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The Juniper Wars #1
Dandelion Iron
It is the year 2058.
The Sino-American War has decimated several generations of men, and the Sterility Epidemic has made 90% of the surviving males sterile.
Electricity does not function in five western states. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana are territories once again. Collectively, they are known as the Juniper.
It is the most dangerous place on Earth.
On a desperate post-apocalyptic cattle drive to save their family ranch, Cavatica Weller and her two gunslinging sisters stumble across a rare boy. Sharlotte wants to send him away, Wren wants to sell him…and Cavatica falls in love with him.
Little do they know that an inhuman army is searching for the boy and will stop at nothing to find him.
Welcome to the world of The Juniper Wars.
The Sino-American War has decimated several generations of men, and the Sterility Epidemic has made 90% of the surviving males sterile.
Electricity does not function in five western states. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana are territories once again. Collectively, they are known as the Juniper.
It is the most dangerous place on Earth.
On a desperate post-apocalyptic cattle drive to save their family ranch, Cavatica Weller and her two gunslinging sisters stumble across a rare boy. Sharlotte wants to send him away, Wren wants to sell him…and Cavatica falls in love with him.
Little do they know that an inhuman army is searching for the boy and will stop at nothing to find him.
Welcome to the world of The Juniper Wars.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2016
107 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Michael Ritchey
35 books201 followersAaron Michael Ritchey was born with Colorado thunderstorms in his soul. He's sought shelter as a world traveler, an endurance athlete, a story addict, and even gave serious thought to becoming a Roman Catholic priest. After too brief a time in Paris, he moved back to the American West and lives semi-comfortably with three forces of nature: a little, blonde hurricane, an artistic tornado, and a beautiful, beautiful blizzard.
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April 4, 2017I read a book.
I don’t do that very often anymore, but once I started this one, I could not stop, which says a lot about the awesomeness of said book.
What speaks even more loudly is the fact that the book was WAY the hell outside my comfort zone and not one I would have normally picked up. I simply do not read young adult (too whiny), westerns (no interest whatsoever), or steampunk (pretty concept, but I need electricity in my life).
Until I read a YA dystopian post-apocalyptic steampunk sci-fi western by a sorely under-appreciated author named Aaron Michael Ritchey.
DANDELION IRON was like nothing I’ve ever read before. I’m gonna do my best to break it down below without fangirling too hard, but I’m sure I’ll leave out tons of important stuff.
The World
War is hell, but the kind of war the Americans of 2058 endure is particularly nasty in that it results in a) the decimation of a lot of soldier man-dudes; b) a sterility epidemic that affects the few man-dudes who survive; c) a “knockout” that renders Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana electric wastelands, collectively called “the Juniper.” Thanks to a missile dropped on Yellowstone’s caldera that left a nasty, gaping EMP wound, not so much as a AAA battery works there, so steam and diesel are the blood that supplies everything in this literal no-man’s land.
Basically, the Juniper is totally phlucked.
But the rest of the country ambles on, wallowing in its technocracy-laden glory whilst its citizens are split down the middle on issues hauntingly familiar to us ancient folk stuck back in the 2010s. The conservatives try to push the New Morality Movement agenda down everyone’s throats, while the “liberal” ARK (American Reproductive Knowledge Initiative) supporters aim to preserve Homo sapiens via research and loads (I said “loads.” I crack me up!) of sperm clinics. The few “viable” boys and men who remain are often treated like objects, only good for what they can provide in the baby batter department, and I don’t mean for making pancakes or putting cribs together. The women of this time are perfectly capable of handling everything except procreation without help. Trust me.
The Major Players
Cavatica Weller: The story’s main squeeze. She’s seventeen. Smart. Gun shy. Devoted to her family, even though they drive her more than a little batty. Cavvy is the youngest of three cattle-pushing sisters. Their mama sent her to engineering school in The World (like, in Cleveland, Ohio where electricity still surges with the exuberance of fresh recruits reporting for duty) so she could one day be Somebody. Naturally, life throws her for a loop just as she’s getting comfortable at the Sally Browne Burke Academy for the Moral and Literate and catapults her home to the American outback with nothing but a big brain and a small case of anxiety every time a gun’s forced into her hand.
Sharlotte Weller: Big sister. Responsible. No nonsense. Hardened by years of working the farm in the Juniper. She needs Cavvy to come home and help navigate an impossible cattle drive to save the family land from the hands of Bad Dudes who aim to take everything. Six million dollars are at stake, so Sharlotte can be a little pushy at times.
June Mai Angel: An airship pirate who controls the Juniper from the dust bowl shadows. She commands a huge army of relentless ninja-like fighter chicks, and she ain’t afraid to cut ’em loose on anyone who stands in her way. June Mai always leaves one survivor so they can tell the world what she did. Oh, and her people eat their victims. Feet first. So they can watch while they’re being devoured. *Shiver*
Petal: Sino War survivor. Mean as a rattlesnake, deadly with a gun, yet fragile as a dandelion when she doesn’t have her medicine. Petal’s a great one to have on your side in a fight, but she’s trapped in her past, battling demons only she can see. A truly tragic figure. She also has a penchant for reciting twisted, thoroughly bad-ass versions of nursery rhymes in the middle of gun fights. I can’t wait to learn more about her in the upcoming books.
Micaiah: A viable, cute, but mysterious boy the sisters meet in the midst of their dangerous cattle drive. Cavvy falls for him. Not only does she have competition from someone close to her, but Micaiah is also not what he appears to be. He has four aunts who will stop at nothing to bring him home, and these women prove they’re even deadlier than June Mai Angel’s ninjas. Add to that his viability, and he becomes a li-ability to the family trying to escape attention. Or is he?
Pilate: Family friend. Catholic priest. Rake. Possible atheist. My favorite dude in the book. His morals are questionable, his actions are incorrigible, and his heart is as big as a supernova. He’s beautifully damaged, and I’m dying to see where his arc takes him. The irony of his name isn’t lost on me. In other, unrelated news, I want to marry Pilate.
Wren: Middle sister. Gunslinger. Obsessive tooth-brusher. Alcoholic. Awesomest damn character in the book. She and Cavvy rarely get along, but they’re trying to make things work for the sake of the farm. However, just when Cavvy starts to whittle away at Wren’s iron-plated exterior, Wren insults, belittles, or humiliates her. She’s a study in contrasts–hard as diamond, but also a lost soul. Hides a well of shallow emotion inside her chest … filled with alcohol.
Here’s my favorite description of Wren:
In other news, I’d also like to marry Wren.
The Conflict
After a devastating event forces Cavvy to return home, she has to decide whether to follow her two sisters across several states, pushing three thousand head of cattle through a wasteland with insane ninjas lurking in every corner, or lose their family home to a manipulative asshole who stacked the cattle deck against them.
That’s the short and sweet version, but there’s SO much more to the story. If you enjoy a fast-paced and totally unique story, DANDELION IRON is the book for you. Trust me. You need this book in your life. Young adult dystopian post-apocalyptic steampunk sci-fi western and all. :-)
I don’t do that very often anymore, but once I started this one, I could not stop, which says a lot about the awesomeness of said book.
What speaks even more loudly is the fact that the book was WAY the hell outside my comfort zone and not one I would have normally picked up. I simply do not read young adult (too whiny), westerns (no interest whatsoever), or steampunk (pretty concept, but I need electricity in my life).
Until I read a YA dystopian post-apocalyptic steampunk sci-fi western by a sorely under-appreciated author named Aaron Michael Ritchey.
DANDELION IRON was like nothing I’ve ever read before. I’m gonna do my best to break it down below without fangirling too hard, but I’m sure I’ll leave out tons of important stuff.
The World
War is hell, but the kind of war the Americans of 2058 endure is particularly nasty in that it results in a) the decimation of a lot of soldier man-dudes; b) a sterility epidemic that affects the few man-dudes who survive; c) a “knockout” that renders Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana electric wastelands, collectively called “the Juniper.” Thanks to a missile dropped on Yellowstone’s caldera that left a nasty, gaping EMP wound, not so much as a AAA battery works there, so steam and diesel are the blood that supplies everything in this literal no-man’s land.
Basically, the Juniper is totally phlucked.
But the rest of the country ambles on, wallowing in its technocracy-laden glory whilst its citizens are split down the middle on issues hauntingly familiar to us ancient folk stuck back in the 2010s. The conservatives try to push the New Morality Movement agenda down everyone’s throats, while the “liberal” ARK (American Reproductive Knowledge Initiative) supporters aim to preserve Homo sapiens via research and loads (I said “loads.” I crack me up!) of sperm clinics. The few “viable” boys and men who remain are often treated like objects, only good for what they can provide in the baby batter department, and I don’t mean for making pancakes or putting cribs together. The women of this time are perfectly capable of handling everything except procreation without help. Trust me.
