Chelsea knows she’s got it good being Granger’s girl. Without him taking a liking to her, then calling her his, she would still be hungry and homeless in their small gated town of Darkwater.

Under Granger’s care, she’s also safe from any harm. No one would ever stand up to the leader of their town. After all, isn’t it only because of Granger that they survived the outside contagions and sickness. Aren’t his gates, the town council and his rules – law?

Chelsea at 16, knows no other life than behind the high gates and fence surrounding Darkwater, so when a new trader is allowed in, she is intrigued. This stranger has a whip on their hip, a rifle slotted down their horses’ flank and a pistol on the other hip. Life has been tough in Darkwater lately with supplies low, and the water they are named for getting scarce. Maybe this trader can help?

When Chelsea learns the trader is a woman, there is no keeping away from her, even if it is breaking Granger’s rules. Granger has strong opinions on how women should behave, dress, look and speak, and to see a woman doing the opposite is thrilling. Rumours begin to fly within hours on who she might be? Granger seems on edge as he refuses to see her, which strengthens the possibility the stranger has been in Darkwater before.

Is she back for revenge?

Chelsea soon sees and learns more about Darkwater and its history since the stranger arrived than in her sixteen years living there. She also sees a difference in the townsfolk too. Instead of avoiding her eye and possible trouble, they speak to her as they never have before. Who is The Stranger?

Set behind high walls in the middle of red, parched land in the middle of nowhere, this reads like a Wild West novel. Learn about the history of why these people are there and you have a post-apocalypse story. A contagion wiped out half the human race many decades before, and people are still rebuilding society.

Darkwater however has fallen back into misogynist rule of the past under their leader in his mid 50’s. His rule is law. But his lies and weaknesses are about to be revealed – by a woman.

The Stranger has been called a Feminist Western and I really enjoyed a woman coming in and kicking butt – and more than one at a time. We never learn her real name, but actions speak so much more than names, labels or rules, and main character Chelsea’s narrow controlled world is opened beyond belief.

Like The Emperor’s New Clothes, it only takes one person to point out the obvious – Granger is not all he says he is. His layers are peeled back slowly and decisively through courage, action, knowledge and reason. It’s not straight forward and is positively life threatening, but watching Darkwater unravel alongside is satisfying to read.

Author – Kathryn Hore

Age – 16+

(2022, Allen & Unwin, Australian Author, Aussie outback, Western, Feminist, Post Apocalypse, Contagion, Fear, Misogynist, Action, Hand to hand combat, Bullwhip, Tavern, Rules, Lies, Control, Violence, Gates, Mystery, Murder, Secrets)