the_pale_woman's Reviews (542)

This is only book one, and I can already tell that this series needs more readers. If you're a fan of grim dark fantasy, then look no further. 

I knew at the conclusion of the opening scene that this was exactly the kind of series I had been hunting for. This is gritty, shocking, and has fun with its own barbarity. I'll admit I'm partial to a flawed protagonist, so I may be biased, but I find Ashok extremely compelling. I'm immensely intrigued by the world-building. I haven't seen a future magical Earth done this well since Wheel of Time. Just fantastic. Everything—the sword, the side characters, the politics, a rebellion—it's checking a lot of boxes. 

I highly recommend you check this book out, but do yourself a favor and don't look at this guy's IG. I wish I could unsee that. Regardless, I won't stop reading this series because of how I perceive his political views. I am capable of judging art separately from the artist. But, dude, you have to admit that you should be posting more pictures of your books.

This is the second GGK novel I've read. I read Tigana about a decade ago, and at the time, I considered it the best standalone fantasy book I had ever read. I remember being swept away by his prose then, and after this read, I see he has not lost his way with words. 

However, I'm nowhere near as enchanted this time around. Strange, too, considering I greatly enjoyed the lyrical passages and clever poetry in Written on the Dark. I was even hooked by the initial murder mystery plot. The rogue poet turned reluctant detective was an especially intriguing touch. 

Unfortunately, the meat of this book meanders too much for my tastes. The length of this 400-page book was palpable. I kept wondering if there was enough time for it to get good again. I felt that the main characters weren't given sufficient arcs. Plus, the plot sort of slides away only to abruptly pop back for a final "showdown." Worst of all, I'd say overall this book was just boring and ultimately unsatisfying due to unavoidable prior expectations. 

I'm not a huge history buff, so maybe if I were more familiar with the Hundred Years War, I would have found more to connect with in this story. Or maybe if I were acquainted with more of GGK's books, I'd recognize more references to latch onto. But I honestly wonder if that would really make any difference. The sad fact is, I'm disappointed.

It seems wrong to give this book the same rating as Lonesome Dove, but it feels equally wrong to give it less than five stars. 

I enjoyed reading this almost as much as the first book. To be honest, the only real issue is the lack of Gus. I found myself missing him more than Captain Call was missing him here. Additionally, I wanted some closure for a few things left open at the end of Lonesome Dove. But I should have known that wasn't going to happen to my satisfaction. The ending of Streets was great, but it just did not hit as hard emotionally as the first book. Understandable. It's just too much to live up to. Despite my little qualms, Pea Eye developed into an incredibly compelling character in this one. And the addition of Brookshire to the "crew" was a nice contrast to my expectations. 

I'd highly recommend this series, even if you aren't a fan of Westerns. I'm simply pleased as punch that there are two prequels to dig into next.

I know what its about but I'm confused about the whole Book 1B thing. Why? Just why? 

It's a continuation of the story, just like any sequel, but you want your readers to consider it part of the first book? It's kinda too late for that after they were published separately back in the early eighties. My old paperbacks had no idea that this series had seen changes over the years. Why are we going back after the fact and combining these first two books? Is it because the first one isn't quite satisfying on its own? 

Additionally, why is the author going back and adding mounds of paragraphs for additional context into the book? Which I only discovered by getting the audiobook from the library to read along with my paperback. All of a sudden, there are more words than what's in print, and I'm mad I didn't get this new version for 1A. There is so much added to this book now compared to its original. It obviously makes this story easier to enjoy, understand, and read. Maybe there should be some warning in these book descriptions about the new versions being different and preferred. I'm just flat flabbergasted by this whole thing. 

I will not be continuing with this series. It's mediocre with or without the updates, anyway. Insane.

I was captivated by her parables, but I feel like Butler wrote this story to be more accessible and impactful. It immediately gripped my attention despite its predictability. It was thought-provoking and occasionally unsettling. I was particularly captivated by what I view as Dana's three major relationships. The dynamic she had with her white husband when traveling back in time was fascinating. I think that dichotomy could have been further explored, but that would have wrongfully taken the focus off Rufus and Alice. Rufus feels like the perfect characterization of a slave owner. His initial charm contrasts flawlessly with his ultimate and inevitable decline into complete barbarity. However, I found Alice to be the most emotionally potent character, for obvious reasons. 

I would highly recommend this read. I'm surprised it's not one of those books everyone reads in school.

New Achievement!

You've read all published works of your new favorite book series including the newest release. You will now gladly join the ever multiplying cabal of suckers that are eagerly awaiting the next book. Pray hard to the literary gods that DCC will one day be completed to your own personal satisfaction. Good luck. 

New Achievement!

You have unlocked two new favorite characters. Uzi Jesus and Alpha Carl will now live with you rent free. Congratulations!

New Achievement!

You have a new favorite song. It will play endlessly on loop in your head for the foreseeable future. You will no longer be able to recall the original lyrics and your pretty sure Oasis wouldn't be cool with this because they seem like a couple of big dicks. Enjoy.  

"Wonder Crawl"

Today is gonna be the day 

Gonna fireball an orc or two 

By now, he'll be saying 'ow with his body melting down to stew 

I won't retrieve that looted body with all that yummy goo 

Until you chow 

Dark meat, the flesh tastes sweet 

Now the fire on his face is out 

For sure you've tasted it all before 

But you never really had a doubt 

I won't retrieve that looted body with all that yummy goo 

Until you chow 

And all the caves we have to crawl are bleeding 

And all the mobs that die for us are screaming 

There are many things that I would like to feed to you 

But l don't have time 

Because Mongo 

We're gonna be on the best talk shows 

And then we'll brawl 

On our Dungeon Crawl 

Today was gonna be the day 

That you're gonna eat a mob or two 

By now you should've somehow 

Realized that cha gotta chew 

I won't retrieve that looted body with all that yummy goo 

Until you chow 

And all the caves we have to crawl are bleeding 

And all the mobs that die for us are screaming 

There are many things that I would like to feed to you 

But I don't have time 

I said Mongo 

Gonna be on the best talk shows 

And then we'll brawl 

On our Dungeon Crawl 

I said Mongo 

Gonna be on the best talk shows 

And then we'll brawl 

On our Dungeon Crawl

I'm finally throwing in the towel on this one. I liked this series well enough, but I think it's heading in a direction I'd rather not travel. It feels a little too immature, especially for its themes and character arcs. Ironically, I actually enjoy the young adult genre from time to time, but this isn't even scratching that itch. Plus, that's not even what this is supposed to be. 

Ultimately, I don't regret reading the first two books of this series, and I might even recommend it to a particular type of reader, but I don't think it's for me.

Well, that wasn't what I was expecting. I'm surprised how little information about Pax is in this third installment. Instead, it takes place on boring old Earth. To be honest, I was done with Earth the minute those original colonists left it at the beginning of Semiosis. Having a crew from Earth visit Pax in book two was interesting. But why did we have to spend the entirety of book three back on Earth? It's not even that intriguing of a speculative future. It's politically dull, and the eventual crisis was ultimately anticlimactic in my opinion. 

Worst yet, the rainbow bamboo isn't as compelling because it's mostly a spectator to events. And even though there are multiple strains and personalities of bamboo, and even though they are interacting with earth plants like they do on Pax. It feels all so inconsequential. 

I want to know what's happening on Pax, and I want to see the generational consequences of events. Is that too much to ask for? There better be another installment. It can't end here.