The Major Players
Cavatica Weller: The story’s main squeeze. She’s seventeen. Smart. Gun shy. Devoted to her family, even though they drive her more than a little batty. Cavvy is the youngest of three cattle-pushing sisters. Their mama sent her to engineering school in The World (like, in Cleveland, Ohio where electricity still surges with the exuberance of fresh recruits reporting for duty) so she could one day be Somebody. Naturally, life throws her for a loop just as she’s getting comfortable at the Sally Browne Burke Academy for the Moral and Literate and catapults her home to the American outback with nothing but a big brain and a small case of anxiety every time a gun’s forced into her hand.
Sharlotte Weller: Big sister. Responsible. No nonsense. Hardened by years of working the farm in the Juniper. She needs Cavvy to come home and help navigate an impossible cattle drive to save the family land from the hands of Bad Dudes who aim to take everything. Six million dollars are at stake, so Sharlotte can be a little pushy at times.
June Mai Angel: An airship pirate who controls the Juniper from the dust bowl shadows. She commands a huge army of relentless ninja-like fighter chicks, and she ain’t afraid to cut ’em loose on anyone who stands in her way. June Mai always leaves one survivor so they can tell the world what she did. Oh, and her people eat their victims. Feet first. So they can watch while they’re being devoured. *Shiver*
Petal: Sino War survivor. Mean as a rattlesnake, deadly with a gun, yet fragile as a dandelion when she doesn’t have her medicine. Petal’s a great one to have on your side in a fight, but she’s trapped in her past, battling demons only she can see. A truly tragic figure. She also has a penchant for reciting twisted, thoroughly bad-ass versions of nursery rhymes in the middle of gun fights. I can’t wait to learn more about her in the upcoming books.
Micaiah: A viable, cute, but mysterious boy the sisters meet in the midst of their dangerous cattle drive. Cavvy falls for him. Not only does she have competition from someone close to her, but Micaiah is also not what he appears to be. He has four aunts who will stop at nothing to bring him home, and these women prove they’re even deadlier than June Mai Angel’s ninjas. Add to that his viability, and he becomes a li-ability to the family trying to escape attention. Or is he?
Pilate: Family friend. Catholic priest. Rake. Possible atheist. My favorite dude in the book. His morals are questionable, his actions are incorrigible, and his heart is as big as a supernova. He’s beautifully damaged, and I’m dying to see where his arc takes him. The irony of his name isn’t lost on me. In other, unrelated news, I want to marry Pilate.
"Pilate was a carnival of a man, a close family friend, and a Catholic priest. Kind of. He’d been a chaplain in the Sino, but he said the war shot most of the holy out of him.
Folks either loved him like biscuits or hated him like flour weevils.
Including me. Love and hate— that was Pilate."
Wren: Middle sister. Gunslinger. Obsessive tooth-brusher. Alcoholic. Awesomest damn character in the book. She and Cavvy rarely get along, but they’re trying to make things work for the sake of the farm. However, just when Cavvy starts to whittle away at Wren’s iron-plated exterior, Wren insults, belittles, or humiliates her. She’s a study in contrasts–hard as diamond, but also a lost soul. Hides a well of shallow emotion inside her chest … filled with alcohol.
Here’s my favorite description of Wren:
"Since Mama was always so busy with ranching, she put Sharlotte in charge of Wren’s and my hygiene— bathing, hair-combing, teeth-brushing, that kind of thing. Wren must’ve been around eight years old, and she liked her hair princess-long, but didn’t like anyone combing it. Sharlotte had to wrestle her down to brush out the tangles, and Wren would shriek and shriek.
After one such episode, Wren took Sharlotte’s Betty knife out of her room, went into the bathroom, and used it to cut off all her hair. Down to the scalp. Mama said blood and hair covered the bathroom, and there was Wren, grinning, bald and bleeding. She’d rather scalp herself than let Sharlotte comb out her tangles."
In other news, I’d also like to marry Wren.
The Conflict
After a devastating event forces Cavvy to return home, she has to decide whether to follow her two sisters across several states, pushing three thousand head of cattle through a wasteland with insane ninjas lurking in every corner, or lose their family home to a manipulative asshole who stacked the cattle deck against them.
That’s the short and sweet version, but there’s SO much more to the story. If you enjoy a fast-paced and totally unique story, DANDELION IRON is the book for you. Trust me. You need this book in your life. Young adult dystopian post-apocalyptic steampunk sci-fi western and all. :-)
January 8, 2018
Dandelion Iron occupies a unique place in Young Adult fantasy, a post apocalyptic setting in a modern world. A place where history has turned back but is not forgotten nor is it absent. Juniper is a place where horses, guns and lawlessness thrive while being surrounded by modern civilization. It’s a great setting and the story set there is equally compelling. Plague, war, politics and greed. A cattle drive across barren freeways to save the family ranch, sisters vying for a viable male. Heritage, obligation, mystery, and morality, God in the dust. Love and hate—it’s all here in Ritchey’s rich flowing narrative. Highly recommended. Very satisfying.
August 13, 2019
A surprisingly fun mix of post apocalypse and wild west gun-slinging with a dash of steam punk added for good measure! This was a fun read! This crazy mix actually worked! I liked the characters and the story kept me turning pages. I especially liked the main character's unique voice rich with western slang and metaphors. If you crave a unique post apocalypse story, give these books a try!
October 19, 2016
What a fantastic new dystopian series! I've read a lot of them and this one had a whole new take. The Juniper "world" was intriguing and believable. The secrets had me hanging on and turning pages faster, especially at the end.
I love the dynamic between the three sisters. They are all so different, and yet, their family ties are honest. I found myself loving every character in this book, even the minor characters. They are all so unique and well fleshed out. They each had their own realistic flaws that made them relatable.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who has read and loved books like The Hunger Games and Divergent. It has a similar dark, gritty feel with similar sociopathic villains, but with a truly fresh perspective. Can't wait to get the second one!
I love the dynamic between the three sisters. They are all so different, and yet, their family ties are honest. I found myself loving every character in this book, even the minor characters. They are all so unique and well fleshed out. They each had their own realistic flaws that made them relatable.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who has read and loved books like The Hunger Games and Divergent. It has a similar dark, gritty feel with similar sociopathic villains, but with a truly fresh perspective. Can't wait to get the second one!
October 19, 2017
This book was whelming. I'm a bit of a slut for post-apocalyptic stories, and the world set up for this one is pretty cleverly done, but it's one of those books that's smack dab in the middle of the "OK" category. Not bad, really, but not especially good, either. It seems as though the majority of the thought went into the creation of the story's setting and every other aspect was merely good enough.
The characters were unique, but not memorable. They were just interesting enough, but lacked depth. And since a good amount of tension in the action scenes hinges on one's investment in these characters, they lacked the emotional punch to really draw me in. Oh no, a certain main-ish character was shot and might die!? Hmm, I wonder how much bacon is too much for a club sandwich? Would it just be bacon with turkey at that point? Oh right, I'm still reading this book... Oh nooooo!
As for everything else... I find I'm sitting here trying to think about the lead up to the action scenes and the backgrounds for the characters and coming up short. It's the book equivalent to a room decorated entirely in beige; I remember that it exists, but the details just don't stick.
That said, it's not a bad book. It has a sort of folksy charm and a western bent, which I liked. The highlight, though, is the world that's been created. It struck me as a fair bit more realistic than some other post-apocalyptic scenarios. In particular in how myths and legends are born and propagated when stories originate from the unknown. Humanity loves itself a good conclusion to jump to, the more romantic and fantastical the better!
All-in-all I say it's forgettable fun. 2.5/5
The characters were unique, but not memorable. They were just interesting enough, but lacked depth. And since a good amount of tension in the action scenes hinges on one's investment in these characters, they lacked the emotional punch to really draw me in. Oh no, a certain main-ish character was shot and might die!? Hmm, I wonder how much bacon is too much for a club sandwich? Would it just be bacon with turkey at that point? Oh right, I'm still reading this book... Oh nooooo!
As for everything else... I find I'm sitting here trying to think about the lead up to the action scenes and the backgrounds for the characters and coming up short. It's the book equivalent to a room decorated entirely in beige; I remember that it exists, but the details just don't stick.
That said, it's not a bad book. It has a sort of folksy charm and a western bent, which I liked. The highlight, though, is the world that's been created. It struck me as a fair bit more realistic than some other post-apocalyptic scenarios. In particular in how myths and legends are born and propagated when stories originate from the unknown. Humanity loves itself a good conclusion to jump to, the more romantic and fantastical the better!
