Ultimately, I wish this was a bit more western and a bit less historical fiction. The story was very interesting and had me engaged, but it was drowned out by quite a bit of historical monologuing which really broke up the pacing of the book. The main players of the story were interesting enough with realistic flaws and charm, but anyone who was not a main character blended together without much distinction. This was my first book by the author, but I suspect I'm not a fan of his writing style. I'd recommend this book if you're looking for a more realistic, historical western novel and you don't when historical facts break up a weirdly paced story.