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Otherworld Outlaws #2

Deadwood or Alive

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Turns out, shooting a Pinkerton is a crime—even if he is a werewolf.

Book 2 in the Otherworld Outlaws series, an action-packed romp through the Wild West, loaded with living myths, dark magic, and bloodthirsty monsters aplenty.

On the run from US marshals, Lula and her motley crew—Hattie, Toxicore, and Uncle Paddy, lately resurrected as a cat—head for Deadwood. Lula hopes to find Lugh’s cauldron before the Morrígan or Brigid does, but sinister crows, diminutive dragons, and folks dropping dead from the unusual illness of being bled dry are just a few of the issues hindering her search. And now she has a bigger problem: her face is on every wanted poster from the Dakota Territories to Boston. Lula’s uncle once told her she was as pretty as a picture, but this isn’t quite the same thing.

To clear her name, she would have to convince the law that magic and fairies are just as real as poker and horses. Not likely to happen. With her enemies closing in, she best find that cauldron before the law or the warring queens of the Tuatha Dé Danann find her.

But finding the cauldron and taking it are two different things… especially when its monstrous ancient guardian has other ideas.

Don’t miss any of the magic-packed Otherworld Outlaws series
DEADWOOD OR ALIVE • HEX ’EM HIGH (Coming Later!)

Unknown Binding

First published June 30, 2022

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6 people want to read

About the author

Tammy Salyer

22 books144 followers
Former Army paratrooper, Tammy Salyer now channels her thirst for adventure and high-flying hijinks into high-octane narratives. Her Shackled Verities series is a Cosmos-crossing epic fantasy adventure. Her Spectras Arise series is action-packed military science fiction, praised for its gritty realism and well-crafted characters. And if you love a good Western with a twist, then you won’t want to miss her Otherworld Outlaws series and its blend of Celtic mythology and unforgettable Wild West action.

She hopes you enjoy reading her works and welcomes your reviews. Follow her on Bluesky @tammy-salyer.bsky.social or www.tammysalyer.com.

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Laura (auntieyorgareads).
91 reviews10 followers
August 10, 2022
Welcome back to the Wild WEIRD West in the next edition of Tammy Salyer's genius nitty-gritty feminist mythological fantasy series! This time Lula Cullen and her badass crew find themselves deep in the thick of it as they travel from Abilene, Kansas to Deadwood city in the Dakota Territories. On the run from Federal Marshals and Pinkerton spies (yeah, right), Lula, Hattie, Toxicore, and Uncle Paddy-cat encounter all manner of rough and tough western humans and some interesting new mythological creatures as well. I mean a book that can incorporate as many fantastical beings as this one does is awesome in my book!

Lula managed to endear herself to me even more as she learns how to survive in the west (she keeps on going no matter the punches). Toxicore, well, he's still the gnome that you love to hate and hate to love. Hattie, phew, she is just something else. I may have a slight crush on this character! And you have to love Lula's druid uncle Paddy who tags along in his new body (until it's not his body anymore). Will they find the cauldron and stop the Morrígan or Brigid from getting their hands on it and destroying the world as they know it? Or will the creepy crows, devil dogs (dragons?), or bloodsucking fae get their hands on them first? Oh, and Star Racer and Sings the Winds are the most awesome horses I've ever encountered. There are so many twists and turns and surprises in this book that I could hardly keep up!

Y'all... if you haven't checked this series out yet, you better jump on your trusty steed and gallop on over to your nearest bookseller! I absolutely adored the first book and loved the second one even more! I'm still giddy over the action-packed adventure I just read and now I have to wait for the third in the series!!!! I may have to re-read the first two just to get my fix until Tammy Salyer has a chance to write it! I can't wait to see what my favorite weird west crew gets into next!

I received an advance digital copy for free from the author and I am sharing my honest review as a courtesy.


6,029 reviews41 followers
June 11, 2022
Our heroine has discovered that magic and monsters are real in this particular Wild West, but try convincing the law of that one. Guess her gang is just going to have to sort things out themselves before the monsters take over things completely.

This is book two of the series, but it does pretty well as a standalone. The essential bits are covered early on.

I am going to call this an urban fantasy, but the old west setting sets it apart (far apart) from most books of that ilk. The story is well written and easy to read, although it does require some effort to wrap your mind around the details of the setting. But those are fascinating details and I enjoyed getting to explore more of the setting in this book. The characters are equally well developed and intriguing, and provide a nice bit of depth to the whole story. Add in a fast paced plot with lots of action, intrigue and magic, as well as a bit of humor, and you have quite a story on your hands. Overall, this was a great second installment to the series and I definitely hope there is more to come.

Highly recommended.

I received an ARC of this book from the author for review purposes
Profile Image for Scott Whitmore.
Author 6 books35 followers
June 7, 2022
More of everything I loved about the first book: witty banter between fully realized characters; magic and monsters; a few unexpected twists; and plenty of action as Lula Cullen and her companions continue the quest to locate a powerful magical Fae artifact and learn the fate of her parents.

Dagda's Cauldron is somewhere in the fabled mining town of Deadwood, which Lula -- now a wanted woman for the murder of a Pinkerton detective -- discovers is a hot bed of Fae activity. In between searching for it and learning more about her Fae abilities, Lula has brief encounters with a couple iconic Old West figures (I absolutely pictured Timothy Olyphant as Sheriff Seth Bullock) and more prolonged contact with some truly nasty new creatures: Pixies.

It's tough to say much more without spoiling the fun, which is the operative word here. It's obvious the writer was having a blast writing these tales, and I sure had one reading them. Can't wait to find out what happens next to Lula and her crew.
Profile Image for Ronald Weston.
201 reviews
May 5, 2023
While I liked the first book in this series Gnome on the Range, I really liked Deadwood or Alive. I'm a fan of weird westerns, so I'm quite pleased with the blending of fact, fiction, reality and the supernatural. Be it witch, gnome, werewolf, vampire, fae, dragon, pixie, troll, serpent god or human, Tammy Salyer has firm control of her characters, as she guides them in the twists of this ongoing saga. There's humor and horror, action and reflection, and even a not-unexpected, smoldering romance. The first book was setup and transition; this one is near hell-bent for leather. I read Deadwood or Alive in bursts; when I picked it up it was hard to put down, especially the last third. I've got Hex 'Em High on tap, but I'm afraid once I complete the third one, I'll have Lula-Hattie-Paddy-Toxicore deprivation while I await the release of Fae Planes Drifter (BTW, I love those titles!). Well ... perhaps I could dip into one of her other series....
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews

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