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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
This is one of those books that the word "atmospheric" seems to be designed for. There is a lot of traveling, and a lot of internal development for the main character, but fairly limited "action," overall. The writing is so vivid, though, that you will be confused if you look up from reading, and find yourself anywhere other than a dry and dusty campsite in the American Southwest.
This is a fun alternative history book where the West is owned by the Devil (or at least that's what the Spanish called him - everyone in the territory calls him the Boss). It's a kind of coming of age story about a woman who has agreed to work for the Boss and is learning the ropes of the road where crossroads really are dangerous and silver will protect you.
I see that it's book 1 so I'm curious where the author is planning to take the series.
I see that it's book 1 so I'm curious where the author is planning to take the series.
The wind warns of something coming. Something with power. Power and ill intent. We can taste it.
I try not to read too many reviews about a book before I dive in, obviously I want to get a sense of the story but I don't want to know too much. This is one of those occasions when my limited knowledge of a book hindered my initial enjoyment. I came in expecting a rollicking, action packed weird western but ended up with something a little more in depth and thought provoking than I expected.
With my expectations firmly in place, the first part of the book seemed slow and tedious. Isobel is about to come of age after working in the town of Flood in the Territory controlled by the devil. The Territory, stuck in between the United States to the east and the Spanish Protectorate to the south and west, was claimed by the devil and the area is constantly being probed by outsiders. Isobel has a choice to make, she can stay on in the Territory or move on to a new life. Hoping to apprentice under the devil's right hand, she strikes a Bargain with the devil only to discover he intends to make her his left hand. The day after her Bargain, she is set up to ride the Territory with a Rider named Gabriel. Their relationship and this excursion makes up the bulk of the rest of the story.
Plenty of world building and setup throughout the book, interspersed with moments of action. There is an underlying feeling of tension and impending danger that sits just out of sight which lends well to Isobel trying to figure out what she has agreed to with her Bargain. She struggles to figure out what it means to be the devil's left hand and just what her inherent power is and how best to use it.
So even though I thought the first part was slow I ended up enjoying the story once I got used to the idea of a slow building story and world. Some interesting run ins with Native Americans, Dust Dancers, Fetches and magicians
If you ever see a magician, run. Do not pause, do not speak, by all that you value, do not catch their attention, just run.
and an glimpse of a misinterpretation of the devil himself, peaks my interest in the next book.
7/10
I try not to read too many reviews about a book before I dive in, obviously I want to get a sense of the story but I don't want to know too much. This is one of those occasions when my limited knowledge of a book hindered my initial enjoyment. I came in expecting a rollicking, action packed weird western but ended up with something a little more in depth and thought provoking than I expected.
With my expectations firmly in place, the first part of the book seemed slow and tedious. Isobel is about to come of age after working in the town of Flood in the Territory controlled by the devil. The Territory, stuck in between the United States to the east and the Spanish Protectorate to the south and west, was claimed by the devil and the area is constantly being probed by outsiders. Isobel has a choice to make, she can stay on in the Territory or move on to a new life. Hoping to apprentice under the devil's right hand, she strikes a Bargain with the devil only to discover he intends to make her his left hand. The day after her Bargain, she is set up to ride the Territory with a Rider named Gabriel. Their relationship and this excursion makes up the bulk of the rest of the story.
Plenty of world building and setup throughout the book, interspersed with moments of action. There is an underlying feeling of tension and impending danger that sits just out of sight which lends well to Isobel trying to figure out what she has agreed to with her Bargain. She struggles to figure out what it means to be the devil's left hand and just what her inherent power is and how best to use it.
So even though I thought the first part was slow I ended up enjoying the story once I got used to the idea of a slow building story and world. Some interesting run ins with Native Americans, Dust Dancers, Fetches and magicians
If you ever see a magician, run. Do not pause, do not speak, by all that you value, do not catch their attention, just run.
and an glimpse of a misinterpretation of the devil himself, peaks my interest in the next book.
7/10
Gilman has created a fascinating world, a version of the wild west where the devil holds sway and sixteen-year-old Isobel has newly become his Hand, sent out on the road under the tutelage of Gabriel, a rider who may or may not be more tied to the unseen currents of power in the Territory than he initially appears.