All-in-all I say it's forgettable fun. 2.5/5
October 10, 2022
You probably haven't read this. You should. Followed by all the rest of The Juniper Wars books you can get your hands on.
March 4, 2016
Cavatica Weller is attending a boarding school in Cleveland to become an electrical engineer while family is back in Burlington, Colorado running the ranch. She’s from the Juniper, an area encompassing five states, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana, along with parts of the surrounding states. During the Sino-American War the Chinese launched an EMP over Yellowstone causing the area to forever be without electricity. This same war caused sterility in 90% of all males.
When Cavvy’s mother dies, she is taken home by her sister, Wren, to aid in a cattle drive to save the ranch from foreclosure. Traveling through the Juniper takes you back to a time where land barons fight one another for control, outlaws are everywhere, and a good gun, a good horse, and hard living are the norm. At age sixteen, Cavvy has to grow up quickly and help keep her family alive. Will she live up to the challenge, especially after a viable boy joins their group?
Ritchey’s first book in The Juniper Wars series, Dandelion Iron, is a refreshing, fast-paced, post-apocalyptic novel. The characters are very well developed and quite diverse. The setting is described so vividly that you feel as though you are actually there. Being a young adult novel, it has some teenage angst and romance thrown into the mix.
When Cavvy’s mother dies, she is taken home by her sister, Wren, to aid in a cattle drive to save the ranch from foreclosure. Traveling through the Juniper takes you back to a time where land barons fight one another for control, outlaws are everywhere, and a good gun, a good horse, and hard living are the norm. At age sixteen, Cavvy has to grow up quickly and help keep her family alive. Will she live up to the challenge, especially after a viable boy joins their group?
Ritchey’s first book in The Juniper Wars series, Dandelion Iron, is a refreshing, fast-paced, post-apocalyptic novel. The characters are very well developed and quite diverse. The setting is described so vividly that you feel as though you are actually there. Being a young adult novel, it has some teenage angst and romance thrown into the mix.
July 21, 2016
Finally. A post-apocalypse story that hits me just right. Set in the American West not quite half a century in our future, 'the Juniper' is a huge region made up of many of the former western states. It's been scrubbed clean of electricity, just as most American men have been scrubbed clean of their ability to... well, let's just say they ain't viable no more.
But no matter. In spite of the odds, the challenges, and the infighting, three sisters set out on a cattle drive to save the family ranch. A time honored story plot, but you've never met sisters like this. The last page left my fingers tingling for the second book in this series.
But no matter. In spite of the odds, the challenges, and the infighting, three sisters set out on a cattle drive to save the family ranch. A time honored story plot, but you've never met sisters like this. The last page left my fingers tingling for the second book in this series.
March 3, 2016
4.5/5.0
One should grab a duster, six shooter, and spurs before venturing into this creatively crafted steampunk tale of sibling rivalry, loyalty, and long odds.
Read full review in the 2016 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.
One should grab a duster, six shooter, and spurs before venturing into this creatively crafted steampunk tale of sibling rivalry, loyalty, and long odds.
Read full review in the 2016 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.
May 22, 2021
Armageddon Girls (The Juniper Wars Book 1) by Aaron Michael Ritchey
I generally don’t read dystopian stories, but the premise of this one grabbed my attention. The characters are all well-developed, quite unique, and interesting. This is going to be an epic coming-of-age saga contrasting two disparate worlds existing side by side. Aaron Michael Ritchey has done an outstanding job setting up his world and has kept it as realistic as fantasy can get while still pushing the limits of reality with the elements he employed.
The story is told through Cavatica Weller’s eyes. She is the youngest of three living sisters who has been pulled out of school, The Sally Browne Burke Academy for the Moral and Literate in Cleveland, Ohio, to assist in a cattle drive to save the family ranch in the Juniper. Each sister has her own strengths. Cavatica is strong-willed, opinionated, naïve, and ruled by her emotions. A persevering theme throughout the story is the New Morality Movement. There were several times I wanted to slap the s**t out of Cavatica. Her views are so extremely colored by this New Morality that she can’t see straight. I found it frustrating and kept having to remind myself of her young age. I hope she will eventually find a balance that will serve her better in coming sequels. The mysterious young man they rescue from a raid adds a complicated element to the storyline, especially when the oldest and youngest sisters set their sights on him.
The character-driven plot is fast-moving with several surprising twists thrown into the mix, which continually causes adaptions to be made to the Weller sisters plans. I have found myself invested in this family’s quest to get their cattle to a fair market with their family, friends, and employees intact. The surprise at the end left my jaw on the floor. Mr. Ritchey has woven a tangled web and I am not sure what to expect next. I do know that I will be anxiously awaiting the next addition of this story.
FYI: Armageddon Girls is the first book in The Juniper Wars series. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" Book Blog. May have received a free review copy.** April 8, 2016
Format/Typo Issues: I read and reviewed from an advanced readers copy, so can’t really comment on editing.
I generally don’t read dystopian stories, but the premise of this one grabbed my attention. The characters are all well-developed, quite unique, and interesting. This is going to be an epic coming-of-age saga contrasting two disparate worlds existing side by side. Aaron Michael Ritchey has done an outstanding job setting up his world and has kept it as realistic as fantasy can get while still pushing the limits of reality with the elements he employed.
The story is told through Cavatica Weller’s eyes. She is the youngest of three living sisters who has been pulled out of school, The Sally Browne Burke Academy for the Moral and Literate in Cleveland, Ohio, to assist in a cattle drive to save the family ranch in the Juniper. Each sister has her own strengths. Cavatica is strong-willed, opinionated, naïve, and ruled by her emotions. A persevering theme throughout the story is the New Morality Movement. There were several times I wanted to slap the s**t out of Cavatica. Her views are so extremely colored by this New Morality that she can’t see straight. I found it frustrating and kept having to remind myself of her young age. I hope she will eventually find a balance that will serve her better in coming sequels. The mysterious young man they rescue from a raid adds a complicated element to the storyline, especially when the oldest and youngest sisters set their sights on him.
The character-driven plot is fast-moving with several surprising twists thrown into the mix, which continually causes adaptions to be made to the Weller sisters plans. I have found myself invested in this family’s quest to get their cattle to a fair market with their family, friends, and employees intact. The surprise at the end left my jaw on the floor. Mr. Ritchey has woven a tangled web and I am not sure what to expect next. I do know that I will be anxiously awaiting the next addition of this story.
FYI: Armageddon Girls is the first book in The Juniper Wars series. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" Book Blog. May have received a free review copy.** April 8, 2016
Format/Typo Issues: I read and reviewed from an advanced readers copy, so can’t really comment on editing.
October 15, 2022
This novel actually is a blend of several genres: western, post-apocalyptic, romance, coming of age, science fiction, mystery. It's been nominated for a young adult award, too. In the late 2020s, the Sino-American War broke out and seemed to have been fought on both fronts. During the war, Yellowstone was nuked and the resulting geologic forces caused an EMP that has caused a roughly five-state region to lose all things electrical. Of course, most of the population fled to the other parts of the United States. Eventually, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico revert to territories. Some salvagers and several ranchers are the principal residents in Colorado, where most of the action occurs in this novel.
To make everything even more difficult, male sterility is a serious issue now. Only 1 out of every 10 births is male and only a tenth of those are sterile ("viable"). In some ways, this makes the book almost a reverse of The Handmaid's Tale, except females are running most things and males and the reproduction clinics are the high value parts of society.
So life
But this tale is not as depressing as the other. Life is rough in The Juniper (the name for the five states), but our main character, Cavatica, is attending school in Ohio to learn
to be proficient on computers and electrical engineering, because her mother, a rancher in Colorado, wants her to be ready when the electricity comes back in The Juniper. So, life in the U.S. can be a blend of the near future and the Wild West. But when Cavatica's mother dies and money becomes an issue, she returns to help her sisters with a cattle drive to Nevada.
They come across a young guy that affects the family's dynamics. And theres a definite mystery about who is actually is and who is pursuing him.
The book has quite a few battle scenes between our family and those mystery individuals and/or Outlaw Warlords. But compare to other books with battles, these are shorter and I find them more interesting.
I believe the world building here is pretty good and I'm looking forward learning more about all our characters.
To make everything even more difficult, male sterility is a serious issue now. Only 1 out of every 10 births is male and only a tenth of those are sterile ("viable"). In some ways, this makes the book almost a reverse of The Handmaid's Tale, except females are running most things and males and the reproduction clinics are the high value parts of society.
