Title: Hellfire on the High Frontier
Author: David Farland
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Cyborgs, Weird western, Westerns
Dates read: 23rd June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: The cigar clenched between his teeth smelled of sulfur.

Morgan is hunting a murderer and a skinwalker. Then, after accepting help from a stranger, he is sent on a journey. To try and stop another murderer, one that he has little hope of surviving.

I really liked the book ending of this story – it started with Morgan on a hunt for justice. And ended with him on another hunt for justice. Two totally different culprits, but that same need for justice that made me wonder what was going to happen next almost from the very first moment. I loved that sense of justice – it’s always a great driver for a story in my mind – justice is almost impossible to truly get, but always desired.

Morgan is a great lead character. You spend the whole time hoping and wishing that he’s going to get his happily ever after. But you’re kind of resigned to something that’s not going to be so happy… it’s a weird dichotomy. You know that there will be a tragic ending because this story has great emotional foreshadowing, but you also hope against hope that you’re wrong. Since Morgan is just such a beautiful, relatable character.

This is a great reminder that there is no justice, only money. Particularly in the Old West which is run by gunslingers and gamblers. Demons and ghouls. And emotionless cyborgs.

<- The Old Slow Man and His Gold Gun From Space

The Hell-Bound Stagecoach ->

Image source: Amazon