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fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
After [b:Vengeance Road|23719270|Vengeance Road (Vengeance Road, #1)|Erin Bowman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422925649s/23719270.jpg|41187933], I didn't think I'd really enjoy any follow-up novel to this series. Boy, was I wrong. Retribution Rails was just as good as, if not better than, Vengeance Road, IMO. If you're reading this book just for Kate and Jesse, you definitely won't be disappointed, because there's plenty of them to go around in this book. Although this is just a companion novel to Vengeance Road, I advise reading the first book to really get the full story.
Erin's ability to write tough-minded, strong young women of the west truly never ceases to amaze me. Charlotte has such a vivacious character that you just can't help but root for from the very beginning. Throw in her determination and quick wit? You've got yourself a helluva character! Oh, and don't get me started on Reese Murphy. His character really brings in a certain kind of complexity that was not present in the first book. Haunted by his actions, he struggles to reconcile who he is versus how he views himself. He tries to right his wrongdoings every chance he gets, and is constantly at war with himself. When Charlotte and Reese collide, they slowly change each other's perceptions of themselves and of the other. Their interactions were something I constantly looked forward to!
The writing, as always, was top notch! Erin has such a vivid writing style that immediately transports you to the Wild West, infusing your imagination with exciting train robberies, gunfights, and showdowns. The world is very impressively well-built and immersive. It's really unlike anything I've ever read -- very refreshing!
I truly can't recommend Vengeance Road and Retribution Rails enough! Before VR, I never would've thought of myself as someone who would pick up a book from the Western genre, but I'm a changed woman now! Trust me, you'll thank me later.
From the well-written vernacular to the complex characters to the immersive world, Retribution Rails is a wild ride from start to finish. So buckle up!
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
Also, check out my review of Vengeance Road, the book that started it all.
Erin's ability to write tough-minded, strong young women of the west truly never ceases to amaze me. Charlotte has such a vivacious character that you just can't help but root for from the very beginning. Throw in her determination and quick wit? You've got yourself a helluva character! Oh, and don't get me started on Reese Murphy. His character really brings in a certain kind of complexity that was not present in the first book. Haunted by his actions, he struggles to reconcile who he is versus how he views himself. He tries to right his wrongdoings every chance he gets, and is constantly at war with himself. When Charlotte and Reese collide, they slowly change each other's perceptions of themselves and of the other. Their interactions were something I constantly looked forward to!
The writing, as always, was top notch! Erin has such a vivid writing style that immediately transports you to the Wild West, infusing your imagination with exciting train robberies, gunfights, and showdowns. The world is very impressively well-built and immersive. It's really unlike anything I've ever read -- very refreshing!
I truly can't recommend Vengeance Road and Retribution Rails enough! Before VR, I never would've thought of myself as someone who would pick up a book from the Western genre, but I'm a changed woman now! Trust me, you'll thank me later.
From the well-written vernacular to the complex characters to the immersive world, Retribution Rails is a wild ride from start to finish. So buckle up!
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
Also, check out my review of Vengeance Road, the book that started it all.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
Retribution Rails is a companion novel to last year's Vengeance Road. It's not strictly a sequel, and according to Goodreads, you don't need to have read the first book. So, I forged ahead without reading the first book. It's true that this isn't a sequel in the traditional sense, and the main characters are new characters who didn't appear in the first book, but some characters from the first book appear in Retribution Rails and the book does contain spoilers for Vengeance Road.
It's 1887 and the American frontier is rapidly changing because of the advent of railroads. In the Arizona Territory, Reece Murphy is an unwilling outlaw. He's a member of the notorious Rose Riders, but he's not an outlaw by choice. A few years earlier, the Rose Riders murdered the family Reece worked for, and they only spared his life because he may be able to lead the gang to the man who killed the gang's former leader. He's forced into the gang, and he quickly learns that escape attempts are futile and that he's stuck with the gang until he can lead them to the mysterious cowboy.
