Jean Talon is a shipwright in 1821 America. Originally from Nova Scotia and Quebec, he plans to move to Pittsburgh to take up his career. He learns about a plan by Baron Torville, a megalomaniac, to stage a rebellion in the new territory created by the Louisiana Purchase and build an empire. Talon joins with a ragtag group of misfits to disrupt the plans of the Baron.

His travels are by horse, canoe and keel boat with lengthy explanations on how such a vessel moves up stream against the natural flow of the river. As usual, L'Amour works a lot of history into the narrative including European history to explain where some of the characters came from and why. ( )

We meet the second Talon in this story. Jean Daniel is a shipwright, headed from Quebec for Pittsburgh with plans to build steamboats. He pulls a dying man from the depth of a swamp, and soon finds himself involved in a search for the missing brother of a very pretty and capable young lady.

The farther I read, the more I enjoyed this one, a good yarn. ( )

I have found that I enjoy Louis L'Amour's western novels. He is a good, descriptive writer, and captures the settings and the emotions of his characters very well. His plots are interesting, and keep me turning the pages to see how they will end.

Rivers West was no exception. Rather than a typical "western," this one dealt with the early days of the United States of America, soon after the Louisiana Purchase during Thomas Jefferson's administration.

Jean Talon, a French Canadian boat builder, was exploring the wild country of the new nation, with the plan of traveling to Pittsburgh to build river boats needed by the explorers and settlers of the new American West. He accidentally stumbled upon a recent murder, one so recent that the victim had not yet perished, and was able to give Jean some information about his attacker.

As he traveled, he met up with Jambe-De-Bois ("Peg Leg"), a former pirate who became his traveling companion and confidante, a beautiful young lady in search of her brother, some inn-keepers, and a couple of shady characters. He also learned of a nefarious plot to seize the Louisiana Territory and make it a kingdom in opposition to the U.S.A.

This book was surprisingly entertaining, a lot like the first part of the Wheel of Time series, minus the magic bits and set in the early days of the United States. ( )

Absolutely loved it. Modest heroes, spunky ladies, honesty, treachery, and action galore. Plus tidbits of history like anti-Catholic laws in Massachusetts in the 1820's. This seems to be a fictionalized takeoff on the alleged Aaron Burr attempt to seize the Louisiana Purchase and to set up a separate county, foiled by patriotic citizens, noble gentlemen, and sassy ladies. Ended too abruptly, but what a great show! ( )