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kevinmccarrick's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.25
lolajoan's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A well-written exciting story with good characters and an interesting magical world.
lattes_lipstick_literature's review against another edition
4.0
Real rating 4.5
*A thank you to Edelweiss, The Author and Publisher for giving me a copy of this book for a fair and unbiased review*
Hello Fellow Readers,
So Westerns have really been my thing lately, move over Non-Fiction science books I think I may be finding my new favorite genre. So what do I say about this book. Well, let's start with the cover that I absolutely love, I think it's visually stunning. Secondly Hettie was a great female character, flaws and all. While yes she was brash and hotheaded, not to mention more stubborn in than a mule, she was also compassionate and thoughtful.
Over the course of the book we see a lot of changes in Hettie, but I guess that's what happens when you escape death and start on a path of vengeance. Plus, she is the owner of one demonic gun named Diablo, so changes do happen. There is a lot of murder and the fact that Hettie killed so easily makes me a bit wary, but you can tell that it is a side effect of her bond with this Devil's Revolver. I like that McGrath didn't come right out and say it but it's hinted at in her writing and Hettie's actions.
I loved the side characters, including that old geezer Uncle, and while I was a bit disappointed in a revelation about one of them, it didn't diminish the fact that McGrath really thought them through. There was a bit of a romance, and what I thought was the start of a Love-Triangle, but it seemed almost as a after thought and the story was not focused around it. I honestly don't know how I would feel if a romance developed between the two characters that I think will be romantically linked, I would have to see how McGrath handles it.
The inclusion of Native American and Chinese traditions, magic and the historical brutality was amazing and I wish more books would explore more cultures like McGrath did. Lastly, I love the fact that there are consequence. The actions that Hettie and crew did throughout the course of the book was not just immediately forgiven and forgotten. No, people died and I think that is where we are headed for the second book, Which I honestly cannot wait for.
*A thank you to Edelweiss, The Author and Publisher for giving me a copy of this book for a fair and unbiased review*
Hello Fellow Readers,
So Westerns have really been my thing lately, move over Non-Fiction science books I think I may be finding my new favorite genre. So what do I say about this book. Well, let's start with the cover that I absolutely love, I think it's visually stunning. Secondly Hettie was a great female character, flaws and all. While yes she was brash and hotheaded, not to mention more stubborn in than a mule, she was also compassionate and thoughtful.
Over the course of the book we see a lot of changes in Hettie, but I guess that's what happens when you escape death and start on a path of vengeance. Plus, she is the owner of one demonic gun named Diablo, so changes do happen. There is a lot of murder and the fact that Hettie killed so easily makes me a bit wary, but you can tell that it is a side effect of her bond with this Devil's Revolver. I like that McGrath didn't come right out and say it but it's hinted at in her writing and Hettie's actions.
I loved the side characters, including that old geezer Uncle, and while I was a bit disappointed in a revelation about one of them, it didn't diminish the fact that McGrath really thought them through. There was a bit of a romance, and what I thought was the start of a Love-Triangle, but it seemed almost as a after thought and the story was not focused around it. I honestly don't know how I would feel if a romance developed between the two characters that I think will be romantically linked, I would have to see how McGrath handles it.
The inclusion of Native American and Chinese traditions, magic and the historical brutality was amazing and I wish more books would explore more cultures like McGrath did. Lastly, I love the fact that there are consequence. The actions that Hettie and crew did throughout the course of the book was not just immediately forgiven and forgotten. No, people died and I think that is where we are headed for the second book, Which I honestly cannot wait for.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
Hettie Alabama is a girl on a mission. Her father had a secret past life she knew nothing about as the leader of a band of outlaws and wielder of a cursed weapon called the Devil’s Revolver. Now Hettie’s parents are dead, her sister has been kidnapped, and it seems every bad guy in the West is after the gun which is now in her possession. Hettie can’t tell who is good and who is bad, who’s on her side and who’s against her, which makes for a decidedly uneasy read. I love the worldbuilding in this one, the way magic is everywhere but different people can use it in different ways and it’s not all created equal. A dark, violent, messy ride.
vae's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this. Rich, wild west set fantasy, women being awesome in many different ways, and a demon-bound gun. Can't wait to read more.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
4.0
A YA novel that avoids a lot of the common YA traps. I'm not entirely sure I even realized this was going to be YA, that the protagonist is 17ish, when I started it. (Yes, it's in the blurb, but I didn't reread it between buying the book and actually reading it.) Even once I did realize, I never felt Hettie fell into the simpering, angst-filled role that annoys me so much in so many YA stories. What's more, while there is a male character that MIGHT later fulfill a romantic pairing, this story wasn't cluttered up with ill-timed youthful luuurve.
I did feel Hettie's obsessive determination wasn't wholly explained. I mean, yes, she wanted her last family member saved, but she seemed a little too driven and compulsive. This may have been because the reader is never really given the opportunity to see Hettie interact with Abby, so Abby is forever a theoretical motivation. Also, I felt some of the magic system was a bit hand-wavy.
I enjoyed the writing, which I found clean and easy to read. It have enough Western slang to give it character, but not enough to clutter the narrative. All in all, I enjoyed it and would happily read another McGrath book.
I did feel Hettie's obsessive determination wasn't wholly explained. I mean, yes, she wanted her last family member saved, but she seemed a little too driven and compulsive. This may have been because the reader is never really given the opportunity to see Hettie interact with Abby, so Abby is forever a theoretical motivation. Also, I felt some of the magic system was a bit hand-wavy.
I enjoyed the writing, which I found clean and easy to read. It have enough Western slang to give it character, but not enough to clutter the narrative. All in all, I enjoyed it and would happily read another McGrath book.
kentcryptid's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this fantasy Western. It's a revenge / quest drama featuring a bunch of disparate people led by a young woman bonded to Diablo, a sinister magical gun. It moves at a nice pace and is full of action. Unfortunately, in this kind of story about a team coming together to achieve a common goal, you really need to like the characters, and in The Devil's Revolver they spend their whole time fratching, bickering and mistrusting each other to a frustrating degree.
The three main male characters - a mysterious magical outlaw type, a friendly ranch hand, and Hettie's bluff and secretive uncle - manipulate and lie to Hettie throughout the book, often influencing her with magic in a way that's pretty distasteful. Hettie is young, sure, but she comes off as wildly naive but also willing to murder anyone who gets in her way, without much thought.
The world building is also pretty shallow, particularly when it comes this world's magical system. An example is the zoom tunnels - magical teleportation devices - which seem to have been introduced just so the author didn't have to write about characters spending weeks and weeks crossing the US on horseback. People's magical abilities often just let them do anything they want in any given moment and there's little sense of the rules or costs of magic, which also takes a lot of tension out of the story.
The three main male characters - a mysterious magical outlaw type, a friendly ranch hand, and Hettie's bluff and secretive uncle - manipulate and lie to Hettie throughout the book, often influencing her with magic in a way that's pretty distasteful. Hettie is young, sure, but she comes off as wildly naive but also willing to murder anyone who gets in her way, without much thought.
The world building is also pretty shallow, particularly when it comes this world's magical system. An example is the zoom tunnels - magical teleportation devices - which seem to have been introduced just so the author didn't have to write about characters spending weeks and weeks crossing the US on horseback. People's magical abilities often just let them do anything they want in any given moment and there's little sense of the rules or costs of magic, which also takes a lot of tension out of the story.
deadeye's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
paladinboy's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting plot and world building, but not as good in the character development area. It is only book 1 so maybe the next one will be better?