mygeekblasphemy's review against another edition
4.0
This took me an embarrassingly long time to read. A lot of that's on me, since I started it during a week of deadlines and very sudden family visits, and reading just stopped being a priority. But the book also isn't a pick-up-and-can't put-down kind of story. Which is actually fine--I generally enjoy the slower pace here, like I was wandering the Road with Izzy and Gabriel, and we didn't have to get anywhere in a hurry. Journey, not the destination, and all that. Very appropriate for a western. But I do feel like I have some problems in the last third of the book, and I think one of the main ones is that there doesn't feel like a lot of payoff. I saw one review on Goodreads noting that Izzy and Gabriel always seem to arrive after the action/horror/Big Event has happened, and I think the book might have been stronger if that wasn't always the case, especially at the end. (It's hard to talk about this without going into more spoiler-y details, which I won't be doing today.)
I like this whole world a lot. The weaving of different mythologies and magic systems is fascinating, and I'm entirely in love with the Territory. The worldbuilding works well for me, informative without ever being boring. I also really like the characters: Gabriel's probably my favorite, but I enjoy Izzy and Farron and the Devil, too, despite not spending much time with him. I enjoy the relationship between Gabriel and Izzy; it, along with just the general awesomeness of this AU world, really make the whole book for me.
Still, I do have problems. Repetition is a big one: I became very tired of hearing how mad Farron was, especially when he never struck me as terribly mad. Izzy notices the madness in his eyes, or Gabriel will call him mad, but for the sheer amount of times the word is used, I really needed a moment where Farron did something and I thought, "Holy hell, he is MAD." That really never happened. Also--and again, this is difficult without spoilers--at a certain point, it feels like Gabriel's basically repeating the same thought process over and over again, once we learn something about him. I kept thinking, "I get this, I understand, let's move on now and learn the actual details of this revelation." But we never actually get those details, which was jarring for me because, somehow, I entirely missed that this was the first book in a series. It wasn't until I reached the end and was like, "Um," that I looked it up and realized this book was not a standalone. So I'm struggling here. Some of my dissatisfaction with the end is surely because of that. But I do feel that the last third is a bit underwhelming overall.
Still. I definitely liked this book enough that I plan to read the next one. Repetition aside, it's very well written and I want to know what happens to Izzy and Gabriel.
I like this whole world a lot. The weaving of different mythologies and magic systems is fascinating, and I'm entirely in love with the Territory. The worldbuilding works well for me, informative without ever being boring. I also really like the characters: Gabriel's probably my favorite, but I enjoy Izzy and Farron and the Devil, too, despite not spending much time with him. I enjoy the relationship between Gabriel and Izzy; it, along with just the general awesomeness of this AU world, really make the whole book for me.
Still, I do have problems. Repetition is a big one: I became very tired of hearing how mad Farron was, especially when he never struck me as terribly mad. Izzy notices the madness in his eyes, or Gabriel will call him mad, but for the sheer amount of times the word is used, I really needed a moment where Farron did something and I thought, "Holy hell, he is MAD." That really never happened. Also--and again, this is difficult without spoilers--at a certain point, it feels like Gabriel's basically repeating the same thought process over and over again, once we learn something about him. I kept thinking, "I get this, I understand, let's move on now and learn the actual details of this revelation." But we never actually get those details, which was jarring for me because, somehow, I entirely missed that this was the first book in a series. It wasn't until I reached the end and was like, "Um," that I looked it up and realized this book was not a standalone. So I'm struggling here. Some of my dissatisfaction with the end is surely because of that. But I do feel that the last third is a bit underwhelming overall.
Still. I definitely liked this book enough that I plan to read the next one. Repetition aside, it's very well written and I want to know what happens to Izzy and Gabriel.
srlemons42's review against another edition
5.0
I picked this book up on the strength of the description alone and I wasn’t disappointed. I thought the characters were strong and the plot is fascinating. It was basically exactly what I wanted to read right now weirdly enough: A western dark fantasy.