Charlotte Vaughn is a young woman in search of trouble. Her father has just passed away, and her uncle is trying to steal the family business from her and her mother. He plans to force her mother to marry him. Charlotte runs away, thinking she can find some way to stop her uncle. Her life's ambition is to become a journalist. It's a lofty ambition for a teenage girl in 1887, but the pioneering Nellie Bly was working at this time, so the possibility was there, even if rather remote. Charlotte and Reece's paths cross when the Rose Riders hold up the train she's traveling on. Reece spares her life, and their lives quickly become entwined, something neither of them particularly wants.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and exciting, and the story felt very true to the time period. I feel like the author did her homework (and the author's note gives details about her research). There's some exploration of what it means to be a woman at this time. Charlotte is smart and determined, but that may not be enough in a society where men have all the power.
Reece and Charlotte are both very interesting characters. Reece may be an outlaw, but he's not really suited to the life. He wrestles constantly with the things he's forced to do to stay alive. Charlotte is in many ways a proper young lady, but she's also quite ruthless and thoughtless, much more so than the supposed criminal, Reece.
I loved the interplay between the two characters. She thinks he's a worthless criminal at first, and he basically feels the same way about himself. But as their paths keep crossing and they end up having to work together, and their mutual dislike eventually turns into grudging mutual admiration. There's none of the dreaded insta-love here. A connection does grow between them, but it's not the main focus of the story.
Retribution Rails is a great read, and I will be checking out the first book soon.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
It's 1887 and the American frontier is rapidly changing because of the advent of railroads. In the Arizona Territory, Reece Murphy is an unwilling outlaw. He's a member of the notorious Rose Riders, but he's not an outlaw by choice. A few years earlier, the Rose Riders murdered the family Reece worked for, and they only spared his life because he may be able to lead the gang to the man who killed the gang's former leader. He's forced into the gang, and he quickly learns that escape attempts are futile and that he's stuck with the gang until he can lead them to the mysterious cowboy.
Charlotte Vaughn is a young woman in search of trouble. Her father has just passed away, and her uncle is trying to steal the family business from her and her mother. He plans to force her mother to marry him. Charlotte runs away, thinking she can find some way to stop her uncle. Her life's ambition is to become a journalist. It's a lofty ambition for a teenage girl in 1887, but the pioneering Nellie Bly was working at this time, so the possibility was there, even if rather remote. Charlotte and Reece's paths cross when the Rose Riders hold up the train she's traveling on. Reece spares her life, and their lives quickly become entwined, something neither of them particularly wants.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and exciting, and the story felt very true to the time period. I feel like the author did her homework (and the author's note gives details about her research). There's some exploration of what it means to be a woman at this time. Charlotte is smart and determined, but that may not be enough in a society where men have all the power.
Reece and Charlotte are both very interesting characters. Reece may be an outlaw, but he's not really suited to the life. He wrestles constantly with the things he's forced to do to stay alive. Charlotte is in many ways a proper young lady, but she's also quite ruthless and thoughtless, much more so than the supposed criminal, Reece.
I loved the interplay between the two characters. She thinks he's a worthless criminal at first, and he basically feels the same way about himself. But as their paths keep crossing and they end up having to work together, and their mutual dislike eventually turns into grudging mutual admiration. There's none of the dreaded insta-love here. A connection does grow between them, but it's not the main focus of the story.
Retribution Rails is a great read, and I will be checking out the first book soon.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
featherinthewind's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
blackcatreading's review against another edition
5.0
English/Español review
First of all, I wanted to thank HMH teen for sending me an advance copy of this book. I'm from Chile (really far away from them) and they give me this chance and I'm truly grateful for that.
I just finished this book and I'm overexcited, so excuse me if this review is all me fangirling. I don't want to spoil you anything, so I'm not going to give so much detail about the book, but if you liked Vengeance Road, you'll love this book. I couldn't stop reading it (It took me only 3 days to finish it) and I have to say, I'm not interested (I never was) of cowboy stories, but this book makes me reconsidered it. Erin Bowman just proved with this book what we already know: she can put a cowboy story with great characters (most of all, great and strong female characters) with most accurate background and history as she can and there's no time of boring on this book, the actions keeps you on the plot, it really catch you, and, something I want to recall: she puts her book (with an uncommonly theme, the cowboys) with all the YA books we know that exist out there, giving to the genre a new fresh air, without the typical clichés, and... it is just amazing. I sincerely love it, I was really excited to read it and I'm not disappointed at all. I really want to this book officially comes out and gets the recognize that it deserves.
