clairetrellahill's review
4.0
This was an interesting book. Billed as “weird west” it’s the story of a US Marshall on the trail of a female outlaw. I guess you could term it alternate history although I can’t think what’s alternate about it except that it’s got this scifi/fantasy angle. Well, maybe a plot point part way though.
It did deliver on the feel of a western, the voice as well, the feeling of this kind of story came across right and I did like the struggle over the law and what’s right and wrong when you’re so far from any kind of enforcement or backup for those things. I would say I wanted it to be weirder. Things were hinted at here and there but the only main “weird” plot point was the female outlaw, Almena, has a healing ability, and she can use it on herself and others. Other than that, it felt like a typical western. Decent read if that’s what you have a hankering for. 3.5 stars.
It did deliver on the feel of a western, the voice as well, the feeling of this kind of story came across right and I did like the struggle over the law and what’s right and wrong when you’re so far from any kind of enforcement or backup for those things. I would say I wanted it to be weirder. Things were hinted at here and there but the only main “weird” plot point was the female outlaw, Almena, has a healing ability, and she can use it on herself and others. Other than that, it felt like a typical western. Decent read if that’s what you have a hankering for. 3.5 stars.
prairieraven's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This is definitely out of my reading zone but was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this, a western with a supernatural twist, it at first seems full of the trope of the genre but it is kind of turned on its head. Very clever. There is one scene that utterly destroyed me about 250 pages in. Devestated.
The book is pretty fast paced and easy to read. Wildly entertaining.
The book is pretty fast paced and easy to read. Wildly entertaining.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Death, Sexism, Child death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Abandonment
Minor: Vomit
zvjeronika's review
5.0
What a wonderful voice and then some ...
This story of weird wild west will take you into the time of bank robberies, train hijacks and most of all mistreating of humans in general.
Feels like episode of Twilight zone gone wrong or better yet.. right. Just right.
This story of weird wild west will take you into the time of bank robberies, train hijacks and most of all mistreating of humans in general.
Feels like episode of Twilight zone gone wrong or better yet.. right. Just right.
__karen__'s review against another edition
4.0
Disclosure: I received this book as part of a promotion.
I'm not generally a fan of the Western genre but thought this might be a good listen, and it was! It's a suspenseful Western, although not as dark as a Cormac McCarthy story. Oliver Wyman's narration is spot on and makes this audiobook even more enveloping. I'd listen again, it was that entertaining. Recommended.
I'm not generally a fan of the Western genre but thought this might be a good listen, and it was! It's a suspenseful Western, although not as dark as a Cormac McCarthy story. Oliver Wyman's narration is spot on and makes this audiobook even more enveloping. I'd listen again, it was that entertaining. Recommended.
cah242's review against another edition
4.0
Man, this was a weird book. I'm not sure what I expected going in, but whatever it was is not what I got. Not a ton of action, but when it's there it's well-written and interesting. The characters are good, though they don't always act in believable ways. Overall I felt like the author lived the characters a lie too much, which led to some really convenient plotting. It allowed the characters to get out of things really, rather than making them struggle to change and grow. The romance, which makes up the bulk of the story, seems a little contrived. The magic is interesting, but very secondary, and the piecemeal way it's used leaves a lot of questions. Overall an entertaining read, but not mind-blowing. 3.5 stars, but rounded up because I'm so unsure about whether I really liked it or not.
amandagstevens's review against another edition
2.0
Despite my personal rating of this book, I can see it garnering a strong base of fans: namely those who enjoyed the Netflix show Godless and did not notice (or were unbothered by) its philosophical anachronisms. In fact, if you enjoyed that show, you ought to snatch this book up immediately, because you'll love it. The irreparable break between my enjoyment and this intriguing "Weird Western" is the same break that happened when I watched Godless. I couldn't stop cringing at how far outside history everyone was behaving. So if, like me, you expect characters in a Western not to think and act like citizens of the 21st century, then I suggest you pass on this book.
If that had been my only point of contention, I'd have given the book three stars for being "good but not my thing." The fantasy element of "flesh magic," downplayed as it is (this is a Western first and a fantasy second), really intrigued me. I wanted to like Almena Guillory; or more accurately, I wanted to understand her better in order to like her. But I can't round up my 2.5 star rating for three reasons.
One, the writing jarred me entirely out of the story. That sounds as if Ms. Stone isn't a good writer. She is. Her wordsmithing is excellent. The problem is unfettered wordsmithing, specifically similes. Oh. My. Word. So many similes. If I had a nickel for every like and as in this book, I could buy my entire Amazon wishlist. Individually they're great, but in every paragraph they're maddening. And yes, they are in every paragraph. I was exhausted with them well before the halfway point in the book and just wanted Marshal Richardson to stop painting pictures with his every thought.
