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ellarosew's review against another edition
1.0
The female main lead (Lainie) is supposedly around 19-20 and she assumes the male main lead (Silas) is around 30. They obviously fall in love on sight, have sex within days of knowing each other and are then married at the insistence of her father who won't let Silas take her away if they're not??? There's a massive power imbalance between the two since he's older and also just more experienced than her and it's pretty uncomfortable to read
Lainie is constantly threatened with rape, seriously every scene with the "bad guys" it is mentioned and it gets old and tired (not the mention gross) pretty quickly
Pacing was fast, especially at the end when everything actually starts happening and all the mysteries are solved (which all conveniently are tied to the main villain)
Lainie is constantly threatened with rape, seriously every scene with the "bad guys" it is mentioned and it gets old and tired (not the mention gross) pretty quickly
Pacing was fast, especially at the end when everything actually starts happening and all the mysteries are solved (which all conveniently are tied to the main villain)
heavenn98's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
kiiitasticbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I got Beneath The Canyons in an ebook compilation, alongside a few other fantasy books, and already knew before I jumped in that there would be a few in the compilation I wouldn’t enjoy. If I had seen Beneath The Canyons alone, I wouldn’t have picked it up, solely because I’m not a big fan of westerns.
But I was pleasantly surprised by this book!
To begin with, I found the plot and lore of this world to be very interesting. We follow Silas, a mage and bounty hunter, as he is tracking down a suspicious magic that leads him to this small town. Along the way, he meets Lainie, a girl who has magic (but not the magic he’s looking for), and the two team up as they discover what exactly is going on in this town.
I think a big reason why I enjoyed the worldbuilding and magic in this book is because magic in other media isn’t often explored in the same way it is in this book. Without spoilers, there is a lot of focus on ancient civilizations and native magic throughout that the book doesn’t fully expand upon, making me wish for more. Because this is the first book in a series, I assume these magics are going to be talked about more in later books, but as an introduction, this book lays out exactly what readers need to know while also leaving a bit of intrigue to make readers want more.
That being said, one thing I wish this book did a bit better was the characters and making them likable. Because this book is so plot-focused, there isn’t a lot of room to get to know Silas and Lainie. A big aspect of my enjoyment in books is whether or not I like the characters, so not being able to care for Silas and Lainie brought down my enjoyment of this book by a lot.
(I also think that if the author were to take Lainie out of the story altogether, the plot could still work mostly as-is. I’m sure that as the series goes and she learns more about her magic, Lainie grows into a bigger character, but in this book, its debatable if she is even needed.)
By the end, I am unsure of my feelings on this series and whether I want to continue on with it. While I did enjoy the plot and am interested in the worldbuilding, I was also not a big fan of the characters themselves. Nothing is driving me to pick up the next book in the series, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if I looked back on this and decided to read the next one.
justasking27's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Although this touched some deeper themes, it was generally a light and fast-moving romance fantasy. The setting is interesting, an anti-magic Wild West world set against a civilization ruled by magicians. I ended up skimming some parts, though.
Although this touched some deeper themes, it was generally a light and fast-moving romance fantasy. The setting is interesting, an anti-magic Wild West world set against a civilization ruled by magicians. I ended up skimming some parts, though.
amdbarger's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
silky_octopus's review
2.0
On the one hand, the setting for this was something I really liked the sound of - sort of a wild west/fantasy cross, with magic. On the other, it felt like there was a fairly large power imbalance between the two protagonists, which made the romance less appealing for me, and I could really have done without the repeated rape threats thrown out by the villain and his henchmen to control the female lead.
manalye's review
2.0
Beneath the Canyons by Kyra Halland rates about a 2/5 for me. It wasn’t terrible, but it was pretty close. I think I can break down my concerns into two categories: the writing and the love story.
There was something about the writing that just drags. I found myself skipping a lot of the scenes, and after some time I realized it was because things were being over-explained. Part of it may be that the story is split point-of-view between the two main characters; when something happened in the plot, the reader would get each character’s in-depth opinion of the matter. A downside to this type of writing is that there is no mystery to the story. I like to wonder what’s going through a character’s mind. There really isn’t much surprise in the plot line either, as the “bad guy” is clear from the beginning.
Love stories are what keep me going in books, and the love story is probably the only reason I bothered to finish the book. Not that it was great. It was very predictable and forced. Very one-dimensional. Even a little non-sensical. I was reminded a little of the Disney princess conundrum- “You can’t marry a man you just met.” And not a single character involved had any objections, not even the dad. Seriously? And don’t get me started on the scene outside the canyon. Silas must be a freaking idiot.
I finished the book, which is why it gets a 2. I considered stopping several times, and I’m still not sure how I finished. All I know is that it involved a lot of skipping.
