The Legend of Charlie Fish

April 10, 2023
A paean to turn of the 20th century Galveston, Tex., Rountree’s romp of a debut novel (after the collection Fantastic Americana) combines a historical disaster with fantastical elements, including a creature who would fit right in, in the Black Lagoon. Floyd Betts meets orphaned siblings Nellie, a 12-year-old telepath, and Hank, a nine-year-old marksman, while in Old Cypress, Tex., for his father’s funeral and decides to take them back with him to Abigail Elder’s boarding house in Galveston. On the way, Floyd, Hank, and Nellie infuriate of a pair of circus charlatans calling themselves Professor Finn and Kentucky Jim by liberating the scoundrels’ big score, a human-fish hybrid the children name Charlie Fish. Nellie’s “whisper talk,” or empathetic telepathy, allows her to communicate with Charlie, who longs to reunite with his fellow fish people. Meanwhile, both Professor Finn and Kentucky Jim and an incoming hurricane pose threats even after the makeshift family is welcomed at Abigail’s. Despite a somewhat unfocused plot, which jumps around in both time and alternates between Floyd and Nellie’s points of view, a sense of looming doom keeps tension high, and Rountree’s talent for scene setting is on full display in lush descriptions of the Old West. This weird western should win Rountree plenty of fans. Agent: Kristopher O’Higgins, Scribe Agency.

May 1, 2023

DEBUT Rountree's debut novel serves as an ode to Texas storytellers such as Joe Lansdale and dark-fantasy spinners such as Guillermo del Toro. The story centers on a found family on their way to Galveston, TX. Along with taciturn carpenter Floyd Betts, there are two orphan children: Hank, whose mouth is as fast as his revolver, and Nellie, a girl with mind-reading powers. Nellie's powers let her communicate with Charlie Fish, a fish man who says little, loves smoking, and wants very badly to go back to his home in the ocean. Following this group are two scoundrels who want to capture and exhibit Charlie--and a hurricane that will destroy Galveston. Rountree offers some excellent descriptions, and his characters are as folksy and complex as any created by Larry McMurtry or Louis L'Amour. The seemingly rushed ending, however, might disappoint readers who have fallen in love with the world Rountree has imagined; it's a painful realization that their journey through his world is ending. VERDICT Rountree's colorful palette brings together Western and fantasy elements to create a magical tale about the deep bonds forged by circumstance.--James Gardner

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June 1, 2023
After returning to the hometown that he ran from decades before, Floyd Betts inadvertently creates a found family outside of his wildest imagination. Floyd stumbles upon two young orphans: a girl with something she calls whisper talk--a power that allows her to see and project other people's memories--and her sharpshooting younger brother. As they travel, the unlikely trio is forced to make an impulsive decision with lasting consequences. They interrupt the capture of a strange fish-man, who forms an instant connection with the girl. But the two charlatans who intended to profit off the two-legged amphibian in a freak show won't let him go that easily. As the group returns to Galveston, a storm is brewing on the horizon. Only time will tell if it is a run-of-the-mill tempest or something darker. Set against the backdrop of the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, Rountree's latest weaves an unforgettable tale about survival, resilience, and the power of forged relationships. Perfect for Ben Galley and Joe R. Lansdale fans, The Legend of Charlie Fish is a quintessential example of a weird western.

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