Winslow Houndstooth was not a hero. There was nothing within him that cried out for justice or fame. He did not wear a white hat - he preferred his grey one, which didn't show the bloodstains. He could've been a hero, had he been properly motivated, but there were more pressing matters at hand.
Winslow Houndstooth has a bag of federal gold and a crew of mercenary hippo-wranglers. His job? To clear a Louisiana bayou overrun with dangerous feral hippos. The hippos aren't his only target, however. Also hiding in the bayou is the man who destroyed his life, and Winslow is after revenge.
A crime caper set in an alternative 1890s Louisiana with a diverse cast of hippo-riding cowboys? Exactly my kind of read! I loved the idea (and I love that it was inspired by an actual real thing that almost happened) and I think I would have come to adore the characters too. There was A LOT going on for a novella, though, and I'm not sure I completely followed what was happening and why. If only this had been longer with more time for character development, I'd have absolutely loved it!
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a fun and fast speculative fiction novella.
Read On: The second novella in the series is Taste of Marrow. Other great alt-history fantasies are His Majesty's Dragon by Noami Novik, and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
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