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3.06 AVERAGE
3.06 AVERAGE
Did not finish it. Poorly written and rambling, which is too bad because it sounded much more interesting from the description on the fly leaf.
After watching all the Indiana Jones movies recently I was on the lookout for some in the vein of those adventures. After copious research on Amazon, Goodreads, and Reddit, I finally came across The Explorer’s Guild: Volume One: A Passage to Shambhala. The description of this novel had everything I was looking for. An epic adventure through exotic locals, a mythical destination, and set in that adventuring sweet spot between 1910 and 1930. That 20-year period is so compelling to me because the technology was making the world accessible, but there were still dark, unknown places on the map. Something I was not looking for, but really caught my interest, was the backdrop of WWI, which is my favorite period in history to learn about. To add to the overall nature of the book, it is written in a style that calls back to some of the, one could argue, overwriting of the period, and we have a book that I am sorry I did not know existed sooner.
Of special comment is the format of the book, which is richly illustrated, printed on paper that is supposed to look aged, and (almost) seamlessly melds narrative writing and comic book panels to tell the story. The narrative writing handles the description of past events, and current locations, while the panels focus on the colorful cast of characters. This is a case where judging the book by its ornate cover doesn’t do it justice. This is a lovingly created package that is unique in scope and style.,
The book is a celebration of literature in general, and the adventure serial in particular. Upon reading, I noticed a strong similarity between John Ogden and his 5th Dragoons and Judge Holden and the Glanton Gang from Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. Both individuals, Ogden and Judge Holden are almost supernatural in their abilities (though Ogden is nowhere as sinister as the Judge). The abilities of Glanton’s Gang and the 5th Dragoons are similarly skilled at mayhem when necessary. I also see shades of Moby-Dick during the amateur anthropological musings of Natives in the Arctic Circle (though it must be noted that the narrative is being delivered in the past tense from some time in the 1900s, definitely after the conclusion of WWI, so some of the observations are steeped in the fading imperialist/colonial mindset of the time).
Looking past the themes, and the construction and formatting of the book, how is the content? Slow. The story moves along in fits and starts and then meanders a bit in between. In the first book (of five books) I excused some of the meandering as a general setup for the forthcoming story. I was enjoying the slow build-up to the 5th Dragoons and John Ogden, and the great detail paid to the environment. The second book, however, took a turn. A fun seagoing voyage that peeled back layers regarding some of the Dragoons was juxtaposed against an entire prose journal of another exotic trip to the arctic, which I disliked incredibly. The hook of the Explorer’s Guild was immediately deconstructed. Instead of a Guild of world-traveled adventurers discussing their exploits, they are just a club of old men who lie about what they’ve explored, and that was deflating as a reader. The third book had a confusing and, I would argue, utterly unnecessary side plot about a character getting lost in New York and then winding up haplessly back in the clutches of the person he ran from. The second half of the third book was a lot of exposition to propel the last two books of the narrative, which I enjoyed.
Structurally, the first 3/5th of the Explorer’s Guild is far too long and meandering. Some would argue that they add texture and make the narrative richer for it, but for me, the texture was all but ruined upon the revelation that the in-universe Explorer’s Guild was essentially a bunch of phonies. While time-period appropriate, the journey through the arctic was tough to read with the constant disparaging of Native individuals in the area. I do not mind this kind of talk used sparingly when the setting calls for it (especially for a book written in 2015), but it was a constant theme in the Arctic adventure with diary page after diary page hammering the supposed lower culture of the Natives. Yes, since it is featured as a diary entry it paints the character in a certain way, but the message would have been clear with two or three references, not the constant disparaging remarks.
How about parts 4 and 5? Not much better than the beginning. The locales are more exotic, the modes of transportation are more fun, but the story doesn’t exactly materialize. Book 5 is the best of the bunch, as it finally has some sort of climax, though there is little in terms of falling action or resolution. It is a frustrating ending.
