Gailey finishes her duology with a splash! Taste of Marrow raises the stakes and moves away from a revenge story, to a tale of rescuing loved ones. Characters like, Archie, Hero, and Houndstooth are more fleshed out and they clearly have a past that has left them scared and broken. They all wear a version of themselves on the outside, but there are glimpses past this for the reader to sympathize with.

The problems I had with River of Teeth were more or less fixed and even if the characters seemed more dynamic with less of the trope burdens they were given in the previous novella. After being introduced to these characters in the previous novel, the more time we spend with these characters, the more we realize they carry a lot more baggage then they let on. In fact, to Gailey’s credit, we find them in the middle of *something* which is their lives. This isn’t the start of their careers and even if some of them are looking to retire(though I doubt they will), this is a snapshot in their history.

All in all, this was both a great quick read with great action and emotional elements that brought a quick close to our group of outlaws. I hope that she returns to this hippo-invested bayou sometime soon because I cannot get enough of her hoppers (hippo cowboys). If you’re looking for an eclectic alt history filled with assassins and con men, then look no further than Gailey!