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Flintlock #4
A Time For Vultures
THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Across the West, bad men know his name. The deadliest bounty hunter on the frontier, Flintlock is armed with his grandfather s ancient Hawken muzzleloader, ready to put the blast on the face of injustice. As William and J.A. Johnstone s acclaimed saga continues, Flintlock will discover an evil too terrifying and deadly to even name.
WHEN A MAN SAYS HE S GOING TO KILL YOU, BELIEVE HIM
The stench of death hangs over Happyville. When Flintlock rides into town, he sees windows caked in dust, food rotting on tables, and a forgotten corpse hanging at the gallows. The citizens of Happyville are dead in their beds, taken down by a deadly scourge, and Flintlock must stay put, or risk spreading the killer disease. His quarantine is broken by Cage Kingfisher, a mad clergyman who preaches the gospel of death. He orders his followers to round up the survivors of Happyville and bring them home to face the very plague they fled. To save them, Flintlock must send Kingfisher to Hell. But the deadly deacon has a clockwork arm that can draw a pistol faster than the eye can blink. It will take the devil to bring him down. Or the frontier legend they call Flintlock."
Across the West, bad men know his name. The deadliest bounty hunter on the frontier, Flintlock is armed with his grandfather s ancient Hawken muzzleloader, ready to put the blast on the face of injustice. As William and J.A. Johnstone s acclaimed saga continues, Flintlock will discover an evil too terrifying and deadly to even name.
WHEN A MAN SAYS HE S GOING TO KILL YOU, BELIEVE HIM
The stench of death hangs over Happyville. When Flintlock rides into town, he sees windows caked in dust, food rotting on tables, and a forgotten corpse hanging at the gallows. The citizens of Happyville are dead in their beds, taken down by a deadly scourge, and Flintlock must stay put, or risk spreading the killer disease. His quarantine is broken by Cage Kingfisher, a mad clergyman who preaches the gospel of death. He orders his followers to round up the survivors of Happyville and bring them home to face the very plague they fled. To save them, Flintlock must send Kingfisher to Hell. But the deadly deacon has a clockwork arm that can draw a pistol faster than the eye can blink. It will take the devil to bring him down. Or the frontier legend they call Flintlock."
- GenresWesterns
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published August 30, 2016
95 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,041 books1,394 followersWilliam W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 4, 2016
Quite a ramble
From "cowboying" to fighting for life from outlaws to tangling with mad "engineers" and on to meeting with US Army.
From "cowboying" to fighting for life from outlaws to tangling with mad "engineers" and on to meeting with US Army.
June 19, 2024
Recently I picked up this audiobook along with two others from a library sale. Each book was a dollar, so it seemed like a good deal. I did not know until later that this was the fourth book of the series. Despite that I listened to the Audiobook.
Disc 1 -2 = Start of the book is kind of boring, but it can be overlooked because it is the start of the book, and it is introducing the characters and story.
Disc 3- the start of 7 = The story is picking up; the villain is really good despite the characters being kind of dual. The setup is well done, generally a good bit of writing.
Disc 7 - 8 = The ending of Kingfisher is really boring and a real shame. At least he died so the boring characters could go on a really boring quest. A lot of characters show up mainly just to die a bit later on. The main two characters keep bouncing between different groups, but each group just ends up dead shortly afterward.
To be honest the first part of the book is really boring. As for the ending it just really drags down the rest of the story. Kingfisher was the best part of the story, and his death an ending was poorly done.
Disc 1 -2 = Start of the book is kind of boring, but it can be overlooked because it is the start of the book, and it is introducing the characters and story.
Disc 3- the start of 7 = The story is picking up; the villain is really good despite the characters being kind of dual. The setup is well done, generally a good bit of writing.
Disc 7 - 8 = The ending of Kingfisher is really boring and a real shame. At least he died so the boring characters could go on a really boring quest. A lot of characters show up mainly just to die a bit later on. The main two characters keep bouncing between different groups, but each group just ends up dead shortly afterward.
To be honest the first part of the book is really boring. As for the ending it just really drags down the rest of the story. Kingfisher was the best part of the story, and his death an ending was poorly done.
November 10, 2020
A sci-fi western.
