For the proud young Texan, Josh Sands, there was no life outside the Rangers. And very likely no republic either, without the fierce and fearless band of Texians who put their lives on the line every day, in service for their beloved country.
But when the cigar-chomping politicos back in Austin cut the Rangers’ funds, the battle-weary Ranger made the most of the enforced peace – and the generous charms of the beautiful Elena.
But peace and pleasure were not to last. For meanwhile, at the border, a precisely trained and inexorable machine of death gathered – mustering the might of the Mexican Army to test the strength of the embattled Rangers, and the whole fledging republic.
Like the previous two books, this story uses real events for the backbone of its plot. Sands will find himself riding alongside a small, and hopelessly outnumbered, group of Rangers and volunteers lead by Captain Matthew Caldwell and Captain John Coffee Hays to stop General Adrian Woll and his sixteen hundred soldiers, supported by artillery, who had managed to cut off and capture San Antonio before marching on Salado. Sands will also find himself involved in the massacre of Captain Nicolas Dawson’s men when they tried to surrender to the Mexican Army.
The author, George W. Proctor writing as Zach Wyatt, plays with historical facts a little so that the fictional Josh Sands can take a lead role in the battles to stop Woll’s invasion of Texas. Sands private life is also explored when he is cut lose from the Rangers due to financial cuts. This part of the story fleshes his character out as we discover how he hopes to make money, how his relationship with Elena is developing, and his views on how Texas can or cannot defend itself without the Rangers.
The story contains plenty of action, from the opening scenes of Sands rescuing a young girl from her Comanche captors and their subsequent attempts to get her back. There are also exciting tactics to discover that show how the Rangers take on groups of Mexican troopers and the larger scale battles when facing Woll’s army.
Any story using real historical events for its plot means that some readers will know how certain parts of the tale will unfold and come to a close. Proctor, though, keeps things moving forward at pace, and adds a fresh take on the real events by including his fictional lead that should keep any reader turning the pages to find out what happens next.
I didn’t think this story was as strong as the previous two books, but I still found it to be an engaging read, one that both entertained and taught me more about the history of the Rangers and I was left looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
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