Noose Jumpers

A Mythological Western, Volume 1

By: Trevor H. Cooley

Narrated by: Andrew Tell

Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

A novel set in a fantastical version of the American West.

The noose jumper era was a chaotic time of lawlessness in the late 1800s when a growing tide of outlaws engaged in a race to become famous. Most of them ended up at the noose.

Three young men emerge from a small town in the territory of New Mexico. They are bound by a pact and guided by mysterious powerful beings that no one else can see. Together they must face off against the Sheriff of Puerta de la Muerte, a wicked man who cannot be struck by bullets. Are they destined to become legends, or are they just mere noose jumpers?

Noose Jumpers is written by Trevor H, Cooley, author of the highly acclaimed Bowl of Souls series.

©2016 Trevor H. Cooley (P)2016 Trevor H. Cooley

Amazing adventure that is not your typical western

I was skeptical at first because I have never been a fan of traditional westerns though I have appreciated western films and shows in the past. This book is a fantastic twist on an amazing adventure and I strongly encourage everyone to give it a chance even if you don't think you would like a western. Trust me, I can not wait for te next book in this series

looking forward to more

I received this book free of charge for an honest review, really liked it, looking forward to more, only part I wasn't a fan of was the whole story tellers interruption which is acknowledged as being annoying, that aside great book

Worth The Credit!

Any additional comments?

Creative, original, well written and very entertaining. From the minute the story starts you are pulled into this unusual tale. A western with a little fantasy paranormal twist.

Really enjoyed the use of actual historical figures woven into the story. Great cast of characters the good and the bad. Interesting and well developed.

The combination of the story and the narration make this a very enjoyable listen. This is one of those books that you know you will listen to repeatedly.

Some times a narrator can ruin a great story. That is never the case with Andrew Tell. He did a fantastic job with the narration as usual. Pleasant voice. Easy on the ears. Clearly spoken with a smooth even pace. Great character voices. He was able to pull you into the story and bring the characters to life. Very enjoyable

This is the first book by Trevor H. Cooley that I have read. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be more of his books in the future.

I was given this review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher at my request and I voluntarily provided this review.

magnificent yarn

It took a few chapters to get me in grossed, the idea of a western fantasy book is a foreign idea, but once I got into it I was hooked!

Trevor has an amazing talent to make you empathise with his characters, I don't know if it's because I read too much or I am jaded but his works make you worry for characters, make you sad to see them go.

Anyway, this book has some component that if the book American Gods had a love child with any number of old westerns like A Man Called Sledge or For a Few Dollars More you would get this amazing bouncing baby book!

I would be amiss not to mention Andrew Tell who does a great preformance as usual! Also, while listening to this, the cove was changed and Andrew did an amazing job of it!

I beseech you to give it a chance!!!

The myths of the west....revealed!

Would you listen to Noose Jumpers again? Why?

This book was given to me by the author free of cost for an unbiased review.

I may have to listen again. I was totally unprepared and surprised as the story unfolded.
I will not give out any spoilers but I will say if you're a fan of westerns (or not), you will find this read a total great listen. The author did a superb job in the telling of this story. From myths, legends to gods, the story was skillfully woven. Narration was great as well with good character interpretation and dialect.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I did not have a favorite as all the main characters had their own unique character defects and strengths.

Have you listened to any of Andrew Tell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First time listener.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not so much as moved me but the ending made me want more...waiting for volume 2.

Any additional comments?

Free your mind of any semblance to what your used to and let the story unfold on it's own.

Fun book. Good story. Misleading title.

What did you love best about Noose Jumpers?

I liked the diversity of the characters. Cooley has a way of making you relate to every character in the novel.

What did you like best about this story?

The suspense in figuring out what game was actually being played here.

What does Andrew Tell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Andrew Tell is very good at distinguishing between many different characters. Having only heard him 8 other books of one series, there were a couple time where I was confused as a bit character in this novel was briefly in my mind the sentient ax from that series. It happened one other time too, but with the total number of characters in both series, it is amazing that there weren't more collisions..

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I've heard people had avoided this book because it was a western. I'm not positive it is a western any more than Firefly is a western. I avoided it because I made assumptions about what "Noose Jumpers" meant and I was completely wrong. I ended up finishing this book before I completed Sue Grafton's long awaited "Y is for Yesterday" because Noose Jumpers drew me in deeper into its world.

Any additional comments?

A fun book with a good story. A book I read in spite of the title.

I'm glad I took a chance on "Noose Jumpers". With the book not initially taking off in sales as expected, Cooley once said "if you have come to trust my writing through my other books please give it a chance". I'm glad I did. My first impressions based upon the cover alone were pretty much all wrong.

The title and the short film seemed to place it firmly in the camp of novels with "Gods" popping in and out of the story with no real system of magic or limit to it. This is not that.

I also expected some super naturally twist where people were killed all the time by hanging and were teleported out of their executioners noose to be berated by some god and sent back again to give you the "noose jumping". This is also not that.

In fact the term Noose Jumpers is barely mentioned and never explained till the afterword - which in my opinion should have gone first. A one paragraph note explaining the title in the book blurb would have had me purchasing this book earlier (and not on sale).

Since it isn't in the story at all and is declared elsewhere by Cooley as an enticement to read the book, let me explain what a noose jumper is. (BTW I am super sensitive to spoilers and this does not qualify, imho, but this extra sentence gives you a chance to stop reading the review if you really really want to.) The title comes from the idea that just as a bungee jumper seeks thrills and dangers, there once was a breed of character in the old west that thought the thrill of running up a bounty and risking getting caught and hung. The greater the effort to grow your a legend and bounty, the greater the thrill of escaping the noose. It was nothing more than that. So much for guessing the entire plot of the book based upon the title!

The book tells is the story of three friends who hoped to grow their legends and some undisclosed (even to each other) help they found along the way. It's a fantasy wild west novel. There is a magic system involved. There's humor. There's high adventure.

I am tempted to compare the book to others even though I hate that method of writing reviews. Each person gets their own sense of a book and comparing any book to another risks misleading someone and it is unfair to the author. I will say that there are some elements of whimsy that you'd get a Terry Pratchett book just as there is the companionship you'd get from a Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Dragonlance book. And perhaps there is some befuddlement you'd get from a Terry Brooks novel Magic Kingdom. Ah, yes, there's what I was looking for. There was a good bit of a Terry Brooks Landover series feel to the book to me. Funny how I picked all fantasy writers for comparison with a western..

awesome! loved it!

Excellent twist of western and fantasy, incredible imagination from the author, great character and world development, especially when mixing real history in it. Well done Trevor, well done.

Nice fantasy western

I don't usually go for westerns in my books, but the fantasy spin on it and knowing the author from the Bowl of Soul series gave Noose Jumpers the edge.

I really enjoyed this book, both it's characters and the mythology behind it.

Looking forward to the next chapter of the tale of the Red Star gang.

Not your typical western or fantasy

If you are looking for L'Amour or Tolkien, this would not be your first choice. The concept of mixing the two genres negated each while creating a new or sub genre. I would have appreciated an YA alert as the material, while engaging seemed to be aimed at a younger audience than yours truly. The narration by Andrew Tell was first rate. Multiple characters were cleanly delineated and expertly crafted.
I do look forward to more by Trevor H. Cooley as this this work has room to grow.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher

Should have been called a magical western

What did you love best about Noose Jumpers?

The unexpected depth of the world.

Which character – as performed by Andrew Tell – was your favorite?

The stranger.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The last gunfight.

Any additional comments?

Don't let the western bit fool you, if you like fantasy this is worth your time.