I am so severely disappointed in this novel. I admit I came into it with extraordinarily high expectations and was let down by every measure. An adventure novel set amidst WWI? WWI is mentioned in passing and is tenuously tied to the plot in a supernatural manner. A band of intrepid adventurers attempting to find a lost city? A bunch of deserters follow their commander everywhere and in everything he does due to a loyalty we never see established. Perilous traps and devious villains? Only one major character dies, and at no other time does it feel as if anyone following Ogden may be seriously harmed. Adventures on the high seas, in airships, in lost mountains, and underground? All of this occurs, and yet it happens so quickly compared to the ridiculous amounts of exposition.
There is good in this book. The style of text and comic panel is great, and when it works it really works. But this is too long and indulgent to the extreme. Easily 300 pages could have been shaved off and this would have been a rollicking adventure story. The greatest crime that this book commits is in its 3rd Book. After a slow start, and a flawed second book (again the obscene arctic adventure juxtaposed against the fun ship adventure), the 3rd book grinds to a halt. Some of the exposition was needed to help direct the reader as to the next destinations, but the only action piece being a crazed man looking for a lost child in a city is such a bad decision. That incredibly boring “action” sequence with an entire fifth of the novel being just endless and mostly uninteresting talking killed all momentum. By the time the Dragoons encountered a fat man who had grown so large as to take up the majority of a castle (not joking on that point) for me, the plot could not be saved.
As my expectations lowered, I still clung to the hope that the resolution would be rewarding. I was hoping that this first novel would be the worst in a series of novels that only got better. But I doubt it. Others may find more to like in this. For me the promises it presented were unfulfilled, and by the end, I was just reading to finish the book because I had invested 500+ pages into the narrative instead of actively enjoying it. Unfortunately, this is a 2/5.
Of special comment is the format of the book, which is richly illustrated, printed on paper that is supposed to look aged, and (almost) seamlessly melds narrative writing and comic book panels to tell the story. The narrative writing handles the description of past events, and current locations, while the panels focus on the colorful cast of characters. This is a case where judging the book by its ornate cover doesn’t do it justice. This is a lovingly created package that is unique in scope and style.,
The book is a celebration of literature in general, and the adventure serial in particular. Upon reading, I noticed a strong similarity between John Ogden and his 5th Dragoons and Judge Holden and the Glanton Gang from Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. Both individuals, Ogden and Judge Holden are almost supernatural in their abilities (though Ogden is nowhere as sinister as the Judge). The abilities of Glanton’s Gang and the 5th Dragoons are similarly skilled at mayhem when necessary. I also see shades of Moby-Dick during the amateur anthropological musings of Natives in the Arctic Circle (though it must be noted that the narrative is being delivered in the past tense from some time in the 1900s, definitely after the conclusion of WWI, so some of the observations are steeped in the fading imperialist/colonial mindset of the time).
Looking past the themes, and the construction and formatting of the book, how is the content? Slow. The story moves along in fits and starts and then meanders a bit in between. In the first book (of five books) I excused some of the meandering as a general setup for the forthcoming story. I was enjoying the slow build-up to the 5th Dragoons and John Ogden, and the great detail paid to the environment. The second book, however, took a turn. A fun seagoing voyage that peeled back layers regarding some of the Dragoons was juxtaposed against an entire prose journal of another exotic trip to the arctic, which I disliked incredibly. The hook of the Explorer’s Guild was immediately deconstructed. Instead of a Guild of world-traveled adventurers discussing their exploits, they are just a club of old men who lie about what they’ve explored, and that was deflating as a reader. The third book had a confusing and, I would argue, utterly unnecessary side plot about a character getting lost in New York and then winding up haplessly back in the clutches of the person he ran from. The second half of the third book was a lot of exposition to propel the last two books of the narrative, which I enjoyed.
