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The Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings): Retribution Rails (Vengeance Road #2) by Erin Bowman + 50/50 Friday




On Friday's I take part in three weekly link ups - The Friday 56, hosted by Freda's Voice, Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader, and 50/50 Friday is a new weekly link up and it is hosted by Carrie @ The Butterfly Reader and Laura @ Blue Eye Books. For The Friday 56, you choose a book, a book you have just finished, a book you are about to start, your current read, and share a line or a few lines that grab you (but don't spoil anything) from page 56 or 56% of the way through the ebook. Post it and share your post's url on Freda's most recent Friday 56 post. As for Book Beginnings, you share the first sentence or so and your initial thoughts, impressions, or whatever else it inspires, and then link up your post's url with Rose City Reader. Then, for 50/50 Friday, every week there's a new topic featuring two sides of the same coin - you share a book that suits each category and link up on the hosts blogs.



This week I'm spotlighting one of my current reads for Book Riot's 2018 Read Harder ChallengeRetribution Rails (Vengeance Road #2) by Erin Bowman which will fulfill the task to read a western.  I'm really excited to finally be reading this one because I really enjoyed Bowman's Vengeance Road (this is a companion novel).  You rarely see YA westerns, but Bowman's brand is definitely worth picking up especially if you are a fan of True Grit, Walk the Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson, or Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto.  


Beginning:

There's a nice stretch of rail between Painted Rock and Gila Bend, and that's where we'll take the train.

Diaz and Hobbs are hunched over the track, sweating and cursing beneath the Territory's winter sun as they work to uproot another spike.  Hobbs is yapping advice in a tone that's earning him rude gestures from Diaz.  Besides their banter and the clank of tools hitting metal, the morning's silence is damn near deafening.  No cactus wrens singing.  No breeze.  Not even the far-off whistle of the train we know's coming. 

A robbery ain't how I envisioned spending my eighteenth birthday, but after three years riding with this crew, I've learned to expect nothing and be ready for anything.

56:

Across the way, the door to the deputy sheriff's house bursts open.  he stumbles into the street wearing only his night things, but his arm's raised, and I don't got to see the pistol to know it's there.

50/50 Friday: Best/ Worst Magical Power You've Read About


Best - Antari from Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab - I'd love to be able to travel between the four London's like Kell.


Worst - Forced Sleep from Doctor Sleep by Stephen King - I love this novel and Snakebite Andi who has this ability, but this isn't one of my favorite magical powers to read about in a book.


Have you read any of these books?  What are you reading this weekend?  As always thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!

Comments

  1. I don't think I've come across a YA western before, this one sounds really interesting. I haven't read the other books you mentioned either but I've heard a lot about Shades of Magic.

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    1. I've read other books that are set in the time period and area, but I've always considered them historical fantasy like with Carson and Modesto. It's definitely rare to find a YA story that's got all the best elements of a classic western but still keeps it fresh.

      Shades of Magic is hands down one of my favorite series.

      Thanks for coming over, Tizzy!

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  2. I've been meaning to read Shades of Magic, but you just decided me. That is the best superpower ever!!

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  3. I'd love to read Erin Bowman's series some day, I'm glad you reminded me about it:-) And big yes to Shades of Magic, such a cool magic system!

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  4. Retribution Rails does sound tempting. Adventure, excitement, danger...enjoy!

    Here's mine: “THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE”

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  5. I've read this author's dystopian fiction but haven't tried her Westerns. I'll have to add them to my list. This week I have As Death Draws Near by Anna Lee Huber - a historical mystery. Happy reading!

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    Replies
    1. I'm going to have to try her dystopian.

      Thanks for sharing!

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  6. YA Western? The setting is interesting, but I'm not so sure about the dialogue. I tend to stumble when reading dialects and it takes me out of the story.

    Heading off to look up Shades of Magic...

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    Replies
    1. If I'm remembering right, the dialect was too overwhelming in book one.

      Shades of Magic is amazing. I hope you like the series.

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  7. Sounds like a fantastic read! Have to make sure it's on my GR list. Happy weekend!

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  8. The cover of Retribution Rails is quite eye-catching, but I don't like westerns. See what we are featuring at

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    1. The cover is definitely eye catching. Thanks for commenting!

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  9. If the book is anything like the gif, I’m on for a YA western. Traveling between worlds is a great power. I would just like to travel the world, when and where I want. ❤️🌏

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  10. I surprisingly really enjoyed Vengeance Road. I hope this one is just as good!

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  11. Yeah forced sleep would not really be the best super power to have...

    Thanks for linking up!

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  12. Yes traveling between worlds is so cool! I was reading Josephine Angelini's Worldwalker series and it's pretty much the same concept (not between London's but between world's connected by the same origin point) and it's just so cool! Thanks for linking up, Lauren!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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