Reviews

Red Waters Rising by Laura Anne Gilman

karireads's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

As much as I enjoyed reading this book, and I did enjoy it very much, it didn't end so much as stop. All the questions I entered the final book of the trilogy with went unanswered and the central challenge of this book wasn't resolved. 

Fascinating world and engaging characters, though.

michellelouise's review

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

jennybeastie's review against another edition

4.0

Totally glad to be back in the world, and the vast majority of the book was strong and fascinating. Unfortunately, the ending was... confusing? A bit of a fizzle? Just not really there? I read it a couple of times trying to figure out what exactly happens that sorts the long-building situation out and I got: a magician. And also if you aren't part of the bargain that keeps the territory alive, the territory will cease to be alive and this is what that will look like, ok? And it just didn't come together for me. Anyway, I hope that adventures continue in this world, because it's a heck of a world.

wildmedium's review

3.0

I really enjoyed this series, and I was expecting to love this books. However, this did not end how I anticipated it to, and it felt a little rushed and incomplete. I'm hoping the novella ties it up.

eleanorkonik's review

The ending was a bit abrupt, but otherwise I enjoyed it and I look forward to other works in the universe.

sophie_huy's review against another edition

3.0

3.5*

sebnis's review against another edition

I really enjoyed the entire series, and this felt like a very natural progression as to what came before, and I can definitely recommend all three. However, I'll have to wait with the final verdict until I've read the final novella.

daemonaac's review against another edition

5.0

The Devil's West is consistently excellent - and this latest installation is no exception. Frontiers, mystical agreements, native, settler, and political concerns - all addressed with, by, and through as engaging a young female character coming increasingly into her own strengths as you'll find in any series.

jameseckman's review

2.0

While billed as a conclusion to the trilogy, I can't really see it as a conclusion to anything. If anything, it feels like a middle novel, some nice action and character development but there's no end, just a lull that leaves no resolution.

There's an advert for a follow-on novella so I assume more than three books?

jen1110's review

5.0

Okay. This book. This book got its claws into me and shredded everything it could reach. I'm sitting here and looking around and wondering how other people are just moving on with their lives when this story has been hard at work destroying me.

If you read Patricia C Wrede's Frontier Magic series and the complete erasure of native culture left a bad taste in your mouth, you should read this series. It's road trip/coming of age/weird west and it's very well done. Isobel is a heroine I'd be happy to introduce to Emi. She makes mistakes and learns from them and does what needs to be done, even when it's hard. Which is something worth knowing how to do.