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Title: The Sky-liners
Series: Sacketts #11
Author: Louis L'Amour
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Western
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Edition
Title: The Sky-liners
Series: Sacketts #11
Author: Louis L'Amour
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Western
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Edition
Synopsis:
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Flagan and his
brother Galloway Sackett have returned from their adventures in The
Sackett Brand and they've paid off their father's debts.
Now they've got to start all over and earn their own stake. In some
no account little town they face down a gang of roughs who are intent
on causing trouble for an Irish gypsy and his granddaughter. Said
gypsy convinces them to take the granddaughter, Judith, to her father
out west. They also take some of the finest horseflesh they've ever
seen to help as breeding stock for Judith's father. Well, the roughs,
led by a man named Black Fletchen, don't take kindly to this.
Especially considering that Black was all set to marry Judith and
take those horses for himself.
Flagan and Galloway
and Judith all headout West, expecting trouble and they find it.
Fletchen kills the gypsy, goes full on outlaw by rustling a herd of
cattle, killing the owners son and begins hunting the Sackett
brothers. When Flagan and company do reach Judith's father, it is
only to find that Black has already taken over the ranch and the
father is being held captive.
Flagan and Galloway
have hooked up with the cowboys whose herd was stolen, so when they
plan on facing down the Fletchens, they're not alone. However, Black
sets a clever trap and gets Flagan, Galloway and Judith pretty much
trapped on a mountain side. There is a big showdown ranging across
the mountains in a thunderstorm. Fletchen gets his, Flagan gets shot
and ends up being taken care of by Judith.
The book ends with
it looking like Flagan and Judith will be getting married and Flagan
taking on the ranch to help her father.
My
Thoughts:
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Heck, L'Amour has a pattern that he writes from. It works. So don't
expect anything new in any of these books and you're all set.
For all that every single main character in each Sackett book
complains about how they aren't handsome like “Relative X” and
don't know how to talk to women, these Sackett boys sure don't seem
to have any problems picking themselves up some wives. Of course, it
usually takes getting shot in some desperate battle in the worst of
weather, after having ridden, walked and generally existed for 100's
of miles in even worse conditions. But still.
I like this book a lot better than the previous one. I think that
comes down to having new characters. Since L'Amour writes more
“archetypes” than actual characters, after a while any particular
character begins to show their weakness as a growing, evolving
person. The easiest way to deal with that is to constantly switch to
new characters and new circumstances. That might come across as a
criticism, but that is only if you are looking for deep
characterization in your western. L'Amour made no bones that he was a
storyteller. The characters come second. It is a way of telling a
story that isn't nearly as popular nowadays as it used to be. I think
a lot of it has to do with culture shift more than anything.
The other thing I noticed is the weight of the pistols. I think it
was in this book that it is mentioned that the character's pistol
weighed over 2 pounds. If not in this book, then definitely in
another. Anyway, that is HEAVY! My little Sig P938, loaded with 7
rounds, weighs in at around 17ounces (16 oz to a lb for you
furrenners!). So add some bullets to those old guns and you're
talking close to 3lbs. I can't imagine doing a fast draw with
something that big and heavy. I guess it's a good thing I'm not a
gunslinger, hahahahaa.
Bookstooge Sackett I am not.
★★★☆½
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