The Boy by Reno Bachman is an intriguing tale of loss and vengeance set in the wild west. One tragic night, the titular boy witnesses his father’s gruesome murder by a group led by a racist preacher. He almost lost his life as well, had it not been for the help of an old man. The old man took in the boy and taught him how to survive. Years later, the boy does not remember his own name. His father also didn’t seem to have a name. But he remembers his dad and has every intention to seek revenge. However, it isn’t until the preacher takes the boy’s romantic interest hostage that he confronts him. The old man is still helping the boy. However, are they enough to take down a vicious gang?

I enjoyed reading The Boy by Reno Bachman. There are a lot of thought-provoking themes addressed in this work, such as racism, found family, grief, and revenge. I like that the protagonist was able to have a romantic relationship with Red, a white woman. Several instances show that the protagonist did not become racist toward white people. The other characters are also well-written. I found Blood Bath Billy, Mad-Dog Maggie, and Cut-Her Carl, all quite interesting, and would have liked to get to know them better. The author does a great job at pacing this story. I really enjoyed the action scenes with suspense and real stakes involved. I highly recommend The Boy by Reno Bachman to readers who enjoy western fiction.

The Boy by Reno Bachman follows the story of a young boy whose life turns upside down after the destruction of his family and home by a ruthless gang. The boy watched his father being brutally murdered by people carrying burning crosses, right before they burned down his family farm in front of him. But a stagecoach robber-turned gold prospector unexpectedly came to his rescue. For the next ten years, he taught the boy survival skills, making him an adept gunman whose name drew fear and contempt alike. The gunman fell in love with a woman named Red. However, when Silas Vane's gang received news of their relationship, they kidnapped Red, only for the prospector to pay the ultimate sacrifice. Now, the gunman is ready for the day of reckoning with the man with no face.

A gritty tale of survival and vengeance, The Boy will absolutely delight lovers of old-school Westerns. Action-packed and full of drama and thrills, this short novella is a breezy read that you never want to end. It's amazing to me how much plot author Reno Bachman has packed in such a brief narrative. Each turn of the page has new surprises in store for the reader. You never know if your favorite characters will make it out alive by the end, and this is what raises the stakes and makes the story so riveting. I particularly enjoyed the mentor/prodigy relationship between the boy and the prospector, as well as the gunman's romance with Red. Another highlight of the book for me was the action sequences. They keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering what's about to happen next. In conclusion, it's a great short story for fans of Westerns.

The Boy by Reno Bachman follows the titular “boy,” who witnesses a mob burn his family’s farm and kill his father under the command of Silas Vane. An old prospector rescues the boy and raises him in the wilderness, teaching him to shoot, hunt, and endure. Over the years, the boy becomes a precise and dangerous gunman. When they return to civilization, he crosses paths with Red, a sharp-tongued female saloon owner tied to outlaw trade. Trouble follows, and violence pulls them both into the orbit of Vane’s expanding power. The prospector’s past catches up with them, forcing the gunman to face the truth about who destroyed his home. As blood debts pile across the frontier, he and Red ride toward a place called Perdition where Vane waits, and the reckoning that has haunted the gunman’s life finally draws near.

“You took my father. You burned my home. And you will answer for every soul you’ve left bleeding.” The Boy by Reno Bachman is a ferocious Western that drags the reader through years of violence, betrayal, and reckoning as a scarred child becomes a man forged in fire. Bachman’s writing never softens the blows, and each gunfight, each death, and the racist vitriol that reflects the era is detailed. It is heartbreaking to witness a boy burned and broken by someone known as The Man With No Face, who turns scripture into cruelty and builds an empire on fear. I love a fight for retribution, and when, years later, that same boy rides back into Perdition, not as a victim but as a marksman shaped by blood and survival, there are some real fist-pump moments. There is an unexpected reunion and a tearing through an adult world. One bullet at a time, Bachman delivers a Western that feels biblical in scope and merciless in its justice.