#NetGalley Book Review: Honor in an Age of Metal and Men by Anthony W. Eichenlaub

This is a good conclusion to the series, with lots of twists.
Honor in an Age of Metal and Men
by Anthony W. Eichenlaub

Publisher : Oak Leaf Cemetery (December 5, 2019)
ASIN : B07XJM1S9F
Print Length : 197 pages
Publication Date : December 5, 2019
File Size : 2117 KB
Genre: Cyberpunk, Futuristic,Sci-Fi, Western
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

War blazes all around, but it's not J.D.'s war. Not this time.
There are two bounties out for Francis William Brown. One alive. One dead. J.D. finally catches the man he's been after all these years when Francis comes without hardly a fight.
But it ain't ever that simple. A bullet in the skull would be proper for what Francis has done but keeping him alive might be the key to ending the war that's tearing Texas apart. J.D. needs to decide if keeping a promise and ending the war is worth the risk of seeing the worst criminal in the history of Texas walk free.
An itch at the back of his skull tells him that maybe all this is part of Francis' plan.
Will he kill Francis in cold blood, or is there still Honor in an Age of Metal and Men?

Review:
J.D. is an ‘older’ survivor of Texas and the wars that devastated the country. J.D. reluctantly works with a metal arm while others around him embrace multiple tech modifications to enhance their bodies. J.D. is a retired sheriff who believes in justice, peace, and honor even though they are difficult concepts to hold onto. J.D. still works sporadically as a bounty hunter and when a contract is issued regarding his long-time nemesis Francis Brown. Actually, there are two bounties – one to bring Francis in alive and one to bring him in dead.

J.D. has a twisted history with Frances since the days when J.D. shot his mother when Frances was only a boy. Over the years Frances has become a notorious criminal and J.D. feels the guilt. As he tries to bring Frances in alive, he gets saddled with a teen girl who claims Frances promised to get her out of her hometown. J.D. faces another bounty hunter group who is willing to bring Frances in dead. If that isn’t enough struggle, J.D. and his replacement, Sheriff Trish, uncover a deadly plot by another crime lord, Casket Jones, that puts the bounty situation on hold. It will take combined efforts of the ‘honorable’ and not so honorable to stop a devastating war crime.

The first book in the series, Justice in an Age of Metal and Men, laid out the characters and the history that supports this conclusion. I may have missed adventures and more conflict by not reading book two, but it wasn’t needed to enjoy this one. I enjoy the creativity and cyberpunk elements of the story. Also, Mr. Eichenlaub mixes a healthy dose of humor with the suspenseful danger. The plot twists are anticipated but still a good surprise when they arrive. I recommend this book to fans of cyberpunk, western and suspense.

This is my last NetGalley book received in 2019. (It only took eight months to get it read!) This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020NetGalley and Alphabet goals.

Book Review: Justice in an Age of Metal and Men by Anthony W. Eichenlaub

I enjoyed reading the first book in this futuristic western lawman series.

Justice in an Age of Metal and Men
(Metal and Men #1)
by Anthony W. Eichenlaub

File Size: 2139 KB
Print Length: 212 pages
Publisher: Oak Leaf Cemetery (March 4, 2014)
ASIN: B00ISKWNC2
Genre: Cyberpunk, Sci-Fi, Western
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

Does victory mean justice, or is J.D. staring down the barrel at revenge? There was a time that might have been a simple question, but not anymore.
Nothing's easy in the small town of Dead Oak, Texas where the outlaws scour the skies on flying motorcycles, tech warps the minds of witnesses, and a person can't even trust the metal parts of his own body.
But a rancher's been murdered, and J.D. is determined to find the killer. Whether that's revenge or justice, well, probably best to let the bullets decide.

Review:
Jasper Davis Crow, known as J.D., is an old-time sheriff – sort of. He does have a modified metal arm but he doesn’t have all of the high tech that many of the younger officers have. Most who have the ability, take advantage of the body enhancing nanos and tech. J.D. likes his small-town job where crime is mostly manageable even with tough country outlaws. He is faced with a dead rancher that appears to be death by stampede. But his new deputy, Contrisha (Trisha), a highly teched young woman, convinces J.D. to investigate further. After walking the scene more carefully J.D. agrees that there is a murder to solve.

Soon he and Trisha are interrogating corrupt businessmen and outlaws on flying motorcycles. They will be dodging bullets and J.D. will be branded an outlaw himself before he can solve the case. Behind the scenes is a strange child, the son of the murdered rancher. J.D. tries to shield the young boy but he goes through a good deal of trauma which causes consequences for the future.

The story is set in a west where dust storms have destroyed communities as we know them. There are plenty of brawls and chases to keep the story moving along at a fast pace. I listened to part of the book on my Kindle and found that I had to stop and re-read a bit to keep track. I like the well-developed character of J.D. who leans to the past even as the times race forward. I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading book 3, Honor, which I have through NetGalley.

Source: 2019 Kindle Purchase. This qualifies for 2020TBR goal.