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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I thought it was well-written, so it gets an extra star. The story bored me but the world was quite interesting.
Amazing world building. I've never enjoyed fantasies with "western" settings, but I loved this one. I guess I've lived in New Mexico long enough to absorb a sense of place.
This book was much longer than I expected but it was pretty interesting. I liked the mechanics of magic in this universe and the mixing of cultures an old west themes. I feel neutral about the role reversal of good and evil in this book, but that was its premise and it performed well based on that. I'm pretty sure I'll pick up the next book later this year if I ever get through my other library holds.
When Silver on the Road was selected as the VF may choice, I was pretty excited. I think there was and is such promise. Ultimately my low rating is just due to nothing really happening for so long, and then when events did start to pick up, it seemed almost forced.
I appreciated the richness of the world Gilmin built, and think that she does a fantastic job at creating interesting and likable characters. I enjoyed Izzy & Gabriel (minus the constant inner conflict of finding themselves or inner peace). Farron was my favorite, but there really wasn't a character I didn't enjoy. I also really enjoyed the Boss/Old Man/Devil and honestly could have read an entire book just about him, where he came from & everything else.
All that being said, while I appreciate a slow build up, this book was a little too slow. I understand that life on the road isn't always exciting, but I could have done with a LITTLE less road/need a bath/identity angst in the story and could have done with more intensity.
I appreciated the richness of the world Gilmin built, and think that she does a fantastic job at creating interesting and likable characters. I enjoyed Izzy & Gabriel (minus the constant inner conflict of finding themselves or inner peace). Farron was my favorite, but there really wasn't a character I didn't enjoy. I also really enjoyed the Boss/Old Man/Devil and honestly could have read an entire book just about him, where he came from & everything else.
All that being said, while I appreciate a slow build up, this book was a little too slow. I understand that life on the road isn't always exciting, but I could have done with a LITTLE less road/need a bath/identity angst in the story and could have done with more intensity.
I want to read the next one so that's a good sign. The mystery of Gabriel is frustrating and I hope we get some resolution there. I loved the descriptions of traveling and living on the road. Outdoors and alone. The dust and the tiredness. The resolution was good, unexpected and logical for the rules of this universe as we know them so far. I enjoyed Isobel's journey to understand what she has agreed to and I look forward to her next steps.
This book introduced some interesting possibilities, but did not bring the whole package together.
Fantasy elements in an Old West setting was pretty neat, I did enjoy the setting. Our main characters Isobel and Gabriel were pretty likable, although development didn't get especially deep with either of them.
My biggest problem is probably the fact that the rules of this world are not sufficiently explained, the way the magic works and such, and so we have no idea what to expect, or not. We are therefore completely unable to be at all surprised or delighted with how things go, because the book continually introduces a brand new concept, explains it, deals with it, and then we never see it again. Similarly, any time they encounter a challenge, Isobel without fail will just suddenly know how to deal with it, without knowing how she knows. How are we supposed to experience any dramatic tension this way?
Working for the devil had potential, except it's not clear why he's the devil, since the only trait he shares with the way that character is commonly perceived is he fact that he strikes deals with people. In fact, late in the book it is implied that he may not actually be THE devil, but is called that only because he makes deals. But he's clearly not human. Regardless of what he is or is not, it would have been nice to have dug a little deeper with the relationship between him and Isobel. Does he see her as a daughter?
The story elements had potential here, but I felt those were squandered In the telling, and so don't have any great interest in continuing the series.
Fantasy elements in an Old West setting was pretty neat, I did enjoy the setting. Our main characters Isobel and Gabriel were pretty likable, although development didn't get especially deep with either of them.
My biggest problem is probably the fact that the rules of this world are not sufficiently explained, the way the magic works and such, and so we have no idea what to expect, or not. We are therefore completely unable to be at all surprised or delighted with how things go, because the book continually introduces a brand new concept, explains it, deals with it, and then we never see it again. Similarly, any time they encounter a challenge, Isobel without fail will just suddenly know how to deal with it, without knowing how she knows. How are we supposed to experience any dramatic tension this way?
Working for the devil had potential, except it's not clear why he's the devil, since the only trait he shares with the way that character is commonly perceived is he fact that he strikes deals with people. In fact, late in the book it is implied that he may not actually be THE devil, but is called that only because he makes deals. But he's clearly not human. Regardless of what he is or is not, it would have been nice to have dug a little deeper with the relationship between him and Isobel. Does he see her as a daughter?
The story elements had potential here, but I felt those were squandered In the telling, and so don't have any great interest in continuing the series.
Wonderful world-building with an interesting heroine growing into the position that she's been given.
In this world, an alternate American west, the Devil has claimed a Territory encompassing the midwest of North America, and all within it must hold to his Agreement or their own Bargains. It's not clear that this is the biblical Devil, but the analogy fits and he doesn't seem to mind the name. Isobel was brought up in the Devil's house and after her sixteenth birthday she makes a Bargain with him to help him with his business and he in turn makes her the Devil's Left Hand and sends her on her way with an experienced Rider to teach her the ropes.
From there we get the slow unfolding of life on the road in the Devil's Territory and Izzy begins to explore what's needed of her as she encounters the various supernatural and human denizens of the country. She's traveling with Gabriel, an experienced Rider, who has plenty of mysteries of his own which don't get explored fully here.
After a promising start this story becomes mind-bendingly slow and never quite unfolds to anything particularly satisfying. There's something bad happening in the part of the Territory that Isobel is visiting, but her small group is mostly just chasing it down rather than actually encountering it. There's no resolution here, just the winning of a minor battle.
Too long for what it is, but it works as the first part of a promising story. In terms of rating the quality of writing and world-building wants 4 stars, but in terms of being a novel this is only the first half or third of something much bigger and this one does not come to any satisfying conclusion, or even a good stopping point.
In this world, an alternate American west, the Devil has claimed a Territory encompassing the midwest of North America, and all within it must hold to his Agreement or their own Bargains. It's not clear that this is the biblical Devil, but the analogy fits and he doesn't seem to mind the name. Isobel was brought up in the Devil's house and after her sixteenth birthday she makes a Bargain with him to help him with his business and he in turn makes her the Devil's Left Hand and sends her on her way with an experienced Rider to teach her the ropes.
From there we get the slow unfolding of life on the road in the Devil's Territory and Izzy begins to explore what's needed of her as she encounters the various supernatural and human denizens of the country. She's traveling with Gabriel, an experienced Rider, who has plenty of mysteries of his own which don't get explored fully here.
After a promising start this story becomes mind-bendingly slow and never quite unfolds to anything particularly satisfying. There's something bad happening in the part of the Territory that Isobel is visiting, but her small group is mostly just chasing it down rather than actually encountering it. There's no resolution here, just the winning of a minor battle.
Too long for what it is, but it works as the first part of a promising story. In terms of rating the quality of writing and world-building wants 4 stars, but in terms of being a novel this is only the first half or third of something much bigger and this one does not come to any satisfying conclusion, or even a good stopping point.
This book has a nice creepy feeling abiut it and some engaging characters, but in the end there are just too many loose ends.
Did this book seem really long to you? It seemed overly long to me. Things are stated and restated but not satisfactorily explained. It felt like a circuitous route to a what-even-just-happened ending.