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The best title for this would really be "Deadlands, Book II", but I suppose that lacks style. This book extends the main rulebook by providing, well, more of what the main rulebook had. More archetypes, more monsters, more character details, more background and backplot. It's an excellent resource, and one that each group really should have for the game.

If I had to find something negative to say, I'd say in some sense, it complicates the Deadlands universe. It shifts it from an open one, waiting for the referee to decide, into a more orderly one. By providing more background and history, they do open up new playspaces, but it's now a bit more for the referee to keep track of.

But that's a matter of perspective. For characters, it provides more choices, and for referees, more world details. It's hard to rave about a book that presents so many disparate topics and expansions, but it's also hard to deny how useful it is. If "Deadlands" was the dictionary for the Weird West, this is its Thesaurus. Enucleate and relish.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)