Retribution Rails by Erin Bowman + Blog Tour Contest

Today’s review is part of the official blog tour. Be sure to keep reading for your chance to win a copy!

The Wild West comes alive once more in Retribution Rails by Erin Bowman, the thrilling companion to Vengeance Road – in a story where new characters meet familiar faces, and past transgressions lead to new obstacles.

REDEMPTION IS NEVER FREE

When Reece Murphy is forcibly dragged into the Rose Riders gang because of a mysterious gold coin in his possession, he vows to find the man who gave him the piece and turn him over to the gang in exchange for freedom. Never does he expect a lead to come from an aspiring female journalist. But when Reece’s path crosses with Charlotte Vaughn after a botched train robbery and she mentions a promising rumor about a gunslinger from Prescott, it becomes apparent that she will be his ticket to freedom—or a noose. As the two manipulate each other for their own ends, past secrets are unearthed, reviving a decade-old quest for revenge that may be impossible to settle.

In this thrilling companion to Vengeance Road, dangerous alliances are formed, old friends meet new enemies, and the West is wilder than ever.

The action is practically non-stop within the pages of Retribution Rails, with Bowman keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the dual stories of Reece and Charlotte collide and intertwine. Fellow fans of Vengeance Road will be delighted to meet up with some familiar characters from that book – and yet Reece and Charlotte are so solidly entertaining and engaging that seeing these old favorites is really like the icing on top. It’s a bonus that they come into play in this all new, captivating saga.

Once again, Bowman brilliantly brings the Old West to vivid life — with thorough research and hints of fact elevating the story beyond whimsy and into fun historical fiction filled with high stakes situations. I was captivated by her characters, and intrigued by her plot, and eager to follow along to the bitter end – and as satisfying as the ending is, I’d read yet more about these characters, because gosh darn, if they don’t find a way into your heart.

Vengeance Road is the book that made me realize I had a burning desire for more YA fiction set in the Wild West — and Retribution Rails delivers. Look for it in stores November 7th.

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | TBD | Goodreads

Here’s more about the first book in the series:

When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there’s room for love in a heart so full of hate.

In the spirit of True Grit, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life for a new generation.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | TBD | Goodreads

Erin grew up in rural Connecticut, where she spent most of her childhood telling stories. It is rumored that her first words were not “Mama” or “Dada,” but “Once upon a time.” In middle school, when kids were going off to sleep-away camp for the summer, Erin was attending writing camp and penning short stories.

She studied web design (and minored in Creative Writing because she couldn’t stay away from stories) at the Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York. After several years working in advertising and designing websites for various brands, she moved from Boston to New Hampshire, where she now lives with her family and writes full-time.

When not writing, Erin can often be found hiking, geeking out over good typography, and obsessing over all things Harry Potter. She drinks a lot of coffee, buys far too many books, and is not terribly skilled at writing about herself in the third person.

She is represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, and is the author of the Taken Trilogy (available from HarperTeen) and Vengeance Road (HMH Books for Young Readers).

3 winners will receive a finished copy of RETRIBUTION RAILS. U.S. Only.