What is so hard to believe that inventors and authors at the time being covered actually believed in The extraordinary power and possibilities of steam? Flying submarines, steam powered flight, capable of reaching the moon, all of these were believed possible, so why not heart valves? If you don't like the Flintlock stories, and that's what they are, stories, not real life, then stop reading tbem, and if you can do better, go ahead, and then feel qualified to criticize.
What is so hard to believe that inventors and authors at the time being covered actually believed in The extraordinary power and possibilities of steam? Flying submarines, steam powered flight, capable of reaching the moon, all of these were believed possible, so why not heart valves? If you don't like the Flintlock stories, and that's what they are, stories, not real life, then stop reading tbem, and if you can do better, go ahead, and then feel qualified to criticize.
August 9, 2021
OK, so if you're looking for a weird novel, Flintlock is apparently it. This novel even has steampunk. Johnstone really can do it all and I appreciate that for sure, though the novel wasn't my favorite, just the fact that Johnstone did it. I think I'll listen to more, even though the talking to a dead guys is super weird.
June 9, 2018
This is a total piece of crap! It is the worst book I ever attempted to read. Billed as a western it is a steampunk novel - heart valve replacements in the 1880s! I made about halfway before throwing it away!
October 28, 2017
A sci-fi western. Good idea poorly executed. This is the 3rd Johnstone book I've read and I haven't liked any of them. He's just not my type of author I guess. A dnf at 40%.
October 30, 2018
If I had known it was Steampunk, I wouldn't have bothered. DNF
July 1, 2019
A bit of Jules Verne mixed in with this one.
August 21, 2020
Sci-fi western. Different but still kind of interesting. This one had a lot going on through the whole story.
September 14, 2020
Not my kind of western but I forced myself to finish reading it, it was to far fetched for me, all the science fiction crap could have been left out.
March 3, 2017
The similarity to the old Wild Wild West TV series was OK but it all seemed pointless after a while.
Find another Johnstone book to read.
Find another Johnstone book to read.
February 7, 2017
Steampunk and Clockwork Orange in the West
I like Flintlock. However the descent into fantasy regarding mechanized humans,etc was disappointing. Stick to the western genre which is why I buy your books. It already enough to swallow the whole Barnabas yarn.
I like Flintlock. However the descent into fantasy regarding mechanized humans,etc was disappointing. Stick to the western genre which is why I buy your books. It already enough to swallow the whole Barnabas yarn.
March 31, 2017
I know now apparently, that if it is a Flintlock book there will be steampunk in it. The problem I find, is the book is not promoted at all with mention of this fantasy element - and that is where it is losing readers. Many read Johnstones for the strict western element, if you're going to deviate, at least make it known. The second people start showing up with goggles I actually had to put the book down and force myself to keep reading. I even like the Barnabas element, I think it is interesting and spiritual enough to fit the genre. Just maybe, you know, advertise the book properly for what it is.
Otherwise, there are likable characters but the plot moves quick. Before you can adjust to the who, when and where it is changing and there's new people and a new threat. It could be fleshed out a little more, the threats could be brought to fruition, make us understand and see how and why the threat is possible.
Flintlock is a good character but he seems to keep making stupid decisions. When it is not blind luck saving him, it's O'Hara. I think we need to see Flintlock resolving the issues a little more ..resolutely? to really connect with the character.
Otherwise, there are likable characters but the plot moves quick. Before you can adjust to the who, when and where it is changing and there's new people and a new threat. It could be fleshed out a little more, the threats could be brought to fruition, make us understand and see how and why the threat is possible.
Flintlock is a good character but he seems to keep making stupid decisions. When it is not blind luck saving him, it's O'Hara. I think we need to see Flintlock resolving the issues a little more ..resolutely? to really connect with the character.
April 5, 2017
I normally like Johnstone's work. However, this one just didn't cut it for me. It seemed to be more along the lines of the old Wild, Wild West TV series what with mechanically enhanced bad guys, allusions to blood transfusions to keep them alive. Just didn't care for it. If I hadn't already read so many of these and was holding out hope for the story to improve, I probably would have stopped about halfway through.
April 24, 2017
Terrible!
This is a rare book in the sense that it is so bad I could not finish it. It is only the second book i could/would not finish!
This is a rare book in the sense that it is so bad I could not finish it. It is only the second book i could/would not finish!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews