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A review by cricklewood
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow by Rachel Aaron
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
Setting/Worldbuilding: 8/10
Main characters: 9/10
Side characters: 9/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Technique: 9/10
Prose: 9/10
Romance: N/A/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 80/90 (4.44)
I’m almost tired of saying it now but YET AGAIN we have another absolutely amazing series from Rachel Aaron, who has long solidified herself as my favourite author by this point.
She knows how to plot, she knows how to create sympathetic characters, she knows how to worldbuild, she knows how to entertain and my golly she knows how to write magic. And by that I don’t just mean her writing is magically good; I mean that she has a particular way of weaving words into her magic that her magic systems feel nothing short of wondrous.
The thing about Rachel is that she obviously writes with very well-used tropes in her head in a way that lends a certain identifiable flavour in her works that pulls her fans together no matter what genre she decides to dabble in. Here we have her writing an alternate history Western fantasy with music-based magic (what now?) but as Rachel fans we see all the elements that make her works what they are: scheming villainous power-hungry parents, found family vibes, epic (in scale and feel) worldbuilding, a distinctly lighter tone in writing, soul possession, serious creationist theories, strong, sympathetic characters and a whacky magic system.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow fits into her repertoire so seamlessly you might almost forget that it was in a whole different genre altogether. I can see a lot of people being put off by the contents of this work though. There is a lot of casual and socially accepted racism at the time that, combined with the slightly irreverent tone of her writing, may see a little disrespectful to some. And for a historical western, her prose has a distinctly modern and fresh feel that may strike history purists as anachronistic.
But if you’re a Rachel Aaron fan, I would recommend you check this out. And meanwhile, I’ll hang around with Rel, Josie and Mary Good Crow and be part of their adventure a little longer.
Main characters: 9/10
Side characters: 9/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Technique: 9/10
Prose: 9/10
Romance: N/A/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 80/90 (4.44)
I’m almost tired of saying it now but YET AGAIN we have another absolutely amazing series from Rachel Aaron, who has long solidified herself as my favourite author by this point.
She knows how to plot, she knows how to create sympathetic characters, she knows how to worldbuild, she knows how to entertain and my golly she knows how to write magic. And by that I don’t just mean her writing is magically good; I mean that she has a particular way of weaving words into her magic that her magic systems feel nothing short of wondrous.
The thing about Rachel is that she obviously writes with very well-used tropes in her head in a way that lends a certain identifiable flavour in her works that pulls her fans together no matter what genre she decides to dabble in. Here we have her writing an alternate history Western fantasy with music-based magic (what now?) but as Rachel fans we see all the elements that make her works what they are: scheming villainous power-hungry parents, found family vibes, epic (in scale and feel) worldbuilding, a distinctly lighter tone in writing, soul possession, serious creationist theories, strong, sympathetic characters and a whacky magic system.
The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow fits into her repertoire so seamlessly you might almost forget that it was in a whole different genre altogether. I can see a lot of people being put off by the contents of this work though. There is a lot of casual and socially accepted racism at the time that, combined with the slightly irreverent tone of her writing, may see a little disrespectful to some. And for a historical western, her prose has a distinctly modern and fresh feel that may strike history purists as anachronistic.
But if you’re a Rachel Aaron fan, I would recommend you check this out. And meanwhile, I’ll hang around with Rel, Josie and Mary Good Crow and be part of their adventure a little longer.