Review
Sword of Justice
It’s often said that the recipe of a good western incorporates a ‘salt
of the earth’ element. Something that
connects to the reader from the outset by invoking their sense of camaraderie
and integrity. And you can appreciate why. Frontier living was hard. It
involved conflict and change that often triggered contention between folks from
widely different backgrounds. So, those who knew where to draw the line often
stood out. They were tough but fair. They did what needed to be done, despite
the sacrifices they might have to make.
So, you’ll be glad to know such elements abound in Sword of Justice, a brand new western
adventure by Jibril Stevenson. . . As the blurb highlights:
*******
Syrian immigrant Zulfiqar Jaffery is on
a train from his homestead in the remotest corner of North Dakota to New York
City, where he’s to marry the girl he’s been dreaming about for decades. His
plans are derailed when an Indian uprising occurs and hostiles—or is it
bandits?—attack the train and kidnap a young boy. The kid’s mother thinks
Zulfiqar is just the man to bring back her son, and after a taste of
bounty-hunting in Deadwood the previous year, Zulfiqar thinks she might be
right. With money on the table and a young boy’s life at stake, his blushing
bride will have to wait. Zulfiqar straps on his Colt and his grandfather’s
Ottoman scimitar and sets off in pursuit of the kidnappers, little knowing that
the job will take him all over the northern plains and pit him against some of
the most dangerous men in the country. The distraught mother is more than she
seems, going to the law is not an option, and it’s up to Zulfiqar to wield the
Sword of Justice.
*******
I have to say, I rather enjoyed the premise on which Stevenson built
his adventure. That of a man on the way to his wedding, who is forced to adjust
his travel-plans at the last second to answer a desperate call for justice.
What follows is a round-robin of action and reaction; chasing down clues from
county to county, state to state and even across the border into Canada;
shootouts and brawling. Forget planes, trains and automobiles. In this story
you get horses, trains and canoes, until the inevitable showdown where
everything comes together in a profoundly satisfying way.
I found the pacing comfortable, the narrative engaging, and the characters
relatable. Even better, the sprinkling of certain aspects of Syrian culture
into the story arc added a spicy zest to the usual fare presented in many
western novels. A most enjoyable read.
