Review: A solid and fun pulp western
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 7, 2014
Your enjoyment of Without Mercy will probably vary in direct proportion to how much you love classic Westerns - indeed, if you're a fan of authors like Louis L' Amour, you're probably going to have a blast with this introduction to the Morgan Kane series. Who's Morgan Kane, you ask? Kane is a Texas Ranger, and a legendary figure in the Western genre...if you live in Norway, where the hardy and tough creation of Kjell Hallbing (the real name of author) became an icon. But Kane has a new lease on life, thanks to ebooks, and having read the first entry in the series, I have a feeling it'll be a successful rebirth for the character, as long as it can find the right audience. Kane's an archetypal gunslinger - a tough lawman who tolerates no crap, seduces women easily, plays cards well, and shoots to kill. But the book brings some edges to life here and there, and turns Kane into something more three-dimensional and engaging than you might expect. Keep in mind, though, this is no conflicted anti-hero; he's just a tough marshall out for revenge, and plans on getting it no matter what it takes. So don't come looking for complex stories or internal debating here; this is pure pulp Western stuff, and it's all the more engaging for it. There are some problems here and there with the book, most notably the fact that it often abruptly and with no warning changes scenes, narrators, or both, and it makes for an incredibly choppy read (so much so, in fact, that I have a feeling it's a translation problem, and not a choice by the author, but I don't know that for sure). And yes, the women characters are always a little fast to fall in love with Kane, to the point where it's a little silly. But the book takes itself just seriously enough, and it makes for a fun, pulpy ride. I don't know how well the Kane series will go over with readers who expect more nuance and depth to their worlds, but if the series can connect with fans of classic dimestore Westerns, I foresee nothing but big things in the future for the set, because they're absolutely going to love it.