Which brings me to the second reason I can't round this up to 3 stars. Marshal Apostle Richardson at no time convinces me he's male. I would not be shocked to discover this book was originally supposed to be about the blossoming relationship between a female marshal and a female outlaw, but the publisher decided to go a bit more mainstream and asked the author to make her marshal a guy. . . . without making any actual changes to the character.
The third reason: wobbly character motivations. I loved the contrast between the two protagonists' driving principles, but then said principles seem to fizzle without explanation and I looked back to realize a lot of things they'd been doing lately didn't make complete sense. I tried to stay in the story anyway until Apostle, and after that I was pretty much done with him.
Another review states this feels like an early draft rather than a fully crafted, finished work, and I agree. Slaying some (most) of the similes, hammering out more consistency and logic in character motivations, and reworking Apostle so he rings true as a man of the West--any or all of these probably would have caused me to up this rating at least a whole star despite the fact I'm not into postmodern Westerns like this and Godless. I wanted to love a fantasy/Western mashup because I love the genres individually, and maybe there are some out there I'll love when I discover them, but this one isn't for me.
If that had been my only point of contention, I'd have given the book three stars for being "good but not my thing." The fantasy element of "flesh magic," downplayed as it is (this is a Western first and a fantasy second), really intrigued me. I wanted to like Almena Guillory; or more accurately, I wanted to understand her better in order to like her. But I can't round up my 2.5 star rating for three reasons.
One, the writing jarred me entirely out of the story. That sounds as if Ms. Stone isn't a good writer. She is. Her wordsmithing is excellent. The problem is unfettered wordsmithing, specifically similes. Oh. My. Word. So many similes. If I had a nickel for every like and as in this book, I could buy my entire Amazon wishlist. Individually they're great, but in every paragraph they're maddening. And yes, they are in every paragraph. I was exhausted with them well before the halfway point in the book and just wanted Marshal Richardson to stop painting pictures with his every thought.
Which brings me to the second reason I can't round this up to 3 stars. Marshal Apostle Richardson at no time convinces me he's male. I would not be shocked to discover this book was originally supposed to be about the blossoming relationship between a female marshal and a female outlaw, but the publisher decided to go a bit more mainstream and asked the author to make her marshal a guy. . . . without making any actual changes to the character.
The third reason: wobbly character motivations. I loved the contrast between the two protagonists' driving principles, but then said principles seem to fizzle without explanation and I looked back to realize a lot of things they'd been doing lately didn't make complete sense. I tried to stay in the story anyway until Apostle
Spoiler
agrees to help Almena rob a bank. . . what? Why? This came out of nowhereAnother review states this feels like an early draft rather than a fully crafted, finished work, and I agree. Slaying some (most) of the similes, hammering out more consistency and logic in character motivations, and reworking Apostle so he rings true as a man of the West--any or all of these probably would have caused me to up this rating at least a whole star despite the fact I'm not into postmodern Westerns like this and Godless. I wanted to love a fantasy/Western mashup because I love the genres individually, and maybe there are some out there I'll love when I discover them, but this one isn't for me.
lesleymay's review against another edition
2.0
There were some interesting ideas and concepts, but I didn't think they were fully fleshed out. What I thought would've made the most interesting story was only mentioned twice, and I wanted more of it. It also seemed to be missing a central conflict- to me it felt like three or four small conflicts strung together with no real big payoff.
bookwyrm37's review against another edition
5.0
Loved how the author handled difficult topics with care, including race relations and gender fluidity. A western for modern times!
throughtheeluvian's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-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
5.0
Book reviews are never objective. But even that in mind, this review is far from objective. This book.... This book was perfect. It was perfect for my soul. It was a book written for me. Written for me at this point in time, with my current interests and fixations and obsessions.
Could there have been more world building? Sure. Was the magic underutilised? Maybe. Was it straight up cheesy at many points? Think so.
And yet. This is the best book I ever read. Not in it's merit as a literary piece. But in what it did for me. This book felt like it was written for me, like the author looked into my mind and wrote what I always wanted to read. And maybe write.
But that's not a helpful review. This was fun. It was very well contextualised in the Wild West setting through descriptions to the dialogue. The banter was just perfection. The romance was done just right (I like slow burn). I loved the characters. The magic was interesting.
Pick this up if you want a soft weird west read that has strong characters and a good romance.
100/5 stars.
Could there have been more world building? Sure. Was the magic underutilised? Maybe. Was it straight up cheesy at many points? Think so.
And yet. This is the best book I ever read. Not in it's merit as a literary piece. But in what it did for me. This book felt like it was written for me, like the author looked into my mind and wrote what I always wanted to read. And maybe write.
But that's not a helpful review. This was fun. It was very well contextualised in the Wild West setting through descriptions to the dialogue. The banter was just perfection. The romance was done just right (I like slow burn). I loved the characters. The magic was interesting.
Pick this up if you want a soft weird west read that has strong characters and a good romance.
100/5 stars.