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Available
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Publication
Saga Press
Description
Hailed by RT Book Reviews as "fresh and original...stark and lovely," a heroic fantasy by an award-winning author about a young woman who is trained in the art of the sinister hand of magic. A Locus Magazine Bestseller. Isobel, upon her sixteenth birthday, makes the choice to work for the Boss called the Devil by some, in his territory west of the Mississippi. But this is not the devil you know. This is a being who deals fairly with immense--but not unlimited--power, who offers opportunities to people who want to make a deal, and they always get what they deserve. But his land is a wild west that needs a human touch, and that's where Izzy comes in. Inadvertently trained by him to see the clues in and manipulations of human desire, Izzy is raised to be his left hand and travel circuit through the territory helping those in need. As we all know, where there is magic there is chaos...and death.… (more)
Media reviews
**** 4 out of 5 stars
Down at the Crossroads
Review by: Mark Palm
Of all of the myths of America, none seems to resonate like that of the West. Indigenous people have been in the Americas for eons when Europeans began to arrive in the Sixteenth Century, but the colonization of North America by the
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United States seems to be an everlasting symbol of this Nation, for good or ill. Historians and pundits all have their reasons, but I think it might have been because technology was there to document this history in nearly real-time. In Europe and the eastern U.S. people read penny dreadfuls of living characters in the West as they led their lives, like the first Reality television shows.
The West of Silver on the Road by Laura Anne Gilman is very different, yet every bit as fascinating. East of the Mississippi lies the U.S., Spain is in the South and West, but The Territory belongs to the Devil, who lives in a saloon in a town called Flood. Isobel grew up in that saloon, working for the man called the Boss. No one knows who or what he is, just that he is powerful, and the Territory is under his protection.
After her indentured service ends on her sixteenth birthday, Isobel who had lived and worked at the saloon until it’s rhythms were second nature, decides to keep working for the Boss. So he sends her out on the Road, under the tutelage of the Rider, Gabriel, to be the Boss’s Left Hand, his emissary to all who live and travel in the Territory.
Ms. Gilman turns the land of the west alive in a unique and unusual way; here animals talk, demons walk, magicians are to be feared, and Silver holds a special power for all. The main story of Silver on the Road is a classic coming-of-age story, as the learned Gabriel shows Isobel the ways of the Road, as she slowly grows into her own, discovering her role and the magical power that comes with it. She must learn in a hurry, as well, because something evil is abroad in the land, and it is her job to discover what it is, and what she can do to stop it. A lot of that seems like a traditional heroic quest story, and there would be nothing at all wrong with that, because it is one of the oldest and most mythical archetypes for a reason, but Ms. Gilman has a lot more up her sleeve.
In this novel the land of the Territory is more than just a backdrop, but a living, breathing character. Her understanding and description of landscape and its impact on the story reminds me of the best work of writers like Barry Lopez, but here it’s a work of fiction, which makes it more of a feat.
Isobel is also a great character, and she more than holds her own with the land. Her mentor, Gabriel is solid, and the wizard, Farron, is captivating in a small but juicy role. The pace of the novel is measured, but I thought it very appropriate. Silver on the Road is set in a world full of magic and mysteries, and coming to learn it is not a quick or easy process. As Isobel and Gabriel travel horseback across the land, the story unfolds, bit by bit, and if it may seem a bit slow at times, the breadth and wealth of detail that Ms. Gilman packs into each scene more than makes up for it. When the big scenes take place, such as when the two discover a mysteriously abandoned town, the effects hold much more power that if we were being buffeted by non-stop action. Silver on the Road is both down to earth and wonderfully strange, and takes an old setting and turns it on it’s head to wonderful effect. When the next installment comes out, I’d like to read it by a campfire. That would be perfect.
Full Reviews Available at: http://www.thebookendfamily.weebly.com
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Library Journal
This dark fantasy/horror work from the author of the "Vineart War" trilogy reimagines early 19th-century America as divided between the states in the east, Spain in the far West, and a region in the middle ruled by a man everyone calls the devil, whose magic keeps the peace. The pacing is slow, but
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the characters and setting keep the interest of fans of atmosphere strange Wild West stories. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member ladycato
I have seen this labeled as a Weird Western, and I understand why: it's definitely not a historical old west tale. It's alternate history that endows the middle of America with a sort of mystical sentience. The feel is folkloric. There is action, but it's not a thriller. It steadily moves in a way
Silver on the Road is a coming of age story of sorts for Isobel. She's a good heroine; a good person, period, who asked for a job and had no idea what she was granted. At times, her whining on that subject gets a little old, but I think that's my biggest gripe. Also, I really appreciated that this wasn't a romance at all. Mind you, I enjoy a good romance subplot, but it is something of a trope.
Gilman's worldbuilding is phenomenal. I loved exploring the road with Isobel and learning about crossroads, owls, snakes, and the feel of the land. It's a very... loving take on the very meaning of land and home.