Isobel's journeys, both literal and figurative, undertaken as she wrestles with the exact nature of the bargain she has made with her boss form the heart of this book. The story is as much about Isobel growing up as it is about her attempts to rid the land of an evil that seems to be sweeping across it. I very much enjoyed the descriptions of life on the road and of Isobel's views slowly shifting as she both experiences and comes to appreciate aspects of her newfound life.
The characters in this book are fabulous. Isobel was likable and easy to relate to; Farron, a magician they encounter along the way, was entertaining and hilarious; the descriptions of their horses and mule were tongue-in-cheek and enjoyable. But it is Gabriel who stole the show for me. Experienced, witty, drawn to Isobel and appreciative of her strength and fortitude... Yes, Gabriel completely won me over. But he was always, always realistic, which I appreciated immensely.
I'm very much looking forward to future books in this series. Isobel's journey is far from over, and I eagerly anticipate more steps in her journey toward womanhood and the time that she truly comes into her own as the devil's Hand. But more than anything I cannot WAIT for more interactions with Gabriel. There is a wealth of story to mine here, and I will continue down the roads with these characters with eenthusiasm.
Isobel's journeys, both literal and figurative, undertaken as she wrestles with the exact nature of the bargain she has made with her boss form the heart of this book. The story is as much about Isobel growing up as it is about her attempts to rid the land of an evil that seems to be sweeping across it. I very much enjoyed the descriptions of life on the road and of Isobel's views slowly shifting as she both experiences and comes to appreciate aspects of her newfound life.
The characters in this book are fabulous. Isobel was likable and easy to relate to; Farron, a magician they encounter along the way, was entertaining and hilarious; the descriptions of their horses and mule were tongue-in-cheek and enjoyable. But it is Gabriel who stole the show for me. Experienced, witty, drawn to Isobel and appreciative of her strength and fortitude... Yes, Gabriel completely won me over. But he was always, always realistic, which I appreciated immensely.
I'm very much looking forward to future books in this series. Isobel's journey is far from over, and I eagerly anticipate more steps in her journey toward womanhood and the time that she truly comes into her own as the devil's Hand. But more than anything I cannot WAIT for more interactions with Gabriel. There is a wealth of story to mine here, and I will continue down the roads with these characters with eenthusiasm.
I enjoyed this rather a lot. It was well written and drew me in slowly, as it unfolded slowly. Although the MC is just 16 it doesn't read like YA to me. That's not to say that it's not YA because of sex, in fact there is no sex in it. It's because the MC seems quite mature, if inexperienced, and is someone whose inner dialog is reasonable and thoughtful. It's not easy to forget her youth, due to her inexperience, but her approach to crisis and the things she is trying to resolve are handled maturely.
I'll definitely read the next.
I'll definitely read the next.
Please give me a helpful vote at http://www.amazon.com/review/RWRXXM7VJIHMK/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
The field of "Spaghetti Western Urban Fantasies" seems to be burgeoning. I really enjoyed the alt.hist/western/fantasy of John Horner Jacobs' [[ASIN:B00JEIPHOI The Incorruptibles]], with its what if there was magic in the world, the Indians were actually Elves, and the Roman Empire had survived into (our) 19th century.
Laura Anne Gilman's Silver on the Road seems to be another entry into this field. The setting of the book is in the Louisiana Purchase territory of the Plains and Rocky states. From internal clues, it seems that the period is during the early 18th century, perhaps during the Jefferson administration.
But from there the similarity ends. The Louisiana Purchase territory is "The Devil's West" and a person identified as the "Devil" lives there. Is he Lucifer? There is no indication of that, but the Devil seems to have magical powers that even other powerful entities are fearful of.
The Devil is not the main character of the story. That role falls to Isobel, a sixteen year old girl indentured to the Devil, who has spent her life working in the Devil's saloon and hotel in Flood. At sixteen, her indenture is about to end and she must decide what to do with the rest of her life. She has a chance encounter with a "rider" named Gabriel Kasun, who offers to mentor her into the life of a rider. Isobel refuses, but decides to become "the Devil's left-hand," which involves traveling the Devil's Territory as an agent of the Devil. This means that she has to become a rider after all, and Kasun becomes her mentor in this role.
