Cameron Stoles

Cameron is an 80’s child who loves old western movies. He grew up watching John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. Tombstone is his favorite movie, and he always wanted to be just like Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp.

A self-described “mutt”, Cameron’s family is made up of outcasts and rejects from half a dozen cultures.

In his spare time, Cameron is usually found camping with his four dogs, reading, or shooting guns.

The Last Daughter of Akiwée

November 2024

Genre: Adult Western Fantasy

In the wild west of Novo Alresta, no gunslinger is more deadly than The Butcher, John Black. A bounty hunter with an unmatched reputation for violence, John has spent all his life killing. But now that a fatal curse marks him, he has decided to use the time he has left in the world to do some good.

Nitika is the last survivor of the state’s genocide against the Akiwéian people indigenous to Novo Alresta. The full oppressive force of the state is hunting her. Her only hope for survival lies with The Butcher, who has decided to take her across 2000 miles of hostile territory to the safety of the country’s southern neighbor.

With State Marshals, the military, lawmen, and bounty hunters like Amelia Yager on their trail, they have an arduous journey ahead of them. As John tries to atone for his past and Nitika tries to find her future, they must fight through powerful enemies. They must overcome the trials ahead if they are ever going to save . . . the last daughter of Akiwée.

The Last Daughter of Akiwee is a fantastic book about a gunslinger's redemption and a girl's future. I'm a sucker for the bitter old man + plucky young woman trope - Lee and Clementine, Joel and Ellie, etc. This book does that trope really well. The mixed feelings Nitika has about allowing a man who has personally harmed her people and family to save her life make for great drama, and John is such a deep and flawed character, I found myself sympathizing with him even while acknowledging he's a bad guy deep down.

I found the book hard to put down. I loved the characters and couldn't wait to see what might happen next or who might come out on top.

Akiwee is an exciting classic adventure story through a a dark land. Nitika and The Butcher make a great team eventually. I really like that the setting tells a story of its own about a post-war nation collapsing under it's own weight, crying out for a revolutionary hero like Esther.