Louis L'Amour Shared Read Challenge for 2020

In 2019 we had a Sackett series challenge, reading all Louis L'Amour's Sackett series. However, it's done, our shared read has ended.

As interest was shown in continuing with some type of L'Amour shared read in 2020, I've created this thread for those who enjoy good tales of early America and the western expansion.

L'Amour created not only the Sackett series, but also created stories about two other fictional families which intertwined with the Sacketts.

In roughly chronological order:

Chantry Family
* Fair Blows the Wind (January)
* The Ferguson Rifle (February)
* Over on the Dry Side (March)
* Borden Chantry (April)
* North to the Rails (May)

Talon Family
* Walking Drum (June)
* Rivers West (July)
* The Man From the Broken Hills (August)
* Milo Talon (September)

and because this protagonist is a solid favorite of L'Amour fans:

Kilkenny
* The Rider of Lost Creek (October)
* A Man Called Trent aka The Mountain Valley War (November)
* Kilkenny (December)

We'll read one book per month, and we encourage all comments, reviews, etcetera to be posted here...with spoilers of course!

I'm looking forward to revisiting some old favorites...and enjoying others' first-time reactions.

I’ve replaced the Sackett Series with this group read in the 75ers wiki. Hopefully, it’ll help folks keep track!

>2 drneutron: thanks! The more, the merrier!

I'm in.

>4 harrygbutler: yes!!!

I finished my first book, Fair Blows the Wind



Over the course of his lifetime Louis L'Amour wrote many stories, and several series about fictional families that lived in early America. One of these series is about members of the Chantry family, and this particular volume is the first.

Tatton Chantry is a pseudonym, a name taken by a young man to hide his Irish heritage from those who would kill him. He survives in Elizabethan England by his wits and grows into a soldier and trader. And on one of his voyages he finds himself marooned on a barrier island of the Carolinas.

I enjoyed the story, though the flashbacks were a little confusing at times.

Fair Blows the Wind, by Louis L'Amour



A young Irishman of good family makes his way in the world, meeting up with many friends and enemies along a path that takes him first to England, then the Continent, and then beyond. A very long flashback forms much of the novel, and I think it is the weaker for that, though the structure does allow L'Amour to engage the reader immediately with action. Recommended nonetheless.

>6 fuzzi: I'm generally fine with stories starting in media res and filling in some narrative of events thereafter (as in, say, the The Aeneid), but for some reason I found it difficult to really get going with this adventure.

>7 harrygbutler: I think you're going to like this one better...


The Ferguson Rifle by Louis L'Amour

Ronan Chantry heads west to escape painful memories, and finds himself roped into a treasure hunt...all in the name of chivalry.

A little slow at the beginning, but then the pace picks up and you get immersed into a ripping good yarn.

>8 fuzzi: I did. I read it over the weekend and will get my comments posted later today, I think.

The Ferguson Rifle, by Louis L'Amour



A cultured man new to the west joins a group of mountain men and ends up facing off against an assortment of opponents, including one in some ways a negative reflection of himself. Effective action keeps the story moving; recommended.

Argh. I mis-remembered the book for March, and started reading North to the Rails last night. Within a page or two I realized my mistake, said "I'm supposed to read Borden Chantry!" and proceeded to read about 1/3 of April's challenge book. Argh.

I hate to put it down, but...

>11 fuzzi: Actually, March is Over on the Dry Side. You're going to be two months ahead. :-)

>12 harrygbutler: I'm putting down Borden Chantry...have taken Over on the Dry Side off my shelf.

>13 fuzzi: I think I misunderstood your post in >11 fuzzi:. I'm about halfway through Over on the Dry Side myself and may be able to finish it up today.

>14 harrygbutler: no worries. I just started book #4 and book #5 before realizing my mistake(s)!

I'm fairly certain that I've recently read a short story version of Over on the Dry Side but haven't been able to figure out which one. Do you recall?

Done.


Over on the Dry Side by Louis L'Amour

An adequate story of the Old West by one of my favorite authors. The switch back and forth from first-person to third-person narration is distracting, but this book is still worth reading, especially if you like L'Amour.

Maybe it suffered a little because I'd started reading Borden Chantry immediately before switching over. I really like Borden and the way he thinks. Whereas in Over on the Dry Side Owen Chantry wasn't as interesting a character, nor was the female lead, imo. I liked some of the "bad guys" better.