There was something about the writing that just drags. I found myself skipping a lot of the scenes, and after some time I realized it was because things were being over-explained. Part of it may be that the story is split point-of-view between the two main characters; when something happened in the plot, the reader would get each character’s in-depth opinion of the matter. A downside to this type of writing is that there is no mystery to the story. I like to wonder what’s going through a character’s mind. There really isn’t much surprise in the plot line either, as the “bad guy” is clear from the beginning.
Love stories are what keep me going in books, and the love story is probably the only reason I bothered to finish the book. Not that it was great. It was very predictable and forced. Very one-dimensional. Even a little non-sensical. I was reminded a little of the Disney princess conundrum- “You can’t marry a man you just met.” And not a single character involved had any objections, not even the dad. Seriously? And don’t get me started on the scene outside the canyon. Silas must be a freaking idiot.
I finished the book, which is why it gets a 2. I considered stopping several times, and I’m still not sure how I finished. All I know is that it involved a lot of skipping.
bibliotropic's review
3.0
Westerns are really hit-or-miss for me. I don’t have a spectacular amount of interest in them as a genre or subgenre, though I do admit that the setting can hold some appeal for certain types of stories. I wouldn’t say that Beneath the Canyons is a story that can only be told with a wild west setting, since it has many elements that appear in dozens of other stories, but it wasn’t incongruous. It fit, it wasn’t jarring, and I can’t say that I minded it in this case. The story overrode the setting, so to speak.
The story uses the alternating viewpoints of Silas — a bounty hunter and mage come to investigate reports of a rogue mage and bring them to justice — and Lainie — a girl who lives and works on a ranch in the Wildings, hiding her own magic from the fearful and superstitious townsfolk. Strange things have been happening in the town of Bitterbush Springs, something to do with the wealthy man Carden, and both Silas and Lainie get mixed up in events that take them into uncharted territory.
Being a setting based very much off old tales of the wild west, the world in Beneath the Canyons is very familiar. There’s civilized country, there’s the frontier where men and women tough it out to get by, the whole shebang. Which is great if that’s the kind of setting that really appeals to you. For my part, though, some of the worldbuilding seemed lackluster, and like it was the same old building with just a new coat of paint on the outside. The world’s religion might be pantheistic instead of monotheistic, but society still plays by the Judeo-Christian societal rules we’re used to thinking of: no sex until marriage (unless you’re one of those women), women are subservient to men, men wear pants and women wear skirts/dresses, and so on. It wouldn’t have taken much to mix things up a bit, and it would have added something to the story, something to distinguish it and make it stand out.
And I completely understand that mixing it up probably wasn’t what the author was going for. For people who are really into this kind of setting, they like it as it is, with all the bells and whistles that typically come along with it. It’s part of the genre. I get that. This is purely a matter of personal taste. It was nothing I hadn’t seen before, and not in a genre I particularly have a thing for, and so all those bells and whistles just didn’t do it for me. It felt uninspired in that regard.
I was of two minds when it came to the whole “science/magic” dichotomy. On one hand, it’s a parallel of the science/religion controversy that some people face. On the other hand, both aspects of that are based on an utterly flawed idea of what science actually is. In Beneath the Canyons, science is used as a shorthand for certain kinds of technology. Sewing machines, things powered by electricity, etc. People who use magic eschew ‘science,’ and vice versa, each side believing the other to be inferior. Really, though, if magic has quantifiable results, it can be called a science. And not all technology is anathema, or else humans would still be living in caves and eating whatever they could shovel into their mouths instead of having axes and saws to cut wood and build houses, stoves to cook food, looms to weave cloth for clothes and blankets, and so on. Call it a pet peeve of mine, but it bothers me when people use science and technology like the two terms are completely interchangeable, and then ignore so many things that involve technology we take for granted because it’s been around for so long.
Whether this was intentional — for instance, if it was meant to show that people generally dislike what they don’t understand and often don’t use the correct terms for things — or if it was a mistake on the part of the author, I can’t really say.
The bulk of the story revolves around trying to uncover the mystery of the ore that Carden wants miners to dig up, that he’s paying them a small fortune for. Why does he want it so badly? Is the ore related to the reports of spooky things happening at night around Bitterbush Springs? And what of the A’ayimat, the blue-skinned people who live in forbidden land beyond the town’s boundaries? The story unfolds at an even pace, and Halland’s writing is smooth and uncomplicated, making the story feel quick and easy to digest. There’s some action, but most of the story is mystery rather than brawls in the saloon or shoot-outs at the corral.
From the first couple of chapters it’s pretty clear that the intended romance is between Silas and Lainie, and to be honest, I really couldn’t feel it. I can see her being attracted to him, since he’s a stranger from far away and there’s always that appeal, plus he discovers her secret magic, so he’s in close confidence, but beyond that, what develops throughout the story is more akin to a friendship than a romance. They don’t see much of each other until closer to the end, when the plot gets hairy and people are in danger, and then Silas pulls the, “I think I loved you the moment I met you,” and I didn’t see anything there beyond brief infatuation at best.