De veras no puedo decir hasta qué punto estoy emocionada con este libro desde principio a fin. Nunca pensé que tendría la oportunidad de leer un libro antes de que saliera a la venta, pero gracias a la editorial no solo tuve esta oportunidad, sino que además se trataba de un libro en el cual tenía grandes expectativas ya que Vengeance Road me había gustado mucho. No estoy en absoluto decepcionada, este libro fue completo de principio a fin. Personajes fuertes (sobre todo los femeninos, lo cual me encanta ya que la autora logra mujeres independientes en una época en que era difícil ser mujer en general), una historia interesante donde no hay buenos ni malos, solo personas, donde vemos la historia típica del cowboy pero sin los típicos clichés, en donde no se puede dejar de leer hasta el final. Incluso me atrevería a decir que este libro supera a su predecesor. En serio espero que esta historia reciba el reconocimiento que merece, ya que (a mi juicio) estaba bien formada, desde el contexto historico hasta los personajes, pasando por la trama. No voy a profundizar mucho en la historia en sí para no hacer spoiler, pero recomiendo enormemente este libro, vale la pena dedicarle tiempo a esta increíble historia.
First of all, I wanted to thank HMH teen for sending me an advance copy of this book. I'm from Chile (really far away from them) and they give me this chance and I'm truly grateful for that.
I just finished this book and I'm overexcited, so excuse me if this review is all me fangirling. I don't want to spoil you anything, so I'm not going to give so much detail about the book, but if you liked Vengeance Road, you'll love this book. I couldn't stop reading it (It took me only 3 days to finish it) and I have to say, I'm not interested (I never was) of cowboy stories, but this book makes me reconsidered it. Erin Bowman just proved with this book what we already know: she can put a cowboy story with great characters (most of all, great and strong female characters) with most accurate background and history as she can and there's no time of boring on this book, the actions keeps you on the plot, it really catch you, and, something I want to recall: she puts her book (with an uncommonly theme, the cowboys) with all the YA books we know that exist out there, giving to the genre a new fresh air, without the typical clichés, and... it is just amazing. I sincerely love it, I was really excited to read it and I'm not disappointed at all. I really want to this book officially comes out and gets the recognize that it deserves.
De veras no puedo decir hasta qué punto estoy emocionada con este libro desde principio a fin. Nunca pensé que tendría la oportunidad de leer un libro antes de que saliera a la venta, pero gracias a la editorial no solo tuve esta oportunidad, sino que además se trataba de un libro en el cual tenía grandes expectativas ya que Vengeance Road me había gustado mucho. No estoy en absoluto decepcionada, este libro fue completo de principio a fin. Personajes fuertes (sobre todo los femeninos, lo cual me encanta ya que la autora logra mujeres independientes en una época en que era difícil ser mujer en general), una historia interesante donde no hay buenos ni malos, solo personas, donde vemos la historia típica del cowboy pero sin los típicos clichés, en donde no se puede dejar de leer hasta el final. Incluso me atrevería a decir que este libro supera a su predecesor. En serio espero que esta historia reciba el reconocimiento que merece, ya que (a mi juicio) estaba bien formada, desde el contexto historico hasta los personajes, pasando por la trama. No voy a profundizar mucho en la historia en sí para no hacer spoiler, pero recomiendo enormemente este libro, vale la pena dedicarle tiempo a esta increíble historia.
alliehwilliams's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. A great follow-up to Vengeance Road, and equally as good. I hope there will be more stories in this world.
nikki_b's review against another edition
4.0
When I saw a Retribution Rails ARC on Instagram, I freaked. I loved Vengeance Road when I read it in 2015, and was so excited to see a companion novel coming soon.
