This was a pretty good novella, and honestly, for how short it was, it managed to accomplish the most important thing - make me interested in the characters and the world. The author doesn't waste time or words. The action moves swiftly, and there are no superfluous scenes at all. 

But he still manages to introduce the protagonist and clearly set the stakes. We know why Jake is at Jackson Depot, and we know why he is dead set on finding those who decided to break into his ship and steal his cargo. And it all makes sense, and I can root for him. I also liked a lot of the secondary characters, no matter how little pagetime they got. They were all memorable and relatable. Even the thieves, because they had done this out of desperation more than malice towards our protagonist.

The world itself is a fascinating mix of science fiction and fantasy - where magic infuses every day things, but humanity is flying on spaceships and has managed to colonize space. Oh, and there are dragons, or void wyrms, how cool is that?

My only complaint is that we don't get enough information about this world. A syndicate is mentioned, and the Federation, and a Magical Academy of sorts, but I have no scope. How far did humanity spread from Earth? Are there any other alien races out there apart from the Void Wyrms? Many questions and not enough page time to get the answers. I will have to pick up the next books in the series to find out more. From what I have seen, there are at least three more already out, and I will definitely check them out.

PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

'The Warded Gunslinger' expertly fuses the rugged charm of spaghetti westerns with the expansive scope of space opera, delivering an action-packed standalone novella with a distinctive edge.

Featuring an original plot, robust world-building, and a unique atmosphere, this book draws readers into an unpredictable setting where traditional western themes converge with technological marvels powered by magic.

The writing is polished, engaging, and exceptionally well-paced. The action sequences are crafted with precision, ensuring the narrative maintains unrelenting momentum while vividly depicting high-stakes confrontations utilising futuristic magi-tech.

The protagonist emerges as a likeable hero, and his perilous rescue mission is heartfelt. While character development is somewhat constrained by the novella’s length, the story introduces intriguing figures, sparking anticipation for their potential evolution in future works.

In summary, 'The Warded Gunslinger' excels in its imaginative fusion of genres, providing a satisfying reading experience for fans of both science fiction and fantasy.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing date: 16.12.2023
Thank you to Netgalley and LVE Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: Jerky and coffee
The book left me: Slightly disappointed

Negatives:
Although there were unique themes at play, I felt like they weren't optimally utilized
Story was a little disjointed

Positives:
Lots of easter eggs to existing media

Features:
A "badass" main character, families at odds with each other, high fantasy blended with sci-fi, a dragon (did not get enough spotlight), tomboy character

Why did I choose this one?
Have not read this concept before, so it seemed like a great way to veer out of my comfort zone. Also, the author is Scandinavian, so I had to support them a little.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
In between. I didn't really feel a pull to finish, and neither did I feel a pull to put it down. It was just right in the middle. I think the way the chapters were split up and arranged stopped the flow a little.

What was the vibe and mood?
Feels like a B-movie. It had the usual cowboy story settings too, a bar, mining town, tunnels, deserts, badguy camps. It has all the cowboy stuff, but add a tech and magic spin to it, and you got this book.

Final ranking and star rating?
2 stars, D tier. This was sadly not for me. I really thought it would be, because of the blurb and everything else promised. It fell short. I felt nothing while reading it, and I didn't connect or cheer for any of the characters. The way the story was paced broke my attention and had me re-reading lines because I didn't process what it said. I am saddened to give it such a low rating, but I think the target audience will like it more.

This is the first in a series of what should be a very entertaining Westerns in Space. As this is a fairly short read the author does not spend pages explaining and it throttles through like a 1950s B Western.
Plenty of action Gunfights(sort of) Plenty of bar brawls (sort of) . All in all its a very enjoyable romp and I am looking forwards to the continuing story line. I must thank LVE Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are my own and freely given.

Sometimes I break out of my favored book genres to try something new. This time the promise of a Space Western caught my eye and did not disappoint.

The Warded Gunslinger might not totally bring something fresh to the table but the space western mixed up with a good dose of magic and snarky humor hooked me from the start and did not let go.

The main character has the right vibe between snark and being badass and the characters he meets on that far away planet have a wide array of likable, dispicable, welcoming and mysterious.
The writing style is catchy and fun and I look forward to read more about the warded gunslinger and his adventures. To enhance the reading experience I will even make sure to have a vanilla scented candle ready!

Thank you to LVE Press, Filip Wiltgren & NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise for this was good, and I enjoyed the narrative. Unfortunately I did find the flow of the story a little disjointed, and in several places it feels like you should already know a lot of the background lore without being informed otherwise.

