A review by barb4ry1
A Demon in the Desert by Ashe Armstrong
2.0
Actual rating 2.5 stars but I won'r round it up.
Ashe Armstrong’s Demon in the Desert is one of books I read as part of my r/fantasy 2017 Bingo Challenge. The story follows adventures of an orc gun – slinging demon hunter who, in first chapter of the book, presents himself to some misguided bandits in following way:
Name’s Grimluk and if you’d like to continue having use of your limbs, I’d advise you to back off.
Evidently Grimluk ia a badass. But he also has good manners – he tips his hat at the ladies, always pays his bill, and has a way with little ones. When it’s needed he’s tough, but normally he’s a real gentleman. That’s pretty cool. Clint Eastwood was one of my childhood heroes and Grimluk has a lot in common with Clint as portrayed in Dollars Trilogy.
The story happens in a static desert setting – rocky dust and dead earth stretch like yawning sun-soaked abyss. Grimluk gets new job – he’s hired to kill a demon in a small mining city.
The book slows down and as Grimluk looks for answers he goes from one person to another and asks questions. The stories of the interviewed should frighten me and build atmosphere but due to unedited and rough prose they felt boring and anticlimactic. Sometimes the story felt directionless, with things happening without really advancing the plot. Most of the characters were pretty despicable, I didn't spend much of my reading time liking anyone.
The world is very simplistic and the villain (or rather one of villain avatars) is mindlessly evil without any depth or development. I need some deeper world building. The way the lore is presented, it feels like a cardboard western backdrop with many races dropped in.
The ending of the book that I won’t spoil for you was poorly executed and the prose was weak. I don’t want to sound like a hater but the last 5 % of the book were, supposedly, intended to contain some strong emotional drama but it read like some bad novella written by a fifteen year old. Of course it may be part of the popcorn read convention and if that’s the case, fine, but it changes nothing. I simply didn’t like it.
This book doesn’t aspire to be second Ulysses, it’s supposed to be nice pulp read. Still I feel rather disappointed. The main hero is really cool but the plot and execution need some serious refinement. I might reach for sequel in the future because Grimluk has lots of potential but it won’t happen any time soon.
Ashe Armstrong’s Demon in the Desert is one of books I read as part of my r/fantasy 2017 Bingo Challenge. The story follows adventures of an orc gun – slinging demon hunter who, in first chapter of the book, presents himself to some misguided bandits in following way:
Name’s Grimluk and if you’d like to continue having use of your limbs, I’d advise you to back off.
Evidently Grimluk ia a badass. But he also has good manners – he tips his hat at the ladies, always pays his bill, and has a way with little ones. When it’s needed he’s tough, but normally he’s a real gentleman. That’s pretty cool. Clint Eastwood was one of my childhood heroes and Grimluk has a lot in common with Clint as portrayed in Dollars Trilogy.
The story happens in a static desert setting – rocky dust and dead earth stretch like yawning sun-soaked abyss. Grimluk gets new job – he’s hired to kill a demon in a small mining city.
The book slows down and as Grimluk looks for answers he goes from one person to another and asks questions. The stories of the interviewed should frighten me and build atmosphere but due to unedited and rough prose they felt boring and anticlimactic. Sometimes the story felt directionless, with things happening without really advancing the plot. Most of the characters were pretty despicable, I didn't spend much of my reading time liking anyone.
The world is very simplistic and the villain (or rather one of villain avatars) is mindlessly evil without any depth or development. I need some deeper world building. The way the lore is presented, it feels like a cardboard western backdrop with many races dropped in.
The ending of the book that I won’t spoil for you was poorly executed and the prose was weak. I don’t want to sound like a hater but the last 5 % of the book were, supposedly, intended to contain some strong emotional drama but it read like some bad novella written by a fifteen year old. Of course it may be part of the popcorn read convention and if that’s the case, fine, but it changes nothing. I simply didn’t like it.
This book doesn’t aspire to be second Ulysses, it’s supposed to be nice pulp read. Still I feel rather disappointed. The main hero is really cool but the plot and execution need some serious refinement. I might reach for sequel in the future because Grimluk has lots of potential but it won’t happen any time soon.