You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Unapologetically pulpy and violent, this western story about hard bitten assassin Min Tsu, with an already high body count behind him, is on the trail of all the men responsible for ripping him away from his wife Ada (they eloped against her father’s wishes), and sending him off to work laying rails for the Union Pacific Company, in the hopes that that hard life would kill him.
They didn’t count on the sheer (literal) bloody mindedness of Ming, who escapes and travels through hundreds of kilometres of hard terrain in search of his targets.
Along the way, he falls in with a blind old man who can predict a little of the future, and travelling magic show people (who are mostly BIPoC), each endowed with unusual powers, which they use in their performances, and to keep alive on the road.
The story is full of violence, with Ming no stranger to murder, and the various lawmen he encounters being quick to pull out their guns, too.
I loved the more realistic view of the West, with its rampant racism, which Ming occasionally uses to his advantage; for example, his wanted poster is so badly drawn, it could be of any East Asian there to work the railroad, allowing him to frequently evade capture. Though of Chinese descent, Ming identifies as American, having been raised from a very young age by a white man, and speaking no Mandarin or Cantonese.
I liked the supporting characters of the old, blind man and magic show performers. I can see why other GR reviewers drew comparisons to the X-Men. I hadn't expected this paranormal aspect to the story, but liked it and how matter-of-factly the author included this into the story.
I figured out the small twist in the story well before Ming did, but I still liked this fairly quick, bullet-ridden read.
They didn’t count on the sheer (literal) bloody mindedness of Ming, who escapes and travels through hundreds of kilometres of hard terrain in search of his targets.
Along the way, he falls in with a blind old man who can predict a little of the future, and travelling magic show people (who are mostly BIPoC), each endowed with unusual powers, which they use in their performances, and to keep alive on the road.
The story is full of violence, with Ming no stranger to murder, and the various lawmen he encounters being quick to pull out their guns, too.
I loved the more realistic view of the West, with its rampant racism, which Ming occasionally uses to his advantage; for example, his wanted poster is so badly drawn, it could be of any East Asian there to work the railroad, allowing him to frequently evade capture. Though of Chinese descent, Ming identifies as American, having been raised from a very young age by a white man, and speaking no Mandarin or Cantonese.
I liked the supporting characters of the old, blind man and magic show performers. I can see why other GR reviewers drew comparisons to the X-Men. I hadn't expected this paranormal aspect to the story, but liked it and how matter-of-factly the author included this into the story.
I figured out the small twist in the story well before Ming did, but I still liked this fairly quick, bullet-ridden read.
Best book I've read in a minute. It was like a breath of fresh air, honestly. Albeit laced with a lot of dust and bloodshed. Can't wait to see what else this guy does.
I don’t think the ending was very satisfactory but I accept it. I had a few guesses as to where the story was heading but Ming killing Ada and leaving the baby an orphan wasn’t one of them. I guess he really was a villain and not some honorable gunslinger in the end but to walk out of there alive after everything he did was a nice bit of subversion.
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book definitely kept me reading to find out how it was gonna end. A little bloody for my taste, but not horribly so. Definitely a western. The ending bummed me out.
Western! Magical Realism! Bloody but somehow marvelous
one of the best books of the year for me.
Everything I like.
A bit of magic, a lot of darkness and inside a lot of light.
Luved the descriptions of the land we passed thru.
Just luved it.
Everything I like.
A bit of magic, a lot of darkness and inside a lot of light.
Luved the descriptions of the land we passed thru.
Just luved it.
A violent, unusual story. Beautifully written depiction of the American West.
I do not read westerns, but this was a refreshing take on the traditional western. It was a good read outside of my comfort zone.
A forgotten assassin on a quest for revenge, a classic set up for a story, but Thousand Crimes puts a unique spin on it with its well-researched historical setting and mystical elements. Unfortunately, the mysticism on display does not amount to much, affecting the story more as aimless anecdotes than anything meaningful. The prose as excellent as it may be, only masks what is ultimately a rote story.