The story becomes and introduction to Gilman's world, as well as something of a coming of age story. We learn that there are demons and magic in this world. Magicians exist, are well-nigh impervious and wildly unpredictable and dangerous. There are demons that are more predatory animals than demonic powers. Magic exists and some people have gifts, but walking through an unchecked crossroads can kill.
Isobel discovers that an evil entity has been loosed on the West and makes it her mission to fit the evil. We learn that this evil is the result of a magical working in the Catholic Spanish territories and Isobel and Kasun meet up with and form an uneasy alliance with Catholic monks and a magician to end the evil.
This story felt long and slow-moving. Questions were raised but never answered, e.g., what's the deal with Gabriel's binding to the territory? What role do riders play in the economic system? Why does it seem like the settlement patterns and technology of the West in 1800 seem more like the West in 1880? Who is the Devil?
This is, however, Book 1 of a longer series - trilogy, quadrilogy, who knows?
I didn't like this story as much as I liked The Incorruptibles. Perhaps, Isobel was a more passive character, or maybe there was the feeling of "Mary Sue" as Isobel discovered new powers without explanation.
Another point I didn't like was the sudden hostility of anti-Catholic prejudice. The story depicts a sort of "live and let live" ethos where magic users are tolerated, and the occasional bible-thumper is treated with patronizing contempt, but when Catholic monks appear - who are, to be fair, trying to help the Devil's West by undoing a Spanish curse - we get treated to prose like this:
"The friar who had been doing the actual fighting took a step forward at that, raising his staff, and Gabriel stepped between them, arms outstretched. “Pax, pax. Farron, close your mouth.” Then he turned to glare at the men in robes. “Not that I’ve any love for your kind, Spaniard or Church. Tell me why we shouldn’t call that demon back and let it finish you.”
And:
"“Thank you,” Manuel said to the three of them, also rising. “I know . . . This place, this land, it makes us uneasy.” He shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the other fire, where his companions gathered. “It presses at us in our dreams and does not let us rest. Bernardo, you do not see him as he is, a good man, an honest man. . . . He wishes only to stop this so that souls may be saved from eternal damnation.”
Gabriel wanted to scorn the man, to pity his uselessness, but there was something in his words that rejected both scorn and pity. But they were still fools. “Do you have any idea how to do that, or did you race in here thinking that the purity of your souls was all that was needed?”"
And:
“They’re religious men,” he said dryly. “I’ve no doubt they’ll be up and on their knees before we wake.” The thought made Isobel wince, and Farron let out a quiet snort.
I understand that in this work of fiction, it is stipulated that these monks would burn the good folk of the Devil's Territory as ungodly, satanic witches, but there is something in the change of tone - on the part even of Isobel who has never met a Catholic or Spaniard before - that is surprising and grating to anyone who doesn't start with the buried assumption that those Catholics are the Satanic Other....which is a strange tone for a book that features the Devil as, perhaps, an attractive character. We need some "bad guys" to vent some spleen on, and it seems that it would be politically incorrect to make demons and the Devil the bad guys.
My concern, also, is that we see this kind of conventional prejudice that comes out of the blue in other books. I noted it in [[ASIN:B00DIJYFBA Ghost Detective (A Myron Vale Investigation Book 1)]]. It is not as bad in this book, but it just seemed to much of a modern agenda anachronistically expressing itself in the views of the characters (albeit anti-Catholicism would have been entirely appropriate among Protestant Christian Americans of the period, but it would not have sounded like modern anti-Catholicism by mocking kneeling and concern for the purity of souls.)
This is really a nit, on my part. This point doesn't undermine the generally well-crafted story. I am curious about how this story will develop, but I think I would want more development of the history and logic of this alternate reality in the next book.
The field of "Spaghetti Western Urban Fantasies" seems to be burgeoning. I really enjoyed the alt.hist/western/fantasy of John Horner Jacobs' [[ASIN:B00JEIPHOI The Incorruptibles]], with its what if there was magic in the world, the Indians were actually Elves, and the Roman Empire had survived into (our) 19th century.
