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luckyshmo's review against another edition
4.0
What happens when you mix a more grown-up version of the Redwall series and The Magnificent Seven? This book. Super short read that is filled with memorable characters, humor, and, yes, a high kill count.
odin45mp's review against another edition
4.0
This is a solid yarn, meant to be told (or listened to) with a glass of whiskey in your hand down at the local watering hole.
Polansky delivers on the concept of the talking animal protagonists of many a YA novel acting out a gritty, dark adult tale of debts paid and revenge. It pulls from Kurosawa and Clint Eastwood by way of Redwall, and it does it very well. Quite entertaining.
Polansky delivers on the concept of the talking animal protagonists of many a YA novel acting out a gritty, dark adult tale of debts paid and revenge. It pulls from Kurosawa and Clint Eastwood by way of Redwall, and it does it very well. Quite entertaining.
strigine's review against another edition
2.0
Overall assessment: Not Bad, But Not My Cup of Tea.
If you've been yearning for funny-animal western grimdark, this is your book! I was not, so this was not. Mostly I was expecting/wanting something more heist-y, and this starts out that way, but then goes darker as it progresses. The prose is also, IMHO, rather self-indulgent, which is easier to handle at novella length but still a little grating.
If you've been yearning for funny-animal western grimdark, this is your book! I was not, so this was not. Mostly I was expecting/wanting something more heist-y, and this starts out that way, but then goes darker as it progresses. The prose is also, IMHO, rather self-indulgent, which is easier to handle at novella length but still a little grating.
timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
Let's set realistic expectations here. It's a novella, and a short one at that. The author admits it's a one-note joke and an adolescent idea. It's stuoid. It's fun.
Just take "what if Cook's Black Company or Abercrombie's Named Men were animals?" and you've got this. The grim action, the sense that this probably won't end well, the snarky comments, ...
Occasionally the suspension of disbelief became a stretch Late in the book, for example, but in other places the size issues don't seem to matter. Mice have rifles. Er, who made the tiny bullets and the tiny trigger mechanisms? What would be the striking power of an opossum sniper's bullet?
But no book can fail that has a badger with a Gatling gun.
Read it, it won't take long. At the end, throw it aside with scorn, but admit that - as another reviewer already noted - you're smiling a little bit.
Just take "what if Cook's Black Company or Abercrombie's Named Men were animals?" and you've got this. The grim action, the sense that this probably won't end well, the snarky comments, ...
Occasionally the suspension of disbelief became a stretch Late in the book, for example,
Spoiler
a character's tiny bullets don't do much harm to a larger opponent (the fox)But no book can fail that has a badger with a Gatling gun.
Read it, it won't take long. At the end, throw it aside with scorn, but admit that - as another reviewer already noted - you're smiling a little bit.
tregina's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this a little. Other readers have made many comparisons before me trying to describe just what this is, but Watership Down meets Reservoir Dogs is what came to mind when I finished it. (Not just when I finished it; I didn't have to get far in to feel it.) The plot is straightforward and the characters are archetypes, but they also transcend that, partly because of the context but partly because they are knowing archetypes and the author plays that up and builds on it. One thing's for sure--it's pretty unforgettable.
dillonbrantley's review against another edition
3.0
The Builders is a shorter book reminiscent of books such as Redwall by Brian Jacques, a huge part of my childhood. The story is engaging enough, but doesn't exactly break new ground. Its short length is a benefit to its story, but makes keeping track of characters sometimes a bit difficult as you do not spend much time with any of them individually.
willrefuge's review against another edition
4.0
4 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/02/04/the-builders-by-daniel-polansky-review/
A stoat, a rat, a mouse, an opossum and more walk into a bar…
A missing eye. A broken wing. A lost lower half. A deposed king. A whole lot of trauma. And a country that vanished from beneath them.
Years may have passed but the Captain’s scars are still fresh. While the rest of his crew have moved on, many memories of the past linger. So when their leader comes a-calling to reform the band, most are only too grateful to respond. The others may come kicking and screaming, but they’ll come all the same.
