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sleeping_while_awake's review
2.0
Silver in the West didn't really grab me, but I liked the main character. It felt like much of the plot was empty, just like the expanse of land the characters are traveling. Based on the reviews, seems like I read a different book than most readers, as I didn't like this one so much.
Izzy lives in a town called Flood, out in the land that we know as the Louisiana Purchase. The exact timepoint is not clear, but it's in the 1800s for sure, based on the map in the book and the setting.
Izzy has been raised by a man called the Devil, as her parents left her at his establishment as a young infant. Plenty of other women live with her, and they all run a saloon. Some of the women have made deals to stay, others are probably in Izzy's situation (never stated) where they are minors waiting to get old enough to leave.
The Devil isn't really the Devil, but it's apparent he has some sort of power and influence. Izzy comes of age and is allowed to make a choice, to leave Flood and venture on her own, or to make a bargain and work for the Devil.
She decides to make a bargain, and the Devil asks her to be his right hand. The Devil then asks Gabriel, a traveller passing through, to assist her. The two set off and travel the land. They uncover towns in which inhabitants vanished and a mystery ensues.
Izzy must use her wits, and be confident that as the Devil's right hand, she can gain respect and bring order to the land.
The biggest thing that irked me was the lack of explained world-building. Certainly, part of the story is for Izzy to discover what is out there, but the characters know what kind of world they are living in.
It could have been established right in the beginning with some basic parameters. Izzy could have overheard conversation in the saloon, even if it's hearsay.
My interest definitely waned as the book failed to provide any sort of further explanation of the world. I don't need everything explained, but I need something said about the major points of the world, such as magic. Like, has no one has ever seen magic but they know it happens - or everyone knows someone who is magical - or there's a town of magicians? - something, it was too vague.
It's not clear what being the Devil's right hand means. I assume it's acting as his representative and acting in the Devil's interests. By Izzy doesn't really know any politics or the people of the land, so it's hard to imagine that she can do that, other than just using her powers to destroy the bad things.
Izzy has a great personality. I appreciate a young adult that is not flipping out every second and scowling. She's level-headed with the right amount of self-doubt. She does have a touch of perfect syndrome when it comes to whatever magical powers she has. Maybe I would have believed her actions more if there was more backstory of her when she was growing up.
Gabriel intrigued me, but the name seemed a bit heavy-handed. I kind of wished it had been a female traveling with her. Gabriel traveling with the Devil's hand? The magician was weird and he spiced up things, as Gabriel and Izzy are kind of dull.
I liked the atmosphere and that it's a western. Hopefully there will be a resurgence of westerns in fantasy. I read some comparisons with this and Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear, but I far preferred that read.
There were times in the writing, during the action scenes, where things were explained in a subtle manner, or somewhat skipped over. I would find myself having to go back and re-read to figure out what happened. Maybe the writing style kept me from focusing.
Finally, what is up with the Devil having essentially a harem of women? I guess there are some men living there too, but it's focused so prominently on the women. Weirded me out a bit, as the vibe was they all loved and respected him.
There is something interesting here, but I needed a tighter plot and conflict.
Izzy lives in a town called Flood, out in the land that we know as the Louisiana Purchase. The exact timepoint is not clear, but it's in the 1800s for sure, based on the map in the book and the setting.
Izzy has been raised by a man called the Devil, as her parents left her at his establishment as a young infant. Plenty of other women live with her, and they all run a saloon. Some of the women have made deals to stay, others are probably in Izzy's situation (never stated) where they are minors waiting to get old enough to leave.
The Devil isn't really the Devil, but it's apparent he has some sort of power and influence. Izzy comes of age and is allowed to make a choice, to leave Flood and venture on her own, or to make a bargain and work for the Devil.
She decides to make a bargain, and the Devil asks her to be his right hand. The Devil then asks Gabriel, a traveller passing through, to assist her. The two set off and travel the land. They uncover towns in which inhabitants vanished and a mystery ensues.
Izzy must use her wits, and be confident that as the Devil's right hand, she can gain respect and bring order to the land.
The biggest thing that irked me was the lack of explained world-building. Certainly, part of the story is for Izzy to discover what is out there, but the characters know what kind of world they are living in.
It could have been established right in the beginning with some basic parameters. Izzy could have overheard conversation in the saloon, even if it's hearsay.
My interest definitely waned as the book failed to provide any sort of further explanation of the world. I don't need everything explained, but I need something said about the major points of the world, such as magic. Like, has no one has ever seen magic but they know it happens - or everyone knows someone who is magical - or there's a town of magicians? - something, it was too vague.
