Scan barcode
megh_'s review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Gripping short story, looking forward to reading the prequel and sequel! Loved the lgbt representation too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, Gore, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
asparagusisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
River of Teeth is a historical fiction inspired by a real plan the United States government concocted to breed and slaughter hippopotamuses as an alternative meat source. The story is set in 1890s America after the plan has been put in place - multiple hippo generations have come and gone, bred and raised like cattle. Despite the government's best efforts, the plan failed when the hippos became feral and savage, eating anyone and everyone that got too close. To solve their problem, the government hires a small team of mercenary hippo wranglers, lead by Winslow Houndstooth... a man looking for a fortune and revenge.
River of Teeth successfully weaves relationship dynamics and non-heteronormative characters into a fast-paced compelling story full of adventure and mischief, tension (both romantic and murderous), a heist, romance, humor, violence, and history - all packed into less than 200 pages. When this book popped up in StoryGraph's "Up Next Recommendations" feature, I was intrigued. I did not expect to be sucked in immediately and so enthralled by the story. I mean, who wouldn't be intrigued by mercenary cowboys riding hippos? Think The Magnificent Seven, Wild Wild West, The Harder They Fall, and Razorblade Tears. I finished the book in just a few hours reading physically and listening to the audiobook. I have the sequel queued up for tomorrow because I need to know more. This is the first book that I have read by Sarah Gailey and I will certainly be reading more.
Representation: (I don't remember a confirmed official sexuality on page but I assume) pan/bi male main characters, bi plus sized female main character, nonbinary main character (they/them), aroace Latina main character,
River of Teeth successfully weaves relationship dynamics and non-heteronormative characters into a fast-paced compelling story full of adventure and mischief, tension (both romantic and murderous), a heist, romance, humor, violence, and history - all packed into less than 200 pages. When this book popped up in StoryGraph's "Up Next Recommendations" feature, I was intrigued. I did not expect to be sucked in immediately and so enthralled by the story. I mean, who wouldn't be intrigued by mercenary cowboys riding hippos? Think The Magnificent Seven, Wild Wild West, The Harder They Fall, and Razorblade Tears. I finished the book in just a few hours reading physically and listening to the audiobook. I have the sequel queued up for tomorrow because I need to know more. This is the first book that I have read by Sarah Gailey and I will certainly be reading more.
Representation: (I don't remember a confirmed official sexuality on page but I assume) pan/bi male main characters, bi plus sized female main character, nonbinary main character (they/them), aroace Latina main character,
Content Warnings:
- violence and gore with blood
- deaths and murder, including both humans and animals
- theft and arson
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Murder, Death, and Blood
sadiejayne3426's review
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Really enjoyable read! All of the characters were well-developed, unique and incredibly fun to get to know. I especially liked the idea of a group of people who would have been incredibly marginalized in the 1890s were able to have this epic adventure. Openly trans and queer characters were normalized, fat characters experienced no fat phobia and were portrayed as desirable, and almost all the characters were POC. The plot was engaging and playful but was still treated with the utmost sincerity.
This is a great book for those fond of westerns, cowboys, vigilante justice, historical fiction, and ambiguous characters.
My only criticism of this book is that the reviews led me to believe it was funnier than it was or that it was more explicit in queer romance scenes. I also found it a little slower to get into, but by chapter three I was totally hooked.
This is a great book for those fond of westerns, cowboys, vigilante justice, historical fiction, and ambiguous characters.
My only criticism of this book is that the reviews led me to believe it was funnier than it was or that it was more explicit in queer romance scenes. I also found it a little slower to get into, but by chapter three I was totally hooked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Murder
aurora4847's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Violence, Murder, Death, Blood, and Animal cruelty
black_cat_iiix's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gore
Moderate: Torture, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Animal cruelty
quinnyquinnquinn's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal death, and Torture
kyliereads341's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
nodogsonthemoon's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
oliverreeds's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
good but the tension wasnt balanced. there should have been more exposition. more character building. so good tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Torture
jhbandcats's review
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
tense
fast-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
5.0
I've read only three so far, but I think Sarah Gailey's books are in a class all their own. Rollicking and funny
speculative fiction, they're *really*
entertaining. The first one I read, Upright Women Wanted, was about traveling Librarians (capitalized) running an underground railroad of sorts in the Wild West. This time, Gailey's tale is based on a real life What If - what if, in 1910, hippos really had been imported to be bred for meat in the swamps of the Mississippi River? (Yes, this almost really happened.)
Hippopotamuses might look fairly docile and sluggish but they're really fast and they can be really vicious. It's one thing if a hopper (like a cowboy but ... not) has hand fed a baby hippo so it's a devoted domesticated beast, but what about the ones that get away and breed, and breed, and breed till their offspring are feral?
This tightly-packed novella gives us a handful of rascally scoundrels who come together to gradually remove the ferals from the huge lake where their population has exploded. The man with the plan, though, thinks he can make a fast buck by evacuating the ferals quickly - but as with most plans, things don't go the way he'd hoped. He's gathered the fastest gun in the West, a demolitions expert, an assassin, and a fast-talking thief up against the villain who owns the lake and who wants the feral hippos right where they are.
It's a fabulous story and I'm about to embark on the second half in the sequel, Taste of Marrow.
speculative fiction, they're *really*
entertaining. The first one I read, Upright Women Wanted, was about traveling Librarians (capitalized) running an underground railroad of sorts in the Wild West. This time, Gailey's tale is based on a real life What If - what if, in 1910, hippos really had been imported to be bred for meat in the swamps of the Mississippi River? (Yes, this almost really happened.)
Hippopotamuses might look fairly docile and sluggish but they're really fast and they can be really vicious. It's one thing if a hopper (like a cowboy but ... not) has hand fed a baby hippo so it's a devoted domesticated beast, but what about the ones that get away and breed, and breed, and breed till their offspring are feral?
This tightly-packed novella gives us a handful of rascally scoundrels who come together to gradually remove the ferals from the huge lake where their population has exploded. The man with the plan, though, thinks he can make a fast buck by evacuating the ferals quickly - but as with most plans, things don't go the way he'd hoped. He's gathered the fastest gun in the West, a demolitions expert, an assassin, and a fast-talking thief up against the villain who owns the lake and who wants the feral hippos right where they are.
It's a fabulous story and I'm about to embark on the second half in the sequel, Taste of Marrow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Violence, and Animal death