Jax's Book Nook: Southern Dust by Caspar Vega

Title: Southern Dust
Author: Caspar Vega
Genre: Pulp/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

I was provided with a digital copy of this work from the author for my honest and unbiased review.

Goodreads Description:

Gretchen Walker: A Southern belle living an idyllic life in the newly independent Alabama; worrying about the upcoming cotillion, and hoping more than anything to find a dapper young suitor from a good family. Might she end up getting more than she bargained for?

The Governor: The enigmatic leader responsible for achieving the aforementioned independence.

Roger Conaway: An enforcer trying to make a clean break. When his boss tells him a friend's daughter has gone missing, can Roger find the girl and get out of the game while he still has a shard of innocence left?

Dominic White: An obsessive Hornbuster overcome with grief; recovering from a nervous breakdown, and actively seeking revenge for his murdered sister.

Discover their interconnected stories in this diesel-fueled, black magic powered, vampire-creating extravaganza!

Here's What I Thought:

The book was set up as a series of four separate, but intertwined vignettes. The first vignette told the story of Gretchen and wasn't made up of more than a few pages. It basically consisted of how she met the Governor. Part 2 was the Governor's story. This was a substantial portion of the book and told of his rise and fall. In part 3, Roger Conaway takes center stage with his story of how he went from an enforcer for a mobster to a super-soldier. The fourth and final part tells the struggle of Dominic White after his sister's murder.

What I liked:

I initially wasn't a fan of the vignette style, but, upon further reflection of it, I actually really liked the approach. I was able to see each character's story from beginning to end without interruption. This was a breath of fresh air as there are not a lot of authors who take this approach.

As bizarre as the premise of the book is, which the Federal Government falling apart shortly after Trump's highly successful Presidency and the individual states declaring their independence, I actually thought it was very intriguing. What would happen if one of the states decided to declare independence in the 21st Century?

What I didn't like:

I really didn't care for the choppiness of the timelines for the characters. The narration would suddenly drop off and then pick back up again and I wasn't always sure how much, if any, time had passed. It also made it difficult to connect with the characters on any personal level, as well as much of the detail seemed to be left out.

Also, there was mention of an incestuous relationship between Dominic and his sister. WHY? It doesn't add to the story. It doesn't seem to serve a purpose, other than an "Oh, by the way..." I would suggest just leaving that part out entirely.

The biggest thing that I did not like was that it seemed like Vega couldn't choose a genre, so he wrote them all in. It starts off as a sort of political fiction book turned murder mystery with the assassination of the Governor. Before too long, I'm reading a science fiction book by throwing the concept of a super soldier into the mix. At that point, I was scratching my head going, "Ok..." Finally, fantasy was brought into as well by introducing black magic. Now I was thinking, "Seriously?" Mr. Vega, if you are reading this, I would suggest just sticking to one genre or another. By mashing these genres together, it appeared to be over-written.

Conclusion:

It was an interesting book, to say the least. It is a very quick read. If you are looking for an off-the-wall book to occupy the afternoon, this is the book for you.