The second book in the epic, magic-clad Devil’s Revolver series follows Hettie and her sister south of the Wall into Mexico, where they must unmake Hettie’s infernal mage gun while confronting a magic- and land-hungry army and a monster from hell drawn to the powers of the weapon. Hettie wants nothing more than to break her bond to the cursed Devil’s Revolver and find a way to keep her sister safe — but Abby’s indigo powers are growing stronger, and in the gated, walled village where they take refuge, nothing is exactly as it seems. Pursued by the Pinkertons, left without allies or guardians, Hettie has to rely on her own grit and determination to do the right thing, no matter the cost.

‘The Devil’s Standoff’ is the second book in the Weird West series, about a demon-possessed gun in an alternative Wild West where magic is just another tool. I read and enjoyed the first book, ‘The Devil’s Revolver’ in 2019 and immediately bought the sequel. I wish I hadn’t left it in my TBR pile for seven years before continuing with the series, both because my faded memory meant I had some catching up to do and because the second book was better than the first.

The first book did the world-building for an alternative Wild West where Pinkertons employ agents with magical abilities, the government has an agency for training (and policing) magic practitioners, and magic is starting to drain from the world. It had a central cast of characters, focusing on Hettie Alabama, who is bound to the demon-possessed revolver and her younger sister, whose unusual and uncontrolled powers emerge during the book. It was an action-packed adventure that was exciting and well crafted.

The second book was also action-packed, with the action taking place in Mexico this time, but it had more character development, especially of the two Alabama sisters at the heart of the story. Setting the story on the other side of the border broadened the world-building and placed the familiar cast in a context that was alien to all but one of them. It also brought a new community of magic users into the story and gave Hettie more to lose.

I admired how the relationship between Hattie and the cursed revolver evolved, making the gun almost a character in its own right as well as testing Hettie’s ability to make moral choices and control the gun’s unquenchable thirst for violent death. Hettie’s sister developed in ways that made her much more dangerous but also more engaging. I liked the monsters in the book, both human and supernatural, especially the chubracabras, and I loved some of the twists on who could do what.

I had fun with this mix of magic and Western tropes and with the balance between action and engagement with the central characters. I’m now keen to read the remaining two books in the series.