So life
But this tale is not as depressing as the other. Life is rough in The Juniper (the name for the five states), but our main character, Cavatica, is attending school in Ohio to learn
to be proficient on computers and electrical engineering, because her mother, a rancher in Colorado, wants her to be ready when the electricity comes back in The Juniper. So, life in the U.S. can be a blend of the near future and the Wild West. But when Cavatica's mother dies and money becomes an issue, she returns to help her sisters with a cattle drive to Nevada.
They come across a young guy that affects the family's dynamics. And theres a definite mystery about who is actually is and who is pursuing him.
The book has quite a few battle scenes between our family and those mystery individuals and/or Outlaw Warlords. But compare to other books with battles, these are shorter and I find them more interesting.
I believe the world building here is pretty good and I'm looking forward learning more about all our characters.
December 31, 2017
I bought this book because it was suggested to me at a SciFi Con when I requested a dystopian novel with female protagonists - my drug of choice. While it is both of those things, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. It was quite evident that the author was male and has never been a teenage girl, and possibly did not consult with any prior to writing the main character, Cavatica. In times when Cavatica should have had a million things on her mind (what was happening, the death of her mother, the loss of control of her life, what her future should look like, etc.), she was reduced entirely to thoughts about her weird, sex-shaming religion and boys. Which is not uncommon in books about teenage girls written by men, but a bit disappointing to read in a contemporary book.
While the book is almost entirely composed of female characters (as a war and a sterility epidemic has killed off 90% of the men of the world), it would barely pass the Bechdel test. In 257 pages, there weren't too many conversations between characters (with the exception of Tech and Sketchy, who both disappear from the narrative suddenly) or thoughts from Cavatica that weren't entirely based around boys or men.
The action parts were pretty action-packed in the typical way with impossible scenarios scattered throughout in a predictable pattern and cadence - David v. Goliath style battles - that all ended in "oh no, someone in the party may be seriously hurt!" followed directly by "just kidding, everyone's fine."
It was also incredibly repetitive with a multitude of references to some weird religion we don't really understand, mentions of a catastrophic event that is hinted at but never fully explained, lots of made-up jargon and Western cowgirl slang that make it harder to read, and just tons and tons of teenage hormonal crush moments at highly improbable times.
All in all, I was not entirely pleased with my purchase and wish I had held out for a female author who could write a less predictable, more true to life, fully-fleshed out female character with depth and substance. 2.5/5
While the book is almost entirely composed of female characters (as a war and a sterility epidemic has killed off 90% of the men of the world), it would barely pass the Bechdel test. In 257 pages, there weren't too many conversations between characters (with the exception of Tech and Sketchy, who both disappear from the narrative suddenly) or thoughts from Cavatica that weren't entirely based around boys or men.
The action parts were pretty action-packed in the typical way with impossible scenarios scattered throughout in a predictable pattern and cadence - David v. Goliath style battles - that all ended in "oh no, someone in the party may be seriously hurt!" followed directly by "just kidding, everyone's fine."
It was also incredibly repetitive with a multitude of references to some weird religion we don't really understand, mentions of a catastrophic event that is hinted at but never fully explained, lots of made-up jargon and Western cowgirl slang that make it harder to read, and just tons and tons of teenage hormonal crush moments at highly improbable times.
All in all, I was not entirely pleased with my purchase and wish I had held out for a female author who could write a less predictable, more true to life, fully-fleshed out female character with depth and substance. 2.5/5
December 4, 2019
This was a good and interesting take on post-apocalyptic fiction. A series of events have changed the world. War between China and America has left a large portion of the Southwest permanently without electricity. A strange ailment means only one out of ten babies are male and of those, only one out of ten are fertile. As a result the world is largely female dominated. The southwestern states are more or less abandoned by the US government at large and are referred to as "The Juniper Territories." Our heroine is from these territories, and after the death of her mother she's rather abruptly and violently escorted home from the modern world to the Juniper again to aid in what everyone considers an insane gambit to save the family farm. That would be plot enough for most people, but not Aaron Michael Ritchey! Oh no, into this mess crashlands a rather handsome, and definitely viable young man who's cagey about his origins. And of course, he's under pursuit by some strange women with serious military equipment and experience.
There's a lot going on that makes for a decent action story. Moreover there's plenty of downbeats to give the reader a bit of a breather before Ritchey ramps up the action again. Overall I find the setting very well thought out. Ritchey creates a world that has adapted to the various demands after a minor Armageddon. People adjust in one way or another. Those living in the territories learn to struggle and survive. Viable boys become hot commodities. There are technologies that swap between pure mechanical and electrical systems so that they can work in the territories.
The book hits elements of science fiction and melds it well with a western that makes it all enjoyable.
The characters as well are varied and interesting, between young Cavatica who narrates the story, to her two sisters and the people around them and how she relates or fails to relate with any and all.
This is worth reading more of for certain.
There's a lot going on that makes for a decent action story. Moreover there's plenty of downbeats to give the reader a bit of a breather before Ritchey ramps up the action again. Overall I find the setting very well thought out. Ritchey creates a world that has adapted to the various demands after a minor Armageddon. People adjust in one way or another. Those living in the territories learn to struggle and survive. Viable boys become hot commodities. There are technologies that swap between pure mechanical and electrical systems so that they can work in the territories.
The book hits elements of science fiction and melds it well with a western that makes it all enjoyable.
The characters as well are varied and interesting, between young Cavatica who narrates the story, to her two sisters and the people around them and how she relates or fails to relate with any and all.
This is worth reading more of for certain.
August 15, 2017
I picked this book up in a stack of other indie author stories. I did not know what to expect but was told "Little house on the Prairie meets Mad Max". Now I wouldn't say that this description isn't entirely accurate-but I see how it was used as a quick reference to those who may otherwise not understand the style of the book.
I look at the story as an alternative future-post collapse story with a western theme and steampunk accents.
The story was fantastic,telling an otherwise simple idea of a story but with fresh ideas that make this new world seem both possible and inviting. It is a harsh alternative America and the brutality of those who live in this world allow for great potential. The story had plenty of suspenseful moments, great dialogue and engaging characters
There were elements of the book that left me wondering either where it may go, what this character's motives are or if a particular character is going to live through this.
My biggest issues with this story is the "To e continued ending" although this happens after a decent wrap up up the first book's events. so I will let it slide.
This book is going on my "Favorite of the year" spot as it was fantastic in oh so many ways.
I am a slow reader. On my final read through I picked the book up with around 100 pages remaining. I figured it would take a night or two to complete the read-however I found myself reading for around three hours to wrap up this story in one sitting. I was immediately hungry for more and am eagerly anticipating my first sit down with book two. I would encourage having book two ready before starting book though so that you can delve right into it.
This was a fantastic book and well worth the read.
I look at the story as an alternative future-post collapse story with a western theme and steampunk accents.
The story was fantastic,telling an otherwise simple idea of a story but with fresh ideas that make this new world seem both possible and inviting. It is a harsh alternative America and the brutality of those who live in this world allow for great potential. The story had plenty of suspenseful moments, great dialogue and engaging characters
There were elements of the book that left me wondering either where it may go, what this character's motives are or if a particular character is going to live through this.
My biggest issues with this story is the "To e continued ending" although this happens after a decent wrap up up the first book's events. so I will let it slide.
This book is going on my "Favorite of the year" spot as it was fantastic in oh so many ways.
I am a slow reader. On my final read through I picked the book up with around 100 pages remaining. I figured it would take a night or two to complete the read-however I found myself reading for around three hours to wrap up this story in one sitting. I was immediately hungry for more and am eagerly anticipating my first sit down with book two. I would encourage having book two ready before starting book though so that you can delve right into it.
This was a fantastic book and well worth the read.
February 21, 2021
I love, Love, LOVE this book! Armageddon Girls landed firmly on my favorites list! I gotta say 2021 has been good to me, with several top quality reads, and February isn't even half over!
This book is what happens when the author has an over abundant love for all genre fiction. It's a coming-of-age, near-future, Apocalyptic, Scifi, Western that's been Steampunked! Yep, you heard that right! Our protagonist (Cavaticus: so named because her mama loved the story of Charlotte's Web) and her two sisters take a daring risk in order to save the ranch. They decide drive 3000 head of cattle across the wastelands, journeyin' south to where the markets are better, and the beeves will pay off the ranch's debt! The only difference between... say a Zane Grey tale and Armageddon Girls are the weapons, and that the rustlers/pirates swoop in on either a dirigible, or horseback, each with equal aplomb, to take whatever they want and kill everything else!
I grew up on a diet of Westerns, and later Scifi (Ya' just cain't take the Western/Spacer outta' me!), so it's really a no-brainer that I would love this!
