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hawaiianbrian's review against another edition
2.0
As a fan of both weird fantasy and reggae, I wanted to like this book more than I did. In fact, the premise was solid, and I think there's a world here that could bear future exploration. But the pacing seemed off in some places, and it needed another round of editing for mechanical issues -- I spotted many sentences missing verbs and typos that couldn't be caught with spell-check, and the author's writerly tic phrase "...a series of..." became very distracting by the time I was halfway through this short work. Without spoiling any plot elements, I felt the ending flinched away from a very central conflict between the main character and a certain member of the opposition. Several important plot elements were introduced and then not developed. Same is true with the characters, which never rise above more than a character concept. In all, it felt like this could have used a couple more pointed revisions with an aggressive editor that could get Broaddus to tease out the story gem resting inside the current draft. At the moment, the best part is the cover art.
icarussfalls's review against another edition
4.0
A good book but I feel there was so much background of the America in this book that could have been told. I loved the fight sequences and the detail on the mechanics. Lij is such a sweet boy and Desmond is a true warrior ‘father’ in a sense to say. I wonder what happened to Cayt (loved the spelling) and what shall happen to the two boys now post the story.
mauricekofi's review
While the story seemed interesting, it just wasn't fun to read, at least in ebook format. The writing seemed a bit elementary, not that the author is incapable of creating a world or story. At the same time, I was expecting a quick and easy read to supplement the other books I'm currently reading, upon realizing that while this story is short, it likely deserves more of my attention. I may pick it up again sometime in the future, but not right now.
hexgnome13's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Frankly, this felt like the sketch of a larger peoject that was published as a sort of resigned shrug when the author realized he'd never get around to writing it. Broaddus tried to cram epic level world building into a novella and failed to make any of the ideas engaging. There's very little plot or character development, and what is included feels like a string of tropes. All of the major plot points are told, rather than shown. The dialogue is uneven and packed with cliches.
As a final insult 15+ pages of the meager 140 available are verbal stories told by the characters, often with no reason. None of them serve to advance the plot or teach us about the characters. They merely eat up 10% of the book. I'm profoundly disappointed by this book, to the point that I'm hesitant to read anything else by this author
As a final insult 15+ pages of the meager 140 available are verbal stories told by the characters, often with no reason. None of them serve to advance the plot or teach us about the characters. They merely eat up 10% of the book. I'm profoundly disappointed by this book, to the point that I'm hesitant to read anything else by this author
njkluge's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
violinknitter's review
4.0
I have no idea what to think of this novella, except that I enjoyed it very much. It seemed quite fragmented, but I liked the characters and the glimpses into the alternate North America.
I think it was also touted to me as young adult or middle grade? Which feels very off to me. But again, I very much enjoyed the read.
I think it was also touted to me as young adult or middle grade? Which feels very off to me. But again, I very much enjoyed the read.
branch_c's review against another edition
3.0
The writing is a wonderful mixture of alternate historical steampunk Western storytelling, and the cover art is fantastic too. The brilliantly creative world and fascinating characters are top notch constructions.
Sadly, the book is so short that it reads as if a 500 page book was outlined, but then only two of the five sections were further developed into actual content. Would have liked to see a full length novel to take advantage of the rich background laid out here and experience more of the the many interesting directions this story might go.
Sadly, the book is so short that it reads as if a 500 page book was outlined, but then only two of the five sections were further developed into actual content. Would have liked to see a full length novel to take advantage of the rich background laid out here and experience more of the the many interesting directions this story might go.
violinknitter's review against another edition
4.0
I have no idea what to think of this novella, except that I enjoyed it very much. It seemed quite fragmented, but I liked the characters and the glimpses into the alternate North America.
I think it was also touted to me as young adult or middle grade? Which feels very off to me. But again, I very much enjoyed the read.
I think it was also touted to me as young adult or middle grade? Which feels very off to me. But again, I very much enjoyed the read.
eliendriel's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0