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rhodesee's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent follow-up to Silver on the Road. Every new detail is a welcome addition to the unique tapestry that Gilman is creating with this world.
rachelini's review against another edition
3.0
I love the world - the author keeps building on it in interesting ways. But I felt like the story really didn't get going until the last third, when it got a lot of momentum.
srlemons42's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely love these books. I'll have a longer review later when I've had time to sit a think about the story a bit more, but this books is as good as the first. I'm eagerly looking forward to more books in this series...
broomgrass's review against another edition
3.0
Shoot, another much-belated review (which I thought I wrote? ah well.)
This book did not capture me as much as the first one - I remember the pacing being a bit slow, and it kind of gave more of the same (but of lesser excitement) as the first book. I can't remember how I felt about the representation of Indigenous people in this story, either, but I suspect that I either wanted more or was troubled by it in some way, which is probably to be expected with a western that deals with magic in the land.
This book did not capture me as much as the first one - I remember the pacing being a bit slow, and it kind of gave more of the same (but of lesser excitement) as the first book. I can't remember how I felt about the representation of Indigenous people in this story, either, but I suspect that I either wanted more or was troubled by it in some way, which is probably to be expected with a western that deals with magic in the land.
karireads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jennybeastie's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not entirely sure how to categorize this book, as there are so many different aspects. A little mystery, a lot of magic, political drama and wild west survival, all wrapped up in the continuing adventures of Isobel and Gabriel, characters of charm and objects of fascination for me. I find the world enthralling and the story bewitching, and Gilman lays it all out as though she were walking a magical spell. If you liked Silver on the Road, this will not disappoint.
Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.
sallyepp's review against another edition
4.0
First book finished in 2018! I really liked this sequel, although it’s a slower read than the first one. I started it last January, and it took me almost a year to come back to it.
Interestingly, I think the relaxed pacing, the quietness of the characters, and the way the rules of The Territory seem vague and intuitive, tie directly into the book’s theme of The West vs. The East. The West is the land of free spirits, big sky and dangerous, untamed nature. The East is the land of civilization, set social roles and carefully managed natural areas. This resonates a lot with me in our current life. New Mexico and Virginia are just as different today as The Territory and the United States (East of the Mississippi) are in this alternate history.
Interestingly, I think the relaxed pacing, the quietness of the characters, and the way the rules of The Territory seem vague and intuitive, tie directly into the book’s theme of The West vs. The East. The West is the land of free spirits, big sky and dangerous, untamed nature. The East is the land of civilization, set social roles and carefully managed natural areas. This resonates a lot with me in our current life. New Mexico and Virginia are just as different today as The Territory and the United States (East of the Mississippi) are in this alternate history.
krismcd59's review against another edition
3.0
Although I'm a fan of Gilman's world and quite fond of her main characters, this second novel of the trilogy suffers a bit from middle-novel syndrome. The pace, which was so lively in the first novel, is glacial here, and while we get a deeper understanding of Gabriel and Isobel's origins and natures, the fact that they spend the entire novel literally riding around in circles, thinking the same obsessive thoughts again and again -- well, the whole thing feels a bit claustrophobic, which is ironic given its wide-open-spaces setting. It's a relief when Isobel finally gets some hints as to her purpose, and the ending sets the stage for a whiz-bang continuation, but I read this installment rather dutifully, longing for some new characters and conversations. Definitely looking forward to the next one, though.
sleeping_while_awake's review
2.0
Although I was lukewarm on the first novel, I did pick up the second novel in The Devil's West series. I am interested in reading more western themed novels, and I am hoping there are more series in the fantasy genre that explore this. Unfortunately The Cold Eye didn't improve my judgment of the series.
Isobel, aka Izzy, and Gabriel have regrouped since the events of the first novel. They are informed of earthquakes that are likely of some supernatural origin. Izzy feels compelled to solve the mystery. She and Gabriel discover the origin point, but Izzy is certain it is beyond her abilities to fix the problem.
As the plot progresses, Izzy and Gabriel meet other characters, and eventually end up in a small town that isn't exactly forthcoming.
The same problem plagues the second book as the first - the extremely slow pace. The second book suffers even worse, as it immediately starts off languid, without the starting background of Izzy at the saloon.
It's not until Part IV, about 170 pages in, that the plot really starts. Prior to that Izzy and Gabriel are traveling across the land, with Izzy repetitiously stating she doesn't know what to do while ruminating over her lack of knowledge. It doesn't make for great reading, especially since the characters are so isolated on the land. If Gilman spent time on character development it may have helped during this time in the book. However, the time is spent on minute plot development.
Izzy does learn more about her abilities. She is still limited in what she understands and how to use what she has been given, so there isn't a major jump in her confidence and problem-solving capabilities.
By the end, the last few events had me reading without looking at the page numbers, but it took so long to get there that I can't rate this as 3 or 4 stars. The writing style is a bit heavy, as Gilman doesn't use many simple or compound sentences, but I thought it showed skill.
I really wanted to like this series. I am interested in reading fantasy books with western settings, yet the slow pace on this ruined the actual plot that was revealed at the end.
Isobel, aka Izzy, and Gabriel have regrouped since the events of the first novel. They are informed of earthquakes that are likely of some supernatural origin. Izzy feels compelled to solve the mystery. She and Gabriel discover the origin point, but Izzy is certain it is beyond her abilities to fix the problem.
As the plot progresses, Izzy and Gabriel meet other characters, and eventually end up in a small town that isn't exactly forthcoming.
The same problem plagues the second book as the first - the extremely slow pace. The second book suffers even worse, as it immediately starts off languid, without the starting background of Izzy at the saloon.
It's not until Part IV, about 170 pages in, that the plot really starts. Prior to that Izzy and Gabriel are traveling across the land, with Izzy repetitiously stating she doesn't know what to do while ruminating over her lack of knowledge. It doesn't make for great reading, especially since the characters are so isolated on the land. If Gilman spent time on character development it may have helped during this time in the book. However, the time is spent on minute plot development.
Spoiler
It irked me that at the end when Izzy returns to the spot with the trapped spirit, the time spent there is even less than the time earlier in the book when she is probing about what is there. Her "exorcism" was far more interesting then her thinking about how she's not sure.Izzy does learn more about her abilities. She is still limited in what she understands and how to use what she has been given, so there isn't a major jump in her confidence and problem-solving capabilities.
By the end, the last few events had me reading without looking at the page numbers, but it took so long to get there that I can't rate this as 3 or 4 stars. The writing style is a bit heavy, as Gilman doesn't use many simple or compound sentences, but I thought it showed skill.
I really wanted to like this series. I am interested in reading fantasy books with western settings, yet the slow pace on this ruined the actual plot that was revealed at the end.