The story's end borders right on that fine line between something I really liked... and a cliffhanger that earned my wrath, but I decided that it really did have a good positive conclusion, even though, they're stuck hiding in Denver, not even a quarter of the way to their destination!
Other reasons to get this book: (What you need more?) How about a kickass protagonist, along with her also Kickass-sisters, Sharlotte and Wren? There's plenty of action to go around, and a great character driven plot! All of that just makes this book rock! Bonus if you like audio books, because Angela Rose Masi's awesome narration really sets the stage!
This book is what happens when the author has an over abundant love for all genre fiction. It's a coming-of-age, near-future, Apocalyptic, Scifi, Western that's been Steampunked! Yep, you heard that right! Our protagonist (Cavaticus: so named because her mama loved the story of Charlotte's Web) and her two sisters take a daring risk in order to save the ranch. They decide drive 3000 head of cattle across the wastelands, journeyin' south to where the markets are better, and the beeves will pay off the ranch's debt! The only difference between... say a Zane Grey tale and Armageddon Girls are the weapons, and that the rustlers/pirates swoop in on either a dirigible, or horseback, each with equal aplomb, to take whatever they want and kill everything else!
I grew up on a diet of Westerns, and later Scifi (Ya' just cain't take the Western/Spacer outta' me!), so it's really a no-brainer that I would love this!
The story's end borders right on that fine line between something I really liked... and a cliffhanger that earned my wrath, but I decided that it really did have a good positive conclusion, even though, they're stuck hiding in Denver, not even a quarter of the way to their destination!
Other reasons to get this book: (What you need more?) How about a kickass protagonist, along with her also Kickass-sisters, Sharlotte and Wren? There's plenty of action to go around, and a great character driven plot! All of that just makes this book rock! Bonus if you like audio books, because Angela Rose Masi's awesome narration really sets the stage!
September 13, 2020
Dandelion Iron is a fun read. I enjoyed it to the point that as I was getting near the end of the book I knew there was no way this book ended with them arriving in Wendover. So much had been presented to that point and there was still more story to tell. This book ends well to bring completion to the first part. There was enough to know they had succeeded to that point of their adventure with enough of a well foreshadowed cliffhanger to want to find out what happens on the next leg of their drive.
You can read the complete review at https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...
You can read the complete review at https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...
September 4, 2017
I would really like to give this 4.5 stars - I really liked it! YA is not my favorite genre to read, but Aaron Michael Ritchey is one of the few writers that can convince me to give the genre another try. It did not disappoint. The characters come to life nicely and by the end of the book, you feel like you know them personally. The Walker girls are such siblings, their actions and reactions to what goes on around them made me smile. This is a quick read because it is difficult to put down, even if YA isn't your thing (like me).
December 19, 2017
I’m always intrigued by books that attempt to mix westerns and science fiction, and this was a pretty solid offering. The author clearly put a ton of effort into building a believable post-apocalyptic western world, and makes sure to leave basically zero holes in the backstory. That said, the narrator’s faux-western diction comes off as a bit corny, as do a lot of the Juniper characters. Still, the story was fun, and did a decent job of mixing two usually disparate genres.
January 25, 2020
Excellent SF Novel--strong Story and great characters
Well thought out new series featuring the three Weller sisters in a rousing future tale featuring a cattle drive, retro steampunk technology mixed with modern scientific breakthroughs, and a strong romantic element. Breakout novel of 2020 so far. If you are a fan of Rebecca Roanhorse and her near future fabulist American Indian books, you'll love Ritchie's stuff.
Well thought out new series featuring the three Weller sisters in a rousing future tale featuring a cattle drive, retro steampunk technology mixed with modern scientific breakthroughs, and a strong romantic element. Breakout novel of 2020 so far. If you are a fan of Rebecca Roanhorse and her near future fabulist American Indian books, you'll love Ritchie's stuff.
July 23, 2016
Katniss Everdeen look out you are about to be replaced by some serious kickass cowgirls!
As a high school teacher and mother of five, two of which are girls, understanding the feminine and adolescent mind set is a feat that would frustrate even the great Gandalf and Dumbledore. If Harry Potter had of been Harriet Potter, Voldemort would had given up in frustration. One of the facets of Aaron Ritchey Dandelion Iron (The Juniper Wars Book 1) and Killdeer Winds (The Juniper Wars Book 2) that is so outstanding is that he nails the characterization and the mindset of the three sisters Cavatica, Sharlotte and Irene (Wren) Weller. Dandelion Iron (The Juniper Wars Book 1) is told from 1st person point of view by Cavatica, the reader is introduced to an anachronistic world that has been created by the catastrophic event called “The Yellowstone Knockout” when the Chinese dropped missiles on Yellowstone park and “ plunged five states into darkness: New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana called the Juniper” These five states are unable to sustain electrical power even thirty years after the attack has occurred and have reverted back into “Wild West territories” filled with warring ranchers and outlaws. In addition to the blackout of these five states, the fallout from the attack and years of the Sino-American war between China and America has resulted in the devastation of the male population and very few male births, and the males that are born are not always” viable” able to father children. The first book opens with Cavatica a long way from Colorado and the Juniper, attending The Sally Browne Burke Academy for the Moral and Literate, a school of “The New Morality” in Cleveland, Ohio. Her goal is to become an electrical engineer. She is busy setting up one of the “mean girls” of the school to help her friend Anju win the heart of Billy Finn, one the few viable boys who attends the school. She succeeds, showing her technical savvy and how cowboy tough Juniper girls are, but her heroic success takes a back seat when she is called down to the headmistress’ office to discover that her gun toting, trash talking, kickass sister, Wren has come to take her home due to tragic circumstances at her older sister’s Sharlotte’s command. From their things spin out of control when Wren, slightly inebriated, pulls out her Springfield XD Subcompact 9mm pistol from a holster velcroed to her upper thigh, to convince Mrs. Justice, the headmistress, the prudence of reimbursing Cavatica’s tuition since she must leave to return home.
Wren, never one to do things the subtle way, causes an uproar that forces the sisters to flee the academy in order to make it back to the Juniper alive much to Cavatica’s chagrin. From this point on, the action travels across the pages like a Tornado sucking everything into its funnel including the reader. You cannot turn the pages fast enough! The sisters have been raised by Abigale Weller, a cross between Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley and Laura Croft, One of Cavatica’s earliest memory of her mother is reloading her mother’s rifle during gun battles as her mother fought off Outlaw Warlords to protect her family and property. Cavatica is called home by her elder sister Sharlotte to help with a cattle drive to save the ranch for which her mother gave her life, but in the Juniper things are never that simple. The sisters are besieged on all sides by enemies and obstacles and the complications of the girl’s complex relationship with each other, but Abigale Weller bred her girl’s to be “Juniper Tough”, the girls spit in the face of adversity and saddle up with the help of Sketchy and her airship crew, the loyal women cowhands of the ranch, Pilate a priest, gunslinger and ex-sino war veteran along with Petal an ex-veteran, expert sniper and doctor. Since Dob Howerter owns the cattle market, the girls will not get a fair price that they need to salvage the ranch and make a profit. Sharlotte plans to follow through with her mother’s out of the box plan to drive the cattle to Wendover, Nevada where they will make a huge profit. The journey will force them to cross the Rocky Mountains and the dessert and put them in the path of Outlaw Warlords, Crazy June Mai Angel and her army of ex-sino war women veterans, The Wind River People, Natives Americans who have reclaimed the land taken from them and a few other surprises that make this journey a suicide mission. The character’s complex relationships, the non-stop action, the creative world building and technology, the surprise plot twist (like a young boy dropped into the middle of their cattle drive from a crashed zeppelin) and genetically engineered women mercenaries, create a story that that celebrates the enduring quality of the human spirit and the capacity for heroism and self -sacrifice of which humans are capable and a damn great story! This is an awesome read for all ages who enjoy Steampunk, Westerns, Post-Apocalyptic, Action Adventure or just a good, well written story with strong women characters who according to Cavvy embrace … their “Girly ‘strogen” and channel their “Shakti”. Killdeer Winds (The Juniper Wars Book 2) will be available September 15, 2016.