Structurally, the first 3/5th of the Explorer’s Guild is far too long and meandering. Some would argue that they add texture and make the narrative richer for it, but for me, the texture was all but ruined upon the revelation that the in-universe Explorer’s Guild was essentially a bunch of phonies. While time-period appropriate, the journey through the arctic was tough to read with the constant disparaging of Native individuals in the area. I do not mind this kind of talk used sparingly when the setting calls for it (especially for a book written in 2015), but it was a constant theme in the Arctic adventure with diary page after diary page hammering the supposed lower culture of the Natives. Yes, since it is featured as a diary entry it paints the character in a certain way, but the message would have been clear with two or three references, not the constant disparaging remarks.
How about parts 4 and 5? Not much better than the beginning. The locales are more exotic, the modes of transportation are more fun, but the story doesn’t exactly materialize. Book 5 is the best of the bunch, as it finally has some sort of climax, though there is little in terms of falling action or resolution. It is a frustrating ending.
I am so severely disappointed in this novel. I admit I came into it with extraordinarily high expectations and was let down by every measure. An adventure novel set amidst WWI? WWI is mentioned in passing and is tenuously tied to the plot in a supernatural manner. A band of intrepid adventurers attempting to find a lost city? A bunch of deserters follow their commander everywhere and in everything he does due to a loyalty we never see established. Perilous traps and devious villains? Only one major character dies, and at no other time does it feel as if anyone following Ogden may be seriously harmed. Adventures on the high seas, in airships, in lost mountains, and underground? All of this occurs, and yet it happens so quickly compared to the ridiculous amounts of exposition.
There is good in this book. The style of text and comic panel is great, and when it works it really works. But this is too long and indulgent to the extreme. Easily 300 pages could have been shaved off and this would have been a rollicking adventure story. The greatest crime that this book commits is in its 3rd Book. After a slow start, and a flawed second book (again the obscene arctic adventure juxtaposed against the fun ship adventure), the 3rd book grinds to a halt. Some of the exposition was needed to help direct the reader as to the next destinations, but the only action piece being a crazed man looking for a lost child in a city is such a bad decision. That incredibly boring “action” sequence with an entire fifth of the novel being just endless and mostly uninteresting talking killed all momentum. By the time the Dragoons encountered a fat man who had grown so large as to take up the majority of a castle (not joking on that point) for me, the plot could not be saved.
As my expectations lowered, I still clung to the hope that the resolution would be rewarding. I was hoping that this first novel would be the worst in a series of novels that only got better. But I doubt it. Others may find more to like in this. For me the promises it presented were unfulfilled, and by the end, I was just reading to finish the book because I had invested 500+ pages into the narrative instead of actively enjoying it. Unfortunately, this is a 2/5.
This is a real adventure story in the classic sense; the plot is full of mysterious people, hidden agendas, exotic locales, fanciful events, interesting characters, and a whole lot of twists and turns.
My only complaint is that the story starts to drag a bit about ¾ in but really takes off once we near the climax. I think the problem was (at least for me) that the authors seem to love words and tend to use too many to describe even the simplest of things. It’s fine at the beginning but it tired me out in the sections where there wasn’t much action taking place.
The transitions between long form text and graphic novel are pretty seamless and add a level of levity that keeps the story from being too serious to really be considered an adventure. Art wise, it’s a perfect match for the setting of the story and really helps create tone.
It’s also a gorgeously designed book. A lot of thought went into creating the look of it, and it really feels like you’re reading an old tome. I loved all the little details that went into it.
A book too wedded to its genre (late-nineteenth century adventure fiction) to ever truly be great. The mixture of graphic novel and prose is not always successful, but consistently intriguing and quite beautiful at times.
I liked the comic book style but had a really hard time getting into to story line of this book.
Imagine an epic tale that takes place mostly in 1917-18 amid the backdrop of World War I, about an imaginary group of clandestine adventurers from all walks of life but with the common goal of finding the legendary mystical Buddhist city of Shambhala. Imagine further that their various journeys, often undertaken separately from one another, take them from the arctic regions of the North Pole to the desert expanse of Mongolia and just about every shadowy place in between. And finally, imagine the writing style to be reminiscent of [a:Rudyard Kipling|6989|Rudyard Kipling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1183237590p2/6989.jpg], [a:Joseph Conrad|3345|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1403814208p2/3345.jpg], and [a:Jules Verne|696805|Jules Verne|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1322911579p2/696805.jpg].