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that is fascinating and soothing.Silver on the Road is a coming of age story of sorts for Isobel. She's a good heroine; a good person, period, who asked for a job and had no idea what she was granted. At times, her whining on that subject gets a little old, but I think that's my biggest gripe. Also, I really appreciated that this wasn't a romance at all. Mind you, I enjoy a good romance subplot, but it is something of a trope.
Gilman's worldbuilding is phenomenal. I loved exploring the road with Isobel and learning about crossroads, owls, snakes, and the feel of the land. It's a very... loving take on the very meaning of land and home.
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LibraryThing member les121
Words cannot describe how much I love the world and the mythology of Silver on the Road. Gilman’s writing has an almost cinematic quality, and the vivid, richly detailed setting drew me in entirely. This is one of those books that makes your toes curl it’s so good. I’m afraid to analyze it
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too much, as if dissecting it would ruin some of the magic and mystery. Just go read it, and discover for yourself the Devil’s West. Show Less
LibraryThing member anneb10
In the first book of the Devil's West series, we been Isobel Lacoyo Tavora - Izzy - who is turning sixteen and becoming an adult. She's lived as long as she can remember in Flood, indentured to the Devil as a toddler.
Izzy makes her own bargain, thinking she knows what to expect, but instead her
Gilman's characters are always well-developed and full of life. This book is no exception, and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.
Izzy makes her own bargain, thinking she knows what to expect, but instead her
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life is thrown into disarray as she joins the gambler ad drifter Gabriel on the Road to learn its ins and outs, and to see the Devil's territory along the way. Gabriel has his own secrets and bargain with the Devil to contend with. Along the way, Izzy starts to come to terms with both her bargain and adulthood.Gilman's characters are always well-developed and full of life. This book is no exception, and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.
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LibraryThing member LongDogMom
Ever since I read Devil's Tower by Mark Sumner, I've been hooked on western-fantasies. They seem to be a unique sub-genre and when they are done well, they are fascinating and different than most other fantasy. Silver on the Road is done well. It takes it's time and builds the story and characters
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as you go along, and the magic is subtle but almost more powerful because it is used sparingly. I really cared about Izzy and Gabriel and even Farron. They are complex and they grow throughout the story, both in terms of their relationship with each other, and within themselves. They both have things they are just beginning to understand and accept about themselves, especially Izzy, who is only sixteen, but this is far from a young adult read. She is a strong character without losing the naivety and wonder at the world around her. It's not a fast read, but it's deep and interesting and makes you think. I am really looking forward to the next adventure in the Devil's West and seeing how Izzy builds on everything she has learned about being the Devil's Left Hand. Show Less
LibraryThing member kmartin802
I really enjoyed this fantasy set in an alternate American West. This one still has the United States east of the muddy river, the Spanish to the west and south. and the French in the north. But it also has the devil in control of the Territory. Isobel has been raised in the devil's town and the
Isobel knows more what she doesn't want than what she does. She makes a deal with the devil to be his Left Hand on the road patrolling his territory. The devil finds her a mentor in Gabriel Kasun who has his own reason to agree and his own deal with the devil. The two of them take off on the road for Isobel to learn the land.
The land is a fascinating place with almost sentient dust devils, demons, and magicians. It is a land filled with magic and Isobel needs to learn the way of it. And she needs to learn fast because something has come to the territory which is a threat to all the living. Isobel feels its presence and sees the evidence of its passage in empty towns, polluted waterways, and disappearing people. As she learns more about this presence she also learns more about what her bargain with the devil really has let her in for.
This is a combination fantasy and coming of age story. I thought the world was fascinating. I also thought Isobel's struggles to find her place in it made the story interesting and engaging. I can't wait to read the next book in the Devil's West to find out what Isobel and Gabriel are up to next.
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devil's saloon. When she was two, her parents indentured her to him in their own deal with him and then left without a backward glance. Now, she is sixteen and free and able to cut her own deal with the devil.Isobel knows more what she doesn't want than what she does. She makes a deal with the devil to be his Left Hand on the road patrolling his territory. The devil finds her a mentor in Gabriel Kasun who has his own reason to agree and his own deal with the devil. The two of them take off on the road for Isobel to learn the land.
The land is a fascinating place with almost sentient dust devils, demons, and magicians. It is a land filled with magic and Isobel needs to learn the way of it. And she needs to learn fast because something has come to the territory which is a threat to all the living. Isobel feels its presence and sees the evidence of its passage in empty towns, polluted waterways, and disappearing people. As she learns more about this presence she also learns more about what her bargain with the devil really has let her in for.
This is a combination fantasy and coming of age story. I thought the world was fascinating. I also thought Isobel's struggles to find her place in it made the story interesting and engaging. I can't wait to read the next book in the Devil's West to find out what Isobel and Gabriel are up to next.
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LibraryThing member T_K_Elliott
This is an excellent start to a new series. Izzy, sixteen years old today, must choose what she is going to do with the rest of her life: is she going to leave the town where she has lived for most of her life, and if she does, where will she go? If she stays, what will she do?
