Coilhunter by Dean F. Wilson
Title: Coilhunter
Author: Dean F. Wilson Webpage: Dean F. Wilson Publisher: Dioscuri Press Website: Dioscuri Press ASIN: B01N4OYM2L Genre: Science Fiction Western Length: 210 pages
Synopsis: Nox, the Coilhunter, a mechanic and toymaker by trade, a bounty hunter by circumstance. He isn't in it for the money. Plagued by nightmares, he's made himself into a living one, the kind the criminals and conmen fear. He's in it for justice, and there's a lot of justice that needs to be paid in the Wild North, a desolate wasteland where criminals go to hide. But between each capture, the Coilhunter is looking for someone who has managed to keep out of his crosshairs for quite a while – the person who murdered his wife and children. The trail has long gone cold, but there are changes happening, the kind of changes that uncover footprints and spent bullet casings.
I loved this story. The characters are wonderfully written and the setting very well described so that you are drawn into the landscapes and townscapes of the Wild North. A great plot, interspersed with some weird and wonderful creatures. Put this together with dialogue that is quirky and amusing, and also helps develop the characters and the plot and you have a very readable novella that keeps you wanting to turn the pages. This is Sci-fi / fantasy so you do have to suspend your belief. Having said that there was one event that over which my suspension of belief could not rise. There is an attack by giant scorpions, and I mean giant – taller than a human. One of the characters is stung by 0ne of these scorpions. Thereafter, the focus is on the venom infecting them – completely ignoring the fact that they would have suffered a massive injury from the blade-like sting! The person should have died from that alone – let alone the venom. Unfortunately for me this is significant enough for me to drop a star rating, so, whereas as a whole, the story merits 5*, this slip-up means I have awarded it 4* - still a very good recommendation.
What others thought at the time of writing Amazon.co.uk; 18 reviews, of which 100% were 3* or more, giving an average of 4.7* Amazon.com; 196 reviews, of which 93% were 3* or more, giving an average of 4.3* Goodreads.com; 524 ratings (95 reviews), with 93% of 3* or more, giving an average of 4.1*
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