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alwroteabook's review
4.0
I kindly received a copy of the audiobook from the author with the option to leave a review. So here goes:
Alright, check this out for a hook - an ex-Confederate soldier rescues an African-American kid from a hillbilly cannibal while endeavouring to rescue his half-native American son from the gods of Utgard. Yes, that Utgard. Good start?
Call this historical fantasy. It's nicely rooted in what we generally consider the Old West, but spans most of the fledgling USA. The plot revolves around the father and son, with them alternating chapters for the most part. The father (the Old Man) is likable enough, an interesting character who could have been a dull stereotype, but you root for him throughout as he fights all manner of witches and ghouls as he searches for his son.
The son, Emmett, is the sympathetic one. Told in a time lapse, Emmett is left with his mother when his father joins the Civil War. The mother falls ill, and Emmett takes it upon himself to save her. However, at just 16 and treated with disdain almost everywhere he goes due to his heritage, Emmett is left with some bad choices, which set the whole story on it's downward spiral.
Extremely well written and narrated, the story oozes darkness from start to end, and is likely not to everyone's taste. However, if you like your fantasy dark and gritty, I would suggest you check this one out.
Alright, check this out for a hook - an ex-Confederate soldier rescues an African-American kid from a hillbilly cannibal while endeavouring to rescue his half-native American son from the gods of Utgard. Yes, that Utgard. Good start?
Call this historical fantasy. It's nicely rooted in what we generally consider the Old West, but spans most of the fledgling USA. The plot revolves around the father and son, with them alternating chapters for the most part. The father (the Old Man) is likable enough, an interesting character who could have been a dull stereotype, but you root for him throughout as he fights all manner of witches and ghouls as he searches for his son.
The son, Emmett, is the sympathetic one. Told in a time lapse, Emmett is left with his mother when his father joins the Civil War. The mother falls ill, and Emmett takes it upon himself to save her. However, at just 16 and treated with disdain almost everywhere he goes due to his heritage, Emmett is left with some bad choices, which set the whole story on it's downward spiral.
Extremely well written and narrated, the story oozes darkness from start to end, and is likely not to everyone's taste. However, if you like your fantasy dark and gritty, I would suggest you check this one out.
charshorrorcorner's review
4.0
THE DEVOURED is an insane read. Insane, I say!
A man leaves his wife and child to fight in the civil war. His wife, (and therefore his son, Emmett), are of native American heritage and while the man is gone, his wife becomes ill. Emmett, big for his age of 16, decides to seek out his mother's father, a Shaman, (from whom she's been estranged), to request a cure for her illness. Can she be cured? And if so, will she be cured? Lastly, what is the price for that cure? You'll have to read this to find out!
This book seems to have elements of everything. By that, I mean it has a western feel to it, along with some Norse mythology, (Thurs, giants, Utgard, at one point there was a large tree- Yggdrasil?), witches, cannibals, and I don't even know what else. You might think that there is just too much going on, but somehow Curtis Lawson pulls it all together within the framework of a man trying to save his family.
I especially liked the characters of the old man, (I'm not sure if he was ever named?), and his companion, a young black boy named Hank. At first, I liked Emmett, but his turn down a dark road changed that by the time it was all over.
It took a while for everything to gel for me, because there was a lot going on, but when it did, I was impressed by the skills on display. Lawson's knowledge of history and mythology is impressive. I was feeling slightly off balance due to all the different aspects of the tale, but I finally stopped worrying that I was missing something and just let the story sweep me along. And that it did, right up to the brick wall that is the denouement. It was just the type of ending that I love!
I listened to this book on audio, which was narrated by Jason Sprenger. I've never listened to his narrations before, but I thought he was excellent. His voicing of the different characters was very good, but his main voice was the BEST, reminding me of Sam Elliott at times.
Overall, this book was just plain FUN! A mixed up combination of genres, mythology, American history and more, I can't think of another book or author, (well, maybe Tim Curran?), that can blend such things successfully. Curtis Lawson did so, and did it in spades.
Highly recommended!
You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/The-Devoured/dp/B0764LXHXF/chashorcor-20
*I received a digital copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
A man leaves his wife and child to fight in the civil war. His wife, (and therefore his son, Emmett), are of native American heritage and while the man is gone, his wife becomes ill. Emmett, big for his age of 16, decides to seek out his mother's father, a Shaman, (from whom she's been estranged), to request a cure for her illness. Can she be cured? And if so, will she be cured? Lastly, what is the price for that cure? You'll have to read this to find out!
This book seems to have elements of everything. By that, I mean it has a western feel to it, along with some Norse mythology, (Thurs, giants, Utgard, at one point there was a large tree- Yggdrasil?), witches, cannibals, and I don't even know what else. You might think that there is just too much going on, but somehow Curtis Lawson pulls it all together within the framework of a man trying to save his family.
I especially liked the characters of the old man, (I'm not sure if he was ever named?), and his companion, a young black boy named Hank. At first, I liked Emmett, but his turn down a dark road changed that by the time it was all over.
It took a while for everything to gel for me, because there was a lot going on, but when it did, I was impressed by the skills on display. Lawson's knowledge of history and mythology is impressive. I was feeling slightly off balance due to all the different aspects of the tale, but I finally stopped worrying that I was missing something and just let the story sweep me along. And that it did, right up to the brick wall that is the denouement. It was just the type of ending that I love!
I listened to this book on audio, which was narrated by Jason Sprenger. I've never listened to his narrations before, but I thought he was excellent. His voicing of the different characters was very good, but his main voice was the BEST, reminding me of Sam Elliott at times.
Overall, this book was just plain FUN! A mixed up combination of genres, mythology, American history and more, I can't think of another book or author, (well, maybe Tim Curran?), that can blend such things successfully. Curtis Lawson did so, and did it in spades.
Highly recommended!
You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/The-Devoured/dp/B0764LXHXF/chashorcor-20
*I received a digital copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
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