crashhard's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.0
Here is my rating system. Of course this is all subjective
5 star exceptional. Must read book
4 star excellent book. I enjoyed it
3 star. Average. Take it or leave it. Just ok
2 star. Bad. I finished it but didn’t enjoy it
1 star. Did not finish or so bad I wouldn’t recommend it
review:
Just ok. I felt like the plot was all over the place. There was little tension and what little there was it was a slow build. I almost put the story away after I got halfway. The last third of the book mildly saved it.
I also felt that Dance With Wolves aka Lt Dunbar was little hard to believe since his story from the book Dances with Wolves. I felt hard to believe he almost totally forgot his past as a solider.
So I would say this book is not as good as 1st in series.
5 star exceptional. Must read book
4 star excellent book. I enjoyed it
3 star. Average. Take it or leave it. Just ok
2 star. Bad. I finished it but didn’t enjoy it
1 star. Did not finish or so bad I wouldn’t recommend it
review:
Just ok. I felt like the plot was all over the place. There was little tension and what little there was it was a slow build. I almost put the story away after I got halfway. The last third of the book mildly saved it.
I also felt that Dance With Wolves aka Lt Dunbar was little hard to believe since his story from the book Dances with Wolves. I felt hard to believe he almost totally forgot his past as a solider.
So I would say this book is not as good as 1st in series.
kitsana_d's review
1.0
The more I read, the more I disliked it. Teenage me might have eaten it up, but now I just find it disrespectful in ways I can't quite define.
micdalli's review
4.0
This is the sequel to Blake’s hugely successful Dances with Wolves, which was made into an Academy Award winning movie. It picks up 11 years after the end of that novel, and follows the story of Dances with Wolves, Stands with a Fist, Ten Bears, Wind in his Hair, Kicking Bird and their families as they negotiate the pressure from Euro-Americans who want their land.
For fans of the first novel/movie, there are two things to know. First, the “feel” of this narrative is different than the first book. The first book focuses on the characters and the story revolves around their interactions, relationships and learning each other’s customs. This book focuses around events and how the characters react to them. In fact, this book is essentially a historical fiction of the Red River War between the Comanches and other southern plains tribes, versus the US Army. Because of this, the poignant interactions that mark the first novel are missing here. Second, Dances with Wolves is not the main protagonist. Sure, quite a few chapters are dedicated to him and Stands with a Fist, but the bulk of the book concerns Kicking Bird, Wind in his Hair and Ten Bears’ part in the historical events that took place in the Red River War. This book doesn’t follow the formulas of the original novel. In addition, Dances with Wolves seems to have a much harder edge to him than the first book. His vulnerability, which made the first book so good, is largely missing in this sequel.
Instead of reviewing this based on the formula of the original, I am reviewing it as a historical fiction. In this way, this book works pretty well, but Blake did one major change. Instead of focusing on some of the major historic figures during these events - particularly Quanah Parker - Blake instead does not mention them at all, and assigns their role in the historic events to either Wind in his Hair or Kicking Bird. A few historic characters make an appearance, in particular Col. Mackenzie, though a few US Army characters are fictional, based on historic people. Ten Bears in the book is more inspired by than based on the historic Ten Bears. While they both share many similarities (glasses, for instance) their role in the story and their fate is slightly different. In general, the novel does follow the historic events and does an excellent job focusing on the pressures and loss experienced by the Comanche during this time, which is the major intended theme of this novel. The book is very sympathetic to their cause. The spirit of the events is here, if the accuracy isn’t.
Finally, Blake did take the criticisms of the original novel to heart. Gone are the “White Savior” and other controversial narratives of the first book. That alone allows this book to work on a better level.
So in the end, if you want more of the vulnerable interactions and relationships between characters from the first book, you may be disappointed. If you want to find out what happens to these characters in the context of greater historic events, you’ll love it.
For fans of the first novel/movie, there are two things to know. First, the “feel” of this narrative is different than the first book. The first book focuses on the characters and the story revolves around their interactions, relationships and learning each other’s customs. This book focuses around events and how the characters react to them. In fact, this book is essentially a historical fiction of the Red River War between the Comanches and other southern plains tribes, versus the US Army. Because of this, the poignant interactions that mark the first novel are missing here. Second, Dances with Wolves is not the main protagonist. Sure, quite a few chapters are dedicated to him and Stands with a Fist, but the bulk of the book concerns Kicking Bird, Wind in his Hair and Ten Bears’ part in the historical events that took place in the Red River War. This book doesn’t follow the formulas of the original novel. In addition, Dances with Wolves seems to have a much harder edge to him than the first book. His vulnerability, which made the first book so good, is largely missing in this sequel.
Instead of reviewing this based on the formula of the original, I am reviewing it as a historical fiction. In this way, this book works pretty well, but Blake did one major change. Instead of focusing on some of the major historic figures during these events - particularly Quanah Parker - Blake instead does not mention them at all, and assigns their role in the historic events to either Wind in his Hair or Kicking Bird. A few historic characters make an appearance, in particular Col. Mackenzie, though a few US Army characters are fictional, based on historic people. Ten Bears in the book is more inspired by than based on the historic Ten Bears. While they both share many similarities (glasses, for instance) their role in the story and their fate is slightly different. In general, the novel does follow the historic events and does an excellent job focusing on the pressures and loss experienced by the Comanche during this time, which is the major intended theme of this novel. The book is very sympathetic to their cause. The spirit of the events is here, if the accuracy isn’t.
Finally, Blake did take the criticisms of the original novel to heart. Gone are the “White Savior” and other controversial narratives of the first book. That alone allows this book to work on a better level.
So in the end, if you want more of the vulnerable interactions and relationships between characters from the first book, you may be disappointed. If you want to find out what happens to these characters in the context of greater historic events, you’ll love it.
moma's review
5.0
Reading this book made me very sad. Knowledge of history already tells the grim ending of this book.
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