As a high school teacher and mother of five, two of which are girls, understanding the feminine and adolescent mind set is a feat that would frustrate even the great Gandalf and Dumbledore. If Harry Potter had of been Harriet Potter, Voldemort would had given up in frustration. One of the facets of Aaron Ritchey Dandelion Iron (The Juniper Wars Book 1) and Killdeer Winds (The Juniper Wars Book 2) that is so outstanding is that he nails the characterization and the mindset of the three sisters Cavatica, Sharlotte and Irene (Wren) Weller. Dandelion Iron (The Juniper Wars Book 1) is told from 1st person point of view by Cavatica, the reader is introduced to an anachronistic world that has been created by the catastrophic event called “The Yellowstone Knockout” when the Chinese dropped missiles on Yellowstone park and “ plunged five states into darkness: New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana called the Juniper” These five states are unable to sustain electrical power even thirty years after the attack has occurred and have reverted back into “Wild West territories” filled with warring ranchers and outlaws. In addition to the blackout of these five states, the fallout from the attack and years of the Sino-American war between China and America has resulted in the devastation of the male population and very few male births, and the males that are born are not always” viable” able to father children. The first book opens with Cavatica a long way from Colorado and the Juniper, attending The Sally Browne Burke Academy for the Moral and Literate, a school of “The New Morality” in Cleveland, Ohio. Her goal is to become an electrical engineer. She is busy setting up one of the “mean girls” of the school to help her friend Anju win the heart of Billy Finn, one the few viable boys who attends the school. She succeeds, showing her technical savvy and how cowboy tough Juniper girls are, but her heroic success takes a back seat when she is called down to the headmistress’ office to discover that her gun toting, trash talking, kickass sister, Wren has come to take her home due to tragic circumstances at her older sister’s Sharlotte’s command. From their things spin out of control when Wren, slightly inebriated, pulls out her Springfield XD Subcompact 9mm pistol from a holster velcroed to her upper thigh, to convince Mrs. Justice, the headmistress, the prudence of reimbursing Cavatica’s tuition since she must leave to return home.
Wren, never one to do things the subtle way, causes an uproar that forces the sisters to flee the academy in order to make it back to the Juniper alive much to Cavatica’s chagrin. From this point on, the action travels across the pages like a Tornado sucking everything into its funnel including the reader. You cannot turn the pages fast enough! The sisters have been raised by Abigale Weller, a cross between Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley and Laura Croft, One of Cavatica’s earliest memory of her mother is reloading her mother’s rifle during gun battles as her mother fought off Outlaw Warlords to protect her family and property. Cavatica is called home by her elder sister Sharlotte to help with a cattle drive to save the ranch for which her mother gave her life, but in the Juniper things are never that simple. The sisters are besieged on all sides by enemies and obstacles and the complications of the girl’s complex relationship with each other, but Abigale Weller bred her girl’s to be “Juniper Tough”, the girls spit in the face of adversity and saddle up with the help of Sketchy and her airship crew, the loyal women cowhands of the ranch, Pilate a priest, gunslinger and ex-sino war veteran along with Petal an ex-veteran, expert sniper and doctor. Since Dob Howerter owns the cattle market, the girls will not get a fair price that they need to salvage the ranch and make a profit. Sharlotte plans to follow through with her mother’s out of the box plan to drive the cattle to Wendover, Nevada where they will make a huge profit. The journey will force them to cross the Rocky Mountains and the dessert and put them in the path of Outlaw Warlords, Crazy June Mai Angel and her army of ex-sino war women veterans, The Wind River People, Natives Americans who have reclaimed the land taken from them and a few other surprises that make this journey a suicide mission. The character’s complex relationships, the non-stop action, the creative world building and technology, the surprise plot twist (like a young boy dropped into the middle of their cattle drive from a crashed zeppelin) and genetically engineered women mercenaries, create a story that that celebrates the enduring quality of the human spirit and the capacity for heroism and self -sacrifice of which humans are capable and a damn great story! This is an awesome read for all ages who enjoy Steampunk, Westerns, Post-Apocalyptic, Action Adventure or just a good, well written story with strong women characters who according to Cavvy embrace … their “Girly ‘strogen” and channel their “Shakti”. Killdeer Winds (The Juniper Wars Book 2) will be available September 15, 2016.
October 20, 2018
This book is a complete and utter joy to read. It picks up right at the start and keeps chugging forward. An incredible and amazing journey to this dystopian future.
For my full review, head here! :)
https://wyrdsaboutwords.blogspot.com/...
For my full review, head here! :)
https://wyrdsaboutwords.blogspot.com/...
May 26, 2018
I am absolutely obsessed with this series! action packed, full of intriguing characters in a world that is both familiar and mysterious. LOVE!
February 8, 2021
more like a 3.5, but not quite a 4. would like to see what happens next.
March 21, 2016
I had to look up the the last Aaron Michael Ritchey book I had the privilege of reading; it was back in June of 2015. Nearly a year ago, I finished Long Live the Suicide King and I’ve been itching at that empty part of me waiting for the next piece of fiction from Ritchey so that I might get my fix.
This time last year I met Ritchey and he told me about this wonderful new series he was writing. The way his face lit when describing a futuristic post-apocalyptic cattle drive was worth a thousand words. You can imagine my surprise and delight when I received an ARC of The Juniper Wars: Dandelion Iron. I breathed a little easier knowing that after many long months, the wait and come to an end.
The year is 2058 and the Sino-American War caused many problems for the world. The first and arguably the biggest problem was the Sterility Epidemic, causing 9 out of 10 men to be sterile as well as 9 out of ten births to be female. The second largest problem was due to the Yellowstone Knockout. New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana, as well as the edges bleeding into bordering states have no electricity. This makes up what is known as The Juniper, the wildest most dangerous part of the world. While the rest of civilized society moves on and embraces technology, cures cancer, and are working hard to save the earth; those in the Juniper are left to function in the dark ages of what resembles the old west.
In Dandelion Iron, book one of six in the Juniper Wars series, we meet Cavatica Weller. She has fully embraced civilized life and going to school in the city. She’s even made peace with the fact that she’ll probably never have a boy of her own. Until her gunslinging sister Wren shows up at her school forcing her to run for her life back to the Juniper. Her oldest sister Sharlotte is holding down the family ranch, with bad news to bare. In a last ditch effort to save the family ranch, Cavatica and her sisters will take on the most dangerous outlaws the Juniper has ever known.
During this Firefly-esk book, a rare viable boy who falls from the sky. Literally. Only how much do the Weller sisters know about him? Wren wants to sell him for the millions he’s worth while Cavatica has fallen head over heals in love and Sharlotte is caught in between. It’s easy to forget how emotional teenagers are when you no longer suffer with the highs and lows of teenage hormones, when everything is life or death. In this case though, the world really is life and death and falling in love with a strange boy who fell from a zeppelin makes it just a bit harder. Or is easier?
There is a strong dance in Dandelion Iron around what is right and what is wrong. The world starts a little black and white for Cavatica. She tends to see things strongly one way or the other, despite her own internal reservations. As the book progresses, we see her start to listen to the internal voice that tells her the world isn’t so black and white as she once thought. I have little doubt that we won’t see more of this as the series progresses.
This book is about so much more than everything I’ve said before. It’s also about family, three sisters who could not be more different if they tried. But whose love and commitment to one another keeps them together. Dandelion Iron is a coming of age story and while I don’t know for sure, I would guess that it’s the beginning of something much bigger to come.
Ritchey’s writing never ceases to delight. His pros never fail to pull at the heart strings, and promote strong visuals. Ritchey’s work is the perfect example of showing a reader the story with words and not telling them outright. Everything from the landscape to each character has been developed so completely that it is all as real in my mind as if I’d witnessed everything myself. English teachers everywhere will be proud.
Now if you’ll please excuse me for a couple of days, I have book two to melt into next and I’m dying to know what happens to the Weller sisters and their beefsteaks out in the Juniper.
This time last year I met Ritchey and he told me about this wonderful new series he was writing. The way his face lit when describing a futuristic post-apocalyptic cattle drive was worth a thousand words. You can imagine my surprise and delight when I received an ARC of The Juniper Wars: Dandelion Iron. I breathed a little easier knowing that after many long months, the wait and come to an end.
The year is 2058 and the Sino-American War caused many problems for the world. The first and arguably the biggest problem was the Sterility Epidemic, causing 9 out of 10 men to be sterile as well as 9 out of ten births to be female. The second largest problem was due to the Yellowstone Knockout. New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana, as well as the edges bleeding into bordering states have no electricity. This makes up what is known as The Juniper, the wildest most dangerous part of the world. While the rest of civilized society moves on and embraces technology, cures cancer, and are working hard to save the earth; those in the Juniper are left to function in the dark ages of what resembles the old west.
In Dandelion Iron, book one of six in the Juniper Wars series, we meet Cavatica Weller. She has fully embraced civilized life and going to school in the city. She’s even made peace with the fact that she’ll probably never have a boy of her own. Until her gunslinging sister Wren shows up at her school forcing her to run for her life back to the Juniper. Her oldest sister Sharlotte is holding down the family ranch, with bad news to bare. In a last ditch effort to save the family ranch, Cavatica and her sisters will take on the most dangerous outlaws the Juniper has ever known.