Laura Anne Gilman's Silver on the Road seems to be another entry into this field. The setting of the book is in the Louisiana Purchase territory of the Plains and Rocky states. From internal clues, it seems that the period is during the early 18th century, perhaps during the Jefferson administration.
But from there the similarity ends. The Louisiana Purchase territory is "The Devil's West" and a person identified as the "Devil" lives there. Is he Lucifer? There is no indication of that, but the Devil seems to have magical powers that even other powerful entities are fearful of.
The Devil is not the main character of the story. That role falls to Isobel, a sixteen year old girl indentured to the Devil, who has spent her life working in the Devil's saloon and hotel in Flood. At sixteen, her indenture is about to end and she must decide what to do with the rest of her life. She has a chance encounter with a "rider" named Gabriel Kasun, who offers to mentor her into the life of a rider. Isobel refuses, but decides to become "the Devil's left-hand," which involves traveling the Devil's Territory as an agent of the Devil. This means that she has to become a rider after all, and Kasun becomes her mentor in this role.
The story becomes and introduction to Gilman's world, as well as something of a coming of age story. We learn that there are demons and magic in this world. Magicians exist, are well-nigh impervious and wildly unpredictable and dangerous. There are demons that are more predatory animals than demonic powers. Magic exists and some people have gifts, but walking through an unchecked crossroads can kill.
Isobel discovers that an evil entity has been loosed on the West and makes it her mission to fit the evil. We learn that this evil is the result of a magical working in the Catholic Spanish territories and Isobel and Kasun meet up with and form an uneasy alliance with Catholic monks and a magician to end the evil.
This story felt long and slow-moving. Questions were raised but never answered, e.g., what's the deal with Gabriel's binding to the territory? What role do riders play in the economic system? Why does it seem like the settlement patterns and technology of the West in 1800 seem more like the West in 1880? Who is the Devil?
This is, however, Book 1 of a longer series - trilogy, quadrilogy, who knows?
I didn't like this story as much as I liked The Incorruptibles. Perhaps, Isobel was a more passive character, or maybe there was the feeling of "Mary Sue" as Isobel discovered new powers without explanation.
Another point I didn't like was the sudden hostility of anti-Catholic prejudice. The story depicts a sort of "live and let live" ethos where magic users are tolerated, and the occasional bible-thumper is treated with patronizing contempt, but when Catholic monks appear - who are, to be fair, trying to help the Devil's West by undoing a Spanish curse - we get treated to prose like this:
"The friar who had been doing the actual fighting took a step forward at that, raising his staff, and Gabriel stepped between them, arms outstretched. “Pax, pax. Farron, close your mouth.” Then he turned to glare at the men in robes. “Not that I’ve any love for your kind, Spaniard or Church. Tell me why we shouldn’t call that demon back and let it finish you.”
And:
"“Thank you,” Manuel said to the three of them, also rising. “I know . . . This place, this land, it makes us uneasy.” He shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the other fire, where his companions gathered. “It presses at us in our dreams and does not let us rest. Bernardo, you do not see him as he is, a good man, an honest man. . . . He wishes only to stop this so that souls may be saved from eternal damnation.”
Gabriel wanted to scorn the man, to pity his uselessness, but there was something in his words that rejected both scorn and pity. But they were still fools. “Do you have any idea how to do that, or did you race in here thinking that the purity of your souls was all that was needed?”"
And:
“They’re religious men,” he said dryly. “I’ve no doubt they’ll be up and on their knees before we wake.” The thought made Isobel wince, and Farron let out a quiet snort.
I understand that in this work of fiction, it is stipulated that these monks would burn the good folk of the Devil's Territory as ungodly, satanic witches, but there is something in the change of tone - on the part even of Isobel who has never met a Catholic or Spaniard before - that is surprising and grating to anyone who doesn't start with the buried assumption that those Catholics are the Satanic Other....which is a strange tone for a book that features the Devil as, perhaps, an attractive character. We need some "bad guys" to vent some spleen on, and it seems that it would be politically incorrect to make demons and the Devil the bad guys.
