The next installment of the Reeve is here!
I’m thrilled to announce the release of Riders of the Black Cowl, book three in the Reeve series. Billed as a Gothic Western series, the Reeve is probably better categorized as Weird West. If you’re not unfamiliar with that sub-genre, think of the The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. But even then, the Reeve is a completely different animal.
You might’ve picked up on the comic book-ish leanings of the first book, From Legend. There are some heavy Batman influences (maybe a bit heavy-handed, I’ll admit), and the complexity and depth of the plot are meant to coincide with what would be suitable for a graphic novel. But there’s the whole Western vibe with which to contend: Logan Hale’s position as the Reeve (a Sheriff type of character) and the manhunt that ensues in the second half of the novel.
The Western angle is what stood as a more prominent influence for the second book, Villains—specifically, Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West. The dense, evocative descriptions coupled with the grim proceedings of that tale allowed Villains to become a dark, intricate, layered story that featured its own Batman-esque rogues’ gallery of antagonists.
In keeping with reading a Western novel to correspond with the writing process, I read Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove as I set out to write Riders. It was a great read, and I was really struck by the characterizations and how well-drawn they were. And so, I endeavored to create similarly well-crafted, quirky characters. It also helped immensely that both Lonesome Dove and Riders are sort of “road trip” books.
The philosophical thrust is still there, of course. The series’ examination of whether a greatest conceivable being exists surfaces in Riders as the Cosmological Argument. Perhaps some readers will find these sections too dense for their liking; I don’t know. But they are peppered throughout and don’t constitute the primary flow of the story. I encourage readers to consider them even if they do appear daunting at first blush.
So, where does that leave us? A short and sweet announcement for an approximately 70,000-word novel. I’m not sure anyone reads these posts anyway. But if anyone does, rest assured there are two more Reeve books to go! But before that, a palate cleanser. Keep an eye out for a new book and character next year (hopefully!).
You might’ve picked up on the comic book-ish leanings of the first book, From Legend. There are some heavy Batman influences (maybe a bit heavy-handed, I’ll admit), and the complexity and depth of the plot are meant to coincide with what would be suitable for a graphic novel. But there’s the whole Western vibe with which to contend: Logan Hale’s position as the Reeve (a Sheriff type of character) and the manhunt that ensues in the second half of the novel.
The Western angle is what stood as a more prominent influence for the second book, Villains—specifically, Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West. The dense, evocative descriptions coupled with the grim proceedings of that tale allowed Villains to become a dark, intricate, layered story that featured its own Batman-esque rogues’ gallery of antagonists.
In keeping with reading a Western novel to correspond with the writing process, I read Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove as I set out to write Riders. It was a great read, and I was really struck by the characterizations and how well-drawn they were. And so, I endeavored to create similarly well-crafted, quirky characters. It also helped immensely that both Lonesome Dove and Riders are sort of “road trip” books.
The philosophical thrust is still there, of course. The series’ examination of whether a greatest conceivable being exists surfaces in Riders as the Cosmological Argument. Perhaps some readers will find these sections too dense for their liking; I don’t know. But they are peppered throughout and don’t constitute the primary flow of the story. I encourage readers to consider them even if they do appear daunting at first blush.
So, where does that leave us? A short and sweet announcement for an approximately 70,000-word novel. I’m not sure anyone reads these posts anyway. But if anyone does, rest assured there are two more Reeve books to go! But before that, a palate cleanser. Keep an eye out for a new book and character next year (hopefully!).
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