"Stuart Brannon's Final Shot" by Stephen Bly (with Janet Chester Bly and Sons)

This is not a review I'm excited to write, and the only reason I am going ahead and doing so is because I just reread and reviewed the six original Brannon novels, mentioning several times that I was looking forward to this one. This isn't easy for me, so I'll try to keep it short and make the most of it.

First of all, I have huge respect for the Bly family for finishing this novel after Stephen's death in 2011. This blog post talks about why they decided to do it and how they accomplished the task, and I would encourage you to read it. This was an amazing labor of love.

I've been reading Stephen and Janet's books for 25 years, and I wanted this to be another wonderful journey with Stuart Brannon. I loved the fact that we got to spend time with Edwin and Harriet again, and thought it a stroke of genius to bring Hawthorne Miller and the Lazzard twins back for this story. Brannon himself seemed rather reactionary and less likeable, which struck me as at odds with the character we've known and loved for so long. Obviously some changes were to be expected, but it seemed like too much for me.

To briefly sum up my other feelings towards the story, it felt like there was too much action and not enough set-up or explanation as to what was going on. That and the fact that there were so many characters with little description or development left me feeling confused and disjointed. The writing was clunky and awkward, like this sentence from Chapter 42: "In the grasses he rubbed with his boots, a minty scent almost choked him." I had additional complaints as well, but these were the ones that bothered me the most.

I thought "Son of an Arizona Legend" did a better job bringing Stuart's story full circle and giving readers closure. Please don't let my disappointment in "Final Shot" keep you from checking out the original series. Once you do you can decide for yourself if you want to read this one. There are so many Bly books that I list among my personal favorites, and while this one might not rank up there, I look forward to revisiting those that do and enjoying them over again in the years to come.