During this Firefly-esk book, a rare viable boy who falls from the sky. Literally. Only how much do the Weller sisters know about him? Wren wants to sell him for the millions he’s worth while Cavatica has fallen head over heals in love and Sharlotte is caught in between. It’s easy to forget how emotional teenagers are when you no longer suffer with the highs and lows of teenage hormones, when everything is life or death. In this case though, the world really is life and death and falling in love with a strange boy who fell from a zeppelin makes it just a bit harder. Or is easier?
There is a strong dance in Dandelion Iron around what is right and what is wrong. The world starts a little black and white for Cavatica. She tends to see things strongly one way or the other, despite her own internal reservations. As the book progresses, we see her start to listen to the internal voice that tells her the world isn’t so black and white as she once thought. I have little doubt that we won’t see more of this as the series progresses.
This book is about so much more than everything I’ve said before. It’s also about family, three sisters who could not be more different if they tried. But whose love and commitment to one another keeps them together. Dandelion Iron is a coming of age story and while I don’t know for sure, I would guess that it’s the beginning of something much bigger to come.
Ritchey’s writing never ceases to delight. His pros never fail to pull at the heart strings, and promote strong visuals. Ritchey’s work is the perfect example of showing a reader the story with words and not telling them outright. Everything from the landscape to each character has been developed so completely that it is all as real in my mind as if I’d witnessed everything myself. English teachers everywhere will be proud.
Now if you’ll please excuse me for a couple of days, I have book two to melt into next and I’m dying to know what happens to the Weller sisters and their beefsteaks out in the Juniper.
April 17, 2016
Dandelion Iron by Aaron Michael Ritchey
I generally don’t read dystopian stories, but the premise of this one grabbed my attention. The characters are all well-developed, quite unique, and interesting. This is going to be an epic coming-of-age saga contrasting two disparate worlds existing side by side. Aaron Michael Ritchey has done an outstanding job setting up his world and has kept it as realistic as fantasy can get while still pushing the limits of reality with the elements he employed.
The story is told through Cavatica Weller’s eyes. She is the youngest of three living sisters who has been pulled out of school, The Sally Browne Burke Academy for the Moral and Literate in Cleveland, Ohio, to assist in a cattle drive to save the family ranch in the Juniper. Each sister has her own strengths. Cavatica is strong-willed, opinionated, naïve, and ruled by her emotions. A persevering theme throughout the story is the New Morality Movement. There were several times I wanted to slap the s**t out of Cavatica. Her views are so extremely colored by this New Morality that she can’t see straight. I found it frustrating and kept having to remind myself of her young age. I hope she will eventually find a balance that will serve her better in coming sequels. The mysterious young man they rescue from a raid adds a complicated element to the storyline, especially when the oldest and youngest sisters set their sights on him.
The character-driven plot is fast-moving with several surprising twists thrown into the mix, which continually causes adaptions to be made to the Weller sisters plans. I have found myself invested in this family’s quest to get their cattle to a fair market with their family, friends, and employees intact. The surprise at the end left my jaw on the floor. Mr. Ritchey has woven a tangled web and I am not sure what to expect next. I do know that I will be anxiously awaiting the next addition of this story.
FYI: Dandelion Iron is the first book in The Juniper Wars series. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** April 8, 2016
Format/Typo Issues: I read and reviewed from an advanced readers copy, so can��t really comment on editing.
I generally don’t read dystopian stories, but the premise of this one grabbed my attention. The characters are all well-developed, quite unique, and interesting. This is going to be an epic coming-of-age saga contrasting two disparate worlds existing side by side. Aaron Michael Ritchey has done an outstanding job setting up his world and has kept it as realistic as fantasy can get while still pushing the limits of reality with the elements he employed.
The story is told through Cavatica Weller’s eyes. She is the youngest of three living sisters who has been pulled out of school, The Sally Browne Burke Academy for the Moral and Literate in Cleveland, Ohio, to assist in a cattle drive to save the family ranch in the Juniper. Each sister has her own strengths. Cavatica is strong-willed, opinionated, naïve, and ruled by her emotions. A persevering theme throughout the story is the New Morality Movement. There were several times I wanted to slap the s**t out of Cavatica. Her views are so extremely colored by this New Morality that she can’t see straight. I found it frustrating and kept having to remind myself of her young age. I hope she will eventually find a balance that will serve her better in coming sequels. The mysterious young man they rescue from a raid adds a complicated element to the storyline, especially when the oldest and youngest sisters set their sights on him.
The character-driven plot is fast-moving with several surprising twists thrown into the mix, which continually causes adaptions to be made to the Weller sisters plans. I have found myself invested in this family’s quest to get their cattle to a fair market with their family, friends, and employees intact. The surprise at the end left my jaw on the floor. Mr. Ritchey has woven a tangled web and I am not sure what to expect next. I do know that I will be anxiously awaiting the next addition of this story.
FYI: Dandelion Iron is the first book in The Juniper Wars series. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** April 8, 2016
Format/Typo Issues: I read and reviewed from an advanced readers copy, so can��t really comment on editing.
January 5, 2017
Book # 46 for 2016
Habitica's Legendary Book Club Modest Reading Challenge Task: A book you've been meaning to read.
PopSugar Challenge Prompt (part 1 of 2): A book and its prequel.
Kudos to Ritchey for this highly imaginative tale featuring kick-ass female characters and an awesome voice in the first-person narrator, 16-year-old Cavatica Weller. She is very much a 16-year-old girl that anybody who has ever been a 16-year-old girl will be able to identify with on some level, but she's also an effective guide through both "the World" and "the Juniper" as well as her own personal conflicts.
I don't claim to understand all of the world-building here, but I didn't need to in order to enjoy the book. It's sort of like Firefly meets a flipped The Handmaid's Tale, with a few dashes of As I Lay Dying and Little House on the Prairie (though more the TV show than the books). But post-apocalyptic steampunk in the weird and wild west. And all without ripping off these influences. I also read one of the prequels, Armageddon Dimes, which I recommend for another perspective on the Weller girls and the world-building.
Oh, and I loved the horse's names. They always made me giggle, and the book is full of these fun little nods to our current era. There is also some fairly serious examination of politics, religion, and social structures. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. This volume did end on a cliffhanger, but I'm hooked and will definitely be reading the next volume, and I felt there was sufficient resolution of the obstacles encountered thus far in the adventure.
Habitica's Legendary Book Club Modest Reading Challenge Task: A book you've been meaning to read.
PopSugar Challenge Prompt (part 1 of 2): A book and its prequel.
Kudos to Ritchey for this highly imaginative tale featuring kick-ass female characters and an awesome voice in the first-person narrator, 16-year-old Cavatica Weller. She is very much a 16-year-old girl that anybody who has ever been a 16-year-old girl will be able to identify with on some level, but she's also an effective guide through both "the World" and "the Juniper" as well as her own personal conflicts.
I don't claim to understand all of the world-building here, but I didn't need to in order to enjoy the book. It's sort of like Firefly meets a flipped The Handmaid's Tale, with a few dashes of As I Lay Dying and Little House on the Prairie (though more the TV show than the books). But post-apocalyptic steampunk in the weird and wild west. And all without ripping off these influences. I also read one of the prequels, Armageddon Dimes, which I recommend for another perspective on the Weller girls and the world-building.
Oh, and I loved the horse's names. They always made me giggle, and the book is full of these fun little nods to our current era. There is also some fairly serious examination of politics, religion, and social structures. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. This volume did end on a cliffhanger, but I'm hooked and will definitely be reading the next volume, and I felt there was sufficient resolution of the obstacles encountered thus far in the adventure.
October 5, 2016
Ummm... I'm not quite sure what to say about this book. It's a great story - a war led to a nuclear attack and possibly (probably) a biological attack. The end result: men are scarce, women rule in all aspects of life, and there's a whole swathe of area - encompassing the entire states of Colorado, Kansas and more - that has no electricity. Nothing that runs on electricity, from light bulbs to computer circuits, functions. The area of the Juniper has basically been knocked back to the 18th Century but are still responsible for farming and ranching for the entire country.
The protagonist is a 16 year old girl named Cavatica who has been able to escape the Juniper so she could go to a boarding school located in the "real" world. At the beginning of the story, though, she is ripped out of that life after her mother dies. Cavatica and her sisters must find a way to save the family cattle ranch - and must try to drive all of their cattle half-way across the west.
Like I said, it's a very unique take on a post-apocalyptic tale. Having women in all roles of life - military, police forces, pirates, horse rustlers, bandits - is a very nice touch. The author also lives in Denver and is able to use his experience to paint a great picture of the area as the cattle drive goes through Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins.