When all is said and done, Beneath the Canyons wasn’t a bad novel, but it wasn’t anything great either. The story itself was interesting even if the setting didn’t do much for me, and though I had my other issues with it, it’s definitely on par with numerous other books I’ve read in my life. I may not go back and read it again, but I don’t regret reading it now. If Westerns and fantasy trip the right triggers for you, then Halland’s novel will probably entertain; don’t let me sway you away just because it wasn’t really my thing.
(Received for review as part of the SPFBO.)
The story uses the alternating viewpoints of Silas — a bounty hunter and mage come to investigate reports of a rogue mage and bring them to justice — and Lainie — a girl who lives and works on a ranch in the Wildings, hiding her own magic from the fearful and superstitious townsfolk. Strange things have been happening in the town of Bitterbush Springs, something to do with the wealthy man Carden, and both Silas and Lainie get mixed up in events that take them into uncharted territory.
Being a setting based very much off old tales of the wild west, the world in Beneath the Canyons is very familiar. There’s civilized country, there’s the frontier where men and women tough it out to get by, the whole shebang. Which is great if that’s the kind of setting that really appeals to you. For my part, though, some of the worldbuilding seemed lackluster, and like it was the same old building with just a new coat of paint on the outside. The world’s religion might be pantheistic instead of monotheistic, but society still plays by the Judeo-Christian societal rules we’re used to thinking of: no sex until marriage (unless you’re one of those women), women are subservient to men, men wear pants and women wear skirts/dresses, and so on. It wouldn’t have taken much to mix things up a bit, and it would have added something to the story, something to distinguish it and make it stand out.
And I completely understand that mixing it up probably wasn’t what the author was going for. For people who are really into this kind of setting, they like it as it is, with all the bells and whistles that typically come along with it. It’s part of the genre. I get that. This is purely a matter of personal taste. It was nothing I hadn’t seen before, and not in a genre I particularly have a thing for, and so all those bells and whistles just didn’t do it for me. It felt uninspired in that regard.
I was of two minds when it came to the whole “science/magic” dichotomy. On one hand, it’s a parallel of the science/religion controversy that some people face. On the other hand, both aspects of that are based on an utterly flawed idea of what science actually is. In Beneath the Canyons, science is used as a shorthand for certain kinds of technology. Sewing machines, things powered by electricity, etc. People who use magic eschew ‘science,’ and vice versa, each side believing the other to be inferior. Really, though, if magic has quantifiable results, it can be called a science. And not all technology is anathema, or else humans would still be living in caves and eating whatever they could shovel into their mouths instead of having axes and saws to cut wood and build houses, stoves to cook food, looms to weave cloth for clothes and blankets, and so on. Call it a pet peeve of mine, but it bothers me when people use science and technology like the two terms are completely interchangeable, and then ignore so many things that involve technology we take for granted because it’s been around for so long.
Whether this was intentional — for instance, if it was meant to show that people generally dislike what they don’t understand and often don’t use the correct terms for things — or if it was a mistake on the part of the author, I can’t really say.
The bulk of the story revolves around trying to uncover the mystery of the ore that Carden wants miners to dig up, that he’s paying them a small fortune for. Why does he want it so badly? Is the ore related to the reports of spooky things happening at night around Bitterbush Springs? And what of the A’ayimat, the blue-skinned people who live in forbidden land beyond the town’s boundaries? The story unfolds at an even pace, and Halland’s writing is smooth and uncomplicated, making the story feel quick and easy to digest. There’s some action, but most of the story is mystery rather than brawls in the saloon or shoot-outs at the corral.
From the first couple of chapters it’s pretty clear that the intended romance is between Silas and Lainie, and to be honest, I really couldn’t feel it. I can see her being attracted to him, since he’s a stranger from far away and there’s always that appeal, plus he discovers her secret magic, so he’s in close confidence, but beyond that, what develops throughout the story is more akin to a friendship than a romance. They don’t see much of each other until closer to the end, when the plot gets hairy and people are in danger, and then Silas pulls the, “I think I loved you the moment I met you,” and I didn’t see anything there beyond brief infatuation at best.
When all is said and done, Beneath the Canyons wasn’t a bad novel, but it wasn’t anything great either. The story itself was interesting even if the setting didn’t do much for me, and though I had my other issues with it, it’s definitely on par with numerous other books I’ve read in my life. I may not go back and read it again, but I don’t regret reading it now. If Westerns and fantasy trip the right triggers for you, then Halland’s novel will probably entertain; don’t let me sway you away just because it wasn’t really my thing.
(Received for review as part of the SPFBO.)
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