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White Sands Gold
White Sands Gold by Mike Torreano is a classic Western story set in the late 18th century in New Mexico, America. The story starts with Yancy, who is searching Victoria mountain for the pile of gold his father died trying to find. He discovers a hidden entrance but is buried beneath stone rubble before he can finish exploring the cave. Back at home, his twin sister Lottie waits for him, knowing full well that people come back from the mountain empty-handed or they don’t come back at all.
The story does one thing and does it well – it’s a Western. There are dry plains, guns, plenty of horse-riding, and some shoot-outs, and the scene wouldn’t be complete without a failing ranch in the middle of nowhere that no one visits without a purpose. While the story sticks to its roots, it nonetheless shows that it was written recently. There are several protagonists sharing the spotlight, and one of them is a strong woman who never relies on a man if she doesn’t have to. There are men who are cool but are open about their feelings at the same time. And there’s also a matriarch who doesn’t need to raise her voice to assert dominance in a room of rowdy boys.
The plot is thrilling, the characters are lively, and even the romantic subplot is slow and steady, making it seem more believable than a rushed romance just to include romance. Both pairs are on equal footing in the relationship, which is also very nice to see, especially since the story is set in a time when women had much less power than men. It is a great intro to western literature for anyone interested in these kinds of stories but not knowing where to start.
White Sands Gold is a captivating historical Western mystery that gives readers everything they love about the old west. With characters that are relatable, readers will be engaged and invested in the story’s outcome. This is a novel readers will think about after the story is done.
Pages: 313| ASIN : B0B3714RXS
Gifts of a Dark God
Keltyn and her friends’ fight for justice continues in Gifts of a Dark God by Norman Westhoff. Fay is released from jail due to the current lack of evidence, while Keltyn is scraping together legal funding by doing an interview with the sensationalist reporter, Bertram Casey. The excellent news is that insider information leads Fay to know about some critical holes in Oscar Bailey’s plan to colonize Antarctica, which could buy them some time to stop it. Will they finally be able to prevent history from repeating itself? You’ll have to read Gifts of a Dark God by Norman Westhoff to find out!
Westhoff’s writing is an intricate weaving of real-world issues into a fictional work. The author hits the ground running with Keltyn’s interview, which offers us a remarkable introspective on journalism’s corruption and artificial molding. As readers watch the interviewer try to shape the narrative around Keltyn’s story, you can see the infamous real-life interviews where the same thing has happened. And this is only one of the many instances of art imitating life so precisely in Gifts of a Dark God. The interview scene further proves Westhoff’s ability to provoke critical thought. He simply lays out the facts of a modern and past life with simplistic but gripping writing.
Another talent of Westoff’s is his character building. Throughout every book in the series, there is a strong sense of realness to the characters. The passion behind each action of the characters allows readers to sense their rage, sadness, and triumph in full force. In addition, every reader will feel the intensity of wanting to dismantle the power of the fiction villain and their real-life equivalents.
This suspenseful novel is a work of gripping perfection. Westhoff did not skip a beat when it came to all the critical points of building a story. He gives readers a compelling plot, fully-fledged main and side characters, concise writing.
Gifts of a Dark God is a riveting addition to the Erebus Tales series. This action-packed, suspenseful novel will appeal to lovers of fiction, adventure, and even science fiction.
Pages: 458 | ASIN : B09NF2D28T
LITERARY TITAN 