It's not clear what being the Devil's right hand means. I assume it's acting as his representative and acting in the Devil's interests. By Izzy doesn't really know any politics or the people of the land, so it's hard to imagine that she can do that, other than just using her powers to destroy the bad things.
Izzy has a great personality. I appreciate a young adult that is not flipping out every second and scowling. She's level-headed with the right amount of self-doubt. She does have a touch of perfect syndrome when it comes to whatever magical powers she has. Maybe I would have believed her actions more if there was more backstory of her when she was growing up.
Gabriel intrigued me, but the name seemed a bit heavy-handed. I kind of wished it had been a female traveling with her. Gabriel traveling with the Devil's hand? The magician was weird and he spiced up things, as Gabriel and Izzy are kind of dull.
I liked the atmosphere and that it's a western. Hopefully there will be a resurgence of westerns in fantasy. I read some comparisons with this and Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear, but I far preferred that read.
There were times in the writing, during the action scenes, where things were explained in a subtle manner, or somewhat skipped over. I would find myself having to go back and re-read to figure out what happened. Maybe the writing style kept me from focusing.
Finally, what is up with the Devil having essentially a harem of women? I guess there are some men living there too, but it's focused so prominently on the women. Weirded me out a bit, as the vibe was they all loved and respected him.
There is something interesting here, but I needed a tighter plot and conflict.
brewergnome's review
4.0
A really enjoyable story and world with a magic system that seems both familiar and mysterious and wild. I'll be interested to see where the next books take the main character.
The world, similarly, feels both familiar and new. Very well done.
The world, similarly, feels both familiar and new. Very well done.
biddywink's review
3.0
This book was slow for me. I liked Iz and Gabriel and the story was interesting. So I think the slowness is not just the book's fault, but my own. But, seriously? A giant MF-in' demon otter?! The hell.
eliashelfer's review
4.0
In Laura Anne Gilman's vision of the American Midwest, subtle but pervasive magics bring the world to life. Magicians are filled by the devouring power of the winds, and the collective force of people traveling the same pathways make them go from mere tracks to roads, throbbing with power and direction. And at the center, in the small town of Flood, sits the Devil as a subtle, benevolent tyrant - staying out of the way, as long as everybody adheres to a code that at its core is "live and let live".
Isobel was orphaned when her parents broke the compact between the Devil and the American Indians of his Territory, and brought to Flood to be brought up at the Devil's household as an indentured servant. But now, on her 16th birthday, her contract runs out, and she must decide what to do with her adult life. She decides to enter into the devil's service as his Left Hand, his agent on the road in the territory.
The pace of the book is mostly calm and the storytelling down to earth. Much of the book shows us the daily life on the road and the interactions between Isobel and the people of the Devil's Territory. This is also the strong side of the book. The people are mostly nuanced, engaging, and sympathetic, whether they are regular housewives and miners or Indian medicine people, wind-possessed magicians or half-wild spirits of nature. The daily life displays the routine and humdrum of travel, which, besides painting being enjoyable reads in themselves, also provide good counterpoints to the moments of action and suspense that structure the plot of the book.
The plot is the weakest point of the book. While the build-up to the mystery is filled with good moments of suspense and mild horror, the revelation of the nature of the threat is anticlimactic and explained in rather vague terms that don't quite make sense to me within the framework of the world, and the resolution seems rushed. Also, the closest thing the book has to a villain is one of the most one-sided and stereotypical characters, which is a pity in a book that treats so many of its characters with so much love and nuance.
Silver on the Road is an engaging read, and I am eager to get to know more of its world and the people in it. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Just don't expect a fantasy western full of gunslinging and dastardly monsters. Also, I hope Gilman tunes her plot machine for the next one, either giving the plot the space it needs, or making it more about the characters who seem to be the main focus of the book anyway.
Isobel was orphaned when her parents broke the compact between the Devil and the American Indians of his Territory, and brought to Flood to be brought up at the Devil's household as an indentured servant. But now, on her 16th birthday, her contract runs out, and she must decide what to do with her adult life. She decides to enter into the devil's service as his Left Hand, his agent on the road in the territory.
The pace of the book is mostly calm and the storytelling down to earth. Much of the book shows us the daily life on the road and the interactions between Isobel and the people of the Devil's Territory. This is also the strong side of the book. The people are mostly nuanced, engaging, and sympathetic, whether they are regular housewives and miners or Indian medicine people, wind-possessed magicians or half-wild spirits of nature. The daily life displays the routine and humdrum of travel, which, besides painting being enjoyable reads in themselves, also provide good counterpoints to the moments of action and suspense that structure the plot of the book.
