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Once Upon a Time in the Swamp by CS Boyack. A Review

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Overview.

It’s good to read a book not full of errors! I enjoyed this story. It kept me reading, and I couldn’t wait to get back to it when I had to stop reading.

Blurb.

Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Story.

Mari White comes back from hunting to find her husband and son have been murdered. The sheriff is no help and so she takes it upon herself to track down the killers and exact revenge.The world in which she lives is brutal. It is in the aftermath of a terrible war where everyone seems to have been fighting everyone else. Society has broken down.The story is a cross between a western and a post-apocalypse tale.

Characters.

The main character is Mari. She is tortured by the death of her husband and son, and consumed by her desire for vengeance. She is basically a good person, but her experiences have pushed her kindness to the back of her mind. Nevertheless, she still has enough to rescue a dog when its owner wants to kill it.At the end, Mari has come to terms with her loss and starts a new life.

One of the characters I liked was not even human, but a longhorn ox called Dirt. Dirt is awkward and can be trouble. He has a temper, and Mari has to work hard to get him to do as she wishes. Nevertheless, he proves essential on many occasions.

The pup Mari rescues is another character. Mari called her Worthless, because her original owner was going to shoot her because she was ‘worthless’. The pup is full of life and fun, and gives Mari comfort in her low moments.

Mari meets other people on her travels, most of whom help her. One interesting ‘character’ is a skeleton of a woman. Mari stays in her house and gives the skeleton a personality and talks to it.

Writing.

Mr Boyack does an excellent job of building the world in which Mari lives. He describes the surroundings so we can really get an idea of where we are. As a Brit, I don’t know this area at all, and have no experience of the swamps, but I got a good idea of the wetness and the dangers, including the animals that live there.

The story is told in the first person. Mari is relating the tale. It sounds, to my British ears, as authentic Southern USA. I can hear the drawl. I am glad that I was reading on my tablet, though, as I needed to look up a few words and the animals mentioned.

A good read. I gave it 5*.

Discover more from Dragons Rule OK. V.M.Sang (author)

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31 thoughts on “Once Upon a Time in the Swamp by CS Boyack. A Review”

  8. Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
    Here is another wonderful review for Once Upon a Time in the Swamp. I loved learning that my Gulf Coast environment related in a different country. I also appreciate the review being broken down into key elements of the story. Stop over, say hi, meet Viv if you don’t already know her.

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  9. Thank you for sharing this review with your fans. You’ve made my week brighter. So glad you enjoyed the story, and I like the way you broke down your comments into specific elements of the story. I’ll share this everywhere.

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  12. I’m so glad you enjoyed the read, Viv. This was my favorite of Craig’s books so far. I never considered how it might read to a Brit since the culture of the story is deeply American. Glad it worked. Congrats to Craig on the awesome review. 🙂

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    1. When I was growing up, it was in the heyday of westerns. And also, many (most) films are set in the US, as well as books, so I think we Brits have absorbed something of American culture.

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      1. 🙂 When my mom came to the US the first time, in the early 50s, she was so disappointed that there weren’t any cowboys (in New England). Definitely influenced by US movies.

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