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mathmagicalreader's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
teresab78's review
4.0
Fantasy Wild West
I really enjoyed this. This series is a little different with its Wild West feel but paranormal fantasy world. I really liked Gunner and Cooper; they were hot together. Marybelle was adorable and acted age appropriate, if a bit precocious. The ending of the epilogue is a lead in for the next book so it is a big of a cliffhanger. I’m looking forward to the next book.
I really enjoyed this. This series is a little different with its Wild West feel but paranormal fantasy world. I really liked Gunner and Cooper; they were hot together. Marybelle was adorable and acted age appropriate, if a bit precocious. The ending of the epilogue is a lead in for the next book so it is a big of a cliffhanger. I’m looking forward to the next book.
riahwamby's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
toshi21's review
4.0
A western? With fantasy? And A proper love story?
Maz Maddox did an excellent job with Claw Marks And Card Games.
She is an amazing world builder giving you bits and pieces of the what is happening without it being spoon fed to you.
The characters are lively and so much fun to read.
I loved how the relationship between Cooper and Gunner built and how Maz created real problems between the two, especially in regards to Coopers need to be “the man” and Gunner not understanding why.
The mystery aspect of the story was a finely tuned machine. You were never sure who was doing what and how it was going to end
The sub plot with Cody was extremely interesting and I needed to know more.
If you like westerns, action, and fast paced with fantastical beasts, definitely try out the Stallion Ridge series. It’ll definitely take you for a wild ride.
Maz Maddox did an excellent job with Claw Marks And Card Games.
She is an amazing world builder giving you bits and pieces of the what is happening without it being spoon fed to you.
The characters are lively and so much fun to read.
I loved how the relationship between Cooper and Gunner built and how Maz created real problems between the two, especially in regards to Coopers need to be “the man” and Gunner not understanding why.
The mystery aspect of the story was a finely tuned machine. You were never sure who was doing what and how it was going to end
The sub plot with Cody was extremely interesting and I needed to know more.
If you like westerns, action, and fast paced with fantastical beasts, definitely try out the Stallion Ridge series. It’ll definitely take you for a wild ride.
galleytrot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
READ: Mar 2023
FORMAT: Digital
BRIEF SUMMARY:
In this Western fantasy/romance, Stallion Ridge is seeing a surge in pioneers and travelers looking for a safe place to settle in and put down their roots thanks to national news spreading over their local law enforcement’s reputation. Cooper and his daughter made their way to the small town after a card game gone wrong, effectively binding himself into servitude to Gunner, one of the town’s deputies. While he should be doing what he can to pay off the substantial gambling debts he’s incurred, there is no viable work for an educated, book-wise numbers guy like Cooper, and Stallion Ridge is not going to harbor him from the collectors forever.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4.5 / 5⭐
So, the plot of this book – specifically pertaining to Gunner and Cooper – feels barely there or barely significant in any particularly meaningful way. Mostly, it was a just vehicle to get these two men past their animosity and into each other’s arms. However, this book is jam-packed with what I have to assume is setup for future books. There are so many established threads that are deliberately left loose, and normally I would not be about that, but I’m getting very into this world and I honestly can’t wait to see what’s next for Stallion Ridge’s growth.
Cooper is a widowed single father with a gambling addiction, depression, anxiety, and some self-destructive tendencies. His struggles in this book regarding his self-worth and his past mistakes catching up to him are upsettingly relatable, making what I’d typically find to be a boring character into one of my favourites in the series thus far. Gunner is a bit of an enigma, being a private man with unclear motives and intentions, but surprisingly prone to indulge in his extravagances. Cooper doesn’t really know what to make of belonging to the man, but he’s not about to roll over or give up that which makes him his own person any time soon.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3.5 / 5⭐
While I greatly enjoy Maddox’s writing, I had to take off points in my rating for the sheer volume of mistakes I noticed in this book. It absolutely would have benefited from another pass of editing. There were several paragraph breaks mid-sentence, typos, grammatical missteps, incorrect words where other words were clearly meant... just errors just all over the place. I would typically let something like this slide if it only happens a handful of times, but I found myself constantly proofreading in this one.
That being said, Maddox is still absolutely killing it with the world building and the strong, developed, memorable, lovable characters. I’m vividly able to picture the entire cast and keep track of who’s who (something I’m absolutely terrible at!). I’ve gathered up a clear image of faces, voices, personalities, and group dynamics to go with the Old West settlement they’re living in, and I love it. Marybell is noteworthily well-written, and I am an unforgiving critic when it comes to children and animals being depicted in a realistic way.
There is one specific plot point in this book that I’m not entirely confident will be brought up later on and I don’t think was sufficiently resolved within these pages: Fred and his men. I felt like they would somehow play a part in Cooper’s past catching up to him, when they seem to be more like just another chapter that comes to a rather unsatisfying close. I’ll be interested to see if they come back up later on as one of those loose threads I’d mentioned being established.
FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 4 / 5⭐
Not much to say! I liked it more than I liked the first book. I liked our main characters more, I liked the deeper establishment of what Stallion Ridge is and what it’s going to become, and I liked getting to see more varieties of shifters. Unfortunately, it’s the typing errors that did the damage to my overall rating. Without it, I think my rating would have landed firmly at 4.5.
This book has representation for gays, bisexuals, and gender-nonconforming. Many backgrounds and skin colours are portrayed. A handful of characters represent “Natives” of fictional tribes, although the ‘magical natives’ trope is strongly leaned into and may be viewed as problematic.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Gore, and Mental illness
Minor: Terminal illness, War, Animal death, and Death of parent
ccreadsbooks_'s review
5.0
Wonderfully different
Fantastic storyline. Imaginative characters that all feel real enough that they might live next door. I was hooked right from the start and read it right through. I genuinely can’t recommend enough!
Fantastic storyline. Imaginative characters that all feel real enough that they might live next door. I was hooked right from the start and read it right through. I genuinely can’t recommend enough!