On her sixteenth birthday, Isobel makes the choice to work for the devil in his territory west of the Mississippi. But this is not the devil you know. This is a being who deals fairly with immense—but not unlimited—power, who offers opportunities to people who want to make a deal, and makes sure they always get what they deserve. But his land is a wild west that needs a human touch, and that’s where Izzy comes in. Inadvertently trained by him to see the clues in and manipulations of human desire, Izzy is raised to be his left hand and travel the circuitous road through the territory. As we all know, where there is magic there is power and chaos…and death.
The world that was created for this book is vast and complicated and yet it feels very lived in and realistic. Part of it might be because although it is a alternative United States where the Devil rules over the unsettled West, it still reflects the feeling of that time. It is a wild, lawless place where anything can happen. The towns Isobel visits along her path feel true to the time period and full of real people. There isn’t really anything I would describe in this book as cardboard or 2 dimensional which has been a real problem in the books I’ve been reading lately.
Speaking of Isobel, and all the other characters that inhabit this world, they are fantastic. At 16 years old, Isobel makes a very big decision to work for the Devil and it isn’t at all what she thought it would be. Isobel hoped to remain in Flood the town where she grew up, but the Devil has other ideas naming her his Left Hand and sending her out into the vast Territories to keep the peace. She is helped on this venture by what I would call the secondary main character, Gabriel. He is a young man who comes into the Devil’s bar in Flood and leaves after making a bargain to protect Isobel. It was interesting to see their friendship develop over the course of the book. He is primarily a teacher and then later a friend. His job is to teach Isobel how to survive on The Road and to help her navigate her new job/abilities. He is a very dry character for me which made it a bit difficult to get into his narration sections in the book, but I ended up liking him quite a bit.
The plot of the book comes into better focus when we start to learn of ominous and terrifying things happening to settlers and towns around the territory. It was a pretty intriguing little mystery with some pretty fantastic set pieces. It really helps that the story is written very lyrically or poetically. Things happen that take on a very appropriately dream-like quality and I was a big fan of the writing in this book.
If I had to point to anything that annoyed me in the book it was the amount of whining Isobel does throughout the story. I get it, she’s 16 years old, but it can get pretty tiresome during some sections of this story. Also, this negativity means that she remains pretty passive throughout the whole story until the end when she finally steps up and fights back.
Overall, I really liked this book and I definitely recommend it! I’m certainly going to look for the second book soon.
On her sixteenth birthday, Isobel makes the choice to work for the devil in his territory west of the Mississippi. But this is not the devil you know. This is a being who deals fairly with immense—but not unlimited—power, who offers opportunities to people who want to make a deal, and makes sure they always get what they deserve. But his land is a wild west that needs a human touch, and that’s where Izzy comes in. Inadvertently trained by him to see the clues in and manipulations of human desire, Izzy is raised to be his left hand and travel the circuitous road through the territory. As we all know, where there is magic there is power and chaos…and death.
The world that was created for this book is vast and complicated and yet it feels very lived in and realistic. Part of it might be because although it is a alternative United States where the Devil rules over the unsettled West, it still reflects the feeling of that time. It is a wild, lawless place where anything can happen. The towns Isobel visits along her path feel true to the time period and full of real people. There isn’t really anything I would describe in this book as cardboard or 2 dimensional which has been a real problem in the books I’ve been reading lately.
Speaking of Isobel, and all the other characters that inhabit this world, they are fantastic. At 16 years old, Isobel makes a very big decision to work for the Devil and it isn’t at all what she thought it would be. Isobel hoped to remain in Flood the town where she grew up, but the Devil has other ideas naming her his Left Hand and sending her out into the vast Territories to keep the peace. She is helped on this venture by what I would call the secondary main character, Gabriel. He is a young man who comes into the Devil’s bar in Flood and leaves after making a bargain to protect Isobel. It was interesting to see their friendship develop over the course of the book. He is primarily a teacher and then later a friend. His job is to teach Isobel how to survive on The Road and to help her navigate her new job/abilities. He is a very dry character for me which made it a bit difficult to get into his narration sections in the book, but I ended up liking him quite a bit.
The plot of the book comes into better focus when we start to learn of ominous and terrifying things happening to settlers and towns around the territory. It was a pretty intriguing little mystery with some pretty fantastic set pieces. It really helps that the story is written very lyrically or poetically. Things happen that take on a very appropriately dream-like quality and I was a big fan of the writing in this book.
