Review of Buffalo Ranch

[Christabel Uzoamaka]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Buffalo Ranch" by Dave Lloyd.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Montana in the 1880s was a wild place. A statement out of place could get you shot and killed. It was in this state that Jim and Bill decided to run a buffalo ranch. The ranch was to preserve the dwindling buffaloes that had been lost due to hunting activities. Their work on this ranch brought together several different kinds of people, many of whom came and went. Readers will meet Tex, Moffett, Sloan, and a host of other people. Some of these people went on their own adventures in the Wild West. But through all their stories, one thing remained common: out in the Wild West, only the strong and respected survive. Buffalo Ranch by Dave Lloyd is a story of adventure, rocky mountains, theft, and conflict. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

One thing that struck me about Buffalo Ranch is how there was no singular plot. No character was the almighty protagonist. No one was indispensable. Even though most of the stories revolved around the ranch, we still followed characters that branched out and went on different missions in different places, including Mexico, Texas, and Chicago. I particularly enjoyed Sloan’s missions. Sloan worked for Wells Fargo by retrieving stolen loot from outlaws and often went on his missions with a group of equally dangerous men. His work was exciting, and the author did a great job relaying the urgency of everything happening around him. I loved it.

I have to mention again that the decentralized plot took me by surprise, especially because I started this book with the impression that I would follow Jim and Bill and their management of the ranch. I do not usually enjoy books written in this manner, but I found myself totally immersed in this book. I loved that I never knew where the author would take the story. One moment, I would think a character was too important, then the next, Lloyd would change the game! I also enjoyed the diverse characters and greatly appreciated that female characters had roles that were more than just their bodies or faces. Kate was one of my favorite characters. She was rich and a doctor! During that period, that seemed like a miracle. Her work of helping prostitutes gave the book beautiful depth.

I usually enjoy full-on romance, but I still appreciated the scant romance the author included in the book. That way, the way of life in the frontier took the spotlight, and it was still entertaining. To immerse readers in the “frontier” experience, the author inflected the characters’ dialogue. At first, it took some effort to settle into their weird way of talking, but after a while, it improved my reading experience and transported me straight to the period the story is set. The author’s writing style was also generally enjoyable and devoid of unnecessary complications.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy period dramas set in the Wild West. If you won’t mind the odd dialect, aren't sensitive to violence, and enjoy imagining cowboy stories, this book will be thoroughly entertaining for you. But I must remove a star because of the numerous errors I found in the book, bringing my rating to 3 out of 4. I found no other issues with this book, thankfully.

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Buffalo Ranch
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[Precious Amarachi Nzeakor]

I try to imagine the layout of this plot as you describe it- a decentralized plot where there is no one protagonist. I haven't come across a novel with such structure before, and while I know this won't be my cup of tea, as I like to be emotionally invested in the characters as a develop(something I do not think will be well explored in this book), it is a fascinating concept nonetheless. Well done

[julietmumbua23]

This seems like a fresh look at the wild west. Great review.

[Elenimo Chembe]

The plot of the story in the book seems to be unique. Jim and Bill sound like characters I would enjoy reading about. Thanks for the review.

[Waliyat_24]

I’ll recommend this to adventure lovers. Thanks for an honest review!

[Uwe Neufeld]

I liked there where no single hero, no single plott, rather a series of stories like in Solzhenitsyn's "Gulag". Interesting characters where Sloan, who searched for stolen goods, and Kate, the doctor, who helped prostitutes.
Good review!

[Azubike Richard]

The book contains many adventures and this made it very interesting. Thank you for your review