>15 fuzzi: Sorry, I don't recall the short story, but I wouldn't be surprised if this were a reworking and expansion of one.

>16 fuzzi: I agree with you that the switches in narration are distracting. And I think that both Owen Chantry and Marny Fox were underdeveloped, in part because they are seen in large part from Doby's point of view.

Over on the Dry Side, by Louis L'Amour



When the Kernohans, father and son, move into the homestead of a murdered man, they find a home, but they also find trouble, for the killers are still in the area. When the dead man's brother arrives, events escalate. This is a good but not excellent western that might have been better told from a single consistent point of view; though the voice of Doby Kernohan works fairly well, the effect is to leave some of the other characters rather shadowy. Mildly recommended.

Borden Chantry by Louis L'Amour

After severe weather leaves his ranch bereft of cattle, and with no money coming in, Borden Chantry takes the job of town sheriff to make ends meet. Things stay pretty quiet until a young stranger is found dead. Once Chantry makes an effort to solve the murder he meets resistance and dodges bullets. Good entry in the Chantry/Sackett/Talon series.

Borden Chantry, by Louis L'Amour



More mystery than usual western, this L'Amour novel finds a rancher turned marshal investigating the murder of a stranger, despite encouragement to drop the case, and finding pointers to an assortment of killings or suspicious deaths in the recent past. Recommended.

>20 harrygbutler: I really liked Borden, wished there were more books about him.

>21 fuzzi: Yep. He's a sympathetic and interesting character.

North to the Rails, by Louis L'Amour



A young man, the son of Borden Chantry, who has traveled to the west to buy cattle seeks to overcome an imputation of cowardice and win the respect of others by managing a trail drive to bring a herd of cattle to meet the westward-bound railroad. His growth happens rather rapidly, even taking into account his early years in the west, but the character arc is an enjoyable one, and the supporting characters good contributors to the story.

>23 harrygbutler: I'm starting this one tonight.

>24 fuzzi: It should be a quick read unless you have a lot else going on.

>25 harrygbutler: I generally read a L'Amour in two days, unless it's a chunkster like next month's The Walking Drum. I'm planning on starting that one early, last week of May.

North to the Rails by Louis L'Amour

In this final book of the Chantry series Tom, the son of Borden Chantry, is heading west in search of cattle to ship back east. Still green and unused to the ways of the frontier, he's an easy target for cattle rustlers or thieves...or is he?

I really liked this story and the characters contained within. It's a better than average L'Amour.

I'm just not getting into The Walking Drum, though I enjoyed it before. Maybe my recent reading rut contributed. But I have Rivers West sitting on my "next" shelf, for July.

Rivers West by Louis L'Amour

We meet the second Talon in this story. Jean Daniel is a shipwright, headed from Quebec for Pittsburgh with plans to build steamboats. He pulls a dying man from the depth of a swamp, and soon finds himself involved in a search for the missing brother of a very pretty and capable young lady.

The farther I read, the more I enjoyed this one, a good yarn.

I've started The Man From the Broken Hills. I like Milo.

And now, my review:


The Man From the Broken Hills by Louis L'Amour

I have to admit that I really like the protagonist, Milo Talon, and that fondness bumped my rating from 3 1/2 to 4 stars.

The plot seems to be standard, cattle rustling and range wars, but the twists and turns and interesting characters make this an above average western story.

Milo Talon by Louis L'Amour

The title protagonist finds himself in a missing person mystery, recruited to help locate the heiress to her grandfather's fortune, all the while other shadowy characters try to dissuade Milo in his quest. Good entry in the Talon/Sackett series of books though not as entertaining as The Man From the Broken Hills.

I forgot to post a couple of my reviews. I'll catch them up as I can.

Rivers West, by Louis L'Amour



In the early 19th century, a Talon heads southwest from Quebec to build steamships on the western waters. Along the way, he encounters a murdered man, a dangerous foe, firm friends, and a capable young woman looking for her missing brother. L'Amour keeps things moving and builds interest in the passing scene, but the ending feels a bit rushed. Recommended.

>33 harrygbutler: I read a quote from L'Amour's son regarding the "rushed" endings found in some of his father's books. He said that Louis would rush ending sometimes because he was looking forward to starting another story.

>34 fuzzi: That certainly sounds plausible. I know I sometimes rush reading the ending of a book to move on to another.

The Man from the Broken Hills, by Louis L'Amour



Milo Talon takes a job with a man who once tried to rob his mother's ranch and finds himself mixed up in a range war and the target of an unknown assassin. Good pacing and an appealing protagonist with an OK twist make for a pleasing story. Recommended.

The Rider of Lost Creek (Kilkenny #1)

This is the first of the Kilkenny trilogy, and in it we are treated to something more than standard Western fare. Lance Kilkenny is a gunfighter by necessity, not choice, and when he comes to the aid of a friend caught in the beginnings of a range war he's expecting to get out as quickly as possible. But a mystery behind a series of murders complicates things, as well as the beautiful Nita.

>38 fuzzi: Glad you enjoyed it. I'm still catching up on my reviews, but I've already read this one for this month, too.

Milo Talon, by Louis L'Amour



Footloose cowboy Milo Talon takes on the job of finding a man's missing granddaughter, only to discover that murder has struck, and may again, in the plots that surround the girl — threatening not just Talon, but also another whom he befriends. A bit too repetitive in the narrator's insistence that he's not cut out for the job of detective, and in speculations that don't really advance the plot, but enjoyable nonetheless. Mildly recommended.

>40 harrygbutler: I was thinking of merging this into an AdventureCAT/KIT next year, unless you'd like to keep reading L'Amour books in a challenge?

>41 fuzzi: I don't usually lump westerns together with adventures in my own thinking about my reading, but certainly would consider the L'Amour books with an earlier setting to be adventure fiction, so I could understand combining. Whatever works best for you would be fine with me.

>41 fuzzi:, >42 harrygbutler: I can host this challenge next year if you want.

>43 SilverWolf28: well, maybe a new host would help?

We didn't get much activity here this year, though we did better while reading the Sackett series.

>43 SilverWolf28: Sure! That would be fine with me.

The Rider of Lost Creek, by Louis L'Amour



When Lance Kilkenny comes to the aid of a friend, he finds an area poised for a range war, with two big outfits and his friend's smaller but well-placed ranch jockeying for position, all while a killer stalks the range as well. A good introduction to the characters of Kilkenny and Nita Riordan, coming first chronologically in their story, although the book was the last published about them. Recommended.

I started A Man Called Trent aka The Mountain Valley War last night.

It's a reread, but I'm fuzzy on the details so it's almost like a new read!

>48 fuzzi: Thanks for this post as a reminder. I had forgotten that the book has two different titles and thought I somehow didn't have it on hand to read. Luckily, I do have it as The Mountain Valley War and can start on it soon myself.

The Mountain Valley War (aka A Man Called Trent) by Louis L'Amour
(Kilkenny #2)

Interesting and satisfying continuation of the Kilkenny series. I like Lance Kilkenny, a more complex character than one expects in this genre. The plot has been done before, cattle king vs. nesters, but for me the human interactions makes this a better than average tale by L'Amour.

Well, bummer. This is not only the last Kilkenny book but the last challenge of the year.

Good book to end it on...I contemplated giving it 4 stars.


Kilkenny by Louis L'Amour

This is the third and final book in an entertaining series about a character I have come to know and appreciate. Lance is looking for a place to finally settle down, to be left alone, but another cattle baron with delusions of grandeur forces Kilkenny take up his guns for the defense of settlers. It sounds corny, but it's not, and the author makes the familiar plot less monotonous, more absorbing.

Finally getting to my comments on the book I read last month.

The Mountain Valley War, by Louis L'Amour



The man called Trent, otherwise Lance Kilkenny, who has been trying to lead a peaceful life homesteading in the mountains, is forced into battle when the big local boss sets his sights on driving out the "nesters." Solidly entertaining, with an interesting account of finding a path through desolate badlands. Recommended.

Discussion thread for next year: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327122

>53 SilverWolf28: Thanks for getting things rolling! I'll give some thought to choices and post my suggestions on the other thread.

>54 harrygbutler: You're welcome!

>53 SilverWolf28: thank you!

Kilkenny, by Louis L'Amour



Lance Kilkenny may have finally found a home, in a remote valley in the mountains, but when a land-grabbing cattleman threatens all the little spreads in the area, including that run by the woman he loves, the tired gunfighter must once again take up arms and bring the fight to the oppressor. The final Kilkenny book (though the first written/published as a novel) brings the tale of Lance and Nita to a satisfying conclusion. Recommended.

>57 harrygbutler: and so 2020 comes to a conclusion...