If I had to point to anything that annoyed me in the book it was the amount of whining Isobel does throughout the story. I get it, she’s 16 years old, but it can get pretty tiresome during some sections of this story. Also, this negativity means that she remains pretty passive throughout the whole story until the end when she finally steps up and fights back.
Overall, I really liked this book and I definitely recommend it! I’m certainly going to look for the second book soon.
nuevecuervos's review against another edition
3.0
Augh, so several things:
1) I enjoyed this book as well as its characterizations of pretty much everyone, including the West itself
2) This is only the most recent book that has caused me to say, "oh! this is YA. I had no idea." It's apparently not? It's not a problem for me, since the genre wouldn't have dissuaded me from reading it anyway, but FYI.
3) The worldbuilding is magnificent, and one of my favorites in the current Paranormal Old West
rage.
4) DEAR SWEET BABY JESUS DOESN'T ANYONE JUST WRITE A DAMN BOOK ANYMORE. I know I sound like a grumpy old man waving a rusty shotgun at a bunch of teenagers slinking off the lawn, but help me. The end of this book is a damn setup for ten thousand more. It's like, the pilot of Supernatural, or say, Friday the 13th (the series). We do get some closure, but it's not satisfying; it feels like a setup, and I'm annoyed. bah. anyway. Wake me when the series ends and I may return.
1) I enjoyed this book as well as its characterizations of pretty much everyone, including the West itself
2) This is only the most recent book that has caused me to say, "oh! this is YA. I had no idea." It's apparently not? It's not a problem for me, since the genre wouldn't have dissuaded me from reading it anyway, but FYI.
3) The worldbuilding is magnificent, and one of my favorites in the current Paranormal Old West
rage.
4) DEAR SWEET BABY JESUS DOESN'T ANYONE JUST WRITE A DAMN BOOK ANYMORE. I know I sound like a grumpy old man waving a rusty shotgun at a bunch of teenagers slinking off the lawn, but help me. The end of this book is a damn setup for ten thousand more. It's like, the pilot of Supernatural, or say, Friday the 13th (the series). We do get some closure, but it's not satisfying; it feels like a setup, and I'm annoyed. bah. anyway. Wake me when the series ends and I may return.
Spoiler
Also, I now need a giant otter in my life. The end.buuboobaby's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Interesting world building, but the ending was a letdown.
Interesting world building, but the ending was a letdown.
becasaur27's review against another edition
2.0
This book was just not for me. I didn't much care what happened to the main character nor to her mentor. I was not all that satisfied by the ending, mostly b/c I think I had presumed they would wrap back around to Flood and they never did, so we didn't get to hear any additional info from the devil. Overall just a little too slow and rambly and long for my taste.
lynneelue's review against another edition
2.0
This book felt like a fable--written with secrets, riddled with mythic symbolism, and pockmarked with realism. I was interested in how this book melded various genres to create a unique product. It had the travel details of a Western, the magic and magical creatures of Fantasy, and the historical, imaginative setting of Science Fiction and Historical Fiction. I liked that the devil was such a big part of this book, and I was intrigued that he maintains justice and keeps order; and he is dangerous not because he is seductive and deceptive but because he gives people their temptations given a price. The author described the characters' adventures in a way that made me feel like I was right in the dust and heat with them. I was fascinated by the quiet dignity of the Native Americans, the pure devotion of the Spaniards, and the sly ambition of the magicians and other dangerous magical creatures of the Territory. The world building of the partitions in North America, set within the era of Jefferson's presidency, was well-done, and though this book felt complete, I expect the next books will explore other parts of the North American colonies. I liked the friendship and acceptance between the mentor Gabriel and the Left Hand Isobel. The writing style, however, made the story boring to me, and the author felt like she was trying too hard, using stylized descriptions of the earth like "cracking bones and stones," and formal words like "coin," "flesh," and "bowels" too often.
