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barb4ry1's review
3.0
3.5/5
As a child, I loved western movies. As a reader, though, I’ve never got into the subgenre. What Was Your Name Downriver? enticed me to add more fantasy westerns to my TBR list. The setting felt fresh, and I liked characters.
The book contains a novella and two short stories. Short stories give an additional insight into protagonists’ backstories. The novella focuses on Eveline “Calamity” Cartwright, a veteran bounty hunter, and Trivan Esterhazy meeting on a rickety riverboat. They both want to leave their past behind. They both fail. To a degree.
The story packs all the punches of a good Western without indulging in the plot cliches and moral certitudes associated with the genre. Plus, we get necromancy and paranoia added to the mix, and it always results in more danger and more fun.
Lowe nailed the voice of his characters and made them, especially Evaline, memorable. The only issue I have with the story is subjective. The author enjoys long and descriptive sentences. I prefer the prose tighter or, at least, more mixed throughout the narrative.
All told, I had a good time reading the story.
As a child, I loved western movies. As a reader, though, I’ve never got into the subgenre. What Was Your Name Downriver? enticed me to add more fantasy westerns to my TBR list. The setting felt fresh, and I liked characters.
The book contains a novella and two short stories. Short stories give an additional insight into protagonists’ backstories. The novella focuses on Eveline “Calamity” Cartwright, a veteran bounty hunter, and Trivan Esterhazy meeting on a rickety riverboat. They both want to leave their past behind. They both fail. To a degree.
The story packs all the punches of a good Western without indulging in the plot cliches and moral certitudes associated with the genre. Plus, we get necromancy and paranoia added to the mix, and it always results in more danger and more fun.
Lowe nailed the voice of his characters and made them, especially Evaline, memorable. The only issue I have with the story is subjective. The author enjoys long and descriptive sentences. I prefer the prose tighter or, at least, more mixed throughout the narrative.
All told, I had a good time reading the story.
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