The Shadow Riders

A second read and I again enjoyed this adventure in Texas. Major Mac Traven is returning from the war after fighting for the Union. He saves his brother Dal a confederate soldier from being hung. They then find his fiancée Kate has been kidnapped by confederate soldiers bent on selling her and other......more

Surprisingly slow-moving with lots of second-guessing by the characters, which is unusual in a L'Amour story. I liked how this explored the post-Civil War ramifications, and I loved Kate, but the plot was too slow to be engaging. Except for that incredibly abrupt L'Amour ending! I really thought I h......more

A solid traditional Western that doesn't really stand out from some of L'Amour's best work. The story focuses mostly on the two Traven brothers, although Happy Jack and the heroic Kate Connery were probably the more interesting characters. The novel doesn't waste anytime getting into the story and t......more

I didn't really care for this one—it had an interesting enough setting and premise, but didn't live up to the potential involved. I think what put me off was the way it's written: a flat, dry, staccato style, and narration that jumps around among a large number of characters who were never fully des......more

I like reading Louis L'Amour books because you will not find a more compact, precisely-written story. No words are wasted and the story flows quickly from one chapter to the next. Yes, L'Amour was formulaic. No, there are rarely any surprises in his books. They are stories about challenges, ethics,......more