As a Book Reviewer, I received a free ebook copy of The Marshal of Denver by Judge & Alanna Rodriguez, and this is my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor any review.

The Marshal of Denver is the first book in “The Legends of the Landrun” series by Judge & Alanna Rodriguez. It is a western story set in the late 1870s. The story deals with the fighting between American soldiers and Indians as well as small town lawmen trying to deal with outlaws.

The main character of the book is John Cardwell and the story follows John from his mid-teen years to his mid 40s. In the beginning of the book, I struggled to like John Cardwell. He seemed to be out-of-control and blood thirsty. The story jumps back and forth between John’s young adulthood to his mid 40s, and in his mid 40s he seems to have calmed down quite a bit and isn’t so violent and blood thirsty, but uses his head before acting. However, there is never any real explanation as to what caused the change in his personality and character. That was something I was looking for and was disappointed that it wasn’t ever really revealed.

John, in his mid 40s, is The Marshal of Denver, and in that position, he makes many good friends who have a strong influence upon his life. These characters are very interesting and add more depth to the story.

I struggled to read The Marshal of Denver as it is told in third person present tense, which never let me into John’s head. Instead I was told John’s story through quite a bit of narrative, like a narrator was telling me the story. There were long sections throughout the story that lacked action. These consisted of narrative and dialogue, and I must admit, there were times when I started to lack interest.

However, I was interested enough in John, as I was still looking for a reason for the change in his character, to keep reading. Near the end of the book, John does undergo something that changes his life, but this is a new change and so, the book never does explain the reason John in his mid 40s was different than the John in his teen years, so that still remains a disappointment to me.

I did find the final eight to ten chapters captivating enough that they kept me turning pages, and the ending made some clear resolutions but also left one or two things unresolved and a bit mysterious, leaving the reader wanting more. I do plan to read the next book as I believe much of this book was back story to set up the next books. The Marshal of Denver also included some unexpected twists and turns and so I look forward to more surprises in the future books.

I must warn sensitive readers that there is quite a bit of violence in The Marshal of Denver and some of it is quite graphic.

I give The Marshal of Denver by Judge and Alanna Rodriquez 3 stars.