Izzy's boss is the
Izzy is a well-drawn protagonist; she's a mature sixteen, but not unbelievably so. Gilman writes a bright but inexperienced girl well. Likewise, Gabriel, with whom the Devil bargains that he will mentor Izzy on the road, to teach her how to go on. He's quiet, intelligent, and obviously has a back-story that we get hints of but no real details.
The portrayal of the Devil as not evil but very, very reliable, has been done before, but Gilman does it well, and gives it her own spin. But her portrayal of the weird West was really what made this book for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved the characters (including the secondary characters like Farron Easterly), but the West itself is what sets this book apart. In Silver on the Road magic isn't so much part of the people as part of the land; crossroads have dangers of their own, and a person can feel the road, and the crossing of boundaries.
This is a coming-of-age story, and a weird-west story, but it can also be a story of the nature of good and evil, and right and wrong.
There is obviously more to be told, and I look forward to reading it.
Izzy's boss is the
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devil, famous for making bargains which are utterly, completely, fair... You get what you bargain for, but not necessarily what you expect. Izzy makes her bargain, and becomes the Devil's Left Hand - but what does that mean? Izzy is a well-drawn protagonist; she's a mature sixteen, but not unbelievably so. Gilman writes a bright but inexperienced girl well. Likewise, Gabriel, with whom the Devil bargains that he will mentor Izzy on the road, to teach her how to go on. He's quiet, intelligent, and obviously has a back-story that we get hints of but no real details.
The portrayal of the Devil as not evil but very, very reliable, has been done before, but Gilman does it well, and gives it her own spin. But her portrayal of the weird West was really what made this book for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved the characters (including the secondary characters like Farron Easterly), but the West itself is what sets this book apart. In Silver on the Road magic isn't so much part of the people as part of the land; crossroads have dangers of their own, and a person can feel the road, and the crossing of boundaries.
This is a coming-of-age story, and a weird-west story, but it can also be a story of the nature of good and evil, and right and wrong.
There is obviously more to be told, and I look forward to reading it.
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LibraryThing member SESchend
Highly & Enthusiastically Recommended!
Amazing and original Western more wild than usual, and the magic and the demons aren't the worst things out there.
Laura Anne Gilman has crafted a strong protagonist in Isobel & I can't wait to see how she grows after this book.
Amazing and original Western more wild than usual, and the magic and the demons aren't the worst things out there.
Laura Anne Gilman has crafted a strong protagonist in Isobel & I can't wait to see how she grows after this book.
LibraryThing member quondame
A very young woman journeys through a magical West. Not altogether new any, but this is interesting, readable, and pretty different from what anyone else has done. I like this one more than most things I’ve read recently.
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
The setting for this is the Weird West. The Devil is in charge of the Western territory and many people that live there under his protection have a deal with him. Izzy was left in the care of the devil as part of the deal her parents had with him when they left the territory. Working in the saloon
I liked the story and the setting. The hazards of traveling by horseback blended in with the story and gave the story universe depth. I’ll be looking for the next one.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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under Marie his right hand and seeing the nature of many deals with the devil she decides on her sixteenth birthday to enter a deal with him herself. She doesn’t want the usual things that people want when approaching him about a deal. Instead she becomes his Left Hand, an agent to be seen out in the territory enforcing his will with the marshals and the residents. She is traveling with a stranger who has been offered a favor by the devil to show her the ropes of the road and he has a secret of his own. I liked the story and the setting. The hazards of traveling by horseback blended in with the story and gave the story universe depth. I’ll be looking for the next one.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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LibraryThing member Skybalon
This is a review of the trilogy as a whole. It is an interesting alternate history/magical historical realism type tale that almost but doesn't completely deliver on its promises. But it delivers on enough of them that it is still well worth the read.
LibraryThing member Tip44
Honestly one of the best books I have read this year. This is the mythology of the West as it should have been told. Reminds me the most of Nikki Kiriki Hoffman, yet, not quite.
LibraryThing member jennybeast
Magic in the Wild West is one of my favorite scenarios, and it doesn't come around all that often. I've been a longtime Gilman fan, and I love what she's done here -- excellent setting and story, with main characters full of fire and mystery. Super excited to continue the series, only wish I'd
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found it sooner. Show Less
LibraryThing member jazzbird61
UPDATE 1/17/2017: Just as good the 2nd time around. Off to #2!
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I loved this book. The determined tone, the dusty west, magic---everything. I am so looking forward to future installments and have added this series to my auto-buy list.
It's such a shame the publishers didn't release it
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I loved this book. The determined tone, the dusty west, magic---everything. I am so looking forward to future installments and have added this series to my auto-buy list.
It's such a shame the publishers didn't release it
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on audio. Show Less
Awards
Endeavour Award (Finalist — 2016)
Original publication date
2015-10-06
Local notes
Devil's West, 1
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Gilman |