This award winning saga is set primarily in the American Southwest Territories where Americans settlers are coming after the Mexican-American War. The territories are undergoing unique and savage change as they shed 300 years of Spanish rule and move toward American statehood. The saga is told through the life of a young peasant, a fugitive on the run from Mexico riding a stolen Appaloosa stallion. He enters Texas in 1866 to find life on this side of the border holds new dangers along with the promise of a new life.The gritty saga begins when a young peasant, Rafael Ortega de Estrada, shoots the landowner who raped his younger sister. He is seventeen years old and on the run riding a stolen horse. Heading north, young Rafael enters into the United States to immediately be faced with a life-changing dilemma. The path he chooses controls his destiny in ways he cannot fathom.A Spanish aristocrat, Benicío Zuniga, of an old Spanish New Mexican family, now deposed of his land and wealth, turns to the outlaw life for revenge. He'll kill anybody in his rage, even his own brother. From the opposite sides of the old Spanish caste system, Rafael and Benicío seek to find new lives in the changing American Southwest, but only one will survive.From the author of Elfego Baca, Destined to Survive, Robert J. Alvarado brings this gritty tale to life with a passion for the history of the southwest and his love of writing stories from the Hispanic perspective. Spending most of his career in the computer software business, traveling throughout the U.S. Southwest and Latin America, he brings a unique vision to this tale where history and fiction collide.The material in this book is for mature audiences only and contains graphic content and language. It is intended for readers aged 18 and older.Award Winning Series: Selected a finalist in Edward James Olmos' 2018 Books to Movie Awards in Drama TV Series. The judges for these awards are screenwriters, directors, producers, and others from the entertainment industry. The Young Pistolero Series is also an award winning saga, voted number #1 best fiction series by the Latino Authors association.Verified Reviews: I know this series will earn many more awards. A wonderful contribution to Southwest Hispano history and culture. - Rudolfo Anaya, Professor Emeritus, acclaimed novelist, poet, playwright#1 Best Fiction Book by a Latino Author 2015 Mr. Alvarado weaves a plausible plot and his setting descriptions and actions are right on. His characters were exactly what you might expect of people living in the rough west trying to survive the elements and mayhem of that time. The author manages to bring the reader into the story with action built into every chapter that you can't escape feeling anxious wondering as to what will happen next.- Corina Martinez Chaudhry, Latino AuthorMr. Alvarado vividly illustrates many rugged times after the Civil and Mexican American Wars through the eyes of a 17 year old peon who comes to the U.S. and adapts and grows into a hero. The Young Pistolero is a great new historical western series! -Richard Golenda, post Secondary and College History Teacher and post Chairman of the Pueblo Economic Development CorporationI'm impressed by the historical detail and fast-moving plot. My father was a screenwriter for television and wrote many westerns for Wagon Train and Gunsmoke. Alvarado's novel could be the basis for one of those television westerns because of its engrossing plot and it clear depiction of heroes and villains.- Jennie Nelson PHD, Post-Graduate Professor of Writing, University of Idaho