and compelling story. The internal conflict he captures in his main character is absolutely heart wrenching and gut punching. The Kid wrestles with horror, killings, death, revenge, adventure, love, adulthood, all in beautiful prose that creates and nurtures a complex human character. Some pages will make you question your suspension of disbelief, but then when you think about it we are reading about a kid who makes rash and sometimes downright stupid decisions, just like any real kid. Daniels pays homage to many of the Western classics -- The Last Ride, The Searchers, Butcher's Crossing, Lonesome Dove come to mind, and another book and a poem that I will leave untitled so as not to be a spoiler -- by inserting similar plot points but then adding his own touch, his own twist. We are even treated to a character nicknamed Shakespeare who, on the trail, quotes often from the Bard, both entertaining and confusing his fellow cowhands. If you enjoy the Western genre, I would bet you will enjoy Daniels work here.
September 30, 2024
Four stars for the book and an extra star for the ending.
I find my major issue with most books is that the endings are weak. This one really nails the ending. There isn't any foot fumbling to cost a point or leave a dissatisfied feeling. No, there isn't some wonderful twist or reveal you didn't see coming; there is just a reasonable logical conclusion to the events of the story plainly and effectively told and then the book ends. Too many authors hit the ending and then keep going -- i'm not talking denouement, which I appreciate, but just blathering on and on after things have wrapped up. I've read that Mr. Daniels is also a playwright and perhaps that accounts for this sense of timing.
The characters are plentiful and quickly drawn with an eye to detail and speech patterns that give them life and allow for development. The scenery is painted more to suggest impressionist landscapes than provide photographic representation of the terrain. When he does provide a detail, it is usually something to advance the story, the emotions of the characters or a motif he comes back to later.
All in all, an extremely well thought out and executed piece of writing. I'll definitely put his second novel on the Kobo and look to read it this winter.
I find my major issue with most books is that the endings are weak. This one really nails the ending. There isn't any foot fumbling to cost a point or leave a dissatisfied feeling. No, there isn't some wonderful twist or reveal you didn't see coming; there is just a reasonable logical conclusion to the events of the story plainly and effectively told and then the book ends. Too many authors hit the ending and then keep going -- i'm not talking denouement, which I appreciate, but just blathering on and on after things have wrapped up. I've read that Mr. Daniels is also a playwright and perhaps that accounts for this sense of timing.
The characters are plentiful and quickly drawn with an eye to detail and speech patterns that give them life and allow for development. The scenery is painted more to suggest impressionist landscapes than provide photographic representation of the terrain. When he does provide a detail, it is usually something to advance the story, the emotions of the characters or a motif he comes back to later.
All in all, an extremely well thought out and executed piece of writing. I'll definitely put his second novel on the Kobo and look to read it this winter.
November 12, 2021
Raw
An excellent exercise in how we grieve differently. We are all human with different personalities. Our race or beliefs don't matter end the end. Humanity matters. Indians rape the women settlers, and soldiers raped the Indian women. We should have learned by now wrong is wrong. Book is not sexually graphic. It is matter of fact. I liked the characters except for the main character, Jane. She made things twenty times harder than they had to be. Lesson, think before you act. She, Jane, was HUMAN. She hurt and she grew in a difficult situation. Horses were killed way too easily. For that reason alone, I'll not be reading this book again. Otherwise it would be one I would read over and over. The book made an impression on me. I don't write reviews. The author knew the secret that true horse lovers connect with some horses, and we do communicate with each other no matter what others think we speak to each other and share emotions.
An excellent exercise in how we grieve differently. We are all human with different personalities. Our race or beliefs don't matter end the end. Humanity matters. Indians rape the women settlers, and soldiers raped the Indian women. We should have learned by now wrong is wrong. Book is not sexually graphic. It is matter of fact. I liked the characters except for the main character, Jane. She made things twenty times harder than they had to be. Lesson, think before you act. She, Jane, was HUMAN. She hurt and she grew in a difficult situation. Horses were killed way too easily. For that reason alone, I'll not be reading this book again. Otherwise it would be one I would read over and over. The book made an impression on me. I don't write reviews. The author knew the secret that true horse lovers connect with some horses, and we do communicate with each other no matter what others think we speak to each other and share emotions.
May 26, 2023
3.5 stars because I both loved and hated this book.
I loved the writing style, the descriptions and the portrayal of the old West, wide open plains and the nostalgia of the past.
I hated the decisions Jane made, her anger, her grief and how accurately Daniels wrote of her catastrophic journey of revenge and blood.
I loved the characters, the ranahans, the horses, the detail of life on the range.
I hated the fine balance between the plight of the settlers, their struggles, their successes and the plight of the native americans, their struggles and sad decline.
I loved how it tugged at my heart and how hope blossomed in the end
I hated how it broke my heart and how death dogged so many steps and decisions.
I can't give it a 4 or a 5 because it felt flawed, it felt overly long and drawn out and the other characters were lost in the maelstrom of Jane. I can't give it a 2 because its beautiful and wonderful.
I loved the writing style, the descriptions and the portrayal of the old West, wide open plains and the nostalgia of the past.
I hated the decisions Jane made, her anger, her grief and how accurately Daniels wrote of her catastrophic journey of revenge and blood.
I loved the characters, the ranahans, the horses, the detail of life on the range.
I hated the fine balance between the plight of the settlers, their struggles, their successes and the plight of the native americans, their struggles and sad decline.
I loved how it tugged at my heart and how hope blossomed in the end
I hated how it broke my heart and how death dogged so many steps and decisions.
I can't give it a 4 or a 5 because it felt flawed, it felt overly long and drawn out and the other characters were lost in the maelstrom of Jane. I can't give it a 2 because its beautiful and wonderful.
August 29, 2023
I really really enjoyed this! I was in awe of the narrator’s skills. I had listened to her narrate Emily Henry’s books, and she is hardly recognizable in this performance, she did such a great job with the accents!
Similar to a friend’s review, I did not love the beginning, but about a 1/3 way in I was very engaged.
I came to love the characters, the setting, and the way that the story made me think about complex issues in US History. I thought the question that comes up: “what side am I really on?” was really profound.
I also really appreciated the main characters struggle with grief and trauma. I loved how the deceased characters were still active, vivid characters because of how the protagonist keeps them alive through her thoughts and memories.
I agree with this same friend’s review, that is you enjoyed “These Is My Words,” this is a good book for you!
Content warning: language, violence and some romantic scenes.
Similar to a friend’s review, I did not love the beginning, but about a 1/3 way in I was very engaged.
I came to love the characters, the setting, and the way that the story made me think about complex issues in US History. I thought the question that comes up: “what side am I really on?” was really profound.
I also really appreciated the main characters struggle with grief and trauma. I loved how the deceased characters were still active, vivid characters because of how the protagonist keeps them alive through her thoughts and memories.
I agree with this same friend’s review, that is you enjoyed “These Is My Words,” this is a good book for you!
Content warning: language, violence and some romantic scenes.
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