My concern, also, is that we see this kind of conventional prejudice that comes out of the blue in other books. I noted it in [[ASIN:B00DIJYFBA Ghost Detective (A Myron Vale Investigation Book 1)]]. It is not as bad in this book, but it just seemed to much of a modern agenda anachronistically expressing itself in the views of the characters (albeit anti-Catholicism would have been entirely appropriate among Protestant Christian Americans of the period, but it would not have sounded like modern anti-Catholicism by mocking kneeling and concern for the purity of souls.)
This is really a nit, on my part. This point doesn't undermine the generally well-crafted story. I am curious about how this story will develop, but I think I would want more development of the history and logic of this alternate reality in the next book.
Isobel has grown up in the town of Flood, in the saloon inhabited by the Old Man, the devil himself. It is known to all who live in the Territory, the area west of the Mississippi, that the devil always deals a fair hand. If you make a Bargain with him, he will give you exactly what you want, but you need to be careful you are sure exactly what you ask for. When Isobel turns sixteen, she is free to make her own way in the world, or to stay in Flood, continuing to work in the saloon. Yet Isobel yearns for more. She wants respect and power and the devil offers to make her his Left Hand. He already has a Right Hand, serving him well. Now he offers Isobel the chance to travel the Territory and be his eyes and ears. She accepts, despite warnings from others, but realises very quickly that she had no idea what she signed up for.
The day after her Bargain is signed, Isobel is sent off into the wilderness accompanied by Gabriel Katsun, an enigmatic card sharp who offered to mentor her on the road. Isobel is confused and a bit hurt that she's being sent away from the only home she's ever known, but can't deny that she's being given exactly what she was dreaming of before her birthday. Not that she's given any indication of what she's supposed to do or learn while on her journey. This is clearly something the devil expects her to discover on her own. After a few initially rough days, as Isobel gets accustomed to riding and sleeping rough, they settle into a pleasant routine. As they ride further away from Flood though, it's clear that there is something badly wrong going on in the Territory, some mysterious evil of unknown origin, causing sudden sickness or whole towns to be emptied entirely of both people and livestock. While she feels helpless and confused, it's also clear that as the devil's Left Hand, it is young Isobel's job to track down the source of this contamination and try to stop it.
I really didn't know entirely what to expect from this book, but it appeared on more than one best of 2015 list in the latter half on last year, and the premise sounded intriguing. The devil in control of a large area of land in the Old West, with a sixteen year old girl as his agent? The book was on sale after Christmas, and as is so often the case, I bought it and promptly forgot about it, until it was selected as the May 2016 selection of the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club. Having followed the ladies for four years, I am fully aware that there are the occasional great selections and the frequently quite rubbish selections in this club. This book has a solid 4.0 rating on Goodreads however, and I remembered all those positive reviews I'd read. It seemed like a good time to try something different.
Unlike my husband, I'm not really a huge fan of Westerns. I've seen a few, and I watched the husband play through the entirety of Red Dead Redemption, but it's not a genre that I have a lot of experience with or find especially appealing. This book takes its time to establish the setting and the characters, and because we follow along with Isobel, we learn as she learns. That means things are only very slowly revealed and the reader needs to be patient. Don't expect a break-neck pace or a number of thrilling action set-pieces (although there's absolutely a creeping danger lurking and the occasional really shocking display of danger). A lot of the book is Isobel and Gabriel slowly riding through the countryside, with Isobel learning the ways of the riders and the lay of the land.
This is an alternate history of sorts, where while the United States were in their infancy, the large unsettled area west of the Mississippi is controlled by the man the Christians like to name the devil. He is clearly a man of great power, but it doesn't seem unlimited and he certainly doesn't tempt men or women into sin, as they are more than capable of doing that themselves. Within his territory, his word is law and he has ancient agreements with the native peoples and the various creatures and spirits who dwell there. Different rules apply, and its inhabitants are sometimes blessed with unusual powers. Gabriel, for instance, can sense water and Isobel's old friend Alice can coax plants to grow. After making her bargain with the devil, Isobel becomes aware that she too has powers, but are they her own to do with as she pleases, or is she but a tool for the Old Man?