Soon as in... November 2017. Yikes. So, I requested my first ARC and was surprised to get an email with instructions to download the eARC. And now I'm deep in ARC-heaven/hell....Anyway.
Retribution Rails is a really fun ride. It follows Reece, a member of the Rose Riders gang seeking redemption and freedom, and Charlotte, an aspiring journalist dreaming of her own freedom.
I loved the alternating POVs between Charlotte and Reece, and how perfectly the story from Vengeance Road was continued and woven in. (Mild spoiler - yes, characters from VR reappear!) Retribution Rails has more conflicts and twists with a satisfying conclusion.
My sole, minor complaint (no camping this time - whew!) is that there is maybe too much time spent inside of the character's heads. I get that Reece feels guilty and Charlotte is mad about everything - they sure think about it a lot.
Once again, Erin Bowman wrote a Western novel that is relatable and exciting. I fell in love with new and old characters, and have a weird urge to ride a train around the country now.
eARC received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Soon as in... November 2017. Yikes. So, I requested my first ARC and was surprised to get an email with instructions to download the eARC. And now I'm deep in ARC-heaven/hell....Anyway.
Retribution Rails is a really fun ride. It follows Reece, a member of the Rose Riders gang seeking redemption and freedom, and Charlotte, an aspiring journalist dreaming of her own freedom.
I loved the alternating POVs between Charlotte and Reece, and how perfectly the story from Vengeance Road was continued and woven in. (Mild spoiler - yes, characters from VR reappear!) Retribution Rails has more conflicts and twists with a satisfying conclusion.
My sole, minor complaint (no camping this time - whew!) is that there is maybe too much time spent inside of the character's heads. I get that Reece feels guilty and Charlotte is mad about everything - they sure think about it a lot.
Once again, Erin Bowman wrote a Western novel that is relatable and exciting. I fell in love with new and old characters, and have a weird urge to ride a train around the country now.
eARC received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
singerji's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
esmewasreading's review against another edition
4.0
Charlotte was so annoying ☠️
loved everything else tho! lol
loved everything else tho! lol
elockwood's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a rip roarin' ride (sorry, but I had to). The two main characters, who split perspective, have incredibly distinct voices and personalities, so that you never get confused. The plot is well paced, the details amazing, and (this is not a huge spoiler, but one important to me) no horses die. My biggest problem with Westerns is when horses get shot down for no reason, so for all the horse girls and horse women and horse people out there, this is a book in the genre that keeps those animals safe.
Very fun, quick read with compelling characters.
Very fun, quick read with compelling characters.
justlily's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book directly after reading Vengeance Road, which I think is the way to go about it. Even though this is a companion novel, not a sequel, I do believe you need to read that one first. Not only are there returning characters, but there's quotes and little things that you'll miss out on if you don't.
All that being said: Vengeance Road was better. For one simple reason and that reason is... Kate was a badass and Charlotte is an asshole. It was one of those books where the POV changes every chapter and I only liked half of them. Reece Murphy? Angel. Precious cinnamon roll. Not a good guy, not a bad guy, just an incredibly well developed character who I loved from Chapter 1. Charlotte? Whiny, self-absorbed, spoiled, self-centered douchebag whose character development comes way too late to save her. I couldn't stand her from beginning to end and I was so confused how she could come from the same author who wrote Kate.
Still. I very rarely enjoy Western novels but I enjoyed both of these, so pick them up if they're your thing.
All that being said: Vengeance Road was better. For one simple reason and that reason is... Kate was a badass and Charlotte is an asshole. It was one of those books where the POV changes every chapter and I only liked half of them. Reece Murphy? Angel. Precious cinnamon roll. Not a good guy, not a bad guy, just an incredibly well developed character who I loved from Chapter 1. Charlotte? Whiny, self-absorbed, spoiled, self-centered douchebag whose character development comes way too late to save her. I couldn't stand her from beginning to end and I was so confused how she could come from the same author who wrote Kate.
Still. I very rarely enjoy Western novels but I enjoyed both of these, so pick them up if they're your thing.