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oliviacornwell's review
4.0
***I received a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review***
A positively roaring adventure! Todd and the gang find themselves stuck in Deadwood, where things are sinister and about to get really dangerous really fast.
I loved revisiting this story. I read the Wattpad version, but this one felt even more intense. The stakes are high, and I am here for it.
I love the color and vibrancy of the characters. Lots of sass, lots of mischief. Julio is probably my favorite, and after this book I have a lot more questions about him than I did before.
The storyline was intense and energetic, and I enjoyed the element of suspenseful darkness that lurked in the background. I am now also traumatized by puppets that move in dark places.
Definitely looking forward to the next installment!
A positively roaring adventure! Todd and the gang find themselves stuck in Deadwood, where things are sinister and about to get really dangerous really fast.
I loved revisiting this story. I read the Wattpad version, but this one felt even more intense. The stakes are high, and I am here for it.
I love the color and vibrancy of the characters. Lots of sass, lots of mischief. Julio is probably my favorite, and after this book I have a lot more questions about him than I did before.
The storyline was intense and energetic, and I enjoyed the element of suspenseful darkness that lurked in the background. I am now also traumatized by puppets that move in dark places.
Definitely looking forward to the next installment!
hlburke's review
4.0
I enjoyed this second book in the Crockett and Crane series. It probably could be read/listened to out of sequence .It had been about a year since I read book one, and I didn't need a lot of catchup and the story stands alone pretty well though it does continue some conflicts left over from book one.
First off, this book is very funny. I'm starting with that as a positive, but it's also one of the few problems I have with the book. More so in this series than in the companion Beaumont and Beasley, the humor is a little over the top. In the first book, my one negative was that sometimes the jokes stretch on past when they are funny. This one does the same thing in places, but it's more "scenes that should be serious are written with a jokey tone." Not ALL of said serious scenes. There are two he doesn't do this with that definitely hit the hammer down and pull back from the style I'd overall call intentionally over the top/slapstick. Those work really well.
The narration is also bridging on over the top. Some accents are exaggerated bridging on cartoony. I think this is very much a choice, and if you're looking for a Hank the Cowdog experience, you're going to find it here. Some of the seriousness of the plot, though, does clash a little with this delivery. When the scenes are in full on screwball cowboy comedy, it's perfect. When we're dealing with life or death and truly tragic circumstances, sometimes the accents are mildly distracting.
Overall, it was a very fun read I'd recommend, and definitely had an emotional punch that I wasn't necessarily expecting. Good lore/world building additions to the overall mythology from the combine series too.
I received a free copy of this audiobook. This did not influence my review.
First off, this book is very funny. I'm starting with that as a positive, but it's also one of the few problems I have with the book. More so in this series than in the companion Beaumont and Beasley, the humor is a little over the top. In the first book, my one negative was that sometimes the jokes stretch on past when they are funny. This one does the same thing in places, but it's more "scenes that should be serious are written with a jokey tone." Not ALL of said serious scenes. There are two he doesn't do this with that definitely hit the hammer down and pull back from the style I'd overall call intentionally over the top/slapstick. Those work really well.
The narration is also bridging on over the top. Some accents are exaggerated bridging on cartoony. I think this is very much a choice, and if you're looking for a Hank the Cowdog experience, you're going to find it here. Some of the seriousness of the plot, though, does clash a little with this delivery. When the scenes are in full on screwball cowboy comedy, it's perfect. When we're dealing with life or death and truly tragic circumstances, sometimes the accents are mildly distracting.
Overall, it was a very fun read I'd recommend, and definitely had an emotional punch that I wasn't necessarily expecting. Good lore/world building additions to the overall mythology from the combine series too.
I received a free copy of this audiobook. This did not influence my review.
ebdawson's review
4.0
I am a huge fan of this author and his body of work, but this one didn't quite hit my taste and I just felt like the pieces didn't fit together as well as some of his other books.
I think the first half was actually my favorite. Lots of great dialogue. This book does get rather dark, but there are two types of creep/dark. The concept of the living town, the backstory of the entity who possesses this town was all deliciously creepy to me.
Some of the creep that comes later in was not as much my taste and I found myself just not having fun in the last third. But a huge part of that is personal preference and attached to personal things going on in my life. Character motivations was another big thing that didn't work for me.
But if you loved Horseman, you should definitely give this one a shot.
I think the first half was actually my favorite. Lots of great dialogue. This book does get rather dark, but there are two types of creep/dark. The concept of the living town, the backstory of the entity who possesses this town was all deliciously creepy to me.
Some of the creep that comes later in was not as much my taste and I found myself just not having fun in the last third. But a huge part of that is personal preference and attached to personal things going on in my life. Character motivations was another big thing that didn't work for me.
But if you loved Horseman, you should definitely give this one a shot.
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