Tarnished: The Iron Frontier (Steampunk Western)

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

I have not published this book or given anyone else the right to publish it on Amazon or any other site.

John, a man haunted by a forgotten past, is thrust into the role of lawkeeper in a chaotic border town. Struggling with his own inadequacies, he must impose order on a community that thrives on disorder.

As he fights to stabilize the town, John encounters formidable hidden adversaries intent on plunging it into lawlessness.

With the help of a washed-up former soldier, an overwhelmed Deputy, and a brilliant yet unstable artificer, John faces a daunting challenge: to protect the town and confront his past demons.

In a race against time, John must adapt to this rapidly evolving world or risk becoming a relic of the past.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Author: M.J. Markgraf

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 602
Views: 128,157

What readers say about Tarnished: The Iron Frontier (Steampunk Western)

“I have read everything written as of this review’s date, and I am hungry for more. The pacing is great, the plot seems like it will be very interesting, and the characters appear very lifelike and unique. No time wasted explaining irrelevant details either.…”
BrittannicusRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“16 Chapters in. Worldbuilding is top notch, pacing is great, characters are interesting, Story is engaging, and the writing itself is excellent. I got no complaints. So far, its another great story from one of my favorite wordsmiths on RR. words words word…”
Forgot10_ProphetRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(5)

BrittannicusRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I have read everything written as of this review’s date, and I am hungry for more.
The pacing is great, the plot seems like it will be very interesting, and the characters appear very lifelike and unique. No time wasted explaining irrelevant details either. Can’t wait to see what comes next!
Forgot10_ProphetRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
16 Chapters in. Worldbuilding is top notch, pacing is great, characters are interesting, Story is engaging, and the writing itself is excellent. I got no complaints. So far, its another great story from one of my favorite wordsmiths on RR.
words words words, gotta hit that 50 word minimum...
Hollow ShelRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is an entertaining and excellent entry into the "wild wild west" sort of genre of steampunk/wild west action, and if you are looking for that sort of story it's entertaining and the lead character is suitably badass without being *completely* indestructible.
As an aside, I've been reading this author since about halfway through his Norman The Necromancer series and I'm enjoying his writing more and more. In Norman, my main complaint was the lack of depth to his female characters. When they appeared at all, they were generally as either a villain who almost invariably had a sexual component to their powers, or "somebody's girlfriend." It wasn't until late in the story that even girlfriends/wives developed any agency at all, and for me it was the biggest blight on an overall enjoyable story.
In "Tarnished" the author's still sparse in the depth of their characterization for all characters, even the MC. (Not necessarily a flaw, it's more a characteristic of a more action-oriented writing style.) But it's the inclusion of Sabine that really elevated this story for me. She's never overwhelming or stealing the spotlight just for sake of "RePrEsEnTaTiOn!" She's still a secondary, supporting character for the MC, and has some very 'stereotypically girly' traits, but she actually is one of the best fleshed out characters within the story - without relying on her sexuality, and without ever relegating her to "designated girlfriend" territory. She has connections to characters that have nothing to do with sex or gender and it's nice to see a woman being as fully-fleshed out as the men in Markgraf's stories.
I'm sad to see this story end but look forward to whatever's coming next. :)
PotassiumRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
We’re still in the beginning of this story, but the mains elements of a classic western are already here, the loner man of law, the isolated town, the natives, the guns and explosives, but all with a steampunk twist. The plot appears to be interesting, the characters appear to have some depth in them, but this still needs to be shown. The grammar is good, with few to none mistakes or misspellings.
Fost_NZRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Having reached the end of this part of John's story, I am very satisfied having read a well crafted book, with characters that a real not cut-outs, with a wonderful steampunk western world. While complete and nicely wrapped up by the epilogue, I am left wondering "what's next" for John - a nice way to finish.