While Isobel and Gabriel spend a lot of time alone on the road together, there is refreshingly not a hint of romantic tension between them, only a growing friendship and the bond between an mentor and his charge. Gabriel has made his own bargain with the devil, putting himself in that man's debt. By taking Isobel around the territory, protecting her and showing her the ways of the riders, Gabriel will, at the end of a successfully completed mission, be given a measure of peace. He is a mysterious character, whose past is not fully revealed, but it is clear that for reasons not yet revealed to Isobel and the reader, he is bound to the Territory somehow, and the years he spent away in the United States came at a cost to him. He is connected to the land in a different way from Isobel, although I suspect the extent to which and the truth of his origin will be revealed in a later book.
This is a coming of age story, with Isobel having lived a sheltered life for her first sixteen years, wishing for more than she could handle and having to come to terms with what her bargain will actually entail. As the true extent of the danger is revealed, her initial instincts implore her to tuck her tail between her legs and flee back to Flood. This is obviously not an option, however, and as the story progresses, Isobel, cast adrift without any real guidance, has to try to figure out she can actually do in her capacity as the Left Hand of the devil and what responsibilities comes with the bargain she struck. While there are other powerful beings in the Territory, she acts for the Old Man and is therefore expected to figure out a solution. She may only be sixteen, and she may not have known what she actually asked for, but she's stuck in the bargain she made, and does a lot of growing up over the course of the story.
Clearly this is the first book in a series, and while some of the danger has defeated and contained at the end of the story, there is much left to do for Isobel and Gabriel. According to the [a:Laura Anne Gilman|168090|Laura Anne Gilman|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1254740511p2/168090.jpg]'s website, the second book is out in October of this year. As I really liked the world-building, the quiet pacing, the various characters established and am intrigued to see where the story goes next, I'm absolutely going to keep my eye out for any sequels. This was a surprising and satisfying read.
Judging a book by its cover: It's not exactly the most exciting of covers, and I doubt I would have added this book to my TBR list and later bought it in an e-book sale, if there hadn't been so much positive hype about this book in the second half of last year. The cover isn't very flashy, but captures the content remarkably well. This is a slow-paced and introspective book and the many earth tones of the cover fit the story really well. The dusty ground, the sparse mountains. The dark-haired, plainly dressed girl, clearly meant to be Isobel, glowing with silver light to show her powers and connection with the Territory. Having all the writing be in silver, the colour of protection is also fitting. Now that I've read the book, I'm glad they didn't do something colourful and attention-grabbing with the cover. It's simple and elegant and very fitting.
The day after her Bargain is signed, Isobel is sent off into the wilderness accompanied by Gabriel Katsun, an enigmatic card sharp who offered to mentor her on the road. Isobel is confused and a bit hurt that she's being sent away from the only home she's ever known, but can't deny that she's being given exactly what she was dreaming of before her birthday. Not that she's given any indication of what she's supposed to do or learn while on her journey. This is clearly something the devil expects her to discover on her own. After a few initially rough days, as Isobel gets accustomed to riding and sleeping rough, they settle into a pleasant routine. As they ride further away from Flood though, it's clear that there is something badly wrong going on in the Territory, some mysterious evil of unknown origin, causing sudden sickness or whole towns to be emptied entirely of both people and livestock. While she feels helpless and confused, it's also clear that as the devil's Left Hand, it is young Isobel's job to track down the source of this contamination and try to stop it.
I really didn't know entirely what to expect from this book, but it appeared on more than one best of 2015 list in the latter half on last year, and the premise sounded intriguing. The devil in control of a large area of land in the Old West, with a sixteen year old girl as his agent? The book was on sale after Christmas, and as is so often the case, I bought it and promptly forgot about it, until it was selected as the May 2016 selection of the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club. Having followed the ladies for four years, I am fully aware that there are the occasional great selections and the frequently quite rubbish selections in this club. This book has a solid 4.0 rating on Goodreads however, and I remembered all those positive reviews I'd read. It seemed like a good time to try something different.