jessbedwards99's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hazeldrgn's review against another edition
1.0
Nothing happens. Good characters and beautiful scenery... but nothing in the plot. Bleh. 1.5
lberestecki's review against another edition
2.0
A lot of people really love this book, but I just didn't enjoy it. It wasn't terribly written, so it gets 2 stars instead of 1, but it was a drag for me to get through. The story is really slow and not much happens. Even when things do happen, they aren't very well explained and I felt like I had very few answers at the end of the book. The world the story is set in seemed interesting, but there was almost no world building which made it confusing. I also found the "natives" to be written in a very othering way, which was troubling. If you really like westerns and road trip stories you might like this, but it wasn't for me.
micaelamariem's review against another edition
3.0
Every month, I try out a different book subscription box and review them on my TikTok (@livingforliterature). Last month, I tried out My Sci-Fi Club, and picked the fantasy category. I recieved two hardcover fantasies, one of them being Silver On The Road by Laura Anne Gilman, published by Sage Press. I decided to start the month with this read.
This is a Western Fantasy, and as someone who has never read a Western before, I was intrigued. Izzy grew up in the Devil’s West, in a small town called Flood, where a man known as the devil (unclear on what he actually is). When Izzy turns sixteen, she makes a Bargain with the devil to become his left hand, and thus embarks on a journey with a rider called Gabriel, off to find what she’s meant to do around the whole of the Territory.
I loved the worldbuilding. It gave me real Red Dead Redemption vibes with saloons, and cowboys, and all the Western classics–but with a tinge of fantasy elements like demons, magicians, powerful crossroads, chimeras, and more. Plus, there was an element of rules in the Territory that basically came to this: if you don’t cause offense, you’re free to roam the land, but if you cause offense, justice must be served.
I also liked the characters. My favorite character was the mad magician Farron, who reminded me of the Mad Hatter. Gabriel was definitley the Arthur Morgan of this nove; I wish we learned more about his bargain. Izzy, my least favorite character, was kind of just a clueless girl coming to her own powers.
I think the plot had a lot of potential, but it was too slow getting to the point. I understand they are on the road, camping in spots, but we don’t need to know every detail they take to cook their beans and get dressed. It did make the pages go by slower, which made it all the more frusturating when the resolution wasn’t clear and Izzy was still mostly clueless at the end, leaving us, the readers, clueless. It is a series, though, so perhaps more is revealed in later books.
One thing I was slightly uncomfortable with was the portrayal of “Natives” as they are called in the book. It may have been historically accurate–I honestly am not sure and would love to hear other perspectives on it.
Overall, I’d give this book three stars. I probably will finish the series when giving the oppurtunity, but won’t actively seek out the books. I am, however, interested in reading more Westerns.
This is a Western Fantasy, and as someone who has never read a Western before, I was intrigued. Izzy grew up in the Devil’s West, in a small town called Flood, where a man known as the devil (unclear on what he actually is). When Izzy turns sixteen, she makes a Bargain with the devil to become his left hand, and thus embarks on a journey with a rider called Gabriel, off to find what she’s meant to do around the whole of the Territory.
I loved the worldbuilding. It gave me real Red Dead Redemption vibes with saloons, and cowboys, and all the Western classics–but with a tinge of fantasy elements like demons, magicians, powerful crossroads, chimeras, and more. Plus, there was an element of rules in the Territory that basically came to this: if you don’t cause offense, you’re free to roam the land, but if you cause offense, justice must be served.
I also liked the characters. My favorite character was the mad magician Farron, who reminded me of the Mad Hatter. Gabriel was definitley the Arthur Morgan of this nove; I wish we learned more about his bargain. Izzy, my least favorite character, was kind of just a clueless girl coming to her own powers.
I think the plot had a lot of potential, but it was too slow getting to the point. I understand they are on the road, camping in spots, but we don’t need to know every detail they take to cook their beans and get dressed. It did make the pages go by slower, which made it all the more frusturating when the resolution wasn’t clear and Izzy was still mostly clueless at the end, leaving us, the readers, clueless. It is a series, though, so perhaps more is revealed in later books.
One thing I was slightly uncomfortable with was the portrayal of “Natives” as they are called in the book. It may have been historically accurate–I honestly am not sure and would love to hear other perspectives on it.
Overall, I’d give this book three stars. I probably will finish the series when giving the oppurtunity, but won’t actively seek out the books. I am, however, interested in reading more Westerns.