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lyfisgrand's review against another edition
5.0
This book was an absolute ride. Beautifully written and utterly woeful. This story is the raw stink of bog hollar earth and rich warmth of early morning summer sun.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
The mood in this novel is great. It reminded me much of [b:Blackwater: The Complete Caskey Family Saga|23476097|Blackwater The Complete Caskey Family Saga (Blackwater, #1-6)|Michael McDowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431177310l/23476097._SY75_.jpg|43067426]. I just found the characters not so much characters as shadows. There was a shadowy feeling to this book.
The mood in this novel is great. It reminded me much of [b:Blackwater: The Complete Caskey Family Saga|23476097|Blackwater The Complete Caskey Family Saga (Blackwater, #1-6)|Michael McDowell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431177310l/23476097._SY75_.jpg|43067426]. I just found the characters not so much characters as shadows. There was a shadowy feeling to this book.
carolinewhitten's review against another edition
4.0
“Let me bury my voice deep inside you. Tell you the secrets you long to know”
Written like a southern fairy tale, the boatman daughter will have you
Knee deep in story
Wading through the mud and kudzu of the swamps
Fearing the gaze of one eye
Cornflower blue
Written like a southern fairy tale, the boatman daughter will have you
Knee deep in story
Wading through the mud and kudzu of the swamps
Fearing the gaze of one eye
Cornflower blue
inthedark's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book had a slow start but wow was it great. Davidson ropes you into this magical world of the bayou - for every dark subject encountered, he paints beautiful, magical scenes and feelings just the same. Super tense - like you’re watching a horror movie at times. But wow. Must read.
sarabearian's review against another edition
Miranda Crabtree's life has been tough.
Her father disappeared when she was eleven, after going into the bayou with a witch and never returning.
Fast-forward to Miranda ferrying drugs through the bayou for a corrupt preacher and the sheriff he employs. She is raising a young boy (who may not be entirely human) as her brother. They live with the witch. But then her partner on the ferry is killed, and she is tasked with taking a young girl who has been drugged to the preacher. Miranda struggles to get herself and the two children out of the bayou safely. In the process she must confront her past.
A past steeped in murder, mud and magic.
This is a fantastic Southern gothic.
The supernatural elements never take away from the crime story at its core.
Recommended for fans of True Detective: Season 1 and Winter's Bone. -Mike M.
Her father disappeared when she was eleven, after going into the bayou with a witch and never returning.
Fast-forward to Miranda ferrying drugs through the bayou for a corrupt preacher and the sheriff he employs. She is raising a young boy (who may not be entirely human) as her brother. They live with the witch. But then her partner on the ferry is killed, and she is tasked with taking a young girl who has been drugged to the preacher. Miranda struggles to get herself and the two children out of the bayou safely. In the process she must confront her past.
A past steeped in murder, mud and magic.
This is a fantastic Southern gothic.
The supernatural elements never take away from the crime story at its core.
Recommended for fans of True Detective: Season 1 and Winter's Bone. -Mike M.
llsburg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is reminiscent of many things, with traces of Flannery O'Conner, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Delia Owens' <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4829834185"Where the Crawdads Sing</a></i>. But, it is still something unique and all its own. A little bit Southern lit, a little bit horror, a little bit female heroine adventure. You are never quite sure what is happening in our world and what is happening in some spiritual realm.
Davidson's language is rich and spooky, full of metaphor to set the tone. The sky can be a "cage"; trees have "bones." His characters are still more strange, not just mentally but physically as well. The visuals in this story are vibrantly weird. The language can also be somewhat obscure, leaving the reader disoriented and unsettled. All of this sets the stage for a creepy, startling read. And I loved it!
Young, orphaned Miranda Crabtree is making a life for herself on the Texarkana bayou. An impressive archer, she lives off the land an dmakes extra money ferrying drugs for a has-been cult leader who is going dangerously insane. Miranda, along with a witch who interacts with several powerful spirits, helps raise a disfigured boy who may or may not have once been dead. Things become complicated when she rescues a clairvoyant young girl from the corrupt and corpulent sheriff, a giant with a skull face, and the mad preacher. Can she trust the hard up dwarf she has been working with?
A completely new reading experience for me. The supernatural doesn't overtake the real-life story, but it is eerily there. I 10/10 recommend this book, with a trigger warning for violence and extreme gore.
Davidson's language is rich and spooky, full of metaphor to set the tone. The sky can be a "cage"; trees have "bones." His characters are still more strange, not just mentally but physically as well. The visuals in this story are vibrantly weird. The language can also be somewhat obscure, leaving the reader disoriented and unsettled. All of this sets the stage for a creepy, startling read. And I loved it!
Young, orphaned Miranda Crabtree is making a life for herself on the Texarkana bayou. An impressive archer, she lives off the land an dmakes extra money ferrying drugs for a has-been cult leader who is going dangerously insane. Miranda, along with a witch who interacts with several powerful spirits, helps raise a disfigured boy who may or may not have once been dead. Things become complicated when she rescues a clairvoyant young girl from the corrupt and corpulent sheriff, a giant with a skull face, and the mad preacher. Can she trust the hard up dwarf she has been working with?
A completely new reading experience for me. The supernatural doesn't overtake the real-life story, but it is eerily there. I 10/10 recommend this book, with a trigger warning for violence and extreme gore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
kmmi_booklover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
3.25
mauve_gem's review against another edition
3.0
Started off a bit slow but picked up at the end. I liked the dark fantasy/folklore elements. Nice creepy atmosphere.
blinkvondoom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
4.75
comadivine11's review against another edition
3.0
Davidson is a writer that has been on my radar for a while now so when I found a used copy of this book at my local bookstore, I figured now was a good time to give it a go.
I was really hoping to be blown away and while I enjoyed this book, I didn't find it to be amazing. Solid writing and characters that I enjoyed reading but the plot was just OK. This book did remind me a bit of Christopher Buehlman, whose books I prefer.
I've got a special edition of In The Valley of The Sun on preorder, so I'll definitely give that a go and see if that sells me on Davidson.
I was really hoping to be blown away and while I enjoyed this book, I didn't find it to be amazing. Solid writing and characters that I enjoyed reading but the plot was just OK. This book did remind me a bit of Christopher Buehlman, whose books I prefer.
I've got a special edition of In The Valley of The Sun on preorder, so I'll definitely give that a go and see if that sells me on Davidson.