I first saw this book on the shelves of an old fashioned brick & mortar bookstore and simply had to buy it. It’s a marvelously produced product with gorgeous old-world illustrations and pages that are slightly browned at the edges to provide that old-timey feeling. But even more interesting was that throughout the book, we are treated to high quality graphic novel content and artwork mixed in along with the prose. So in essence it’s an illustrated adventure novel. This really speaks to what can be done with real paper books vs. eBooks and I’m so happy to have this in my home library.
As for the story itself, the novel is a real throwback to the style of those authors I mentioned previously. It’s told in five parts (or “books”). We're treated to hidden cities, underground rivers, a mysterious order of monks, zeppelins, séances, Theosophists, intrepid lady explorers, battles at sea and in the air, etc. etc. We visit places that are, as Conrad would put it in [b:Heart of Darkness|4900|Heart of Darkness|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392799983s/4900.jpg|2877220], "the blank spaces of the earth" such as found in Africa, India, South America and Manhattan. I found it best to not rush through this epic story, preferring to read on it a bit and then set it aside in favor of other, more traditional novels. But each time I left it I felt drawn back to it in short order, I was that compelled. The characters are vibrant and interesting and the settings are just plain cool. The reader must certainly keep up their level of concentration for fear of losing the threads on the many story arcs that are happening. This is certainly not a book to read in a busy airport amidst multiple distractions.
You will notice Kevin Costner’s name on the cover and my research indicates he was a large part of the heart and soul of this book and was planning on developing it as a multi-platform vehicle as well (meaning movies, TV, etc.) All of the amazing artwork was done by Rick Ross and it is truly inspirational and provides a huge impact. It is evident that all of those behind the development of this book have a considerable passion for what they were doing, harking back to a very specific tradition of adventure stories, one that belonged to the nineteenth century.
Wonderful stuff indeed!
I first saw this book on the shelves of an old fashioned brick & mortar bookstore and simply had to buy it. It’s a marvelously produced product with gorgeous old-world illustrations and pages that are slightly browned at the edges to provide that old-timey feeling. But even more interesting was that throughout the book, we are treated to high quality graphic novel content and artwork mixed in along with the prose. So in essence it’s an illustrated adventure novel. This really speaks to what can be done with real paper books vs. eBooks and I’m so happy to have this in my home library.
As for the story itself, the novel is a real throwback to the style of those authors I mentioned previously. It’s told in five parts (or “books”). We're treated to hidden cities, underground rivers, a mysterious order of monks, zeppelins, séances, Theosophists, intrepid lady explorers, battles at sea and in the air, etc. etc. We visit places that are, as Conrad would put it in [b:Heart of Darkness|4900|Heart of Darkness|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392799983s/4900.jpg|2877220], "the blank spaces of the earth" such as found in Africa, India, South America and Manhattan. I found it best to not rush through this epic story, preferring to read on it a bit and then set it aside in favor of other, more traditional novels. But each time I left it I felt drawn back to it in short order, I was that compelled. The characters are vibrant and interesting and the settings are just plain cool. The reader must certainly keep up their level of concentration for fear of losing the threads on the many story arcs that are happening. This is certainly not a book to read in a busy airport amidst multiple distractions.
You will notice Kevin Costner’s name on the cover and my research indicates he was a large part of the heart and soul of this book and was planning on developing it as a multi-platform vehicle as well (meaning movies, TV, etc.) All of the amazing artwork was done by Rick Ross and it is truly inspirational and provides a huge impact. It is evident that all of those behind the development of this book have a considerable passion for what they were doing, harking back to a very specific tradition of adventure stories, one that belonged to the nineteenth century.
Wonderful stuff indeed!
Physically the book is very beautiful, the the writing and story are atrocious, you'd think a famous actor and director would be able to come up with a decent plot but no. It's also so incredibly racist
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, Fire/Fire injury, War
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated