Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Beyond the Smoke by Terry W. Burns

When Bryan goes back to camp with a freshly killed rabbit for dinner, he finds everyone in the wagon train has been killed.  Comanche's attacked while he was gone and took the food, guns, blankets and anything they could use, then set the rest on fire.  When he saw the smoke in the distance he didn't think it was good news, but he never expected to be alone in the unknown wilderness around him.

BJU and Net Galley allowed me to download an ebook of this story for review.  It has been published, so you can buy a copy here:  http://www.bjupress.com/product/261057 or on Amazon for Kindle.

Bryan takes his rifle, his mother's bible, the money he can find and a horse blanket and heads out.  As he travels cross country and tries to determine which direction he's heading, he manages to run across two young Indian warriors.  They are trying to count coup on him, but he sees them before they can.  He doesn't hurt them but he gets more scared the further he goes.  Then he meets up with another traveler, who just happens to be worse then the Indians... 

I enjoyed this western tale and the characters Mr. Burns created.  The story has the feel of the west and the Texas Ranger is bigger than life and rough and tough.  There's an older man, the Professor, who peddles pharmaceutical potions, an orphaned girl he's taken under his wing, and more.

The story has a Christian theme, but it's not overwhelming.  The tale is exciting and should keep any young adult reading to see what will happen next.  Bryan lives an exciting life!  Why not read this tale and see if they get the Professor out of jail and whether Bryan finds himself a new start?

Happy reading.


1 comment:

Shan said...

Sounds like an interesting book. And as for the Christian theme I am noticing more and more that it's more laid back in books, thereby reaching a wider audience, I think.

Thanks for the review.

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