bjfk's review against another edition
3.0
Great to see Gus and Call back in the saddle together. I liked this story but not quite as much as the previous two. Good nonetheless but didn’t grab me too much.
cryo_guy's review against another edition
4.0
As my dear friend Nick said of this book, "nothing much 'happens.'" This is one of the looser plot books where the rangers are just going out into uncharted territory to do something they completely fail at. It's a wonder everyone doesn't get killed. And at the very end, it takes a truly miraculous event to get our main characters out alive.
Lots of cool western genre stuff in here. There isn't quite as much clever stuff as the 1st two books, but I warmed up to the young Call and Gus eventually. The thing about this book is how dominant the Indian war chiefs are. In the previous two, outlaws are the vicious antagonists, but in this one its Buffalo Hump and Gomez and for the most part, the Texans are in their territory. Any advantage they get is mostly luck. And that's something that contributed to the "aimlessness" of the plot I think. In some of the previous books, I recall more evaluation of an encounter and strategy. But it's not necessarily a bad thing...it went along with the decisions of the various leaders and the relative unpreparedness of everyone. And naturally there was some character development so its not like the book was empty. It was a fun read, if violent and even scary at times.
We ride again, for the last time! Next time on Comanche Moon...
Lots of cool western genre stuff in here. There isn't quite as much clever stuff as the 1st two books, but I warmed up to the young Call and Gus eventually. The thing about this book is how dominant the Indian war chiefs are. In the previous two, outlaws are the vicious antagonists, but in this one its Buffalo Hump and Gomez and for the most part, the Texans are in their territory. Any advantage they get is mostly luck. And that's something that contributed to the "aimlessness" of the plot I think. In some of the previous books, I recall more evaluation of an encounter and strategy. But it's not necessarily a bad thing...it went along with the decisions of the various leaders and the relative unpreparedness of everyone. And naturally there was some character development so its not like the book was empty. It was a fun read, if violent and even scary at times.
We ride again, for the last time! Next time on Comanche Moon...
sonofatreus's review against another edition
4.0
Of the first three in the Lonesome Dove series, this is the weakest, but I still love the world. Not as much "happens" here as in Lonesome Dove or Streets of Laredo, so I'd say my praise of it is mostly the vibes. Even though plenty of people die in DMW, it didn't seem quite so pessimistic as LD or Streets; that could just be my acclimation to the world though.
I had a feeling near the end that it was incomplete, that the story wasn't going to wrap up in a neat way (if at all). Sure enough, I looked Comanche Moon, the last book in the series, and saw that it has some of the "villains" from this book returning. Ah well. I guess I'll have to ride with Gus and Call one more time.
I had a feeling near the end that it was incomplete, that the story wasn't going to wrap up in a neat way (if at all). Sure enough, I looked Comanche Moon, the last book in the series, and saw that it has some of the "villains" from this book returning. Ah well. I guess I'll have to ride with Gus and Call one more time.
stevemozza's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
fast-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
4.5
amelie5m's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bobbo49's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
Third written, first in the four book series about Gus and Call. Another well written western, as the young characters confront Native Americans, nature and their own dreams and fears while exploring the plains and deserts from Texas into New Mexico. Look forward to finishing the series.
dwhite1174's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0