Another strong volume in one of my favorite current series, a Wild West yarn set in the 19th century frontier of Hokkaido, Japan. The core group (a war veteran, an indigenous child, and a roguish/comic relief escape artist) come across a seer, so of course it is time to hit the race track. And when that ends poorly, they come across a rich rancher who needs some serious hunters to take out a monster killing his horses. There's gory action (not for the faint-hearted or PETA-minded), potty humor, educational information about hunting/trapping techniques, and even a little bit of MacGyvering when they find themselves under siege by the monster.

Good fun. ( )