Scan barcode
davidsteinsaltz's review against another edition
4.0
The strangest book I have read in a very long time. A science fantasy, or a fantasy about technology. An alternative history as far as one could imagine from "what if?"
Looking at other reviews makes clear that this book has links to the "steampunk" genre, which I'm not at all familiar with, so maybe not as idiosyncratic as I suppose.
Looking at other reviews makes clear that this book has links to the "steampunk" genre, which I'm not at all familiar with, so maybe not as idiosyncratic as I suppose.
radbear76's review against another edition
5.0
Truly unlike anything I have read before. I had trouble putting it down.
pnw_afox's review against another edition
3.0
There are parts of this book that I really like, but finishing the book was a bit of a slog for me. I enjoyed the world building very much and the first part of the book with each lead character on a journey across the half-made world. In the latter half of the book, I felt bogged down by minute details when I really wanted some action to happen. But when faced with reading narrative about the Line or the Gun in the second half of the book, I preferred the Gun. And my, dare I say, boredom with Lowry and the Line caused me to lose most of the tension by the end. I did like Creedmoor very much. And I would not call this steampunk, even though it is making the rounds with that descriptor attached to it.
mandragora's review against another edition
5.0
It's really hard to write a good steampunky novel without it being an alt-history piece, but Gilman pulls it off extremely well by boiling it down to the bare bones of the old west; anarchism versus imperial expansionism. Both are taken to extremes here, and are equally unsympathetic. The Line apply machinelike precision to every aspect of their lives and place no value whatsoever on individuality. The Gun are a lodge of extradimensional demons that place extreme value on specific individuals and none on anyone who gets in their way.
You see the world from the perspective of each faction and from a tertiary neutral party, and between the three they weave a minimalist but engrossing setting where the East has been completely brought under the oppressive heel of the Line, but the West is quite literally in the process of being made by supernatural forces, with the ground reshaped daily and the only native inhabitants fairylike hill folk (quickly enslaved, run off their land of genocided in a grim fantasy reflection of the Trail of Tears) and powerful spirits alien to both the Line and Gun.
It left me wanting a lot more, and I hope we get many more books set in the Half-Made World.
You see the world from the perspective of each faction and from a tertiary neutral party, and between the three they weave a minimalist but engrossing setting where the East has been completely brought under the oppressive heel of the Line, but the West is quite literally in the process of being made by supernatural forces, with the ground reshaped daily and the only native inhabitants fairylike hill folk (quickly enslaved, run off their land of genocided in a grim fantasy reflection of the Trail of Tears) and powerful spirits alien to both the Line and Gun.
It left me wanting a lot more, and I hope we get many more books set in the Half-Made World.
taylor_hohulin's review against another edition
4.0
What a fun read. The Half-Made World takes a ton of tropes from westerns, and puts just a little twist on them, so the whole thing feels familiar, yet entirely unique.
There's the standard wandering outlaw, only his gun is actually a temple for an ancient spirit that gives him superhuman powers and commands him to do horrible things.
There are the heartless railroad men, determined to cover the earth in crisscrossing tracks, only the Engines that power their operation may or may not be sentient, and even somehow supernatural.
And there's the West, but it isn't simply unexplored and chaotic. It's unmade. Reality is weaker, and the native population that lived there long before the Gun or the Line ever began their battle still wield incredible power.
Things slow down a bit just before the climax hits, but it's worth it for the payoff. And every page where we get to watch Creedmoor, our not-so-standard outlaw, wrestle between his desire to be good and his resignation to the dark influence over him, is just pure gold.
There's the standard wandering outlaw, only his gun is actually a temple for an ancient spirit that gives him superhuman powers and commands him to do horrible things.
There are the heartless railroad men, determined to cover the earth in crisscrossing tracks, only the Engines that power their operation may or may not be sentient, and even somehow supernatural.
And there's the West, but it isn't simply unexplored and chaotic. It's unmade. Reality is weaker, and the native population that lived there long before the Gun or the Line ever began their battle still wield incredible power.
Things slow down a bit just before the climax hits, but it's worth it for the payoff. And every page where we get to watch Creedmoor, our not-so-standard outlaw, wrestle between his desire to be good and his resignation to the dark influence over him, is just pure gold.
chillvamp's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a bit to get into this. I loved the opening chapter & the description of the General slowly losing his mind to the Line's noisebombs, and how wonderfully it presents the book and its world to the reader. Even so, the first fifth of the book, with the introductions and beginnings of the POV characters, was merely a pleasant read rather than a captivating one. Once the plot arrived at the House Dolorous, though, I was absolutely hooked and I couldn't stop reading (it took me about ten days to get through the beginning, reading in small pockets of time, but after Creedmoor and Liv arrived at the House I pretty much devoured the rest of the book in a weekend).
