Review by baudrillard_436 -- Diamonds of Devil's Tail
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baudrillard_436
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Review by baudrillard_436 -- Diamonds of Devil's Tail
[Following is a volunteer review of "Diamonds of Devil's Tail" by A.W. Baldwin.]
Diamonds of Devil’s Tail by A.W. Baldwin is a modern spin on a classic tale of bold robbers and bolder heroes in the Old West. It centers around a young man named Bradley, who gets caught in the middle of a scheme to steal long-lost diamonds while on a rafting trip with his Uncle Henry. Separated from the main group, he teams up with a Native American man named Relic to thwart the plots of the jewel thieves.
Brevity is a noticeable aspect of this book’s writing, and probably its best one. The prose is carefully constructed, but not contrived or long-winded. Characters say what they mean, but Baldwin also writes subtly enough to keep the reader guessing where the story is going to go. There is also a degree of nuance present, as Baldwin tells the story through multiple perspectives, including the robbers themselves, making every side have something to say. While the motive of greed is obvious when reading the perspective of the robbers, Baldwin shows how other characters are also driven by not entirely unselfish motives. Readers who enjoy stories where it isn’t easy to find anyone truly innocent will enjoy this book.
The central flaw of Diamonds of Devil’s Tail lies not in the form, but the content. Despite decent writing, the story is still relatively ordinary, that hasn’t said anything truly significant or unique by its end. Bradley is a protagonist that could have used some more depth. There is not much the reader learns about his life or worldview other than what is given at the start, which is that he loves his Aunt and wants to write for a living.
Additionally, the character of Relic is a flaw deserving of its own segment, due to how tokenized and one-dimensional he is. Baldwin unfortunately writes Relic like many authors write Native American characters, showing little effort in research or even an attempt to write one that amounts to more than a collection of stereotypes. Relic only seems to exist to save the white protagonist from harm, and help him through natural remedies. The only insight that the reader gets into Relic’s view of the world is quite shallow, not being much beyond a desire to protect land he sees as sacred.
Overall, Diamonds of Devil’s Tail is a fairly entertaining read with a few curveballs to keep the reader turning pages, but doesn’t do enough to escape genre trappings or provoke thought that goes beyond greed perhaps being one of the worst traits present in humankind. Fans of westerns and crime novels will like this book, as will any fan of decent action scenes.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.
******
Diamonds of Devil's Tail
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Diamonds of Devil’s Tail by A.W. Baldwin is a modern spin on a classic tale of bold robbers and bolder heroes in the Old West. It centers around a young man named Bradley, who gets caught in the middle of a scheme to steal long-lost diamonds while on a rafting trip with his Uncle Henry. Separated from the main group, he teams up with a Native American man named Relic to thwart the plots of the jewel thieves.
Brevity is a noticeable aspect of this book’s writing, and probably its best one. The prose is carefully constructed, but not contrived or long-winded. Characters say what they mean, but Baldwin also writes subtly enough to keep the reader guessing where the story is going to go. There is also a degree of nuance present, as Baldwin tells the story through multiple perspectives, including the robbers themselves, making every side have something to say. While the motive of greed is obvious when reading the perspective of the robbers, Baldwin shows how other characters are also driven by not entirely unselfish motives. Readers who enjoy stories where it isn’t easy to find anyone truly innocent will enjoy this book.
The central flaw of Diamonds of Devil’s Tail lies not in the form, but the content. Despite decent writing, the story is still relatively ordinary, that hasn’t said anything truly significant or unique by its end. Bradley is a protagonist that could have used some more depth. There is not much the reader learns about his life or worldview other than what is given at the start, which is that he loves his Aunt and wants to write for a living.
Additionally, the character of Relic is a flaw deserving of its own segment, due to how tokenized and one-dimensional he is. Baldwin unfortunately writes Relic like many authors write Native American characters, showing little effort in research or even an attempt to write one that amounts to more than a collection of stereotypes. Relic only seems to exist to save the white protagonist from harm, and help him through natural remedies. The only insight that the reader gets into Relic’s view of the world is quite shallow, not being much beyond a desire to protect land he sees as sacred.
Overall, Diamonds of Devil’s Tail is a fairly entertaining read with a few curveballs to keep the reader turning pages, but doesn’t do enough to escape genre trappings or provoke thought that goes beyond greed perhaps being one of the worst traits present in humankind. Fans of westerns and crime novels will like this book, as will any fan of decent action scenes.
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.
******
Diamonds of Devil's Tail
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Art Fairy by Floras Athena
