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A review by emtees
Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I rated this a little higher than I wanted to because I think I tend to be too hard on novellas. I always get frustrated when they introduce a whole world and then end before you’ve had a chance to see much of it. That doesn’t mean that the book should be longer, just that I want it to be, but in this case I think this story could have used a few more chapters, especially at the end. The story introduces a really cool alternate-history steampunk America and, considering the short page count, we actually see or at least hear about a lot of it, from the free state of Texas, patrolling their borders with their beloved guns, to the western territory ruled by the Five Civilized Tribes, a powerful federation of Indigenous Americans, to the imperial power of a Jamaica with a very different history. I would love to have seen more of this world, but I don’t think we necessarily needed to; enough of it’s history, complex power structures and unique technology comes through in the story we get. It’s just the plot that gets a little muddled.
”Beneath the power of empire is the problem of justice. Peel that back and beneath the power of justice is the problem of violence.”
The story is about Desmond Coke, a sort of Jamaican secret agent who goes on the run with a young boy, Lij, who is wanted by pretty much all the powerful figures in this world because of his unique origins. As they travel, Desmond and Lij pick up both enemies and potential allies. Desmond, a thoughtful and complex character, also ponders all kinds of political and philosophical questions and the story examines concepts like colonialism, power, violence and justice. It also looks at the power of stories and storytelling. There is a lot packed into its short length. Like I said, though, I think it gets a bit rushed at a certain point. The first two-thirds flow nicely, but the ending seems to barrel through events without any real explanation and conflicts are wrapped up too neatly. While some of the open questions add to the feel of the story, others just feel like dropped plot points.Especially the question of what happened when Cayt touched Lij’s mind; I was fine with not knowing what Lij’s deal really was, but considering that after her encounter with him, the main antagonist of the book just gave up and walked away, I felt like we needed a little more explanation. I also would have liked the book to touch at least a little bit more on Desmond’s belief that Lij’s unique behavior - very obviously autism, though no one in the book seemed to recognize it - was the result of his cloning and/or the process used to raise him. That’s a slightly uncomfortable implication, though a logical conclusion within the world of the story, and while I chose to believe Desmond was simply wrong, I wish it had been addressed.
That’s my only criticism, though; otherwise this is a really strong novella with great characters and a fascinating setting.
”Beneath the power of empire is the problem of justice. Peel that back and beneath the power of justice is the problem of violence.”
The story is about Desmond Coke, a sort of Jamaican secret agent who goes on the run with a young boy, Lij, who is wanted by pretty much all the powerful figures in this world because of his unique origins. As they travel, Desmond and Lij pick up both enemies and potential allies. Desmond, a thoughtful and complex character, also ponders all kinds of political and philosophical questions and the story examines concepts like colonialism, power, violence and justice. It also looks at the power of stories and storytelling. There is a lot packed into its short length. Like I said, though, I think it gets a bit rushed at a certain point. The first two-thirds flow nicely, but the ending seems to barrel through events without any real explanation and conflicts are wrapped up too neatly. While some of the open questions add to the feel of the story, others just feel like dropped plot points.
That’s my only criticism, though; otherwise this is a really strong novella with great characters and a fascinating setting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence