Guns of the Waste Land

Departure, Volume 1

By: Leverett Butts

Narrated by: Michael Hajiantonis

Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Guns of the Waste Land recasts the legends of King Arthur as an American Western.

Set in the late 19th century outside the West Texas town of Bretton, this first volume tells the story of four men wandering the American desert: Percy Murratt leaves his home to find Sheriff Ardiss Drake and learn more about the kind of man his father was. Meanwhile, two of Ardiss' deputies, Gary Wayne Orkney and his best friend Boris McAllister, scour the wilderness in pursuit of vengeance and justice while the object of their search, Lancaster O'Loch flees for his life and that of his mistress (and Ardiss' wife), Guernica. Together these three tales begin an adventure of chivalry and honor as exciting as it is timeless.

Guns of the Waste Land “impressed the hell out of me with its inventiveness and wonderfully colorful dialogue, […] you may have a genuine classic on your hands.” (T.E.D. Klein, author of Dark Gods & The Ceremonies)

“Leverett Butts is a real talent. His Guns of the Waste Land is an original way to use a genre. I like a guy who has a mad literary streak and walks the wobbly tightrope: so far he's gotten across. This is the first installment in a longer narrative, and I can't wait to read the next if it's as good as the first or even close.” (Richard Monaco, author of the Parsival series)

"Five stars to this ambitious tip of the slouch hat to Arthurian legend. It is often cinematic in scope and does a wonderful job of painting the storied Wild West lawman as a flesh-and-blood, frequently flawed individual. Really, it would do extremely well as a Clint Eastwood-directed film, given his penchant for offbeat, yet highly relatable, characters." (Publishers Daily Reviews)

©2013 Leverett Butts (P)2022 Leverett Butts

Arthurian Lore Meets the Wild West!

As an avid reader (well listener these days), I have been a fan of "realistic" fantasy adventure all my life. Guns of the Waste Land Departure, Volume 1, by Leverett Butts has become one of my new favorite reads (or listens) in this genre. It is set in a post-civil war era that has a "Hell on Wheels" feel to it. The novel is a no-nonsense masterclass on how to set up a series. As a fan of Stephen King's Dark Tower Series, "The Gunslinger" is a brief setup of the grand epic to follow. "Guns of the Wasteland" accomplishes the same effect by making you invested in the characters and their surroundings. If you love Arthurian Lore and Westerns, you will not be disappointed. Butts does an exceptional job tethering the two themes together by crafting easily identifiable characters (that are not overly obvious). I think there is a reasonable expectation that the reader has to pay attention to the nuance written within the storyline.

Butts' writing style is quite clever, and down to earth, while still maintaining a realistic edge to it. He deftly mixes the grit of the old barren landscapes with the charm of a Western movie, creating a unique tone that fits right at home in this genre. He also manages to keep things moving along by introducing interesting characters and thrilling plot points throughout.

The characters are beautifully written, each having their own distinct feelings and motivations which fuel the story forward. All of them are connected in some way or another, making for an interesting web that grows with each page turn (full stop/or click). This allows Butts to explore various aspects of human nature as his characters struggle against their own brands of adversity. An observation that I made is that the character development is subtle, Butts does an excellent job of not revealing too much while allowing the dialog and interactions to give us glimpses into the personalities and depth of each protagonist.

The plot moves quickly but is never rushed, allowing for a thorough story arc development. I have come to expect action sequences in books like this, and Butts does not disappoint! His fight scenes are detailed enough for me to feel the blows being exchanged and tense enough that I couldn't help but hold my breath as if I were there with them. They are realistic, not some over-the-top exchange of impossible action. What impressed me most though was how well-defined his characters were even during the more intense moments. Not only does Butts craft believable characters, but he also manages to keep the reader emotionally invested in their outcomes.

As I mentioned, this book is a setup for something much bigger. It is a short "power read" (or listen). Once you finish it, you have everything you need to begin the epic journey to seek the conclusion of Guns of the Wasteland. You may want to brace yourself for an adventure.

As a bonus, the characters come to life as Michael Hajiantonis narrates. I will admit, I am very meticulous, albeit a bit of a snob when it comes to narrators. Listening to Toby Longworth, John Banks, and Gareth Armstrong, I am a spoiled rotten listener with unreasonable expectations of lesser mortals.
With that said, Michael Hajiantonis is mesmerizing with just the sheer versatility of the distinct dialects, textures, vocal transitions, and unique approach to his narrations. His performance completely complements the writing, making these two literary and performance powerhouses of a team. I will make it a point to seek out more of Hajiantonis's work as well.

Overall, the writing is addictive, while the narration adds an unexpected immersion you will not soon forget.

amazing

I have read every version of the author tales I have been able to find from Mallory to Steinbeck. This is true to the tales while being a fresh, imaginative work from modern America. Timeless!