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A review by bethanymiller415
The Broken Lands by Kate Milford
3.0
The Broken Lands is set in an alternate version of New York in 1877; the Civil War is over and slavery has been abolished, but the country is still in a state of unrest. Walking amongst the humans are human-like roamers, one of whom is looking to claim New York City for his own. Sam is an orphan who earns his living as a card sharp on Coney Island. Jin is a young Chinese girl who creates beautiful fireworks displays with her uncle Liao. The two meet by chance at The Broken Lands Hotel where Fata Morgana Fireworks Company is putting on a display. When Jin stumbles upon the victim of a gruesome murder, the two are drawn into a world they didn’t know existed, and the become instrumental in saving New York and Brooklyn from roamer Jack Hellcoal, who is determined to take it for his own.
The Broken Lands is an interesting mix of supernatural and historical fiction. The sights, sounds and smells of late 19th century New York really leap off the page and draw the reader into the setting. The yet-to-be-completed Brooklyn Bridge figures prominently into the novel’s setting and plot; it also functions as a symbol of a time when New York and Brooklyn were on the cusp of coming together to form the New York City that we know today. The characters are realistic and well developed. Both Sam and Jin have had difficult lives, but neither succumbs to self-pity, and it’s hard not to admire their spirit. Some of the minor characters are based on real people which gave the story a feeling of authenticity; for example, Ambrose Bierce, writer of horror stories and stories about the Civil War, plays a significant role in the plot. The plot starts out a bit slowly, and there are some head scratching supernatural elements that didn’t really work for me, but overall this was a unique and enjoyable read.
The Broken Lands is an interesting mix of supernatural and historical fiction. The sights, sounds and smells of late 19th century New York really leap off the page and draw the reader into the setting. The yet-to-be-completed Brooklyn Bridge figures prominently into the novel’s setting and plot; it also functions as a symbol of a time when New York and Brooklyn were on the cusp of coming together to form the New York City that we know today. The characters are realistic and well developed. Both Sam and Jin have had difficult lives, but neither succumbs to self-pity, and it’s hard not to admire their spirit. Some of the minor characters are based on real people which gave the story a feeling of authenticity; for example, Ambrose Bierce, writer of horror stories and stories about the Civil War, plays a significant role in the plot. The plot starts out a bit slowly, and there are some head scratching supernatural elements that didn’t really work for me, but overall this was a unique and enjoyable read.