The Sparrows of Montenegro starts off like a punch in the gut. The writing is vivid and gruesome, but necessary to set up the heart of this novel that radiates from a horrific event.

BJ Mayo has developed complex characters, with both the main characters and even the minor characters throughout, and those characters drive this novel from start to finish. The reader will feel the tug and pull from each character as they find themselves trapped, searching, and wanting more in life.

This is a beautifully written story, even if it is harsh at times, but then again, life can be harsh.

I went through a few ups and downs in liking the book. I wanted to read this book because of the unusual setup and the cover. I did not pay too close attention to what I might be getting because this is not a topic that endears itself to me. I am not a fan of westerns, and this is purely that.
That said, the bigger issue I had with the tale was the disjointedness. There are several moving pieces to the story. First, we have people who are part of the lookout for 'Indians' and are supposed to kill them on sight since they would do likewise. This has been built on years of violence from both sides, but it is hard not to be annoyed by the presumption on the part of the settlers. The two men, who bond over past secrets and not fitting in, are then seen a few years later working on a cattle ranch that borders Mexico.
There is another part that talks of a wild man who has mixed blood. There are again two parts to this story because we have one man who is attacked and another who is the attacker, both with a past that makes people in the town uneasy.
In the present time, the two lines converge. The overall ending was satisfying and tied with a bow, but the narrative style and content were not for me. For people used to the subject matter and the portrayals within, this will be a quick and easy read.
I read this as an ARC, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.