Unlike my husband, I'm not really a huge fan of Westerns. I've seen a few, and I watched the husband play through the entirety of Red Dead Redemption, but it's not a genre that I have a lot of experience with or find especially appealing. This book takes its time to establish the setting and the characters, and because we follow along with Isobel, we learn as she learns. That means things are only very slowly revealed and the reader needs to be patient. Don't expect a break-neck pace or a number of thrilling action set-pieces (although there's absolutely a creeping danger lurking and the occasional really shocking display of danger). A lot of the book is Isobel and Gabriel slowly riding through the countryside, with Isobel learning the ways of the riders and the lay of the land.
This is an alternate history of sorts, where while the United States were in their infancy, the large unsettled area west of the Mississippi is controlled by the man the Christians like to name the devil. He is clearly a man of great power, but it doesn't seem unlimited and he certainly doesn't tempt men or women into sin, as they are more than capable of doing that themselves. Within his territory, his word is law and he has ancient agreements with the native peoples and the various creatures and spirits who dwell there. Different rules apply, and its inhabitants are sometimes blessed with unusual powers. Gabriel, for instance, can sense water and Isobel's old friend Alice can coax plants to grow. After making her bargain with the devil, Isobel becomes aware that she too has powers, but are they her own to do with as she pleases, or is she but a tool for the Old Man?
While Isobel and Gabriel spend a lot of time alone on the road together, there is refreshingly not a hint of romantic tension between them, only a growing friendship and the bond between an mentor and his charge. Gabriel has made his own bargain with the devil, putting himself in that man's debt. By taking Isobel around the territory, protecting her and showing her the ways of the riders, Gabriel will, at the end of a successfully completed mission, be given a measure of peace. He is a mysterious character, whose past is not fully revealed, but it is clear that for reasons not yet revealed to Isobel and the reader, he is bound to the Territory somehow, and the years he spent away in the United States came at a cost to him. He is connected to the land in a different way from Isobel, although I suspect the extent to which and the truth of his origin will be revealed in a later book.
This is a coming of age story, with Isobel having lived a sheltered life for her first sixteen years, wishing for more than she could handle and having to come to terms with what her bargain will actually entail. As the true extent of the danger is revealed, her initial instincts implore her to tuck her tail between her legs and flee back to Flood. This is obviously not an option, however, and as the story progresses, Isobel, cast adrift without any real guidance, has to try to figure out she can actually do in her capacity as the Left Hand of the devil and what responsibilities comes with the bargain she struck. While there are other powerful beings in the Territory, she acts for the Old Man and is therefore expected to figure out a solution. She may only be sixteen, and she may not have known what she actually asked for, but she's stuck in the bargain she made, and does a lot of growing up over the course of the story.
Clearly this is the first book in a series, and while some of the danger has defeated and contained at the end of the story, there is much left to do for Isobel and Gabriel. According to the [a:Laura Anne Gilman|168090|Laura Anne Gilman|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1254740511p2/168090.jpg]'s website, the second book is out in October of this year. As I really liked the world-building, the quiet pacing, the various characters established and am intrigued to see where the story goes next, I'm absolutely going to keep my eye out for any sequels. This was a surprising and satisfying read.
Judging a book by its cover: It's not exactly the most exciting of covers, and I doubt I would have added this book to my TBR list and later bought it in an e-book sale, if there hadn't been so much positive hype about this book in the second half of last year. The cover isn't very flashy, but captures the content remarkably well. This is a slow-paced and introspective book and the many earth tones of the cover fit the story really well. The dusty ground, the sparse mountains. The dark-haired, plainly dressed girl, clearly meant to be Isobel, glowing with silver light to show her powers and connection with the Territory. Having all the writing be in silver, the colour of protection is also fitting. Now that I've read the book, I'm glad they didn't do something colourful and attention-grabbing with the cover. It's simple and elegant and very fitting.
Meh, this book had a great idea but wasted it. It lacked coherent writing, a well-developed plot, and could have used some serious copy editing to make the writing clearer. Kind of disappointing.
Wonderful world-building, interesting characters, but a kind of slow plot. I liked the twist at the end (and the set up for future books), but the story wasn't as satisfying as some of Gilman's other books.