It's just the science of the whole thing that throws me off. The whole reason that Juniper stays without electricity seems convoluted and not really believable, even after a scientific explanation is given. There's no real reason given for the disease that's killed most men and rendered most of the rest sterile. It's assumed that it was a biological component of the war, but no one knows for certain, and we never find out. We don't even get a plot resolution, instead we get the equivalent of "To Be Continued..."
(sigh) I can't decide if I'd recommend this book or not.
The protagonist is a 16 year old girl named Cavatica who has been able to escape the Juniper so she could go to a boarding school located in the "real" world. At the beginning of the story, though, she is ripped out of that life after her mother dies. Cavatica and her sisters must find a way to save the family cattle ranch - and must try to drive all of their cattle half-way across the west.
Like I said, it's a very unique take on a post-apocalyptic tale. Having women in all roles of life - military, police forces, pirates, horse rustlers, bandits - is a very nice touch. The author also lives in Denver and is able to use his experience to paint a great picture of the area as the cattle drive goes through Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins.
It's just the science of the whole thing that throws me off. The whole reason that Juniper stays without electricity seems convoluted and not really believable, even after a scientific explanation is given. There's no real reason given for the disease that's killed most men and rendered most of the rest sterile. It's assumed that it was a biological component of the war, but no one knows for certain, and we never find out. We don't even get a plot resolution, instead we get the equivalent of "To Be Continued..."
(sigh) I can't decide if I'd recommend this book or not.
June 11, 2019
Cavatica Weller never thought about what life would be like if the world around her were to change further. Despite the fact that her family has lived a difficult life, they've made do with what they had. Confronting unexpected truths while nursing the pain and heartache of losing a loved one, she soon realizes that nothing is what it seems. Most especially when it comes to her sisters. In a desperate bid to save the little they have, she and her sisters must do what's best for themselves at every turn. Even if it means making difficult choices in the hopes of setting all wrongs to right.
Armageddon Girls is nothing like the usual books I read. A bit of a Western set within post-apocalyptic times, the story captures the reader's attention in such a way that it makes them want to know more about the plight Cavatica and her siblings find themselves in. These are girls who've had difficult lives. They've done their best to survive despite the adversities that keep coming their way.
The author has done a lovely job in setting up what's coming next for these girls. He's taken such a unique idea and molded it in such a way that it begs the reader to discover the truths and lies that surround each and every character. Plunged into an existence that is nothing like what we live in today, people soon have to adapt to the little the world has to offer.
The vivid pictures painted throughout the story itself makes it easy to envision this dark, dank world. A world where only the fittest are able to survive. Or so people think. By undermining those who seek to set order amongst the masses, Cavatica and her sisters are able to shape the world they live in to their every whim. Mind you, not everything is hunky-dory. There are stepping stones to be found and made every step of the way. So can't wait to see what happens next soon enough.
Armageddon Girls is nothing like the usual books I read. A bit of a Western set within post-apocalyptic times, the story captures the reader's attention in such a way that it makes them want to know more about the plight Cavatica and her siblings find themselves in. These are girls who've had difficult lives. They've done their best to survive despite the adversities that keep coming their way.
The author has done a lovely job in setting up what's coming next for these girls. He's taken such a unique idea and molded it in such a way that it begs the reader to discover the truths and lies that surround each and every character. Plunged into an existence that is nothing like what we live in today, people soon have to adapt to the little the world has to offer.
The vivid pictures painted throughout the story itself makes it easy to envision this dark, dank world. A world where only the fittest are able to survive. Or so people think. By undermining those who seek to set order amongst the masses, Cavatica and her sisters are able to shape the world they live in to their every whim. Mind you, not everything is hunky-dory. There are stepping stones to be found and made every step of the way. So can't wait to see what happens next soon enough.
March 19, 2016
4.5 Stars
I received and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read this book if you like-
Strong Female Protagonists
Cover to Cover Action
Dusterpunk (Steampunk with American Western flair)
Futuristic Dystopias
Complex Characters
Elaborate, Extensive Worldbuilding
Firearms
Getting Lost in a Narrative
Do not read this book if you cannot handle-
Feminism
Violence
Cussing
Unflattering Portrayal of Christianity
“Dandelion Iron” has all the Ritchey hallmarks featured in his previous novels; the flawed yet tenacious lead character, the strong supporting cast, the rolling plot, all on a colorful Colorado canvass. The difference between this and his other works is the sheer scope. This novel drives harder, brings more pain, and injects more drama than your typical YA fantasy. The Colorado here is more rugged, and more beautiful than you will see in most any other fiction. Ritchey let it all loose, and we can expect a lot more girls, grit, and guns in the future. If you like going to other worlds and staying a while, “Iron” is your introduction to a fabulously narrative-rich universe.
This isn’t to say this novel is for everyone. The body count is high and sometimes the means of death is more descriptive than some may like. There are a few choice expressions of frustration that might offend. Organized religion is frequently presented as an obstacle rather than an aid to the characters, and men do not generally represent themselves well. None of these are gratuitous, however; they all do their part to help create the unique setting, challenge the characters, and advance the plot. For those of us willing to let their fiction get a little ugly, “Dandelion Iron” suits fine.
I received and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read this book if you like-
Strong Female Protagonists
Cover to Cover Action
Dusterpunk (Steampunk with American Western flair)
Futuristic Dystopias
Complex Characters
Elaborate, Extensive Worldbuilding
Firearms
Getting Lost in a Narrative
Do not read this book if you cannot handle-
Feminism
Violence
Cussing
Unflattering Portrayal of Christianity
“Dandelion Iron” has all the Ritchey hallmarks featured in his previous novels; the flawed yet tenacious lead character, the strong supporting cast, the rolling plot, all on a colorful Colorado canvass. The difference between this and his other works is the sheer scope. This novel drives harder, brings more pain, and injects more drama than your typical YA fantasy. The Colorado here is more rugged, and more beautiful than you will see in most any other fiction. Ritchey let it all loose, and we can expect a lot more girls, grit, and guns in the future. If you like going to other worlds and staying a while, “Iron” is your introduction to a fabulously narrative-rich universe.
This isn’t to say this novel is for everyone. The body count is high and sometimes the means of death is more descriptive than some may like. There are a few choice expressions of frustration that might offend. Organized religion is frequently presented as an obstacle rather than an aid to the characters, and men do not generally represent themselves well. None of these are gratuitous, however; they all do their part to help create the unique setting, challenge the characters, and advance the plot. For those of us willing to let their fiction get a little ugly, “Dandelion Iron” suits fine.
May 27, 2016
I love books that take familiar tropes, like a post-apocalyptic US, and look at them in new and different ways. There's lots of shooting in this post-apocalyptic novel, but at a crucial point it's something other than firepower that saves our ragged band of cattle-driving adventurers. There are strong women (Damn good thing, since there are almost no males born and those few are mostly sterile) but they're strong in different ways. Our protagonist, Cavatica Weller, has a real problem with shooting to kill. I am so glad that she does not turn into a gunslinger at the first opportunity. She's the youngest of three sisters; there's the middle-sister hellion, Wren, and Sharlotte, the eldest. She's stuck with being the responsible one, and Ritchey gives us a glimpse into how she feels about that without slowing the pace for a moment.
The Sino-American was has left five western and Rocky Mountain states without electricity. It has also wiped out most of the men. Cavatica's in school back in Ohio, learning to be an electrical engineer (for surely electricity will return soon--won't it?) when her mother dies.With no chance to adjust, she's pulled back into the gunfire and danger of the Juniper. They're all going to take a wildly dangerous chance, driving cattle farther than anyone thinks can be done, facing roving bands of outlaw warriors, in an attempt to save the family ranch.
I bogged down in the engineering specs sometimes, especially re weaponry, but that's just me.
Dandelion Iron reminded me of some episodes of Firefly at times. This is a major compliment, since I loved Firefly. There is humor and humanity in this adventure novel. Now I want the next one. Hurry up, please.
The Sino-American was has left five western and Rocky Mountain states without electricity. It has also wiped out most of the men. Cavatica's in school back in Ohio, learning to be an electrical engineer (for surely electricity will return soon--won't it?) when her mother dies.With no chance to adjust, she's pulled back into the gunfire and danger of the Juniper. They're all going to take a wildly dangerous chance, driving cattle farther than anyone thinks can be done, facing roving bands of outlaw warriors, in an attempt to save the family ranch.
I bogged down in the engineering specs sometimes, especially re weaponry, but that's just me.
Dandelion Iron reminded me of some episodes of Firefly at times. This is a major compliment, since I loved Firefly. There is humor and humanity in this adventure novel. Now I want the next one. Hurry up, please.
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