It took me a bit to get into this story but once I got into it I enjoyed the book. I think it was just a different genre than I usually read and I needed time to settle in and not due to the writing.

Bass Reeves was a successful deputy U.S. marshal for many years. But before that he was an enslaved person, forced to accompany his master while he fought in the Confederate army. I had never heard of Reeves, but the part of his life as a marshal interested me. Unfortunately, I should have paid more attention to the blurb for this book. It is an origin story, and the first book of a trilogy, so it begins with his childhood and his life as a slave. By the end of the book Reeves had just gained his freedom. Books 2 and 3 will have to cover the part of his life that I wanted to read about.

Since there was no bibliography, my assumption is that most of this book is fiction. I would really like to know how much of this was accurate. Often in historical fiction the author will explain how far they strayed from the facts. I wish that this author had done that. The Acknowledgements did mention “Black Gun, Silver Star” by Art T. Burton and I discovered that it is available on Audible. I will probably read that book, so I am grateful that this book pointed me towards it. The writing here wasn’t bad, and the book held my interest. The narrator of the audiobook, Midnite Michael, did a very good job. Nevertheless, I am not sure that I will continue with the series. Maybe I will decide after reading a factual account. 3.5 stars

I received free copies of the ebook and audiobook from the publisher.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the western vibe to it. I hope there is more in the series.

Though Follow the Angels; Follow the Doves is the first volume of a trilogy, it is a stand-alone story with tension building to a dramatic climax. It is a beautifully written, exciting, and deeply felt story of a man’s struggle to free his soul. I can’t wait for the next installment.