The plot is the weakest point of the book. While the build-up to the mystery is filled with good moments of suspense and mild horror, the revelation of the nature of the threat is anticlimactic and explained in rather vague terms that don't quite make sense to me within the framework of the world, and the resolution seems rushed. Also, the closest thing the book has to a villain is one of the most one-sided and stereotypical characters, which is a pity in a book that treats so many of its characters with so much love and nuance.
Silver on the Road is an engaging read, and I am eager to get to know more of its world and the people in it. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Just don't expect a fantasy western full of gunslinging and dastardly monsters. Also, I hope Gilman tunes her plot machine for the next one, either giving the plot the space it needs, or making it more about the characters who seem to be the main focus of the book anyway.
abookishtype's review
4.0
Laura Anne Gilman’s Silver on the Road was featured in a post on io9 about new fantasy/western fiction and it’s blend of a western setting with magic was extremely tempting. In Silver on the Road, we are introduced to a magical not-American west ruled by a man everyone calls the devil. Izzy has worked for him since she was a small child. Now that she’s 16, she has the choice of striking out on her own or continuing to work for the boss...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
jesshale's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did, having picked it up on the basis of a glowing review. It left me cold - I got though to the end on stubbornness, not through any desire to keep turning pages to see what happened next. I don't feel the urge to keep an eye out for the next book in the series.
A lot of reviews rave about Izzy's character, and it's true that the idea of her is interesting. However, after she got on the road I found her a bit boring. She and Gabriel rode. It was dusty and she rebraided her hair. Gabriel was Mysterious and thought that he needed to teach her more (without actually doing it). Izzy feels confused about what she's doing. They come across Something Odd and remain in the dark about it or some kind of obscure magic happens - which I, as the reader, never really got a grasp on. Rinse and repeat.
To be honest, I'm more invested in the ongoing survival of the mule Flatfoot than I am of the other characters.
A lot of reviews rave about Izzy's character, and it's true that the idea of her is interesting. However, after she got on the road I found her a bit boring. She and Gabriel rode. It was dusty and she rebraided her hair. Gabriel was Mysterious and thought that he needed to teach her more (without actually doing it). Izzy feels confused about what she's doing. They come across Something Odd and remain in the dark about it or some kind of obscure magic happens - which I, as the reader, never really got a grasp on. Rinse and repeat.
To be honest, I'm more invested in the ongoing survival of the mule Flatfoot than I am of the other characters.
wingedpotato's review
4.0
4.5 stars. I loved this book. It truly felt "western" but still fantastical. I personally loved its slow, deliberate pace, which gave me time to inhabit the world and really get to know the characters. Excited to read the next in the series.
genjessa's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A beautifully written, slow burn of a story set in an Old West that never quite existed, but has roots deep in American history. If, like me, you love fantasy but you're tired of medieval Europe, this story is a gust of grass-scented fresh air.
If you're looking for a densely-plotted, fast-paced novel, this is not your read. If you like character-driven, folklore-inspired tales where the location is as much a character as the people in it (like a sinister house in a gothic novel), then look no farther.
If you're looking for a densely-plotted, fast-paced novel, this is not your read. If you like character-driven, folklore-inspired tales where the location is as much a character as the people in it (like a sinister house in a gothic novel), then look no farther.
sabrinav625's review
2.0
The beginning of this book was awesome. It was western, grungy, fun and centered around the Devil's living quarters.
Then it was travel, travel, travel... not a lot of action, and the action I found tremendously hard to visualize. It took me way too long to finish this book mainly because I wasn't all that interested in picking it up after the beginning section came to an end. I came in with high hopes for pro-Devil book and I found it fell short of what I was looking for.
Then it was travel, travel, travel... not a lot of action, and the action I found tremendously hard to visualize. It took me way too long to finish this book mainly because I wasn't all that interested in picking it up after the beginning section came to an end. I came in with high hopes for pro-Devil book and I found it fell short of what I was looking for.
ajupton76's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. It was a nice mix of fantasy and western. I enjoyed the world that the author built and her geography gave it a bit of an 'alternate history' feel to it. I found the pace of the story to be a bit slow, especially at the beginning. I feel it picks up a bit further in or maybe it's because of the action/suspense that occurs farther into the story. I do wish that the author had not left us hanging in regards to the companion of the main character. All in all, an enjoyable book and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series!!