Blurb:

I'll trade ya a story for a drink.

It's a story about a handsome son of a gun and his trusty dragon, Bean, on the hunt for the notorious train robber, Talon. In a land shaped by dragons, magic, and bullets, Dale Hartwell is just trying to make a living hunting down bandits and bounties while searching for his kidnapped parents. When the hunt for Talon takes him to the Melted Lands, Dale finds that he's bitten off more than he can chew. He comes face to face with ancient dragons, old magic, and a new lead on his missing family. If he fails this job, not only will he lose his chance to find his parents, he might lose his life. In a showdown with a common enemy, unlikely allies will have to take to the skies, fighting tooth and talon for their lives and the future of the Melted Lands.

Review:

I’ve always said that what westerns were missing the most was dragons. Well, actually, I’ve never said that, but thanks to Wild Skies, I’m going to be saying it more often, so watch out. K.E. Andrews has written a real charmer here, with Wild West drama with a fantasy flair, so saddle up, cowpokes, it’s time for some Yeehaw Dragons!

Dale Hartwell is a bounty hunter, trying to earn enough coin to fund his search for his missing parents. Together with his trusty dragon mount, Bean—named for the dragon’s favorite food, obviously—he takes on a mark to hunt a notorious train robber known as Talon. When the hunt goes topside, though, Dale finds himself in greater danger than he thought possible, faced with ancient dragons and old magic, as well as an unseen side to his quarry. If he is to have any hope of tracking down his parents, he needs to survive this trial—by any means necessary, and with whomever may help him.

The aesthetics of Wild Skies is the big winner here. There is something incredibly endearing about Dale’s relationship with his dragon Bean, a faithful mount in all but name. Taking out the horses from the western and throwing in dragons made for an instantly iconic setting, and the lore Andrews has laid down in just under 130 pages is immaculate. The world of Yeehaw Dragons is replete with ancient godlike dragons, guns that shoot magic, and conspiracies and heists. On paper, it’s a simple concept, but in execution, it’s done wonderfully.

It helps that Andrews is a master with character work and prose. Having been familiar with her poetry collections, I went in expecting beautiful writing, and I was not disappointed. The tone is perfect, managing a great balance between the seriousness of the plot’s circumstances and the overall silliness of the concept. Wild Skies is both lighthearted and heartfelt, but knows when to tone down to match the gravity of the situation. The dynamic between Dale and Bean is certainly a star of this show, but his interactions with Talon were a big surprise. Things take an unexpected turn rather quickly, and a different side of Talon is presented, adding welcomed depth and dimension in such a short span.

If there is anything I could say against Wild Skies, it’s that I just wanted more of it. It’s a short book and is perfectly paced for what it is—and I think there’s more than enough here to expand it into a full novel. Which ultimately, isn’t a huge knock against it. It’s just that there’s enough intrigue here that I’m looking forward to the next story already.

If you’re looking for a western that has the perfect combination of drama and action with some silliness thrown in, then Wild Skies may be the book for you. The world of the Yeehaw Dragons is just getting started, and I’m ready for the ride.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go attach wings to the first horse I can find and teach him to fly. My next train heist is gonna be hot!