I'm in love with this world. It's a very fantastic setting while still sticking to the core essence of the western genre, and the struggle of Line and Gun with the Hillfolk caught in the middle (of course) was incredibly well done. I was also screaming in delight when it was shown how the Red Valley utopia had turned dystopic at the edge of the world. But I love the characters most of all. Liv really grew on me, her development was amazing to watch. I also enjoyed Lowry a lot, his anxiety at being chosen by the Engines and the way the Line is shown through his eyes. But Creedmoor was my favorite by far - he hit all my buttons (demonic possession! lost causes! everything, fuck) and I was very very glad he survived because I want to read about him betraying himself forever and ever.
I can't wait to start Rise of Ransom City :)
I'm in love with this world. It's a very fantastic setting while still sticking to the core essence of the western genre, and the struggle of Line and Gun with the Hillfolk caught in the middle (of course) was incredibly well done. I was also screaming in delight when it was shown how the Red Valley utopia had turned dystopic at the edge of the world. But I love the characters most of all. Liv really grew on me, her development was amazing to watch. I also enjoyed Lowry a lot, his anxiety at being chosen by the Engines and the way the Line is shown through his eyes. But Creedmoor was my favorite by far - he hit all my buttons (demonic possession! lost causes! everything, fuck) and I was very very glad he survived because I want to read about him betraying himself forever and ever.
I can't wait to start Rise of Ransom City :)
raeanne's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 Stars: The world is fascinating and stand-out. The characters were good, but not in a moral sense. I did love the different POVs from The Gun, The Line and Noob. The plot sounds good but it and the characters seem to be bogged down with extra weight and repetition. It took a while to get into and my attention came and went like the tides after. I think it was the writing that kept me out and it felt too long going in obvious directions.
It wasn’t until Book Two, The Doll House, which begins on page 158 that I started getting into The Half-Made World. But
It came back with the exploration West. Then left after so many days of going West. The setting was great, but the characters are going nowhere discussing the same things.
Either it was going to run into salvation or death and a confrontation. There wasn’t any way around it and the setting wasn’t enough to keep it from dragging ass.
And again with the town, but I quit caring much quicker than the last time.
Then it was “Fighting!”, but I wanted to cry when they struck off West again. Oh god.
Thankfully, it was over shortly after.
I can’t pinpoint why it was so up and down or what exactly turned me off. Seems to be a combination of little surprise with a drawn out journey beating a dead horse. Even still, what’s here is good. I just can’t help but feel with some editing and the writing put in check, it’d be much better.
I hate that I did this, but I skipped passages, especially in that damn village. I was so tired of hearing the same shit from different people’s mouths. I’m sure all that time gave Liv and The Gun time but their relationship and character progression could’ve been just as great with less words. And what a week in the Village? Ugh. And The Gun knowingly wasted time on the journey and at the hospital. Couldn’t The Line be made more competitive so he didn’t have to drag his feet for the plot/pacing? Something. Anything.
There isn’t much to say of the Gaslamp aspects. It appears to be mostly aesthetic and can quite frankly be confused as paranormal most of the time. There’s the normal, steam engines and bombs, and the paranormal, like The Line’s Engine Masters and noise bombs. The Line has most of the goodies and I don’t recall them being gear-and-spring-ed out.
They appeared mechanical and more advanced than typical of the age. However, it’s only after reading the sequel The Rise of Ransom City that I believe their inventions come from the people and not the mythical Engines themselves or some-such. Before, I figured it was all paranormal magic and didn’t get where it became Gaslamp. Admittedly, I haven’t read much of the genre. Maybe I just don’t “get it” yet.
I did like The Rise of Ransom City much better and it’s more obviously Gaslamp fantasy.
I will admit I’m hesitant to read more Felix Gilman, though his ideas are certainly interesting, because of the issues I had and everyone else getting more from it, and comparing it to his other work. Oh well, I’ll give him a shot some other time and hopefully it will pull me before 100 pages are up.
It wasn’t until Book Two, The Doll House, which begins on page 158 that I started getting into The Half-Made World. But
Spoiler
even there they dawdled and the minutiae of everyday was just dull. The tidbits we found out about the Guardian didn’t feel worth it. I know it was setting up the next adventure and The Boy but, my interest waned all the same.It came back with the exploration West. Then left after so many days of going West. The setting was great, but the characters are going nowhere discussing the same things.
