Patricia Beatty died while at the height of her powers. Who Comes with Cannons? is a beautifully written book that is a model of historical fiction for young adults. The narrative's pace is even throughout, with excitement on nearly every page. Her characterizations are deft. The details of life in the 1860s are seamlessly woven into the events of the novel. This means that readers can experience a real world, different from their own but peopled with characters who seem fully human.

Part of the fun of a good historical novel is in experiencing what is would have been like to live in a particular time and place. Beatty's carefully created background of facts make experiencing Truth's time easy and fun.