Gunslinger and Samurai

by Taylor Clogston

"From the Plane of Steel I call you forth!"

On the day Prince Kurou is to become engaged to the princess of a neighboring city, the bandit lord known as Callicles the Hyena invades the town called White Pepper.

Kurou and the street boy Olivier find themselves unlikely comrades plunged into a world of martial artists, ancient magic, and Lone Wolves who fight as brothers. Follow the journey of the pauper and the prince as they become Gunslinger and Samurai.

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2021

About the author

A fantasy writer hailing from the dark forests of New Hampshire, Taylor's stories draw from the stylings of myriad classic and modern fantasy authors such as Brian Jacques, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Roger Zelazny.

0-star ratings denote abstinance from rating, not dislike of the book.

Reviews

[Taylor Clogston]

I, the author of this book, offer forth this challenge to all who would take my dojo's flag: Read my book and then we can have a dramatic, moonlit battle on some rooftops.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a very short amount of time, the author made me care very much about each of the main characters in this story. Some of their backgrounds were delved into more than others, but each was unique with a great deal of significance attached, whether they thought so or not. The book feels very cross-cultural as a whole, which I really enjoyed. Many different people groups were introduced; each their own, but blending very well to make up the world they live in. Don't expect a neatly wrapped up conclusion at the end. This book is more like novella being used as the opening introduction to a much bigger book/series. One that has a great deal of promise, I might add. I would really like to know where Kurou, Olivier, and Margarita all go from here.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only*

[E.L. Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*
An interesting start to what promises to be an extended journey, but very definitely only a start. This was shorter than I anticipated, and a little rough around the edges, with some repetition in sentences and a lot of heavy handed exposition at the start. The magic system is intriguing though not 100% explained here and I hope to learn more about it in subsequent stories. I liked most of the characters, though they all need more time to develop and shine. Some of the names tripped me up (anyone who can see "Margarita" without immediately thinking of the cocktail deserves a kudos), but otherwise I enjoyed this, and will be looking out for further installments to read in the future.

[Noah Litle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. It was short. I liked the western/eastern aspects of it. The structure and characters could have been better, I think. But overall I enjoyed it. I look forward to reading the next episode.

[Madhur Mehta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short fantasy story that is full of action and incredible characters, plus a bit of magic. It's written very well and I especially am in awe of the characters. Even though it's a short story the writer has done an incredible job at forming well developed and relatable characters. I loved Olivier as a character. He is sharp and brave. I loved the element of magic in it.