BOOK REVIEW: "Renegade's Revenge" by Jack Badelaire

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I've been a fan of Jack Badelaire's fiction since I stumbled across his debut novel, Killer Instincts, a couple years ago. That title secured a place of honor as my favorite tome of 2012 and I immediately began devouring Commando, his WWII action-adventure series. But while the Commando books are violent, pulpy fun and well worth a read, their depth and style fall short of Killer Instincts standards. There seemed to be a bona fide risk that Badelaire had blown his load with his first novel and subsequent projects would be sub par when compared to the action literature juggernaut that is Killer Instincts.

And then I read "Renegade's Revenge."

Badelaire's first foray into the western genre isn't quite as good as Killer Instincts, but it comes pretty close, and easily ranks as his second-best work to date (though I expect his soon-to-be-released Hangman #1: San Francisco Slaughter to surpass it). Badelaire took aim at the action-western genre and nailed it with the sharp precision of a seasoned gunslinger putting bullets in bulls-eyes.

"Renegade's Revenge" is a 20,000 word novella that focuses on siblings who fight on opposing sides in the Civil War (and you think your family has issues). Twin brothers David and Caleb Miller find themselves divided by battle lines, David as part of the Union cavalry, Caleb as part of the Missouri irregulars. They come face to face when Caleb's Bushwhackers are forced to surrender to the Union troopers. Moments later, Captain McNeil, David's superior officer, orders Caleb executed right in front of him.

When the war ends, David returns home and reunites with his older brother Paul. Unable to let the past stay buried, they vow to hunt down Captain McNeil and avenge Caleb's murder, knowing they will have to stampede through hell to exact retribution ... hell consisting of a score of ruthless, battle-scarred hard cases to whom pulling triggers and killing men is as easy as spitting.

As you can tell, like all good, pulp-minded westerns, this is a simple, straight-forward tale of vengeance, garnished with extra helpings of hot lead and cold steel. Aside from a minor lull following the opening action, the violence comes fast and vicious. If you believe things won't get bloody in this novella, well then, you don't know jack ... er, Jack.

I'm a big fan of rough-riding westerns and when I finished reading the savagely satisfying climax of "Renegade's Revenge," I had a big ol' smile creasing my face. From its opening battle sequence to its climatic confrontation, the pacing moves like a whip crack, pausing just long enough to supply sufficient characterization. The whole affair reeks of sweat and dirt and gun smoke and blood ... which means we should all pray to the gods of six-guns that Badelaire's first venture into action-western territory isn't his last.

Meet My Main Character -- Travis Kain

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Fellow author Jack Badelaire—who also happens to write in the “guns ‘n’ guts” genre, and damn well, I might add—has passed the baton to me in a cool-concept “Meet My Main Character” blog-hop, where writers introduce readers to the main character of a work in progress … or, in my case, a recently-published work. So, without further ado, meet Travis Kain, the protagonist of my action-thriller The Assassin’s Prayer.

Before perusing any further, make sure you scope out Jack’s blog post and meet his main character, Jamie “Hangman” Lynch.

1. What is the name of your character? Is he fictional or a historic person?

My character’s name is Travis Kain, a fictional ex-government assassin who walked away from his employers and now operates as a freelance hitter. Despite his no-leash status, most of Kain’s wet work is now in service to Frank Giadello, a New York City crime boss. Kain is a killer, but he is not without conscience. He lives by a poetic creed known as The Assassin’s Prayer: God, let not my bullet or blade shed the blood of innocence. Regardless of price, Kain will not pull the trigger on an innocent person. To him, there is no greater sin, and this sets off a chain of violent events in the story.

2. When and where is the story set?

The story begins in upstate New York, shifts downstate to NYC, and then proceeds to whiplash back and forth between those two locales. By the way, Kain hates the city.

3. What should we know about him/her?

Kain is a troubled—some might even say broken—man. His wife is dead, his best friend betrayed him, and his life has no purpose beyond trigger pulls and dead targets. Deep down, he desperately yearns for something else, something more, a life that has meaning rather than just corpses and carnage. But he doesn’t know how to find it. Or perhaps more accurately, he won’t allow himself to find it.

4. What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

Emotionally, Kain is at war with himself, at what his life has become in the aftermath of his wife’s death and the Judas blade his best friend buried in his back. He has vowed never to let anyone get close to him again, a vow that is put to the test when an ex-lover from his past reappears. Kain soon finds himself struggling with resurrected emotions and the realization that the quieter, more meaningful existence he craves might actually be within his grasp … if he will only lay down his guns.

But that is easier said than done when his former employers dispatch Colonel Macklin, head of the Black Talon kill-squad, to hunt him down and deep-six him. The Black Talon team is legendary, the go-to guys when Company assassins go rogue, and Macklin is the epitome of ruthless with a sizeable side helping of savagery. He also possesses dark secrets about Kain’s past that will change everything.

5. What is the personal goal of the character?

At the start of the story, Kain has no personal goals beyond survival and money. That all changes when the crosshairs land on perhaps the only person in the world Kain still cares about. He then finds not only a reason to live, but a reason to kill for something other than cold, hard cash. Survival, vengeance, and redemption … these are the things that drive Kain as the book progresses.

6. & 7. Is there a working title for this novel and can we read more about it? When can we expect the book to be published?

(I’m combining questions 6 and 7 since the answer to question 6 contains the answer to question 7.) Since the novel was published in December 2013, there is no working title, just the official title: The Assassin’s Prayer. Feedback and sales have been outstanding, far exceeding my expectations, and some of the characters will weave their way into future novels. The Assassin’s Prayer is currently available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback editions.