by Mark Sumner
First published 1996
Jake Bird carries a talent for magic and a burning need for revenge. The Civil War changed everything when corpses rose at Shiloh, unleashing supernatural forces that transformed America. Now the frontier crawls with bandits wielding hexes and conjurations that can kill faster than bullets. Western towns wither and die while sheriffs struggle to maintain order with guns and spells alike. Jake wants no part of wearing a badge. He has his own mission. The man who murdered his father still lives, and Jake means to face him down. But his target is no ordinary killer. General George Armstrong Custer commands the most fearsome magical abilities in the entire West. Jake must master his own supernatural talents and confront his family's bloody history before he can challenge the general to a final showdown.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy, horror, action, 19th-century, alternate-history
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, family-secrets, found-family, revenge
Setting: America, Frontier, Shiloh, Western Towns
Period: Civil War, 19th Century
346 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Del Rey
Content warnings: violence