I don't read much fantasy, or many westerns, but this novel came highly recommended by people I trust. My trust was not misplaced: This is a well-imagined, well constructed book, and Thompson grants her readers enough credit to assume we can construct the world she imagines through the context and language natural to the story. The novel ends with some things resolved and others left open for the next volume, which I eagerly await. ( )

This dark and intense fantasy western follows two men across a border and into a heap of trouble. The most sympathetic of the men is Elim Appaloosa, a thoughtful man with the mottled markings of a "half." As such, he's a lesser man in society, regarded as a source of disease and disgust and likely a slave as well. His partner is Sil Halfwick, a young overly-white northman who's on his first journey to sell horses and wants to prove himself—and damn Elim and anyone else who stands in his way.

This is one of those books where you have a bad feeling about everything that will befall the characters and it almost hurts to read onward. I loved Elim. He's a fantastic character—good-hearted, a bit slow-witted, with a special fondness for horses--caught in horrid circumstances. Sil is the sort you love to hate, but even he doesn't deserve the things he endures, though he's certainly at fault. Crossing the border to Sixes brings them into a whole mishmash of societal warfare. The viewpoints increase as the story continues, and the motivations of the residents vary wildly. I read it as an ebook ARC and at times I wishes I had a guide to help me keep the characters straight; it turned out there was a guide, but it was at the back, so I think the paper version would have helped to alleviate some confusion on my part.

Thompson ends the book on a note that definitely reminds you that this is a series. With Elim's fate still very much on the line, I can't help but be eager to read onward. ( )