Either it was going to run into salvation or death and a confrontation. There wasn’t any way around it and the setting wasn’t enough to keep it from dragging ass.
And again with the town, but I quit caring much quicker than the last time.
Then it was “Fighting!”, but I wanted to cry when they struck off West again. Oh god.
Thankfully, it was over shortly after.
I can’t pinpoint why it was so up and down or what exactly turned me off. Seems to be a combination of little surprise with a drawn out journey beating a dead horse. Even still, what’s here is good. I just can’t help but feel with some editing and the writing put in check, it’d be much better.
I hate that I did this, but I skipped passages, especially in that damn village. I was so tired of hearing the same shit from different people’s mouths. I’m sure all that time gave Liv and The Gun time but their relationship and character progression could’ve been just as great with less words. And what a week in the Village? Ugh. And The Gun knowingly wasted time on the journey and at the hospital. Couldn’t The Line be made more competitive so he didn’t have to drag his feet for the plot/pacing? Something. Anything.
There isn’t much to say of the Gaslamp aspects. It appears to be mostly aesthetic and can quite frankly be confused as paranormal most of the time. There’s the normal, steam engines and bombs, and the paranormal, like The Line’s Engine Masters and noise bombs. The Line has most of the goodies and I don’t recall them being gear-and-spring-ed out.
They appeared mechanical and more advanced than typical of the age. However, it’s only after reading the sequel The Rise of Ransom City that I believe their inventions come from the people and not the mythical Engines themselves or some-such. Before, I figured it was all paranormal magic and didn’t get where it became Gaslamp. Admittedly, I haven’t read much of the genre. Maybe I just don’t “get it” yet.
I did like The Rise of Ransom City much better and it’s more obviously Gaslamp fantasy.
I will admit I’m hesitant to read more Felix Gilman, though his ideas are certainly interesting, because of the issues I had and everyone else getting more from it, and comparing it to his other work. Oh well, I’ll give him a shot some other time and hopefully it will pull me before 100 pages are up.
kepheus's review against another edition
2.0
I read words. Lots and lots of words. Nothing happened. The end.
Okay, maybe I'm being pedantic, but there seemed to be no point to this. The west is half-made, but other pointing out the occasional oddity, this is a guided tour of one-dimensional characters, dull landscapes, and a thoroughly predictable plot. No, that's not entirely fair. I thought something would happen. In that aspect, I was surprised.
The ending has been left open for multiple sequels, but I can't say I'd read them.
Okay, maybe I'm being pedantic, but there seemed to be no point to this. The west is half-made, but other pointing out the occasional oddity, this is a guided tour of one-dimensional characters, dull landscapes, and a thoroughly predictable plot. No, that's not entirely fair. I thought something would happen. In that aspect, I was surprised.
The ending has been left open for multiple sequels, but I can't say I'd read them.
nnewbykew's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
abigcoffeedragon's review against another edition
1.0
This is one that should have been so enjoyable and it was not.
The Magic/Supernatural aspect of this was unoriginal and boring.
The characters had no real life to them - they just moved around the world like chess pieces in a bigger game.
The world building is disjointed at times, and the descriptions are lacking details.
Also, this writing style hearkens back to an older time period, which fits the style that I believe the author is trying to convey, and yet throwing in F*** and SH** and other non-niceties when people would not use those words as freely makes the time period discorded.
There is no point in this that I feel or care about a single character; nor do I believe that the recalled soldier is actually any good.
Lowry is just plain boring and useless to me. And the rank structure, though it exists, is fictional without explanation, so no clue what rank someone is, and being ex-military that throws more disjointedness into the mix.
The Magic/Supernatural aspect of this was unoriginal and boring.
The characters had no real life to them - they just moved around the world like chess pieces in a bigger game.
The world building is disjointed at times, and the descriptions are lacking details.
Also, this writing style hearkens back to an older time period, which fits the style that I believe the author is trying to convey, and yet throwing in F*** and SH** and other non-niceties when people would not use those words as freely makes the time period discorded.
There is no point in this that I feel or care about a single character; nor do I believe that the recalled soldier is actually any good.
Lowry is just plain boring and useless to me. And the rank structure, though it exists, is fictional without explanation, so no clue what rank someone is, and being ex-military that throws more disjointedness into the mix.