War Party by Louis L'AmourMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I don't often read Westerns, but my dad really liked Louie L'Amour, and I've enjoyed reading a couple of them. This was pretty good, too.
I was surprised when I got into it that this was a book of short stories. I didn't even know L'Amour wrote short stories. I'm not actually an avid reader of short fiction--especially with so many that I've read lately in SF or fantasy being unsatisfying and strange. (YMMV.) These were not like that. These stories had a clear beginning, middle, and end, with exciting action and heroes to root for. That makes them easy to start and easy to finish, and not too long, just the right thing before bed.
The author favors stories of boys stepping into their father's shoes too young; of men left on their own to face dangers bigger than themselves; and of women learning to see the good in a rough man. The morality is pretty straightforward, with only a few small exceptions, and that's part of the charm of the stories. There's plenty of violence and loss here, lots of hardship and pain, but the stories focus on the kernel of hope that the survivors cling to, kinda like a little Western Chicken Soup for the Soul, and that's a pleasure to read now and again.
Recommended for Western readers, of course, but also those who think they might like the genre but want an easy intro. This fits the bill.
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