The Warded Gunslinger is a fun and quick read that expertly blends sci-fi and magic. The classic wanderer visiting and rescuing its town from it’s oppressive regime is augmented with a fun rescue. I think the systems were fun, the supporting characters unique, and overall a fun read outside my normal genres!

I liked the idea presented in the blurb. The Wild West frontier meets space travel with magic thrown in. Sort of spaghetti western vibe. The novella was fun, introducing us to characters that obviously have places to go and adventures to find. There are a lot of things left unanswered as well in the story, but it is a complete story no cliff hanger here. Looking forward to seeing the answers the author has in mind. Thank you to LVE Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

4 Stars

Seriously, I could not advertise this better than the book’s own blurb.

I was looking for something fun and quick, and of course, a story that would cater to my love of sci-fi, adventure, and dragons totally caught my eye! It doesn’t hurt that this features a quasi anti-hero that has hidden tricks up his sleeve and a slightly skewed moral compass. Here, Jake’s mission (among fixing his broken ship) is to retrieve the hatchling dragon that was stolen from him, and like all interesting protagonists, he’ll do what’s absolutely necessary to take back what’s rightfully his.

Assuredly, this would appeal to Firefly fans as Jake reminds me of Mal Reynolds but with powerful magic and better weaponry. With nods to Star Wars, Harry Dresden, and the Wild West, this had all sorts of things going for it.

More and more these days, I measure my reading experience with how much fun I have, and this had quite a bit. I’m happy to see there’s 3 more novellas about Jake because I simply want to know more about his past, the dragon he currently has in his possession, and where he’s going next!

Thank you to the author and LVE Press via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review posted to Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6567330377?book_show_action=false

This story has become a favourite of mine, I honestly just loved everything about it and would 100% read more if the author ever decided to do a sequel to it

Review: A mix of SciFi and fantasy does a body good. A galaxy traipsing gun slinging mage bounty hunter. Hmmm, I like it.

Although too short by a mile, the characters on a back no-water planet are built with enough finesse and strength to warrant an A+. Imagine what this author could do with a full-length novel or series. Sign me the fuk up. The MC could have been named Mr. McTropey but a tried and true persona is only over used because it works. Double check on the bad guys and all the ingredients are in the entertainment pot. Now just go slurp it down yah mewling shjt-wit!

4.6/5

A space-western pastiche. Credit to the author for openly acknowledging most, if not all, of his influences; he writes briskly, smoothly, and engagingly... and at 100 pages, he gives us a swift moving action story, evocative of a Doc Savage novel or -- more closely -- the Dumarest books. Sure, the world could be a little better sketched out (the book seems like a tease for a broader, more interesting universe), and there are few surprises (none of which are all that surprising) -- but all Wiltgren seems intent on is providing us with a few hours of pulpy fun. On those terms, he more than succeeds.

Not sure if I'd read the next one... but not sure I wouldn't, either.

When Jake lands his space ship on Jackson Depot, he is not looking for much. Some trade for the vanilla he has in store, and a quiet place for him and the wyrm hatchling he owns is all he wants. But very soon after his landing, his ship gets robbed and the hatchling stolen. Jake, gunslinger and also mage, is determined to find whoever took it and kill them. What follows is a fast paced space western, with a lot of action, a fair amount of shooting, and magic that entirely serves this purpose too.

Jake is also the narrator of the story. Letting him tell his story fits the idea of a loner-gunslinger very well. The narrative is sharp and at times humorous. Jake is not exactly a chit-chatty guy. The short sentences he uses when in dialogue with others help keeping up the pace. World building and character development are sufficient, but kept to what is needed to tell the story, again aiding rapid plot evolution. Due to this, the novel contains everything you need to know to enjoy it and nothing more, keeping its size limited to around 130 pages.

The author has put some Easter eggs inside the story too, linking to movies and books, which is fun. I missed most of them while reading, but that doesn’t matter because there are two pages at the end explaining them. (I even added one myself that in the end didn’t appear to be one: I really thought that naming the gunslinger Jake was a wink to Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. And yet, it’s not in the list.) Although the story is complete, it’s already clear from the ending that more stories will follow, and the author has included the first three chapters of the next novel in this series as a preview. At the time of writing this, there are four Warded Gunslinger books already. It’s something to look forward to, because one novel is by far not enough to get tired of this.

(Thank you NetGalley and LVE Press for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.)