After Big Damn Hero, it seemed the bar of standards was set high, much like the original show and its legendary legacy. Magnificent Nine presents a plot that is very much reminiscent of the western formula that the show often called upon. Similarly to the first book, this plot is driven by the crew aiding one of its own members with a dilemma specifically involving him.

This plot will dive somewhat into Jayne's rather unknown past to increase the depth of his character beyond what was revealed in season one, and the main antagonist in this one was a real treat. There had been some criminals and other blokes that were more on the immoral side of the line such as Adelai Niska, perhaps Burgess, and "YoSaffBridge", but the one in this story makes a mark, too.

Introducing new characters must be a challenge for these novels, given that they will not have a frame of reference from the TV show by definition. However I felt Lovegrove executed the creation of this story's foundation with its new players as well as it deserved to be. Looking back on all the novels, this is one of the ones I would be most inclined to re-read. Another shiny novel indeed!