Scores will be settled. Blood will run. There’s always time for second chances.
The Builders is another case of anthropomorphism gone very right; a dark, bloody Redwall, if you will. As schemes go, the Captain’s is a good one, but nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. The story is a good one, though I think it’s a bit wasted in novella form. The characters are bloody unique and exotic, each with their own backstory and motivations—that I would’ve liked to have been explored more. I feel the short chapters both help and hinder this. On one hand, with the novella format, it keeps the story moving so that we don’t get bogged down with too many characters being introduced too quickly. On the other, everything’s quite brief. We don’t get the time for backstory and motivation. It’s a thoroughly interesting cast that we have, but don’t ever get to know better.
I really enjoyed that dark cast of this story, right up to the end. It was billed to me as a grimdark Redwall—and delivered quite nicely. There’s quite a bit of dark humor, some interesting twists and turns, and an ending for the ages. It’s all very well done, but left me a bit wanting. Of more, mostly—which is both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, it’s always good to want more. Show’s the author has done something right. But on the other, there is no more. Sure, there’s a short story (half a dozen pages of fuzzy, grumbly animals), but it’s too brief, and not worth much more than to introduce the world. You can read it here, if you’re interested.
TL;DR
Why? It’s only a couple paragraphs.
Whatever. Um… good; not perfect. Dark and bloody with matching humor. Truly a dark Redwall. Not enough development or time for it, it feels like we’ve only just met the characters and the story ends. The quick pacing and brief story work quite well, even if they do also frustrate. This was a love-hate for me, but I mostly loved it. Definitely recommended.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/02/04/the-builders-by-daniel-polansky-review/
A stoat, a rat, a mouse, an opossum and more walk into a bar…
A missing eye. A broken wing. A lost lower half. A deposed king. A whole lot of trauma. And a country that vanished from beneath them.
Years may have passed but the Captain’s scars are still fresh. While the rest of his crew have moved on, many memories of the past linger. So when their leader comes a-calling to reform the band, most are only too grateful to respond. The others may come kicking and screaming, but they’ll come all the same.
Scores will be settled. Blood will run. There’s always time for second chances.
The Builders is another case of anthropomorphism gone very right; a dark, bloody Redwall, if you will. As schemes go, the Captain’s is a good one, but nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. The story is a good one, though I think it’s a bit wasted in novella form. The characters are bloody unique and exotic, each with their own backstory and motivations—that I would’ve liked to have been explored more. I feel the short chapters both help and hinder this. On one hand, with the novella format, it keeps the story moving so that we don’t get bogged down with too many characters being introduced too quickly. On the other, everything’s quite brief. We don’t get the time for backstory and motivation. It’s a thoroughly interesting cast that we have, but don’t ever get to know better.
I really enjoyed that dark cast of this story, right up to the end. It was billed to me as a grimdark Redwall—and delivered quite nicely. There’s quite a bit of dark humor, some interesting twists and turns, and an ending for the ages. It’s all very well done, but left me a bit wanting. Of more, mostly—which is both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, it’s always good to want more. Show’s the author has done something right. But on the other, there is no more. Sure, there’s a short story (half a dozen pages of fuzzy, grumbly animals), but it’s too brief, and not worth much more than to introduce the world. You can read it here, if you’re interested.
TL;DR
Why? It’s only a couple paragraphs.
Whatever. Um… good; not perfect. Dark and bloody with matching humor. Truly a dark Redwall. Not enough development or time for it, it feels like we’ve only just met the characters and the story ends. The quick pacing and brief story work quite well, even if they do also frustrate. This was a love-hate for me, but I mostly loved it. Definitely recommended.
emcoolzani's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
zaeranim's review against another edition
4.0
Starts slowly and then ramps up rapidly. It wasn’t quite what I imagined going in, but it makes a nice little change from some of my usual fare.
shawniebooks's review against another edition
4.0
How very funny and clever! The various animal characters matched up with their names and actions quite well.