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A review by aliveinbooks
Valley of Shadows by Rudy Ruiz
5.0
A blend of mystery and supernatural we follow Solitario Cisneros, a Mexican Caballero, who races to solve a series of brutal murders and kidnapping with the help of an Apache/Mexican woman name Onawa. There is something sinister happening in the small town of Olvido Texas and it’s up to Solitario and Onawa to find out what before the tension between Mexican, Anglo-American, and Apache residents boils over to a deadly end.
Taking place around the 1870’s it’s steep in Mexican and American History, fascinating South American lore, and brings to life the tension between Mexican, Anglo-American, and Apache residents living in the newly expanded Texas Territories.
I absolutely loved listening to this story. I loved the mix and mention of both Mexican and Apache traditions and mysticism. The pacing of the story is spot on and I love the characters, especially Onawa and her fiery spirit. Each character felt unique and had their own voice. No cookie cutters here. The author does a fantastic job of building a sense of urgency at the crucial points, even teasing you with it at some point. I particularly appreciated how the author keeps Solitario's values constant and unweaving. When I think of a Caballero from days of old this is what I hoped they truly were. Men of honor, unwavering in their sense of justice, and above all fair and decent men. 5/5 stars!
I did listen as an Audible book, narrated by Gary Tiedemann. Gary did an excellent job narrating this book. His voice drew me in and immersed me in the story. There is a fair bit of Spanish in this book and he did fantastic with his pronunciation.
Thank you, NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this fantastic story!
Taking place around the 1870’s it’s steep in Mexican and American History, fascinating South American lore, and brings to life the tension between Mexican, Anglo-American, and Apache residents living in the newly expanded Texas Territories.
I absolutely loved listening to this story. I loved the mix and mention of both Mexican and Apache traditions and mysticism. The pacing of the story is spot on and I love the characters, especially Onawa and her fiery spirit. Each character felt unique and had their own voice. No cookie cutters here. The author does a fantastic job of building a sense of urgency at the crucial points, even teasing you with it at some point. I particularly appreciated how the author keeps Solitario's values constant and unweaving. When I think of a Caballero from days of old this is what I hoped they truly were. Men of honor, unwavering in their sense of justice, and above all fair and decent men. 5/5 stars!
I did listen as an Audible book, narrated by Gary Tiedemann. Gary did an excellent job narrating this book. His voice drew me in and immersed me in the story. There is a fair bit of Spanish in this book and he did fantastic with his pronunciation.
Thank you, NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this fantastic story!